nor other y t we may hold our selues continually in y e pure simplicitie of Gods word Againe let vs not be out of quiet though neuer so many mē do turne out of y e right way for it is their kinde so to do Wherfore let vs strengthē our selues against such stumbling blocks when we see corruptions creepe in againe that such as were in a good trade doe disgrace themselues Sith it is so y t men doe easily fall asleepe take no heede to themselues let vs not maruell though euery thing of nothing do corrupt them Thus ye see how this sentence may serue vs to dubble purpose And it is sayde expresly that our heartes should not be beguiled For it is not enough for a man to absteine from doing of euill wilfully but also all fond deuotiōs are lykewise condemned because our Lord wil not haue men to be selfewise but to obey simply whatsoeuer God commandeth thē Men thinke it to be a reasonable excuse before God when they can say I meant to doe wel but that meant is but a mockerie as Moses sheweth here And for proof thereof although our harts be beguiled so as men perceiue not their owne euil doings and destruction but make their reckoning that God will take their doinges in good worth yet are they condemned here as ye see with all their good intentes and they faile not to offend God neuerthelesse and in offending him they faile not also to heape vp vengeance vppon their owne heads And why so Euen because they walke not in obedience vnto him Now then let vs learne not to sheeld or shrowd our selues any more vnder deuotions after the foolishe maner that hath reigned too much in the world but let vs vnderstand that our Lord will haue vs to fetch light at his word and to rule our liues by that And sith he is so good to vs as to teach vs what is good to the intent that Satan may not haue any entrance into vs but that hee may bee put backe though hee goe prying about vs and indeuour to vndermine vs and seeke neuer so many by wayes to creepe into vs let vs assure our selues throughly y t we haue but only one way from y e which it is not lawful for vs to step aside in any wise And when we stand so vpon our gard let vs not doubt but y t God will reach vs his hand so fence vs on all sides as Satan may well practise what he listeth but hee shal neuer win any thing at our handes For otherwise this exhortation were to no purpose If God should say vnto vs beware in the meane while we had no meanes to beware hee might seeme to mocke vs. But inasmuch as when wee resorte vnto him he voutsafeth to guide vs by giuing vs y e spirit of wisedome discretion to y e end we should not be deceiued surely whatsoeuer the deuill practise yet shall he not preuaile but we shall euer ouercome his temptations at leastwise if wee suffer our selues to be gouerned by Gods pure word so as wee forsake our owne fansies trust not to our own wit but pray God to inlighten vs and to shew vs by his holy spirit what is acceptable vnto him When wee goe to worke after that fashion so as our warinesse is matched with humilitie it is certeine y t God will alwayes reach vs out his mightie hand Thus ye see that the thing which we haue to put in vre is first of all to be vigilant to keepe good watch and secōdly that forasmuch as we know we may quickly be deceiued we must pray God to defēd vs vtterly distrusting our selues leane onely vnto him These two thinges wil so preserue vs that we shall continually keepe y e right way euē in the middest of darknesse For why God himselfe will serue vs both for Sunne and Moone Esa. 60 19.20 as it is sayd in the Prophet Esay And now by the way he sheweth that if y e children of Israel continued not in y e seruing of God and in his pure religion they were lesse to bee excused than all the infidels of the world for it is said vnto them turne not away Men that haue neuer had any good instruction are by nature as brute beates but when God hath called vs and shewed vs the true foundenesse then if we faile afterward it is not with vs as with the sillie infidels that haue euer bin blinde and ignorant but it is a rebellious turning away vnto wickednes as though we meant to spite our God by separating our selues from him by renouncing the couenant which he had made w t vs to hold vs vnder his subiection This saying therefore ought to be well weyed specially of vs in these dayes which haue the pure trueth of y e Gospel whereas wee see how all our neighbours round about vs runne headlong on still in blindnesse In deede it is pitie y t they haue not knowen Gods trueth but yet shal not y t excuse them But what is to be sayd to vs in comparison of them seeing that our God hath shewed himselfe to vs 1. Tim. 3.16 hath layd the matter so playne before vs as we cānot misse but knowe how to obey him Wherefore let vs take heede y t we keepe on our course when God shall haue set vs in y e way of his obedience taught vs how to do it Let vs beware I say that we step not aside in any wise vnlesse we intēd to be worthie of dubble blame Let vs bethinke vs of this saying Luk. 12.47 that y e seruant which knoweth his maisters will shal haue dubble punishment if he doe it not And y t we may so doe let vs seeke to settle our selues y e more by Gods word When he hath once told vs what he would haue vs to doe let vs profite therein let vs be so strēgthened thereby y t the diuel doe what he can and inforce hee himselfe neuersomuch against vs may not bee able to turne vs out of the way Now he speaketh afterward of strange Gods For the welspring of all euil is the not knowing what God we should serue If men bee to seeke in that point needes must all the rest of their lyfe be vtterly vncerteine wrapped vp altogether in error And therefore it is not for naught y t God stādeth vpon this point y t men should know him serue worship onely him alone For when wee say we must serue no strange Gods it importeth two thinges The first is that we should be able to discern who is our God so as we ground not our selues vpon false opinion or fansie but vpon substantial certeintie which thing cannot be if we giue way to our own mother wit For y t is y e roote whence all the superstitions in the worlde haue sprong And the very cause of y e huge confusion y t is still in the
so long despised God that in the ende their shame was of necessitie to bee discouered They protested sufficiently that their desire was to haue the Gospell but that was the gospell of Mahomet to turne all thinges vpside downe and to bring all things to confusion For the worlde hath seene howe farre they ouershot themselues insomuch that they tooke parte against God and his word Nowe sith wee haue such examples let vs learne to liue in feare and warinesse and alwayes come backe to that which is tolde vs here that is to wit that it is not without cause that our Lorde sayeth that hee tryeth and examineth such as were disguized afore and that when hee suffereth false prophets to bee stirred vp by Satan to sowe their darnell among vs it is to trye vs whether wee loue him with all our heart or no. And therefore let vs proceede more and more in the feare of our God accordingly as it is said here that wee must serue him and obey his holy commaundementes not douting but that hee will make vs to get the vpper hande in al assaults and conflictes wherewith wee be assayled so as wee shal be sure of the victorie because hee will fight for vs. Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs so to feele them as wee may not proceede to prouoke his wrath through our vnthankfulnesse but that seeing he hath giuen vs the infinite treasure of his holy worde whereby wee haue full assurance of our saluation wee may imbrace it with all reuerence and liue in such purenesse of heart before him as hee may bestowe his riches more and more vppon vs make vs partakers of them and that wee may walke the whole race of our life after such sort in his obedience as wee may moreouer resist all our enemies and by the power of the spirituall sworde of his worde and of the shield of faith beate backe all the assaultes that shal be made vppon vs. 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 xij of October 1555. The Lxxxvij Sermon which is the second vpon the thirteenth Chapter 2.3 And the signe or miracle c. 4 Yee shall walke after the Lorde your God and feare him and keepe his commaundements and obey his voyce and serue him and sticke to him 5 But that Prophet or dreamer of dreames shal bee put to death for hee hath spoken to turne you from the Lorde your God which hath brought you out of the lande of Egypt and deliuered you from the house of bondage and to thrust thee out of the way which the Lorde thy God hath commaunded thee to walke in And so shall you ridde away the euill from among you WEe sawe yesterday wherefore God giueth the brydle to Satan in such wise that hee soweth many errours and corruptions not onely in the worlde but also in the Church For it is good reason that our faith should be tryed to weete whether we liue in vprightnesse soundnes and loue before our God or whether there bee any faynednesse in vs. And there is not a truer tryall thereof than when wee come to the incounter to know whether Gods trueth ought to bee inuincible against all erroures and leasings And therefore let it not offende vs when wee see him sowe darnell but let vs bethinke vs of that which is sayde here namely that our Lorde wil search vs to the harde bottome whether wee beare reuerence to his worde in good earnest and vnfeynedly or no. Not that hee knoweth not welynough what wee bee for it is not for himselfe that hee doeth it but to the ende that our faith should shewe it selfe and that there shoulde be true record thereof Nowe moreouer it is tolde vs that wee must followe Gods worde and hearken to him that wee may serue him and sticke to him And this is still to shewe vs that which I haue declared afore namely that wee can neuer bee at any stay vnlesse wee knowe well what God it is whome wee worship For if wee bee in dout there needeth nothing to shake vs downe as wee see by experience Therefore let vs learne to profite so in our Gods schoole as wee may not bee remoued by false doctrines but may haue wherwith to withstande the sleightes of Satan as was declared more at large yesterday But let vs goe backe againe to this saying that although the false Prophet haue giuen some signe or foretolde some wonder and the same thing is come to passe yet notwithstanding wee must hold our owne still Here it might be demaunded whether the diuell can prophesie or no. I stande not much vppon that it is not materiall but I haue aunswered before that GOD is aboue him and that it is his will that his Church shoulde liue in warrefare to the ende that the faith of all his might be exercised Then if a deceiuer foretell a thing and the same fal out in deede it is not to bee saide but that GOD hath giuen him the brydle Therefore it is not for vs to trouble entraunce into vs but also as Saint Paul sayth to bee diligent in purging of Gods Churche from them Gal. 5.9.12 Tit. 3.10 that such a plague be not nourished among vs. And truely if wee knewe our owne frailtie and considered well on the other side what Sathan is able to doe against vs it is certaine that wee woulde stande more vppon our garde than we be wont to doe Trewe it is as I haue sayde alreadie that wee woulde fayne repose and staye our selues vppon GOD so as we might not minister any occasion to Satan to beguyle vs and surely if wee through our owne fonde desire of seeking lyes did not cast ourselues into Sathans snares wee shoulde be sure that GOD woulde alwayes preserue vs. But forasmuch as we bee too too weake and Sathan needes no more but to holde vppe his finger to vs to carrie vs out of hande from the right way of saluation in respect thereof wee ought so much the more to seeke the remedies whereby to preuent the mischiefe Againe let vs consider what Satan is able to doe Iohn 12.31 He is the prince of this worlde and therefore wee shall soone be ouertaken by him the rather if wee be slothfull carelesse or negligent Then is it not without cause that our Lorde warneth vs to take so good order as such a plague may not lurke among vs that is to wit that wee may not haue deceiuers to beguile the simple and to marre them by turning them from the pure trueth For it is a likelihoode that wee woulde faine bee turned away from GOD when wee giue the mischiefe such scope If there were a breach in our towne wall and our enemies were at hand or that wee were alreadie beseeged so as wee looked for the
once be a wicked thing and that God finde fault with it insomuch as he had leuer that a man should put his wife away than y t mariage should be broken and the order thereof ouerthrowen let vs assure our selues there is yet a greater mischiefe namely secret hatred when a man loueth not his wife but is inflamed with a wicked desire to haue an other beside her And so ye see that the greatest wickednesse that can be is this vnfaithfulnes wherethrough mariage is corrupted and men haue no more care to followe the order of GOD and nature and to frame themselues thereafter Furthermore as touching the worde Hate let vs note that it is taken heere for ouer colde loâ—ing For inasmuch as the Lawe punished not a man for putting of his wife away if he had hated her in deede he would surely haue thrust her out of his house and companie Therefore in keeping her still he shewed plainely that hee hated her not as we meane by hating in our common speech and yet doeth God account it for hatred and not without cause which is a text well worthy to be noted For if a man hate not his wife deadly so as hee woulde kill her with beating or wish her in her graue he will beare the world in hande that although he loue her not yet he doth not vtterly hate her But heere ye see how God speaketh farre otherwise For he sayeth and auoweth that if a mans heart be not whole and sounde towardes his wife it is to be taken for hatred Therefore let vs imbrace this saying That a husbande must loue his wife as himselfe Eph. 5.28 euen as his owne person If hee doe not so yet shall this sentence of God alwayes take place And this lesson ought to serue not onely for the mutuall loue betweene man and wife but also generally for the loue towards our neighbours When a man hath an offence committed against him if he seeke no reuendge if he practise no wicked wayes if he intende not to murder him by sword or by poysoning if he goe about no wicked conspiracie against him he will say As for mee If I would him any euill let it light vpon my selfe I wish him nothing but his benefite and welfare That is true but yet in the meane while there is a secret rancour lurking within And wee must not thinke that God acquitteth vs when we haue such heartburning in vs bearing in minde the offence that hath beene committed against vs so as we be loth to pleasure the partie and could rather finde in our heartes that euill mought befall him On the other side some man is so far reconciled as hee can not finde in his heart to commit any wicked dede by trecherie or vnfaithfulnesse nor by any maner of violence and yet he thinkes with himselfe such a one is mine enemie he hath gone about to vndoe me yet will I forgiue him so farre that I will doe nothing against him But yet if some mischaunce might befall him he would be glad of it and say O it is well bestowed for what had he purposed against me When we keepe such backe shops it is a token that our heart is not rid quite cleane The hatred appeareth not openly but yet it abideth lurking still within And he y t hateth his neighbour in his heart sayeth Saint Iohn that is to say in secret is a murtherer before God So then let vs marke that loue consisteth not onely in wishing none euill to our neighbours but also in seeking their welfare as much as we can and in reioycing at the welfare of our enemies And specially if a man intende to discharge his duety towardes his wife he must not loue her slenderly but he must accept her as his wife that is to say as the partie whom God hath linked to him and therefore he must beare with her and maintaine peace and concorde with her as much as he can possibly That is the thing that Moses meant is saying If a man hate his wife For else a man might say as for mee if I hadde hated her I woulde haue beene diuorced from her and not haue kept her still For what a thing had it beene for me to haue kept her still in my house Yea but wherefore hast thou taken an other wife to her but because thou diddest mislike of the first All the pretences which thou canst alleadge are to no purpose vaine are such excuses For God who is y e Iudge of mens hearts telleth thee that if thou beare her not a right and pure loue thou hatest her Now Moses addeth When he hateth the one and loueth the other if he haue children by them both he may not make the childe of the beloued his heire by giuing him the prerogatiue of dubble portion aboue the rest of his children But the birthright must remaine to him to whome it belongeth by nature though the mother of him was not so well liked of her husbande as the other That is the thing in effect which Moses commaundeth in this text And as touching the birthright of the firstborne it was verie auntient euen before the Lawe yea euen before the going of the people into Egypt there was a regard had of the birthright For although Iacob was in Egypt when hee dyed yet spake hee as of a thing growen already into custome and helde for a common rule that is to witte that there shoulde alwayes bee a kinde of preheminence in eldership so as y e eldest brother should beare chiefe sway in the house ouer his brethreÌ„ And we see it in very deede in the blessing y t Isaac gaue vnto Iacob taking him neuerthelesse to haue beene Esaw For he maketh him his eldest sonne with prerogatiue of Lordshippe and souereigntie ouer all his brethren that is to say ouer all his kinred Yee see then howe it is an auntient prerogatiue insomuch as a man may say it came as it were by inspiration that it was not of mens inuenting but of Gods owne appointing though we haue no recorde thereof ne can proue the thing otherwise than by single coniecture Yet notwithstanding this serueth not to excuse the ambition of such as will needes giue al that they haue to their eldest sonne to the intent to maintaine their houses in greate estate which we see is the marke that men haue shot at Whereof comes it that in many countryes the elder brother hath all and the younger brothers as good as nothing and that men doe giue them a morsell of breade as though their fathers had layde the wallet vppon their neckes to bid them shift for themselues Whereof comes this but of a pride that they will needes haue their houses to continue in their name and not be diminished Yea but our Lorde telleth vs that we must passe through this worlde as wayfarers And wee knowe how the prophet skorneth those that will needes plant their names vpon earth after that
certeine that euery of vs woulde rest vppon him wayting to receiue all goodnesse from him which is the thing that shoulde encourage vs to serue him and to direct ourselues after his will But although euery man seeke and desire his owne ease yet wee vnderstand not that GOD is hee from whom wee must looke for it Wee can say it well ynough but the thing it selfe sheweth that wee can not iudge nor conceiue it to bee so Euery man woulde bee riche by leawde practises euery man setteth his felicitie in offending God Wee must needes therefore bee without sense and reason seeing that this article wherein wee should bee resolued cannot bee imprinted in our mindes to witte that all welfare proceedeth from the hande of GOD and that there is no meane to prosper but by giuing ouer our selues vnto him and vnto his seruice Yet notwithstanding GOD hath alwayes left this engrauen in the heartes of men that the wretchednesse and miseries whereunto wee bee subiect doe proceede of the corruption of mankinde insomuch y t the very Paynims haue had the same opinion common amongest them It is certaine that they were not taught concerning the fall of Adam they vnderstood not howe all mankind was accursed for the diuel through his wilinesse had put that out of knowledge Yet notwithstanding it was vnderstoode among them and written and these thinges were common vnto them namely that all the sickenesses and wretchednesse that men indure all the famines and plagues and such like things proceeded of this that men will needes robbe GOD of more wisedome than is belonging vnto them They knew not y t this came from the tree of the knowledge of good euill they wist nothing of that Neuerthelesse God hath not permitted that knowledge so wholly to be buried but that it remained amongst the Heathen and Infidels so as they vnderstoode that because man woulde haue vsurped vnto himselfe more knowledge than was lawfull for him that now all thinges are confounded in this worlde and the life of man is become miserable and so subdued to so many aduersities as is horrible Now this is sufficient to make vs altogether vnexcusable but yet will God haue vs vs I meane whome God hath chosen to be of his housholde to bee more familiarly taught This doth god speak as it were mouth to mouth and looke what the Infidels had but by imagination the same doeth he tell and testifie vnto vs I say he telleth it vs that we might know it familiarly he testifieth it vnto vs that we shoulde be thereof assured That is the cause why hee saith that he woulde make all maner of felicitie to reigne vpon vs so we would hearken to his voyce Wherby he sheweth that if it were not long of our selues he were readie and forwarde to entreate vs as a father doth his children and that hee delighteth not to vex vs with multitudes of euils but that hee meaneth rather to make vs feele his goodnesse in all respectes Let vs therefore be aduised to walke in the obedience of our God if wee meane that he should powre vpon vs the treasures of his grace in such wise as all our life may bee blessed Neuerthelesse it is certaine that God oftentimes afflicteth his people for other causes than their sinnes as we see it happened to Iob which is a notable myrrour for vs. Wee see the like in the holy Patriarks who although they did endeuour and trauaile to serue God yet were they in as great troubles and griefes as could be The same is yet more manifest in the newe Testament For seeing that God hath reueiled more fully what is the perfect happinesse of men It behooueth the faithfull to bee exercised vnder many aduersities in this transitorie life But let vs marke first of all that if God doe not punish the sinnes of the faithfull hee doeth it to preserue them as the Physition that waiteth not alwayes till the sickenesse do appeare but if hee perceiue any likelyhood that a man is in daunger he will preuent it God then in not punishing the sinnes that be presently committed by his children doth vse chastisements towardes them as preseruatiue medicines It may euery day fall out that a man hath not offended against God in some particular sins But what If he were alwayes in prosperitie he woulde forget himselfe God therefore doeth cure such diseases by withdrawing his blessings hee will not suffer the fat to blinde mens eyes or to hinder our comming vnto him least it shoulde stay vs too long in this worlde he will not suffer vs to bee so intangled in our delightes as to fall altogether on sleepe in the same There is yet a seconde point to wit that when God forbeareth to punish vs for our sins it is not that hee hath not alwayes iust cause so to doe if he listed Let the perfectest folke in the worlde bee chosen out and yet if GOD woulde deale with them by rygour he shoulde lay many harde knockes vppon their pates But truely wee thinke it not so for wee bee not so sharpe sighted as to knowe the faultes which God doth marke But yet must wee assure our selues that GOD vttereth his patience and goodnesse in that hee spareth men and punisheth them not I meane the most righteous that can bee founde As for example when Dauid was cruelly persecuted of Saul and of all his enimies when Abraham was stinged and vexed so many wayes likewise when Isaac and Iacob and al the Prophets were afflicted by the wicked and by the despisers of God euen to the verie death and finally when the Apostles and all the faithfull were cruelly delt with it was not for their sinnes No verily But had it pleased God to haue called them to account hee might haue punished them an hundred times more and they shold haue had no cause to haue accused him of crueltie Hee spared them and in so doeing hee did them the honour to suffer for his name or rather hee tried their obedience killed their carnall affections and drew them neere vnto himself As for example wheras it pleased God to make Iob a myrrour of patience yet neuerthelesse he made him acquainted with his owne frailtie but howsoeuet it were yet was it his intent to make him to serue for an example to vs all Wee perceiue then that God hath other meanings in afflicting his people than onely to punish their sinnes neuerthelesse he ceaseth not to vpholde them euen by his own meere grace And yet must wee on our side resort backe to this point that the originall of all the miseries that we suffer in this present world doth proceede of sinne And why so For were not this corruption in our nature which God condemneth and of the which also wee be conuicted wee shoulde inioy heere a blessed life all this whole worlde should be vnto vs an earthly Paradise For we must not thinke that Adam was cooped vp in a little corner for himselfe
escape his hand Nowe after the threatenings which we haue seene heere before hee presently addeth that they which so resist God shal bee afflicted and tormented so as men shall spoyle them and they shal bee layde open to all vyolence for euer and no man shall deliuer them Wee see heere that God serueth his owne turne by the wicked and that although their intent bee nothing so yet doeth hee apply them to a good vse when hee listeth to punish vs. Whereas there bee theeues and robbers albeeit that they bee giuen ouer to Sathan yet fayle they not to serue Gods purpose yea truely for wee see in this text that our Lorde leaueth them not at randon to robbe and to spoyle whether hee will or no but hee threateneth his people saying They that disobey mee shal bee vexed and robbed And whence proceedeth that It must needes come from him Nowe albeit that God suffereth oppressions robberies and violence to bee done hee can very well condemne them according as hee is righteous and must needes hate Iniustice yet notwithstanding by his wonderfull wisedome which to vs is incomprehensible hee turneth those things to his owne seruice so that when wee haue offended him he must needs punishe vs by the hand of the most wicked which is the more to our reproche For if he himselfe shoulde haue punished vs and we sawe before our eyes y t he reuengeth him of our iniquities wel would wee say seeing that wee haue offended him it is good reason that wee should come to account for it But when hee sturreth vppe leawd folke and despisers of his maiestie and such as are giuen to all naughtinesse and maketh them our Iudges it is to make vs so much the more ashamed Let vs therefore consider that whencesoeuer the euill commeth wee haue euermore to deale with GOD and wee must thinke that there is nothing done in this worlde but by his direction And thereupon let vs enter into the examination of our faults For it is not ynough to know that God ruleth al things but euery one of vs must also make his owne inditement and consider that all afflictions and aduersities are tokens of Gods wrath Nowe when wee speake of his wrath wee must in like wise remember his iustice and thereuppon conclude that wee verie well deserue to bee punished But yet he threateneth vs before hee strike to the ende that wee shoulde not stand gaping til the things were come to passe but rather preuent them aforehande 1. Cor. 11.31 as Saynt Paul also doeth admonish vs. Whilest God spareth vs let vs bee aduised so to walke in his feare that wee prouoke him not to stirre vp theeues to torment and vexâ— vs but that rather if men attempt such iniuries against vs wee may stande in his protection according as hee promiseth to vpholde all them that walke in his obedience Then let vs see that wee doe so and let vs remember that which is spoken by the Prophet Esaye to wit that they which haue robbed must bee serued with the same sawce Esa. 33.1 And that is the cause why violences and extortions doe so continue in the worlde Men wonder to see that the mischiefe growes woorse and woorse but they shoulde note the cause thereof For they that beare chiefe sway and preheminence doe let themselues loose seeking nothing but to enriche themselues an to swallowe vp other mennes substance But haue they robbed God must sende a reuolution so as other robbers shall come and bereaue these of their booties and afterwarde a thirde sorte must step vp to spoile them againe And so there is neuer any ende And why Because the worlde neuer ceasseth to prouoke the wrath of God And for so much as wee bee headstrong it is reason that our Lorde shoulde continue to shewe himselfe our Iudge But as I sayde euen nowe let vs bee well ware to walke in such wise as innocent bloud crye not out for vengeance against vs. Let vs not doe iniurie or outrage to any person that our Lorde may blesse vs for so dooing and not pay vs with like measure according as wee see howe our Lorde Iesus Christ sayeth Matt. 7.2 that it shall come so to passe Let euery of vs therefore brydle him selfe in such wise as this curse come not vppon vs to bee robbed for vsing of robberie and extortion against the innocentes But for as much as men imagine that their aduersitie shal bee short and that they shal bee soone ridde of it Moses addeth That it shal bee for euer and that when the hande of God is against vs no man shal bee able to saue vs. It is certayne that like as God is slowe to anger so is hee soone pacified Psal. 103.8 Psal. 18.27 but that is but towardes the faithfull As for the wicked hee must holde on with them and they must feele their burden euery day heauyer than other And wherefore According as they harden their heartes against God they must in like wise feele him the harder against them And albeeit that this is not alwayes yet doe wee see it often come to passe God will at some times withdrawe his hande after hee hath menaced the wicked or else when hee hath giuen them some strypes with his rodde hee will let them goe againe and that is as it were a respyte that they may haue leasure to turne to repentance Notwithstanding because hee knoweth them to bee vnrefourmable that dealing of his must of necessitie bee turned to their sorer condemnation If GOD then do spare the despisers of his lawe and them that bee obstinate in malice it doeth not therefore followe that they shall bee saued but it is to the ende that the plague shall come double vppon their heades for their abusing of his patience after that manner For when hee hath waited for them and they proceede still from euill to woorse hee must needes put to his hande at the last Howsoeuer the case standeth it is not in vayne that Moses telleth vs heere that when GOD is our enemie our life shall not bee miserable only for a day or yet for a little while wee must not limit our selues any terme in that case but we must looke for one mischieefe to drawe another and that there shall bee none ende vntill hee hath layde vs quyte vnder foote vnlesse wee turne to him to obtayne mercie Wherefore let vs weye well this woorde which Moses addeth where hee sayeth that if GOD doe beginne to smyte vs for despysing of his iustice it shall not continue for a little whyle but wee must bee miserable for euer And why For in as much as the maiestie of God is euerlasting he must needes take endelesse vengeaunce of them that despise his iustice Therefore so soone as wee see the blowes come neere vs let vs bee afrayde and let euery of vs make haste to returne vnto him whome wee haue offended to wit our GOD to obtayne forgiuenesse of our
after a sort inclosed in his worde that it may be receiued as it deserueth and euerie man submit himselfe to it and God by that meanes bee worshipped of all men and serued with one accord And therewithal let them defie al rebels despisers WheÌ„ they see y e heathenish sort fall to scoffing at the doctrine which they beare abroade let them assure themselues that the things which they haue vttered shall suffice to send all these to the bottome of Hell which do so set themselues against them according to this saying of Saint Paul 2. Cor. â— that the Preachers of Gods word are armed with such a sword as is able to confound all such as will not obey the doctrine And herewithall likewise let euerie man haue an eye to himselfe and when he commeth hither to be taught in the name of God let him be prepared with such lowelines and modestie as he may perceiue that it is God which speaketh and be moued to bow downe his necke to receiue his yoke patiently And as for those that will needs play the wild beastes let them vnderstand y t here is sentence giuen vpon them so as they may well plead against it but they shall win nothing by their shiftes bicause it is said that all such as obeyed not Moses were disobedient to Gods owne mouth And nowe Moses addeth expressely That the people were presumptuous in that they woulde not bee at rest And this importeth very much For it doeth vs to vnderstand that there was neuer yet any vnbeliefe or stubbornnesse in men but it was matched with loftinesse and pride which puffed them vp in such wise and made them so farre out of patience with themselues as they fell to checking against GOD and to giue themselues to all euill And that is y e cause why vnbeliefe is so behated afore God Sometimes it will seeme to vs to bee ouer great rigour when GOD punisheth them so sore which cannot finde in their hearts â—o hearken to his word For we excuse them by ignoraunce forasmuch as they were not well assured that it was God that spake and in the meane time wee looke not to the euill that â—urketh in couert which God perceiueth and iudgeth y t is to wit that men are inwardly as full of poison as toads and that they bee stuffed with pride which maketh theÌ„ to mouÌ„t vp in such wise as in effect they refuse to obey God foraâ—much as they vouchsafe not to yeelde all superioritie to him That is the cause why pride or presumption is matched in this place with vnbeliefe And it is y e same thing which I haue declared afore namely that the true hardinesse must bee grounded in God so as men must not attempt any thing vpon opinion of their owne power nor perswade themselues that they haue this or that but onely stand vnto that which God promiseth vs. If it be not so with vs then will our hardinesse be turned into presumptuousnesse And in this respect ought wee to condemne mens rashnesse when they aduance themselues too much and to commende their inuincible constancie when they submit themselues out of hand to Gods woorde so that hauing once his promise they rest vpon it as vppon a rocke despising all stumbling blockes keepe on their pace stil notwithstanding any trouble or storme that can be stirred vp against them or anie threatening or menacing of them It will be sayd diuers times that Gods seruantes are wilfull because they will not swarue for any thing nor for al y e worldly reasons that can bee alledged This and that shall be brought in and wee knowe that nothing is easier than to strike sayle at euery blast of winde as they say But wee see that such as purpose to serue God doe shut their eyes against al daungers insomuch that although all should goe to hauocke yet will they not cease to doe the thing that is commaunded theÌ„ Lo here a willfulnesse yea verily according to the opinion of the flesh but yet in very deede it is the true hardinesse Why so Because it hath the good foundation Heauen and earth are of great weight and yet is all that houge building grounded vppon the onely worde of God In what good plight then shall a particular thing be when it is founded vppon the same Thus yee see what wee haue to gather vpon this text that the people was presumptuous in that they yeelded not to God when hee commaunded them to sit still Now to the ende wee may know that when God hath once spoken they be no threatnings to scarre babes withall as they say he addeth for a conclusion You went vp and behold the Ammorrhyte that dwelt on the hill came out before you and chased you as waspes or Bees doe insomuch that they smote you in mount Seir euen vnto Horma Hereby Moses sheweth that the people were taught after the maner of fooles that is to say by their owne harme And good reason it is that when we will not beleeue Gods single word we should pay very deere for our experience and be made to knowe in spite of our teeth that he will be stedfast in his purpose and bring the thing to passe that he hath spoken And hereby wee bee warned not to prouoke Gods wrath nor to tempt him So soone then as he speaketh let vs stand in awe for it is a part of fayth as is shewed by the example of Noe in the eleuenth chapter to the Hebrewes â—â—b 11.7 It is sayd there that Noe beheld the flud at such time as men made great chere in the world How so for God had told him that the world should perish and hee contented himselfe therewith And therefore let vs not tary till God arme himselfe and vtter his power against vs but as soone as he hath spoken let vs be afraide that we may preuent his wrath and then shall we be taught as wee ought to be to our welfare But if we bee hardheaded and thinke that all that euer is sayde is but a mockerie wee shall finde to our confusion that God hath an effectuall worde and that his hand and his tongue goe together so as all that euer commeth from him shall be found to bee certaine and infallible Also wee haue to marke this similitude that Moses setteth downe here namely that the Ammorrhytes came out lyke Bees For wee knowe that when Bees are angrye they sting men and they regard not whether men be too strong for them but they fly vppon them with such choler and furie as they cannot but be astonished They seke to sting their eyes so as there is not the hardiest of them but he is put to his shiftes and is faine to runne away from those little pretie fowles Moses then hath vsed this similitude to shewe that the enemies had Lyons hearts because God had incouraged them For it belongeth to him onely to strengthen men When it pleaseth him to defend vs
giue vs such power to resist him as wee may haue victorie euen vnto the ende Thus yee see what wee haue to remember vppon this text of Moseses Furthermore where as hee saith that God led his people about by the space of eight and thirtie yeeres vntill such time as all those that were able to beare armour at the time that the people murmured were consumed it serueth still to bring to rememberance the thing that hath beene spoken namely that God executed the vengeance which he had threatened to his people And as wee see it is a verie profitable lesson to teach vs to tremble at Gods threatenings as well as to bee mooued at his promises Such is our nature that when GOD promiseth vs any thing wee fall to scanning and disputing of it so as wee cannot rest vppon it to say it shall bee so wee cannot conclude that it is Gods will True it is that we will confesse it with our mouth but as for to bee fully resolued of it wee will none of that vnlesse his trueth bee well sealed and warranted in our heartes by his holie spirite And yet euen then too we be so inclyned to distrust that we draw still backe from the thing that God promiseth vs so brutish and dulheaded are we And this appeareth yet more when he threatneth vs So much the more then ought wee to thinke vppon his iudgementes and to consider that if hee bee prouoked the threatenings that hee hath vttered with his mouth shall not fall to the grounde but haue their effect and performance Thus ye see to what purpose Moses rehearseth again that all they which were aboue twentie yeere olde at the time that the people murmured were consumed and that not by casualtie but according to the Lordes owne saying And this was to assure the people yet more to the ende they might perceiue that Gods threatening of them was in good earnest And herewith all let vs also call to rememberance that God cannot abide that men shoulde despise and refuse the benefite that hee offereth and let occasion slippe for if hee open the gate and men will not enter hee cannot beare with that negligence of theirs matched with disobedience For what was the cause that God was so prouoked to anger that hee sware that all the carkeises of the people shoulde rotte in the wildernesse Num. 14.31 and that hee vsed so sharpe wordes vnto them It was for that they had refused to enter into the lande that hee had promised them Wee see then that vnthankefulnesse prouoketh Gods vengeance against vs to the vttermost specially when wee refuse the benefite that hee offereth vs and that such refusall proceedeth of wilfulnesse and malice which happeneth in manner continually For what maketh vs so loath to receiue the good turnes that GOD woulde doe vs but our owne vnbeleefe forasmuch as wee thinke not that he will keepe touch with vs but rather fall to reasoning what will become of it And therefore let vs marke well that men shall neuer bereaue themselues of Gods benefits but through their owne distrust Wherefore it standeth vs so much the more on hande to indeuour to beleeue al the promises of our God and to receiue his sayings purely and simply and to yeeld vnto them without any gainesaying Lo wherupon it behoueth vs to rest Nowe as concerning the time true it is that God coulde haue destroyed them all at the first day which prouoked him so to anger he coulde haue sent an Angell to haue made cleane riddaunce of them and yet haue preserued the young folke by myracle so as they shoulde haue come into the lande the first day but hee ledde them vp and downe by the space of fortie yeares And why did hee so To the ende that others shoulde take example by them For God seeth that wee profite better by his corrections and iudgements in processe of time than if hee shoulde punish vs out of hande and away Indeede in our owne imagination wee had leuer that God shoulde thunder downe at the first dash and wee thinke wee shoulde perceiue his power much better if hee wiped them quite out of the world which haue offended him and that wee might see the wicked consumed at once And what woulde become of it if hee shoulde out of hande destroy and take away all those out of the worlde which are not worthie to liue in it If it were so wee woulde within a day or twaine forget the thinges that he had shewed vs before our eyes Wee may well weene the contrarie but God knoweth that it is so For hee leaueth the wicked heere in this worlde where they haue their delightes sportes and triumphes at their pleasure and that is to trie our patience Neuerthelesse sometimes God setteth them languish as well as other folkes so as a man may see them dragge their legges after them and they bee as it were vppon the racke and God setteth them before vs as looking glasses so as we may well perceiue that it is more for our profite to see his iustice so prolonged by making the wicked to languish after that manner than if hee shoulde sende them their punishmentes out of hande This saye I stickes faster in our rememberance Yee see then howe wee be better taught by the delay of Gods iustice than if it were executed at once and out of hande And that was the cause why it behoued God to bee fortie yeeres space in consuming the people to shewe them that they were not worthie to enter into the promised lande For thereby the younger sort were occasioned to thinke why did not God giue vs the fruition of the lande at the first day It is because our fathers murmured against him And so are wee depriued of the inheriting thereof from our childhoode and that not for a day or two but it was Gods will that we shoulde wander in this wildernesse a long time to the end that the sinne of our fathers might be the better printed in our minds to beware that wee followed them not in that behalfe Yee see then that by this meanes the yonger folke were taught to liue in the feare of God and to be better aduised than their fathers were And therefore whensoeuer God executeth not his iustice vppon the wicked to make cleane riddance out of hande but consumeth them by little and little let vs learne to hold our wittes alwayes tied vp and as it were in suspense And in the meane time let vs take the instruction that God giueth vs thereby learne to beare them wel in mind and neuer to forget them for his intent is to put vs in minde of them vntil we haue throughly digested them After this manner must wee practise this doctrine concerning the time that is set downe heere by Moses wherein God led his people vp and downe by the space of eight and thirtie yeares wherevnto two yeares moe were added afterwarde to make vp the full number of fortie
according to their owne reason they shall finde thinges to grudge at euerie turning of a hande And that is the cause why venemous tongues rush out noweadayes and are not ashamed to blaspheme God When there is any talke of Gods secrete ordinaunce and of his disposing of thinges in this worlde after a manner vnknowen to vs so as we shall not comprehende it vntill wee bee ridde of this flesh of ours they storme at it and repyne against GOD. And why Because the same surmounteth their capacitie But if Gods iustice be too high for vs ought it to bee abased therefore If his ordinance bee aboue our vnderstanding shoulde it therefore bee hidden from himselfe and shoulde it haue no authoritie ouer vs Yes And this text is ynough to stoppe the mouthes of all such rascols For one of the common obiections that such beastes doe make is this Howe so If men had not free-will to take or refuse the thing that GOD sayeth to them and that the thing it selfe were not vndetermined it were in vaine to preach or to make exhortations or to profer the choyce of good and euill for the matter were dispatched aforehande Thus doeth it seeme in deede to these seelie fooles which attribute more to their owne braine than to Gods doctrine and which by reason of their slender exercise in the holy scripture are the more presumptuous to iudge at all aduenture of the thinges that they knowe not But let vs looke vppon that which Moses rehearseth here The message that hee sent to Sehon king of the Amorrhytes came of GOD and must not bee taken as the message of a mortall man as I haue declared before But yet is Sehon disposed to receiue the message Or is there any casuall vncertaintie in this behalfe so as a man might thinke it might as well not happen as happen Nay Moses was well assured that Sehon woulde not obey it and I enter not yet so farre as to discusse whereof that proceeded It shall bee declared in the nexte Lecture that God had hardened Sehons hart and that it was his will that it should be so Lykewise also it is sayd in the psalme Psal. â—â—â— that God turned away the hartes of such as otherwise had bin the peoples friends and that hee hardened them in such sort as they could not abide to spare them But I will not enter yet so farre I treate as now but vppon this poynt that GOD sendeth messages to men in his owne name and authoritie which notwithstanding shall not preuaile to reclaime them And why Because that those to whom hee speaketh are set vppon euill aforehande and there is none other thing to bee looked for but that they shall bee the more inflamed and waxe woorse at the hearing of Gods commaundement And therefore as I haue saide alreadie although it bee not seemely to our humaine reason yet must wee humble our selues and honour Gods secretes When wee finde thinges contrarie to our naturall reason is it meete that wee shoulde giue libertie to our owne witte to say Oho I take it to bee otherwise and therefore it must needes be so Noe Let GOD rather haue the maisterie and let vs become fooles that wee may bee wise in him For at that ende muste wee beginne if wee will profite well in GODS schoole Wee muste followe that which Saint Paul telleth vs 1. C 〈…〉 whiche is that wee must bee fooles in our selues that is to say wee must not couet the cursed wisedome where with men are puffed vp when they thinke themselues to bee sharpe witted and wise ynough to iudge of diuine matters Let vs beware of such imaginations and ridding our selues quite and cleane of all selfeweening let vs profite our selues by Gods shewing of the thinges vnto vs which he liketh and which are good in his sight Let vs then learne to frame our selues wholly to his good will for if wee be counted to be fooles and witlesse before men it shal be but of such as iudge after their owne mother wit Furthermore let vs marke that when wee haue searched things throughly wee shall finde that Gods sending of his worde dayly vnto such as receiue it not and are alreadie condemned afore him is not without cause Then is it vncertaine to vs that when Gods worde is preached it is to the ende to blinde the reprobates and such as are vncorrigible and yet for all that that it is Gods will to make them vnexcusable For commonly God reserueth that knowledge to himselfe and when we bee sent of him and doe preache in his name wee cannot tell whether our labour shall doe good or no. Hee then which is appointed to preache Gods word knoweth not when he hath done as hee was commanded whether his preaching shall turne to the saluation or damnation of his hearers But yet for all that let vs labour still and pray GOD to vouchsafe to giue effect to his word that it may so profite as the wretched worlde may bee plucked backe from the destruction whereunto it goeth That is the marke which wee must shoote at and the thing which wee haue to doe Neuerthelesse sometime GOD will shewe vs before our faces that his worde serueth to condemne the hearers and to bereaue them of all excuse Wee see it was once saide vnto Esay â—sa 6.9 Goe to this people And what to doe It was in deede to carie them the word of saluation But yet therewithal it is saide vnto him Goe to harden this peoples heartes goe to stoppe their eares goe to shut their eyes and to thicken their heartes to make them vtterly past recouerie for I will not haue them conuert Seeing then that the Prophet is sent with such commission as he knoweth well that those to whom he speaketh shall but waxe the worse for it in what case is he But what for that Yet must he execute his commission with all obedience It is not for men to enter into counsell and to take aduice in this behalfe according to their abilitie no but they must submit themselues to GOD as I saide afore Looke what was saide to the Prophet doeth shewe it selfe dayly in effect It might put vs oftentimes out of patience to see that the more that Gods worde is preached the more doeth the worlde rush foorth into all licentiousnesse For they that conspire among vs against GOD and his Gospell are in comparison farre worse than the Papistes The Papistes haue some deuotion with them and although they bee growen brutish yet neuerthelesse their chiefe intent is to serue GOD. But as for the other sort they bee starke Diuels and although they knowe and see it sufficiently prooued that they warre against God and not against mortall creatures yet doeth their furie carrie them away to proceede still Wee see it Wee see that whereas in the time of blindnesse there was some ciuill order and men were more bridled nowe it seemeth that all thinges are set at libertie This
spirite Let vs knowe that And on the contrarie parte when wee see the rebelliousnesse of the worlde and howe men doe rancle against the Gospell and are puffed vp with pride to aduaunce themselues against God let vs consider that they bee looking glasses which God setteth before vs for our instruction and that we also should be in the same taking if God had not pitied our frowardnesse to correct it Neuerthelesse let vs vnderstand that God dalyeth not with vs in sending vs his worde nowe adayes And why For it holdeth men so much the more conuicted inasmuch as they become worse than wilde beastes in that they woulde not by any meanes bee tamed for all his calling of them to him so familiarly by meanes whereof their shame is so much the more discouered so as the worlde knoweth what was hidden within them which coulde not haue bene perceiued otherwise Seeing then that we see this let vs learn to say euer that Gods worde is good and holy and that it shoulde bee the very foode of life if men turned it not to venim and poison through their owne naughtinesse their owne naughtinesse by reason whereof their fault is such as the blame thereof can in no wise be fathered vppon God Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better yea euen so farre as to bring vs to true repentance that being subdued by his corrections wee may learne to be sorie for our sinnes and for the imperfections y t are in vs vntill he haue throughly clensed vs of them and deliuered vs quite from all the temptations of the flesh and the world And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the vj. of May. 1555. The xiiij Sermon which is the fourth vpon the second Chapter 26.27.28.29 Then sent I messengers c. 30 But Sehon King of Hesebon would not let vs passe for the Lorde thy God had hardened his spirit and made his heart stubborne to the ende to deliuer him into thy hand as it appeareth at this day 31 And the Lorde saide vnto mee beholde I haue begunne to giue Sehon and his land before thee goe to take possession that thou mayest possesse his land 32 And Sehon came out again vs he and all his people to fight in Iasa 33 And the Lorde our God deliuered him before vs and wee smote him and his sonnes and all his people 34 And at the same time wee tooke all his Cities and destroyed the men women and children in them and we left him nothing remaining 35 Sauing the Cattell which we tooke to our selues and the spoyle of the Cities which we tooke 36 From Aroer which is vppon the banke of the Riuer Arnon and the Citie which is vppon the Riuer and vnto Galaad there was not any Citie that could defend it selfe from vs. For the Lord our God had giuen them all into our hands 37 Onely thou shalt not come neere the land of the children of Ammon nor vnto any place of the Riuer Iabok nor vnto the Cities on the hill nor vnto any of all those places which the Lord our God forbad vs. WEe haue seene heretofore howe God being determined to hardē Sehon letted not for all that to cause him to be summoned to the end he shold haue let the children of Israel passe without dooing them harme and without shewing himselfe to be their enemie And therewithall it hath bene shewed that GOD will sende message of peace vnto men yet notwithstanding knoweth that the same shall stand them in no stead but to make them vnexcusable After the same maner the Gospell is preached to a great nomber who notwithstanding doe but become the worse for it and God knoweth right well that no profite shall come thereof but that they shall bee rebellious still Why then doeth hee call them to him To bereaue them of all excuse and to lay open their malice and vngodlinesse For so long as men abide vndiscouered GOD seemeth after a sorte to doe them wrong But when he sendeth them his worde then bewray they themselues what they bee and their vnbeliefe is manifestly prooued And so let vs vnderstand that our Lorde knoweth well what the end of the preaching of his word shall be y ◠is to wit Cor. 2.16 that it shall become the sauour of death to a great sort but yet will he not ceasse to appoint his worde to bee preached still and that doeth he for good and iust cause namely to the ende that men should bee the more condemned But yet for all this it is the preachers duetie to offer peace vnto all men according also as our Lorde Iesus Christ saith to his Disciples 〈◊〉 10.5 wheresoeuer yee come offer peace and if they that heare you bee vnwoorthie thereof your peace shall returne to you againe As if he should say There shall be no losse at al you shall trie what is in men and the friendlye greeting which you shall beare vnto them shall be as a touchstone to the ende they may not be able to say that God hath not visited them nor had no care of them and so shall they be proued to haue reiected his grace And herewithall wee bee warned to seeke peace with all men as much as in vs lyeth accordingly as it is saide in the Psalme that wee must euen followe after it Psal. 34.15 1. Pet. 3.11 so as it is not ynough for vs to bee friendly and to indeuour to liue without anoying of any bodie and without vexing or troubling any of our neighbours but wee must labour yet further to seeke peace If wee see there bee any vnrulye folke wee must pacifye them as much as is possible If wee see that Satan procureth vs strife and contention wee must labour to remedie them as much as wee can accordingly as our Lorde Iesus Christ requireth of the faithfull not onely that they shoulde bee peaceable themselues but also that they shoulde indeuour to set peace euerywhere That then is one thing which wee ought to doe Rom. 12.18 And therewithall wee must bethinke our selues how S. Paul saieth that wee must seeke peace as much as in vs is And by that saying he comforteth vs. If it so happen that wee can not make men our friendes but y t although they haue no cause to complaine of vs nor can say that wee haue done them any harme or wrong yet they ceasse not to be malicious bitter towards vs we haue wherewith to comfort our selues in y t we haue done the best we can to seeke peace And therefore although wee bee faine to liue among such as seeke all the meanes they can to trouble and vexe vs yet must not wee followe their malice to be like vnto them but wee must alwayes doe our duetie to maintaine peace and friendship Pro 25.22 Ro. 12.20 And if men will not
bee wonne by vs then shall our mildenesse and gentlenesse turne to burning coales against them wherewith they shall bee consumed Besides this the Lorde will maintaine our innocencie and when he seeth that wee haue not assailed those at whose handes we demaund not any thing but rather haue laboured to ouercome euill with dooing good let vs not doubt but he will assist vs with his succour There is this further that Moses termeth it The word of peace when men abstaine from all euill dooing and offer all right and reason which wee ought to marke well for many will say that they desire nothing but peace howbeit that is but to their owne profite and to their neighbors losse and that is no meane of peace in deede Desire wee then to bee at peace Desire wee to haue agreement with them that dwell with vs Let vs on our side deale vprightly let vs abstaine from all wrong dooing let vs greeue no man let vs drawe no mans goods to our selues let vs yeeld euerie man that which is his due Lo what peace is And herein wee see that all the faire protestations which they make that are giuen to rauine and extorsion are but lyes For the holy Ghost hath tolde vs here that there is no word of peace but where vprightnesse and iust dealing is obserued so as no man is vexed in any wise And like as wee must indeuour to bee reasonable towardes our neighbours to maintaine friendship with them so if they offer vs reason wee must looke that we refuse it not For if wee bee vnmeasurably hard to bee contented the thing must needes be performed in vs which is written in the Psalme Psal. 109.17 that is to wit he refused blessednesse and it is farre off from him therefore shall cursednesse couer him as a cloake and it shall sticke fast to his flesh and to his skinne Would wee then that God should blesse vs and cause men also to beare vs fauour and friendship Let vs on our behalfe seeke blessednesse to the vttermost of our power and when wordes of peace are offered vs let vs not goe seeke occasions of controuersie to stirre vp strife and debate Thus ye see what wee haue to marke vpon that text Nowe let vs come to that which Moses addeth He saieth That Sehon King of Hesebon woulde not giue the children of Israel leaue to passe And why For the Lord saieth he had hardened his spirit and made his heart stubborne I haue told you alreadie that although God foresee that the message of peace shall not preuaile yet he ceasseth not to send it But here Moses expresseth yet a further matter that God hardeneth mens hartes And in the ende he addeth moreouer that he doeth it of purpose to ouerthrowe them and destroy them which is much more Nowe this is verie straunge geere at the first sight And that is the cause why men haue gone about to alter these textes but in so doing they haue marred them for it is all one when they would set such a glose as this vpon it that Gods hardening of Sehons heart was no more but his promising that hee should become hard hearted and that he letted not the hardnesse and stubbornnesse of his hart that is to say he did let Sehon alone when he shewed himselfe stubborn These are too feeble shiftes For when as the scripture saith expressely that GOD hardened it fathereth the verie worke it selfe vpon him Againe wee see how it saieth Thou Lord hast done it and that in mo places than onely in this Thinke wee that the holy Ghost wanted wordes wherewith to vtter his meaning when he saide I will harden Pharaos heart Exod. â— â— and beholde God hath hardened him And againe when he saieth in the Psalme that the Lord turned conuerted their heartes vnto stubbornnesse Psal. 105 when they rose vp so against Israel If men should flee alwayes to this glose God saieth that he will harden that is to say he will not hinder or impeache the hardening to what purpose were that Wee see it is a fond kinde of dealing and the word Turne sheweth it well Behold God turneth the heart Whereas mens heartes were plyable and disposed to courtesie God turneth them and maketh them to be inflamed with hatred so as they be the first that begin the warre And what meaneth that So then vnlesse wee meane to dally and mocke with the holy scripture we must not seeke such shifts but rather consider after what sort it is that God hardeneth mens heartes and yet notwithstanding is not guiltie of the hardnesse that is in meÌ„ nor can or ought to bee charged with the euill Wee must come to that point For let vs marke that although God harden mens heartes yet men faile not also to harden themselues And these two things may agree very well that is to wit that a man shoulde harden himselfe in his owne naughtinesse and yet not without Gods working in such wise as the euill proceedeth not of him ne ought to bee imputed to him as I said afore And to proue that men themselues ought to beare the blame and condemnation of their hard heartednesse there needeth no long discourse to bee made for euery man carieth his owne inditement readie framed in himselfe As howe Euen the wickedst sort doe giue euidence against themselues and although all the world would excuse them and that both great small did acquit them yet haue they a hartbiting within them which maketh them to perceiue that whensoeuer they offend or sinne they doe it willingly of their owne accorde of a certaine lewdnesse and with their owne wil. There is not that man which knoweth not this Euen the greatest despisers of God that are say I euen they that are become as brutish as is possible to bee haue the said brondingyron searing within them so as they knowe that their sinnes come of nothing else than their owne selfe mouing and of their owne cursed and wicked affection Seeing then that men doe feele themselues guiltie there needeth no more disputing vppon that poinâ— But now let vs come to the second point that is to wit how it is that God hardeneth men without being partaker of their sinnes Let vs marke that sometimes the causes shall be apparant And whensoeuer God punisheth men wee must needes confesse that hee doeth it iustly marke that for one poynt Now one of the meanes which he hath to punishe men with all is that hee blindeth them that hee hardeneth their hartes that hee sendeth them the spirit of giddinesse that hee deliuereth them vp to Satan These then are signes of Gods wrath and vengeance And therefore if there were any cause going before wee must glorify him And why for hee doeth the office of a iudge and for so doing there is no cause to carp and snap at him It is sayd that God will send the spirit of drowsinesse vppon men 〈◊〉 19.14 â—â—m 1.28 And why
of necessitie we must not step to him with such lustinesse as though hee owed vs any thing but after as we haue felt the experience of his goodnesse and grace towardes vs wee may bee so much the more familiar with him And that is the thing whereon wee must cast our eye and it is also the thing wherein GOD is rightly glorified by vs. When I come vnto him and say Ah Lorde true it is that nothing I am nor nothing I can I haue nothing in mee but vtter naughtinesse neuerthelesse forasmuch as I haue found thee bountiful to me heeretofore thou hast shewed thy selfe good to me so many ways therefore doe I resort vnto thee still Beholde by my so doing GOD say I is glorified both for the time present and for the time to come And it is not onely Moses that hath vsed this manner of praying Wee see it was common among all the auncient fathers Howe often see wee it vsed in the Psalmes Psal. 30 Gen. 32. ◠and wee see also that Iacob did the like Lorde saith hee I am stuffed full of thy benefites when I consider the good that thou hast done mee I cannot but acknowledge that thou hast vsed wonderfull mercie towardes mee and yet for all that I am faine nowe to repayre to thee still Wherefore let vs learne that if Moses being a man of GOD yea and such a one as had so excellent recorde of the holy Ghost alledged not any desertes of his ne vaunted of any worthinesse of his owne parte in his praying vnto GOD much more ought wee to confesse that wee bee not worthie to open our lippes vnto him and to stoope and to discharge our selues of all selfestimation when wee come vnto him so as wee presume not vppon any thing that is in our selues Marke that for one point But though wee bee vnworthie to pray wee haue well wherewith to imbolden vs by reason of the greate number of benefites that wee haue receiued at Gods hande For his reaching out of his hande vnto vs is not to doe vs good for one day but to continue and to giue vs accesse to resort to him againe to morrowe In so much that when God hath once beene gracious to vs thereby hee sheweth that hee woulde haue vs to come still to him seeing hee hath shewed vs the way and opened vs the gate So then let vs learne to call to minde the great number of benefites whereby GOD hath vttered his loue towards vs to strengthen our selues withall that wee may take heart to warrant our selues by true faith that hee will heere vs at our neede And surely as for them that minde not Gods benefites they bee at their wittes ende when they come to the pinche And the same is the verie cause why we be so colde in praying and why we goe to it so vnlustily not knowing whether wee shall obtaine aught or no or whether our prayers shall bee in vaine and vnprofitable or no. Why so For wee bethinke vs not of the promises that GOD hath made vs and as yee would say of the hansels which he hath giuen vs. Matt. 7.7 He hath assured vs oftentimes that wee shall neuer come vnto him amisse and we thinke not vppon it at all Our owne vnthankfulnesse therfore is the let that wee haue not a true and right trust in him and that wee cannot repaire vnto him to say Lorde I doubt not but thou art mercifull to mee and admittest mee alwaies vnto thee but not for any worthinesse of mine Neuerthelesse I beseeche thee remember the benefites that I haue receiued at thy hand for it is vpon that trust that I come vnto thee hoping that as thou hast shewed thy selfe gracious and bountifull to mee heretofore so thou wilt continue still vnto the ende Thus ye see what wee haue to remember in that Moses saieth Lord thou hast begun to shewe thy seruaunt the highnesse of thy mightie arme Now Moses speaketh here expressely of Gods highnesse and greatnesse and of the mightie power of his hand As if he should say that God had made him to feele an extraordinarie working and that the grace whereby hee was induced to pray vnto GOD was a speciall one aboue that which euerie man feeleth For God had vttered an vnaccustomed maner of power so as they wee no common thinges which he shewed vnto Moses That then was y e cause why he desired to bee brought into the lande of promise As if he had saide My God thou knowest that thou hast chosen mee not as some other person among vs but as an elect vessel therefore forasmuch as thou hast vsed mee in thy seruice nowe vouchsafe to bring me into the land And herein wee see that Moses desired this not so much for his owne sake as for the whole peoples sakes that all of them might haue fared the better by it For it was a thing that might haue troubled y e weaklings to see the leader of y e people die Ye see they were a people that were ouerbold at leastwise in rashnesse but yet when they should obey God they were seene to be cowardly ynough and when Moses died it was ynough to haue made them vtterly vnweeldie insomuch as it might haue caused great offence among them What meaneth this might they haue saide The Lorde was determined to put vs in possession of the lande and why doeth he nowe bereaue vs of him whom he had ordeined to bee our guide Moses hath bene his lieuetenant vnto this houre and nowe he goeth away to die It should seeme then that God had altered his minde and intended not to goe through with the thing he had begun Moses had an eye to all this And therefore if we looke no further we see so much y e more that his desire was good and holy but his fault was that being condemned of God whereas he ought to haue held him to it and not to haue gone any further to reply against it he did it not Moreouer he addeth therewithall What God is hee in heauen or earth that hath done according to thy workes and according to thy mightie power This manner of speache to say What God is he in heauen or earth seemeth perchaunce to be fond For is there any other GOD than hee that had published his lawe by the hand of Moses If hee alonely bee God then is this comparison superfluous yea and euen fonde and to no purpose But wee haue to note that in speaking so Moses meant not that there is a multitude of Gods so as euerie of them wrought according to his owne abilitie and power and that the GOD of Israel surmounted all the rest and was mightier than they all Moses had no such diuelish superstitiō in his head For he knew well ynough y t there is but onely one God euen he that had reuealed himselfe to their father Abraham the verie same which had shewed by his deedes that he is y t
Gods winges and to bee as it were one flocke gathered togither in his name And what doeth the Diuell on the contrarie parte There is nothing else but banding that the wicked may shed abroade their venim and poison And howe Euen by vnioyning the thinges that GOD had ioyned In deede they will not say it but the thing it selfe is too apparant and there needeth no long disputing or discoursing of the matter if a man doe but open his eyes he shall see it And it is a great shame that it is suffered and winked at for the matter is too open and manifest Matt. 19.6 Yet notwithstanding it is not our Lordes will that the thinges which he hath knitte togither shoulde bee so vnhappily rent a sunder and all bee put out of order after this sort Wherefore let vs abhorre such plagues and beseeche GOD to rid his Church of them the world too by powring out his vengeance vppon them seeing it appeareth that they bee vtterly reprobate and that there is no meane to reclaime them againe God so thunder downe vppon them as men may knowe howe highly hee esteemeth the vnitie of the faith and his Church be maintained in true brotherhood and concord And in the meane season let vs labour to bring this to passe and if wee bee true members of Iesus Christ let vs doe the cleane contrarie to that which wee see the wicked doe For sith that they doe straine themselues so to put all thinges to hauocke let vs on our side walke on in good vnion and looke that wee come togither in the presence of our God and that in such wise as his worde doe maintaine vs in good agreement and cause vs so to serue him and wee being conuersant one with another in good brotherly friendship may bee followers of the fatherly goodnesse of our GOD whereby he gathereth the thinges togither which were scattered asunder before Nowe let vs fall downe in the presence of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs so to feel them as wee may repent vs of them aright and seeke the remedie of them which is that he cleanse vs from all our affections and lustes making vs to renounce all our owne desires in such wise as we may no more bee giuen to our owne fansies and likings but seeke altogither to bee ruled by his worde and to profite therein after such a sorte more and more as our whole wisdome and perfection may be to be ruled altogither by y e same That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all c. On Wednesday the xxij of May. 1555. The xxij Sermon which is the fourth vpon the fourth Chapter and I will make them to heare my words which they shall learne to the end they may feare mee all the dayes which they shall liue vppon the earth and that they may teach their children 11 Then came yee and stoode vnder the hill which burnt with fire vnto the middes of the skie and there was darkenesse cloudes and mist. 12 And the Lorde your God spake vnto you out of the middes of the fire Yee heard the voyce of his wordes but you sawe not any image besides the voyce 13 Then declared he his couenant vnto you which hee commaunded you to doe that is to wit the tenne verses and hee wrote them vppon two tables of stone 14 The same time the Lorde commaunded mee to teache you the ordinaunces and Lawes to the ende yee should doe them in the Land which you goe into to possesse it I Declared yesterday after what maner wee must come together in the name of God to appeare before him For the meeting of the wicked is to make confederacies and it is apparant that their seeking is but only to conspire against God and all goodnesse but yet their meeting is by hiding themselues from Gods presence they would faine turne their backes vppon him so as he shoulde not see them Truely they doe but loose their time for all things must needs come to account before God And if mortall men espie their wicked practises so as they perceiue that their banding of themselues is but to ouerthrowe all order the same must needes bee knowen to the heauenly iudge Eccle. 12.14 Heb. 4.13 from whom nothing is hidden If their lewdnesse appeare euen to little children thinke they that God hath his eyes stopped But it behoueth vs on our side to present our selues before God in all our meetings to the intent that he may sit among vs wee bee taught as it were by his mouth and gouerned by his hand Furthermore forasmuch as wee see that the wicked seeke altogether to rend a sunder the vnion of the Church let vs indeuour so much y e more to come togither in Gods name For wee can not prooue our selues to bee his children if wee haue not the marke whereof Moses speaketh here And thereby it may bee iudged that such as passe not to haunt the companies of Christians when they meete together in the name of God to heare his worde and to pray vnto him are but as dogges and deserue not to bee reckened in the common aray of mē but are to be abhorred as dung and filth bicause they haue cut off themselues from Gods house Thus yee see what wee haue to remember concerning that text And nowe Moses addeth that if we minde to fare the better by the meetings that are made in the name of God Wee must hearken to the things that he telleth vs and that must bee to the ende that wee may feare him that is to say to the ende wee yeeld him al reuerence and it may appeare that wee take him for our Father and God For if we thinke to content God with ceremonies we deceiue our selues as they doe which could finde in their heartes to haue no Religion at all and therefore resort hither some but once a moneth and othersome as seldome as may bee There are also which come hither vpon the Sundayes and Wednesdayes as it were for fashions sake but in the meane while doeth it appeare that they bee any whit edified in the feare of God Doeth it appeare that their comming hither to crowd themselues into the flocke doth any whit amend them or make them the better Nay rather they become the more venemous against God therefore their comming to infect Gods house is to their greater condemnation for they bee vnworthie to come here they bee no better than swine Therefore our comming to the Church must be to another ende that is to wit that wee may profite in the feare of God Nowe as I haue touched alreadie this feare importeth that he shoulde ouerrule vs and that wee should bee subiect vnto him And for the same cause also doeth Moses match these two sayings together namely that wee must doe the things that God commaundeth vs and also that wee must feare him Many men
when it is tolde them that God calleth those whom he hath chosen and that he chooseth whom he listeth of his owne free goodnes they will needs fall to scanning how so Why doeth God prefer one before another When they debate after that maner it is not a simple inquisitiuenes but a pride as I said because they would faine be esteemed and finde somewhat in themselues wherewith to deface Gods meere mercie And therfore it is good iustice that Satan shoulde afterwarde bleare their eyes set many fancies before them And that is the verie cause that maketh them to goe alwayes seeking that God choseth those whom he foresawe to be such as would become worthie of his grace Againe such as dare not alledge altogether their owne deseruings doe say that they attaine to faith because God foresawe that they would be faithfull and therefore reserued them to himselfe So then by that meanes faith shoulde proceede of mens workes But such men doe in deede shewe that they be as it were blockish when they make such conclusions and yetnotwithstanding a great part of the worlde standeth vpon that point and is still blinded therewith But as for vs let vs learne that whensoeuer Gods loue is set afore vs we must wholly hold vs to it and rest vpon it so as it must suffice vs that God is righteous and yet notwithstanding not bounde to any person but at his free libertie to choose whom he listeth because hee receiueth them to mercie For it is to the same purpose that he saith to Moses Exo. 33 1◠Rom. 9.15 as S. Paul alledgeth I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercy and I will haue pitie on whom I haue pitie As if hee should say let not men fall to controlling of me in this case nor bee so malapert as to aske why I shewe not mercie to all men or why all are not delt with alike or why I choose one and leaue another Let them not dispute so with mee for I haue power to vse my freegoodnesse where I list and they must stoope to me And whosoeuer dareth repyne at it shall finally be confounded in his owne pride Therefore to bee short let vs learne to glorifie our God After what manner Euen for his choosing of vs. As for the castawayes it is certaine that they will doe nothing but grinde their teeth to blaspheme GOD and wee see it to bee so But whereunto doeth Moses bring vs backe He saith not y t they which are chosen shall glorifie God for any thing that they haue of their owne Howe is it then that God wil be glorified at our hands Euen in this that we beholding the benefites which hee hath bestowed vppon vs shoulde not exalt our selues aboue others thinking our selues to be better or more noble and excellent than our neighbors but acknowledge that hee doeth all those thinges of his owne free goodnesse This is the doctrine which wee haue to gather vppon this text And it is said here that God chose Abrahams seede after him because of the loue that had gone long time before And this serueth for a larger proofe of the thing that I haue touched accordingly to Saint Paules saying Ro. 9.11.12 that if God shewe mercie to men before they be borne before they haue done either good or euill it is an excluding of all deserts And that is well worth the marking For God hauing chosen to himselfe the seede of Abraham because of the adoption that had beene made hath yet a narrower choyce as hath bene declared alreadie For Esaw was of Abrahams linage as well as Iacob and so was Ismael as well as Isaac and yet yee see that both of them were cut off from Gods couenant and his adoption abideth in the house of the others What is the cause thereof Gods choice which I termed a testimonie of a more strait and deare loue which is the first and which also I placed in the redemption made by Iesus Christ and I placed the preaching of the Gospel in the seconde degree and faith in the third degree But for asmuch as here is no speaking but of the couenant that God made with Abraham it is a generall couenant that extendeth to all his linage Gen. 17.1 Therfore all they that came of Abrahams seede are comprehended vnder that couenant which god had made God in respect of himselfe knew who belonged to his election but yet for al that anon after hee shooled out those whom he thought good and took whom he listed to be of his houshold Forasmuch then as wee see it is so Let vs beare in minde that God continueth his mercie to a thousande generations Deut. 5.10 as hee himselfe saith And yet notwithstanding let vs assure our selues that in so doing his minde altereth not When he setteth vp his Church in any place he doeth it not vppon some sudden braide but because he loued our fathers Likewise nowadayes when we haue the Gospel preached and the Sacraments ministred whence shoulde we thinke that that commeth First we must vnderstande that the gospel was preached through the whole world and that our forefathers were gathered into Gods flock to be made partakers of the saluation that was brought by Iesus Christ. Neuerthelesse by reason of their vnthankfulnesse and wicked dealing the diuell got the vpper hande of the worlde so as there insued horrible darkenesse and all thinges were put out of order But nowe God hath as it were raised vp his worde againe and what hath moued him to it Euen the performance of his promise For when hee had once extended his couenant through the whole worlde it was his will to renew it againe because of the promise that hee had made afore And if it be demaunded wherefore God woulde haue his Gospel preached after that sort it was for that it pleased him to come neere to such as liued at that time because he had chosen them before they were borne 1. Cor. 〈…〉 Gal. 4.4 Againe we must vnderstande that the accomplishing of the fulnesse of time wherof the scripture speaketh is not grounded vppon men but vppon the good pleasure of God Eph. 1 1◠We must come to this point that God had ordeined the preaching of his Gospel in his own euerlasting purpose and that our atteining to the possession of so great a benefite at this day by the vertue of that vnchangeable ordināce is because he had called our fathers before we were borne that when they had made themselues vnworthie of the kingdome of heauen and banished themselues from it as much as in them lay yet notwithstanding God vouchsafed to cal vs againe and all through his owne free goodnesse Thus yee see what wee haue to marke where it is saide that God chose the seede of Abraham after him And by the way let vs call to minde the thing that I haue touched alreadie that is to wit that Abraham was alone as the Prophet
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
whould fill all things with bloud and violate so many images of God as come in their way that the same should be suffered I pray you is it not a bewraying that wee bee loth that GOD shoulde raigne among vs or haue vs vnder his protection Yes Therefore let vs marke well what is said here concerning wilfull murthers how there is no pardon for them but God will haue them rooted out of the worlde and executed by Iustice which haue violated his image And why To the intent wee shoulde alwayes beare in minde the thing that I spake of before that is to wit how greatly he loueth vs and that forasmuch as he hath adopted vs to be his children he will haue a continuall care of vs and keepe vs as charely as the Apple of his eye as he speaketh by his Prophet Zacharie Zach. 2.8 Now if it bee so that wee desire God as the holy Ghost teacheth vs to keepe vs as the Apple of his eye that is to say as the tenderest and delicatest part of him I pray you ought not we to gather therby that seeing he loueth vs he will haue vs also to loue one another yea euen with more than brotherly loue Yes and therefore let vs learne to abstaine from all wrong and outrage Moreouer whensoeuer any murther is committed or whensoeuer any folke are so wicked and cruel as to goe about to shed mans bloud let vs make account of them not onely as enemies to men but also as deadly enemies to God for as much as he sheweth himselfe to bee their aduersarie and telleth vs that he taketh it as an assaulting of him in his owne person and in his owne Maiestie That is the thing which wee haue to marke And herewithall wee must passe yet further For wee knowe how S. Iohn saieth that whosoeuer hateth his neighbor in his hart 1. Iohn 3.15 is a murtherer before God True it is y t wee must in any wise keepe our handes cleane from all iniurie and outrage but yet must our heart also be pure and cleane before God If it bee not so we shall bee blamed not for drawing of our swordes but for desiring to ouerthrowe our neighbour and for labouring so much as was in vs to bring it to passe by ouerthwart meanes Albeit that men can not blame vs yet doeth God condemne vs for murtherers yea though our hatred were so secret as wee neuer made countenance of it For whereas S. Iohn saieth he that hateth his brother in his heart it is al one as if he saide although the hatred appeare not nor men can beare witnesse of it yet are wee faultie if our heart be infected with any rancour or enmitie Sith it is so let vs beare well in minde that our Lordes intent is to perswade vs to brotherly loue among our selues and to agree togither indeuouring to helpe one another For all mankinde is knit togither as it were into one bodie And therfore let vs learn to abhorre all murther as well which is committed against other folkes as which is meant against our selues Howbeit let vs learne to hate that is to say to condemne cōtinually all murder without saying little or much in excuse of it in so much that although wee were guiltie of it yet wee should iudge against our selues if wee would iudge rightly Will wee then condemne murther in another man Let vs condemne hatred in our selues by abstaining from all malice and reuengement that our heartes may be rid of it If we deale with such vprightnesse then wil God dwell with vs and make vs to prosper But yet for al this it is saide that the manslaughters which are not committed through malice nor in rage nor by quarelling shall bee pardoned and not without cause For as I tolde you the crimes that are punishable must bee committed with a will and intent Then if one shoote and meaning to leuell at his marke doe hit a man by the way he is not punishable for euen the Lawes of man haue ordained so and there is an example of it set downe in another place of this booke Deut. 19.5 where it is said that if a man bee cropping of a tree and his Ax fall downe vpon one that is vnder the tree he shall not bee guiltie of the falling of his Ax vppon the head of him whom he perceiued not And why For it was God that did it saieth the text whereas we say it was by chaunce or fortune Bicause wee cannot conceiue that things happen otherwise than by chaunce Ye see here howe it is saide to bee Gods doing that is to say it was the will of God who gouerneth all things by his secret prouidence that such a one should bee taken out of the worlde Yet notwithstanding he that gaue the stripe vnawares ought not to be punished as if he had killed one in anger and in a fray Thus wee see heere what manslaughters are pardonable Howbeit there are two thinges to bee noted therewithall the one is that inquisition must be made of it and the other is that although such a one bee not to bee taken as a felon yet doeth God separate him from other men will haue him to bee as a prisoner for a time to the intent he should be an example to others to shun murder the more seeing that y e manslaughter which was cōmitted vnwillingly is punished after that fashion As touching inquisition and making of search it is a notable point For we see how men are abused with the thinges that are done in fauour of offenders in so much that if any thing be alledged that may moue to pitie and a countenance bee set vppon the matter that the offender is verie sorie men must shut their eyes at him and say alas what should a man do And this is done dayly and woulde God that examples therof were not so common Iustice is commonly abused in so much that if there bee any cause or reason to be shewed that some mā may happen not to bee so faultie as he is accused to be the same shall bee wrested to another mans defence which is not worthy to haue any fauour at all And why is that For want of examination And by that meane wicked men are styll maintained For were there diligent examination made and things sifted to the bottome men might soone discerne betweene them that are faultie and them that are faultlesse But what men are contented to shutte their eyes and although they cannot but see yet will they make countenance as though they knewe it not And so are the wicked discharged The matters lye open to the worlde they may bee pointed out with ones finger the euidence is too too apparant and yet nothing can bee knowen And why Bicause men list not O ye purblinde folkes which bleare your eyes in such sort yee shall be driuen in the ende to knowe what place yee hold that he which ordeined you to be
And on the otherside hee tryeth our humilitie For if hee thundered from heauen if he appeared visibly vnto vs if the Angels came downe vnto vs it were no maruell though men beleeued his worde But when both great and small imbrace the order that hee hath set in his Church that is to wit when they obey his worde that is preached vnto them that is a good tryall of our faith Neuerthelesse let vs still come backe to this that God hath shewed himselfe sufficiently to men so as wee haue no cause to doubt of his worde or to stande scanning from whence it came For wee bee sure enough of his will if wee bee not wilfull in refusing the signes that hee hath giuen vs. Thus yee see what wee haue to gather vppon this sentence of Moses where hee saith that the people durst not goe vp into the mount by reason of the feare which they had conceiued And although wee in these dayes woulde not refuse that God should speake vnto vs yet if all thinges bee wel considered it would not bee for our profite And therfore let vs vnderstand that Gods vsing of mens seruice in that wise ought not to diminishe the certeintie of our faith It is sayd consequently that God taught the people saying I am the Euerlasting thy GOD which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt Thou shalt not haue any other God in my sight Here to keep the people of Israel in awe GOD telleth them that the knowledge which they haue of him ought to keepe them aloofe from all superstitions For it was not to bee marueiled at that the heathenfolke had idols and went wandering after their owne errors and fancies Wee must vnderstand that it is mans propertie of himselfe to doe so It is pitie to see howe much wee be inclined to vanitie We neede not to goe to schoole to learne to bee deceiued for euery of vs is clearke greate enough in that case To bee shorte wee goe alwayes forewarde to euill yea euen vnder colour of good insomuch that in stead of seruing GOD there is nothing in vs but corruption and idolatrie Therefore the Heathen had their diuersities of superstitions for euery man might forge what hee would of his own braine and in the meane while the liuing GOD was let alone of all men And why For hee was not so gratious to the whole worlde as to shewe himselâ—e to all men And so men became brutishe but that was for want of teaching Neuerthelesse that excused them not for they bee still guiltie before GOD. Moreouer the fountaine from whence idolatrie springes is the vnthankefulnesse and lewdenesse of men in that they forsooke the liuing GOD of their owne accord And when the worlde was once growen out of kinde as I haue sayd afore the wretched Paynims ran astray lyke blinde folkes for they had no light to shew them the way of saluation Now here GOD chargeth the people of Israell with rebellion if they helde not themselues to the lawe that hee gaue them And why For I am the Euerlasting thy God When as he sayth I am the Euerlasting it is an excluding of al the Gods that haue bin inuented by men As if hee should say there is but onely one Godhead and that is in mee Therefore it is to bee concluded that such as knowe mee and yet doe turne away to idols cannot excuse themselues but y t they haue wilfully forsaken y e liuing God And whereas hee addeth that hee is the God of that people it is to shewe that hee had declared himselfe sufficiently As if hee should say I haue shouled you out from all other men You see how all other men goe wandering astray and that is for want of guiding and direction But I haue chosen you for my people and giuen my selfe vnto you Seeing then that I am your GOD holde your selues henceforth to mee or else ye shal be lesse excusable than the Heathen Your punishment must needes be dubble yea and a hundred fold grieuouser than theirs bicause ye shall haue falsified your faith which ye haue plighted vnto me and broken the Couenant that I haue made with you He alledgeth yet furthermore the fauour that he had shewed to the people saying That he had brought them out of Egypt from the house of bondage Whereby he meaneth that he hath bounde the people in such wise vnto him as they can not start away but they must deserue to bee still punished For inasmuch as they shall haue forgotten their deliueraunce their vnthankefulnesse shall bee dubble Seeing they had bene redeemed by the hand of God it behoued them to giue ouer themselues wholly to the seruice of him that was their Redeemer And he termeth Egypt the house of bondage purposely to make the people consider throughly in what plight they had beene there For we see that they which sighed and cried out when they were oppressed with such violence and tyrannie as wee reade of in Exodus Exod. 2.23 14.12 17.3 Num. 14.3.4 desired to returne thither againe as soone as God had deliuered them And whereof came that but that they remembred not their oppression any more and the diuel stopped their eyes that Gods grace might not bee esteemed among them as it deserued That is the cause why Moses termeth Egypt the house of bondage In the end the commaundement is added that the people should not haue any other gods before his face whom they ought to account for their God Now let vs apply all this doctrine to our own vse First of all whereas he saieth I am the Euerlasting let vs learne to weigh this saying in such sort that seeing Gods Maiestie is appeared vnto vs wee imagine not any other Godhead For God cannot abide any companion If the Sunne doe darken the light of all the Starres is it not reason that when God sheweth himselfe al men should worship him and that all the glorie that was before should be then as it were vtterly defaced Yes and therefore is it said by the Prophetes that when the Lord raigneth Ezec. 13.10 Ezech. 23.7 there shall bee none other light but his insomuch that euen the Sunne shall be dimmed and the Moone bee turned into darknesse This serueth to shew vs that if wee mingle any of the fansies of our owne heads with God it is a diminishing of the right that belongeth vnto him For he can not away with any companion Therefore this word Euerlasting must driue all fantasticalnesse from vs that wee take not leaue to imagine one thing or other Let vs be contended to haue the onely one God let him suffice vs. And for the same cause also is it said Esa. 19.1 that when our Lord Iesus setteth vp his seate in the world then shall the idols of Egypt fall downe Now this text belongeth to vs. For like as Moses saide to the people of olde time The euerlasting hath appeared vnto you and therefore you must driue
And what did he He executed rigor ynough vppon those whom he listed and specially vpon such as he wist might doe him harme but when he had so begun he let the rest go vnpunished he cared not what came of it so he might reigne peaceably Now at the first sight a man might well say it was a vertue worthie of commendation that he punished those whom God had commanded him Verily and so was it if he had held on that trade still But for as much as he destroyed one sort and spared another sort it is said that God will punish the maÌ„slaughter that Iehu had committed And how may that be Is it manslaughter to haue executed the coÌ„mandement of God Yea after the maner that he went to worke He is said to bee a manslear bicause he had not an eye to the thing that God commanded him For he should haue gone through as he began But he stayed in the middes of his way For as for those whom he punished he punished theÌ„ in respect of his owne peculiar profit He had no regard of Gods honour so the Crowne of the kingdome continued with him Therefore is he iustly accouÌ„ted for a manslear and not a iudge And therefore let vs beware that we take not more libertie than God giueth vs. For he can well skill to moderate his own doings though we take not vpon vs to be more pitifull than he And if wee make our hand of his honor we must pay dearely for it when we come to our reckening before him But if this seeme straunge vnto vs let vs go a litle by degrees see if nature might not be a schoolemystresse good enough for vs if we were not blinded by our wicked affectioÌ„s If a maÌ„ haue children he knoweth well ynough that it is his duetie to teach them and to chastise them wheÌ„ they doe amisse For if he beare with his childreÌ„ and dare not touch them but cockereth them and in the meane while they bee of euill nature may it not bee saide that he is worthie that his children should picke out his eyes and pluck his nose from his face And on the contrarie part if children were teachable meeke of themselues it were not meete that they should bee touched But when a father perceiues his children to bee curst and vnruly if he spare them then men will say that he marreth them and that he sendeth them to the gallowes and that he is the cause of their vndoing Now let vs compare a father with a Iudge Whereas a father ought to chastise his children with roddes a iudge hath an office that passeth yet further Therefore he must haue an eye thereunto and if he doe not he is worthy to haue his eyes put out with the mischiefe as Moses speaketh here of these people saying They shall be as thornes to prick thee on all sides Iosu. 23.13 and to put out thine eyes they shall be as waspes to sting thee in such sort as y u shalt not know which way to turne thee Lo what reward y e Israelites had for their retchlesnesse in that they were not stout in putting the sentence in execution which God had vttered with his own mouth But howsoeuer the case stoode with them let vs learne still to be pitifull For the rigour that is spoken of here must not make vs to forget how God commandeth vs to loue euen our enemies Matt. 5.44 them that persecute vs and to indeuour to doe them good to the vttermost of our power that we may bring them into the right way of saluation Then must we needes haue that Yea and euen when a Iudge vseth rigour his heart must mourne and lament to see a creature that is made after the image of God so dealt withall but yet must he go on still and execute the office which GOD hath committed vnto him These two thinges then are not vnmatchable that is to wit that gentlenesse should bee vsed in the executing of Iustice so as our wicked moode should not carie vs away but that we should alwayes hold vs still to this point of louing euen those that shall haue done vs the worst they could Thus ye see howe we ought to put this doctrine in vre Gods intent is not to stirre vp his people to crueltie his meaning is not to bereaue them vtterly of all compassion and yet notwithstanding he will haue misdeedes to be punished And furthermore as touching the lande of Chanaan which hee had purposely appointed to his honour hee woulde not haue it any longer so defyled with such infections For the Nations that had dwelled therein before had as it were defiled the land Nowe Gods intent is to stablish his kingdome there he will bee worshipped vncorruptly there and therefore all abhominations must be rid away For seeing that God will haue his righteousnesse put in vre through the whole world whensoeuer he is knowen in any place so as his trueth is there preached and he hath set his Church in some good order and state men must looke well about them that no offences or defylinges may raigne there For wheresoeuer God is worshipped and serued that place is as a temple dedicated to his Maiestie and Gods temple must be kept holy as it ought to bee 1. Cor. 3. Then is it the greatest and intollerablest treacherie to Godward that can bee when euill doings and crimes are fostered in his Churche Therefore it is not said without cause Thine eye shall not pardon any of all these Nations they must bee consumed vtterly And why first the wickednesse that was among them was ouergreat they were despisers of God and therefore he was faine to be reuenged of them in the end Againe he hath an eye to the benefit and welfare of his Church so as he woulde not haue his children intangled with such as might draw them to euill consequently to theirruine and destruction God then wil haue his people rid of all stumbling blocks Marke that for the second point Moreouer for the third point it was conuenient y t God should shewe himselfe a Iudge to the intent that by beholding such vengeance they might take warning to thinke thus with themselues seeing that God hath done vs the honour to punish such as haue offended vs to giue vs example by them let vs beware y t wee fall not into the same offences for then shall we be dubble to blame Thus ye see how Gods committing of his vengeaunce vnto his owne people to punish such as had bin giuen ouer to all naughtinesse ought to serue all folkes for an example After he hath said so Deâ— â—â— 15. he addeth now Thou shalt not serue their Gods for that would turne to thy decay Although this saying haue bin set downe by Moses alreadie heretofore yet is it not without cause y t he setteth it downe here againe For we soone forget what God commandeth vs if wee bee not quickened vp
and we cannot serue God And how so If I should doe al that God commaundeth me all the world would hate mee I shal be pointed at with mens fingers I shal haue as many enemies as I haue neighbours about me Heereuppon wee shrink in our hornes by and by and we beare ourselues in hand that wee bee excused before God And this happeneth in maner continually Yea verily and forasmch as the world is frowarde we haue good cause to be afraid when we intend to liue in such vprightnesse and soundnesse as God commaundeth Sith we see it is so let vs returne to that which is said heere namely that to obey GOD wee must not passe what wee our selues are nor what our owne credite and power is but we must arme our selues with this promise It is God that commaundeth me to doe it and hee seeth well ynough what daungers and distresses are in it he will stand by me and reach me his mighty hand It behoueth me to rest vppon that and to conceiue a stedfast trust to ouercome all thinges that may turne me away from the doing of my duety That is the thing which we haue to remember vppon this lesson of Moses And in deede how should we doe without that For wee see howe vices haue their full scope nowadaies and he that intendeth to serue God purely may wel say he is as a sheepe among wolues But what for that Wee haue a good Shepheard who hath promised to defende vs. Let vs put our trust in him and in the meane season walke on in the way that he hath shewed vs. Else I beseech ye what would become of the poore Christians that are deteined among the enemies of y e fayth If they should passe for the daungers wherein they bee how durst they open their mouthes to honour God Should they not needes either giue themselues ouer to all euill or else at leastwise be faine to strike sayle Yes surely But when they consider thus Our God is the keeper of our soules and seeing wee bee vnder his protection let vs wait till hee reache vs his hande at our neede then at the conceiuing of such thoughtes they take newe courage are inabled to serue God or at leastwise the saide fearefulnesse ouermaistreth them not True it is that wee cannot but bee afraide and feele our flesh continually shrinking away when wee bee disposed to walke according to Gods ordinance and wee shall conceiue many crossebytings but yet must wee not foster such vice to foade our selues in it I say we must come to that which Moses telleth vs here Thy God wil worke for thee Aboue all other they that are in authoritie must arme themselues with this promise or else there wil be neither constancie nor stoutnesse in them For wee see what threatninges and spitings are wrought euery where Insomuch that when euen the greatest kinges and princes are minded to doe right there needeth but some Courtier to inuegle them and hee shall so alter their minde as doe what they can they must needes yeeld to all naughtinesse No doubt but that euen the greatest princes although they themselues intend no such thing doe become starke naught for other mens pleasures so as they be oftentimes inforced to say I would faine doe the thing that I knowe to be good but I dare not for displeasing of such as are about mee bycause they may stirre mee vp great troubles and vnquietnesse and therefore I must bee faine to yeeld to them Againe there are a great number of people that wil set themselues against me if I should doe my dewty Lo in what taking a prince shall diuers times bee Insomuch that if hee perceiue some officers of his to haue committed outrages pillinges pollinges and extortions O saieth he I shall lose all my seruantes heartes if I bee too rigorous therefore must I let such thinges slippe and though my people bee oppressed by it yet must not I make any countenance y t I see it Ye see then that the greatest princes are the cause of all mischiefe by their inclining to the woorser part when they thinke they cannot maintaine their state but by fauoring wicked persons and by laying the brydle in their necke And how then shall they doe which haue not the like authoritie Surely euery little blast of winde and euery leafe that falleth from a tree must needes astonish them out of hand so as for feare they shal alleage thus and thus Alas I shal get such a mans displeasure such an inconuenience may befall mee for it therefore I must doe such a thing or such a thing to saue my selfe I see my life would be in daunger and I am but one man alone I should bee made a pray for others Yee see then howe these forecastes are a cause of the ouerthrow of all right Iustice so as men keepe not one continual train nor hold themselues at one good stay but that as soone as they haue done any one good deede that is worthy of prayse by and by they vndoe it againe and marre all Therefore it standeth vs so much the more in hande to beare this doctrine well printed in our mindes y t if we intend to serue God wee must not haue an eye to our owne power but trust to him that setteth vs a worke For he wil not suffer vs to be disappointed so we doe him the honour to call vpon him and to flie to him for refuge not mistrusting but that his power is able enoughe to maintaine vs. Yea and although we haue none enemies to the worldward yet must that be our foundation that wee may keepe the right way all our life long For let euery of vs looke into himselfe and hee shall see that wee haue a common enimie of Sathan and wee see what wiles he hath to surprise vs and what strength haue wee to withstande him Againe the holy scripture telleth vs that wee must forsake our selues 〈…〉 Col. â—â— mortifie all our affections and hold them in prison and renounce all worldly thinges if wee will come vnto God moreouer our life must shew y e fruits thereof Now we know our frailtie we see infinite temptations to inuegle vs Eph. â— â— 6.11 we knowe that the diuell is the prince that raineth in the aire aboue vs and alas what can wee doe This might at the first make vs abashed But what Wee must not heere haue an eye to our owne freewill as these blind wretches doe which presume vppon their owne strength and rest vpon their own abilities but wee must say O Lorde performe thou the thinges which thou commaundest vs and then commaund vs what thou wilt Let vs goe and put our selues after that fashion into the hand of our God and suffer him to rule vs by his holy spirite and then wee neede not doubt but wee shal haue the vpperhand of al euils that incounters vs and that although wee be troubled neuersomuch yet in the
belong alonely vnto God as he will expresse yet better in y e end but all cannot be spoken at once Then if God haue done vs any good no doubt but it will inforce vs to graunte in wordes that it is so indeede but yet for all that wee will not fayle to father all thinges either vppon our owne wisedome or vppon our good fortune or vpon one thing or other And therefore no maruell though we bee so besotted therwithal that we thinke no more vpon God For why Is there any greater or horribler blindnes than for men to bee so proude as to set vp their bristles and to knowe themselues no more but contrariwise to imagine themselues to bee that which they be not Nowe then when men are caried away with this false opinion of selfestimation they bee so ouerblinded as they haue neither reason nor wit insomuch that tell them what a man can they passe not for it but continue still in their wilfulnesse Therefore let vs beware of this Highmindednesse which Moses speaketh of here And that we may be the warer to keepe our selues from it let vs assure our selues that euery one of vs haue as it were a roote of it in vs vntill God haue rid vs of it In deede there are some to bee seene which are modest so as if God aduance them to honour or wealth yee shall not perceiue any pride or chaunge at all in them If they become great wheras they were little before ye shall see them holde an euen hande and continue still gentle But wheresoeuer wee see that let vs note that God hath wrought there or else it were vnpossible For not without cause are Lowelinesse and meekenes fathered vpon his holy spirit When the holy scripture speaketh of those vertues 〈◊〉 2. exhorting men to be mielde ◠〈◊〉 18 not to grow proud but rather to liue quietly with their inferiors it saith that they be singular gifts of y e holy ghost Againe we see they be verie rare gifts For howe do most men behaue themselues when they bee aduaunced Mâ—â—ldly Nay contrariwise we see they be intollerable as who shoulde saye they came out of the cloudes But let them beware that they tumble not downe for there is no loftines so high which God cannot cast downe if men stande in their owne conceites and forget themselues Neuerthelesse the worlde sees that this is too common and there is a double vnthankfulnes in it For first they consider not that the wealth which they haue coÌ„meth from aboue but their hearts are hardened in that behalfe And secondly they fall not to consider with themselues afterwarde that they bee not worthy of it to the end they might huÌ„ble themselues thank God for it But contrariwise they be so malicious as they could find in their harts that all the grace of God in the world were suppressed Wee see this apparantly in those which cannot abide to offer God the sacrifice of praise that Moses speaks of here that is to wit to giue ouer themselues vnto him with all humilitie not to challendge any vertue at all to theÌ„selues Now that we may so do let vs ad that which hath bin touched that is to wit y t as God chastised his people in the wildernes so was he also their guide and leader So then let vs marke well that after he hath rebuked the pride that is in vs and told vs that if God reach out his hand to aduaunce vs our heart must not be puffed vp therefore but we must walk on stil in mieldnesse and awfulnes towards God yea and be gentle louing and courteous towards our neighbours he bringeth vs backe to consider what we were when God vouchsafed to aduaunce vs to worship riches and such other like thinges Nowe if we could take hold of this surely whereas we set vp our bristles we would all of vs cast downe our eyes continually True it is that when God hath deliuered vs from our miseries we must put theÌ„ quite out of our minde euen of purpose to bee no more disquieted with the griefe that we haue indured after that God hath once asswaged it after that fashion but yet is it not ment that we shoulde neuer thinke vpon it more For why It must alwayes bee as a lookingglasse for vs to holde vs in awe that we play not the loose colts Then if a man bee rich and God haue increased him let him bethinke himselfe from whence comes this to me Indeede if a man bee rich by inheritance he is the more bounde vnto God so as hee ought to acknowledge thus beholde what a number of goods God hath prouided for me euen before I was borne so as I haue wherewith to content me and although I bee not one pennie increased yet haue I alreadie more than I need Such acknowledgement ought they to yeld say I which are welthy by successioÌ„ or inheritance And when a mans goods are of his owne gathering let him alwayes haue this regard I was once poore and howe am I come to the state wherein I see my selfe as now It is not meete I should cast a scarce before mine eyes in this case to forget God but it behoueth mee to acknowledge his liberalitie towardes mee and that I am beholden to his free mercie for all that euer I haue After this manner ought hee that is growen rich to bethinke him of his former pouertie For it will serue to bridle him that he shall not be so misaduised as to wax stout against God or to deale cruelly with his neighbours by oppressing or reiecting theÌ„ that seeme to bee his inferiours but rather practise this warning of S. Pauls of applying our selues to the meanest sort 1. Cor. 9 22â— 1. Tim. 6.17 that is to say that although there seeme to bee some cause that we shoulde exalt our selues yet we must yeelde vnto them and stoope to our God Let him that is aduanced in degree think thus Alas am I worthy of it Hath God brought me to this for my faire eyes sakes No but forasmuch as it hath pleased him to exalt me it becommeth me to acknowledge what I was before For had not God looked mercifully vppon me I should not onely haue continued in my former state but also gone to decay yea and vtterly come to nought Nowe if a man bethinke himself after this fashion surely he wil behaue himselfe mieldly and not bee so lustie as to holde scorne of others And wee haue the more neede to marke wel this doctrine forasmuch as wee see that the haultinesse of heart which Moses speakes of here is not a single or dubble mischiefe but such a one as draweth a long tayle of manie inconueniences after it What is this aduauncing of our selues whereas wee shoulde humble our selues Is it not as yee woulde say a defying of God and a proclayming of open warre against him Yes but and serue them and bow down before them I
our owne frailtie in respect of our bodies wee be but carions and rottennesse and yet doth God promise vs the glorie of his euerlasting kingdome Doth the thing seeme possible to vs yet then we faile of our duetie euery minute of an houre and yet doth God promise vs such strength as shall get the vpper hande of the whole worlde Let Satan do the worst he can and let al the powers of hell imbattell themselues against vs and yet shall wee neuer be ouercome Where nowe shall wee finde this strength So then it may seeme that GOD dalyeth with vs when hee promiseth vs the things which we cannot conceiue ne reache vnto by our owne vnderstanding But what Wee must mount vp higher and wee must submit our selues to him with such humilitie and subiection as to acknowledge that he is able to performe his promise towardes vs in all things whatsoeuer he hath spoken And how We knowe not that that passeth our capacitie but let vs haue our eye vppon God For the chiefe honour that he requireth at our hāds and the verie sacrifice that hee requireth 1. Sa. 15.22 is that wee shoulde acknowledge his worde to bee the verie vndouted trueth notwithstanding that our wit and imagination tell vs the cleane contrarie And that is the cause why the Prophet Abacucke sayeth that hee will goe vp into his tower to keepe watche Abac. 2.1 When the case concerneth faith wee must not stay here beneath vppon the earth neither must wee looke but before our noses as they saye but we must learne to goe vp into our tower that is to saye to discharge our selues of all worldly incumbrances and to consider that if wee haue not pitched our anker in heauen as the Apostle sayeth Hebr. 6.19 wee shal bee tossed with such stormes and whirlewindes as will swallowe vs vp Looke mee vpon them that sayle on the sea If they spye a storme they cast Anker for that is their trust Though there come neuer so great waues and although their vessell bee weatherbeaten and driuen to and fro yet doeth their Anker preserue them And hee vseth this similitude to shewe vs that our ankerholde must reache vp into heauen and that wee must conclude boldly that Gods saying of the worde is ynough For hee is not variable as mortall men are Againe hee is not lauish in promising fondly without knowing whether hee bee able to perfourme or no. But if hee speake a thing and perfourme it not out of hande let vs assure our selues that his meaning is to humble vs thereby though we conceiue not his dealings And therefore let vs remember at one worde that wee must take God for our guyde and leader all our life long If wee be weake let vs leane vnto his strength If wee haue strong and mightie enemies let vs hope that beeing vnder the keeping and protection of our God wee shal bee preserued from all daunger and our enemies shall not be able to do any thing against vs. And nowe let vs applie this doctrine to our owne vse two manner of wayes For wee be assailed on all sides in this worlde both in body in soule Wee see what the Church of God is nowadayes wee be but a small handful of folke and our enemies are a huge multitude they seeme able ynough to eat vs vp at one bit wee be like sheepe without any strength and they bee like rauening wolues full of crueltie they haue all the might and power of the worlde on their side Thus yee see in what plight and taking the faithfull are at this day Neuerthelesse sith wee heare that our Lorde broodeth vs vnder his winges and wil be the preseruer of our life assuring vs y t he wil be both a wal a rampire and a dytche vnto vs let vs trust thereunto and not dout but hee will preserue vs. Although the worlde practise what it can against vs yet shall wee bee alwayes safe so wee flee for refuge to our God and grounde our selues vppon the promise that hee hath made vs which is that both our life and our death are precious in his sight Psal. 116.15 And that is the cause why Moses vseth this preface Hearken O Israel It is not a needelesse speache but forasmuch as wee be tempted to vnbeleefe and cannot holde our selues to God and sticke to his promises because the combrances of this worlde haue gotten the vpper hand of vs alreadie therefore doth God exhort vs to harken to his worde and hee wakeneth vs vp to the ende wee shoulde not lye still asleepe but vnderstande that hee is able to ouercome all the daungers wherwith wee be besotted and assayled in this worlde Now then as concerning our worldly enemies which practise the destruction of our bodyes let vs not dout but God is able to withstande them Againe there is the diuel there are infinite temptations Rom. ◠5 and wee haue warre euery man within him self so as sinne dwelleth in vs which is the worst and deadliest enemie that we haue But yet let vs not doubt but wee shall wellynough wade out seeing it is sayde that God will be our leader For although our strength be weake or rather none at all yet will God reach vs his hande so as wee shal bee vnuanquishable And when it seemeth that wee shoulde bee vtterly ouerthrowen wee shal bee helde vp by the power of our God Therfore let vs put our trust in him let vs rest vppon his promise and let vs not be afrayde that wee shal bee deceiued On the contrarie parte wee cannot trust to our selues bee it neuer so little but God will laugh such ouerweening to skorne insomuch that if wee put our trust in creatures Psal. 〈…〉 wee must needes bee deceiued and beguyled But if the case concerne the yeelding of glory vnto God let vs not bee afrayde that our boldnesse shall turne vs to shame as the Scripture saieth in a number of places And Moses plainly sayeth here that God will be their leader yea and euen as a consuming fire to destroy all thinges that shal bee against them This is not added without cause For when wee be disposed to further our owne fearefulnesse wee exalt the power of our enemies aboue measure and of little dwarfes wee make Gyants And what will wee doe then when our enemies be tall and strong in deede Wee wil be much more astonished at them But yet doeth Moses tell vs here that wee must not feede such doutes and distrustes And for the same cause hee vseth this similitude that Gods fighting for vs shall not bee after the common fashion but that hee wil bee as a fire to deuoure all Albeit then that wee haue neither sworde speare gunne nor other artillerie yet let it suffise vs to knowe that God hath meanes ynough to helpe vs withall which wee knowe not of And because this cannot bee so wel expressed as were requisite hee sayeth that if wee see a fire wee
and rooteth them out Nowe if this were saide of temporall enemies what is to be sayde of Satan and of the enemies of our soules Are wee able to ouercome them Will the bringing of our owne free will our merites and our good workes bee able to ouercome the diuel the worlde death it selfe and hell No but the blinde wretches are well apayd that they may bee deceiued in bearing themselues in hande that they can do much that they be verie able folke Yet notwithstanding they bee disgraced heere by the holye Ghost and it is tolde vs that nothing wee be ne nothing can do of our selues but that all y e good which wee do commeth of God Phil. 2.13 and it is he that doeth it in vs. For if a man cannot stirre one finger towardes the sauing of this transitorie life can he saue his soule vnto the kingdome of heauen If a man cannot doe any thing against his aduersarie which is a mortall and fraile creature as well as himselfe howe shal he ouercome the worlde and all the diuels in hell So then let vs learne to deceiue our selues no more with these fonde imaginations in thinking our selues to haue free will to doe this and that but let vs knowe that if God reache vs his hand then shall wee be able to stand through him not through our selues Saint Paul glorieth sufficiently but howe is that I can doe all thinges sayeth hee through Iesus Christ which strengtheneth mee Phil. 4.13 He sayeth he can doe all thinges and by that meane he defyeth the diuell which maner of boldnesse wee see he vseth chiefely in the Epistle to the Philippians but yet he reserueth nothing to himselfe He sayeth that he is strengthened by Iesus Christ. Then if wee be strengthened from aboue wee shall get the vpper hande But yet as I sayd wee must alwayes acknowledge how it is God that strengtheneth vs and that it is in him and by him that wee stande out and get the victorie The thirde reason that Moses alleageth is this that God in setting his people in possession of the promised Lande had an eye to the promise which he had made and sworne to Abraham Isaac Iacob Hereby the Iewes are put in minde that God chose them not as more worthie more noble more excellent than other men as hath beene shewed alreadie but because hee had made promise to their forefathers But nowe let vs see what cause moued and led God to giue this lande to Abraham and to his seede If he had had an eye to mans worthinesse Abraham deserued much more than any other to haue beene set in possession of that lande And yet contrariwise his dwelling there was but as a stranger he was driuen out of it and hee was so farre off from hauing of it at his commaundement Heb. 11.9 that he was kept euen from water not onely when he would haue borowed it at other mennes pittes but also when he had digged pittes by his owne labour both hee and his successours were driuen from them Gen. 21.25 Lo how the holy Patriarches were tossed too and fro and how men mocked them did them many outrages wrongs and of all that while they had not one foote of grounde more than a burying place In so much that at length Iacob was driuen to pay for the grounde where he lodged and pitched his tents Gen. 32.18 33.19 46.1 and finally constrayned to goe into the lande of Egypt by reason of dearth which draue him out of the lande of Chanaan Now seeing that the holie fathers were not putte in possession of it during their liues shall wee say that their posteritie were worthier than they No it followeth then that Gods couenāt was merely of free gift and that he had no respect to any desertes of mē And why Because he loued that people Wee must not aske whether he founde any vertue in them or no but it must suffice vs that hee listed to magnifie his mercie As if he should say I seek no cause in men to doe them good But I find it in my selfe For of men that are worthie to bee vtterly reiected I choose out some and take them to bee my children to the intent they shoulde giue mee all the prayse thereof That is the thing which Moses had an eye vnto in alleaging the couenant which God had made with their fathers Nowe wee knowe as I said afore that this couenant was made before these people were borne They could not say that God regarded what they were as some phantasticall persons do which say that God foresawe what men woulde be If he doe but foresee surely he shall finde vs all diuels that is to say vnhappie and cursed creatures full of all wickednesse and such as haue nothing but vtter abhomination in vs. Those are the thinges that God shall finde in vs if he doe but foresee Nay if he wil haue vs good he him selfe must frame vs thereto for wee bee his workemanship as sayeth Saint Paul in the seconde to the Ephesians Eph. 2.10 And the same is also expressed plainly in the fourescore and fifteenth Psalme Psal. 95.6 where it is sayde that it is he that made vs. And Dauid in that place speaketh not of Gods first creating of vs when wee were set into the worlde as his creatures but hee meaneth it of his reforming of vs by his grace Nowe then if God did but foresee things then sawe he nothing in vs but vtter rebellion and wickednesse To bee short wee bee damnable in all respects and heires of endlesse death And therefore if hee chose vs before wee had done either good or euill it was to magnifie his owne grace as Saint Paul declareth in the nyenth to the Romanes Rom. 9.11 And so yee may see what Moses telleth vs here But nowe must wee come backe againe to the sayde comparison that I touched afore which is that if God woulde haue the saide couenant which hee made concerning the lande of Chanaan and the temporal succession to bee knowen to be of his free goodnesse it is much more reason that when he calleth vs to be heires of his kingdome and sheweth him selfe to bee our God and Sauiour his goodnesse shoulde haue the highest degree and all respectes of deseruing be layde awaye so as men shoulde not imagine themselues to haue I wote not what power of their owne to preuent Gods goodnesse Then let vs marke well that Gods calling of vs and his vouchsafing to inlighten vs in the beliefe of his Gospell is because he had chosen vs not onely from our mothers wombes but also before the worlde was created yea and because it pleased him to haue vs and to take vs for his owne Ephes. 1.4 euen before all eternitie And so wee haue no cause to alleage any thing at all in our owne behalfe but rather to bee ashamed of our selues that God may onely bee exalted
saluation bicause he hath vouchsafed to choose vs for we be nothing at all in our selues Yet notwithstanding this people made great account of themselues bare themselues in hand that they were better than al y e world For the which cause the couenant adoption y t god had made with that linage was broken off so ye see that the people of Israel were reiected at God hands Yea wel worthy were they to bee abhorred insomuch y t this sentence of condemnation was alredy giuen vpon them that they should bee rooted out of y e world the rememberance of them be vtterly destroyed So little cause then had the children of Israel to make any boast of theÌ„selues or to take vpon them aboue the heatheÌ„ y t they were thrust beneath them and vtterly disclaimed and condemned at Gods hand as whom hee shewed to haue nothing else but cursednesse in them Now therefore it behoueth them to knowe y t whereas God giueth them his Law teacheth them performeth his promise towards them all this is done of so high infinite fauor as ought in maner to make them astonished For what a thing was it y t God after y e breaking of y e tables of his couenant did yet still vouchsafe to haue pity vppon y t wretched people Beholde the two tables were not writteÌ„ by mans hand but by gods haÌ„d y t is to say by his power y t was a myracle And what shal a man say to it y t Gods own workmanship should be defaced Was it not meere that y e people which were the cause therof should haue perished vtterly If we make coÌ„parison betwene Gods word mens saluation surely Gods word is far y e preciouser But behold y e word of God y t is written I meane y e writing y t was set down in y e two tables of stone came as it were from heaue was not y e workmanship of man God himselfe wrought it of his own power What punishment then ought they to receiue which committed so great and heinous a fault as y t the thing which God had ingrauen with his own hand was faine to be broken brought to nought for it We see then y t God magnified his inestimable goodnes towards this people in y t he vouchsafed y t the two tables should be made new againe and that his law should be registred in them new againe as a perpetuall monument that he was the protector of Abrahams linage intended to keepe them to himself for his own flock Therefore it is not without cause that Moses maketh mention here of his making of the two tables new againe of his offering of them vnto God of the writing of the ten coÌ„mandements in them Surely it was a thing worthie of remembrance wherein meÌ„ ought to exercise theÌ„selues day night to know y t God hauing entred freely in league with y e one house was not contented with that alone but although their successours became a frowarde and crabbed nation vtterly rebellious as full of shameful churlishnes as might be yet he ceassed not to continue his couenant yea moreouer to renew it againe with them to set it in the former state And herein we see y t he had not an eye to meÌ„ nor to their worthines but wil haue theÌ„ to think themselues beholden to him for al things insomuch that he ouercommeth al y e lewdnes frowardnes of men by his goodnes adopting euen those to be of his house to be his heirs which shew themselues vnworthie of the good that he had done for them That is the thing which wee haue to beare in mind And we must marke that Moses spake not for his own time onely but that the same doctrine toucheth vs as much or more at this day than euer it did them specially if wee can consider the likenes y t is betweene vs the people of old time In deede we haue not nowadayes the law written in tables of stone but wee haue Gods grace much largelier towardes vs which deserueth to be much more highly esteemed because we be sure that he taketh vs for his church wil haue vs to be ruled by him Now let vs see whence this proceedeth what is y e cause thereof True it is y t if we haue an eye to y e things y t were giuen vs in our father Adam we be creatures shaped after the image of God But we to y e vttermost of our power haue defaced Gods image in vs Eph. 2.3 wee be so marred corrupted by original sin that God disclaimeth vs we be not worthie to be counted his creatures yet for all that he vouchsafeth to gather vs to himself For in baptisme we haue gods couenant ingrauen as it were in our bodies Rom. 6.3 Gal. 3.27 whereby he doth vs to vnderstand y t he vouchsafeth to take vs for his people inheritance Now haue we any worthines wherby to attaine to so great a benefit Alas no for we be giltie aforehand of y e defacing of gods image True it is y t that commeth of y e roote of y e first man but yet are not we our selues faultles Againe how haue we withdrawen our selues froÌ„ God euen after baptisme for we haue not onely coÌ„mitted small faults as befalleth to y e faithfull to do but also in the time of our idolatrie superstitioÌ„ we haue brought to nothing al y e grace that was promised vs in baptisme wee haue renounced the saluation that was purchaced vs by our Lord Iesus Christ we haue forsaken our god we haue broken the spirituall wedlocke which hee had contracted with vs so as there hath bin nothing in vs but corruption by gadding away â—o after our own superstitions yet for al this he hath not failed to returne vnto vs to bring vs back againe into the way of saluation Sith we see this ought it not to be a sufficient proofe of Gods infinit goodnes towards vs to make vs lay away al fond imagination of deseruing to acknowledge our selues beholden to God for all things Yes it is the same thing y t I alleaged cueÌ„ now out of S. Pauls sayings 1. Cor. 1.30 where God sheweth vs y t we be of him not in respect that we be men but in respect y t we be his workmaÌ„ship according as it is shewed in the second to the Ephesians Eph. 2.10 y t he hath shaped vs for otherwise there is nothing but wickednes in vs because our nature will alwayes be found to be vtterly frowarde accursed Thus ye see y e comparison which we ought to make betweene our selues the people of olde time to bring our selues low to make our selues perceiue y t wee be the more bound vnto God for y e free mercie which he hath bestowed vppon vs in vouchsafing to take vs to
forgiuenes of sins as if they should drawe the wretched captiue soules out of the bondage of hell Ye see then how our Lorde Iesus Christ hath vttered the grace that was vnknowen vnto vs before but wee take small profite by it For although wee were baptised from our infancie yet when wee come to yeares of discretion whereby begin we to shew our selues to haue some witte but by choosing the euill as though wee ment to spite God wittingly And againe beside this when our Lord teacheth vs and reformeth vs by his worde so as he ceaseth not to shewe vs our faultes to the intent to tame vs and to daunt vs and to drawe vs to repentaunce howe dull are we vppon the spurre After what fashion deale we Are wee not so spytefull and stubborne as a man can not by any meanes win vs yes and therefore he is faine to sende vs many chastisements to make this present life to be as a wildernes to vs to wander vp and downe in with y e feeling of his wrath For all the miseries wherewith wee be hemmed in are remembrancers to make vs hang downe our heades and to make vs perceiue that we be wretched sinners that we be worthy not onely of temporall correction but also to be sunke downe into hell Yet notwithstanding this serueth not to driue vs to dispaire for we may well assure our selues y t God will receiue vs to mercy so we flee to our Lord Iesus Christ. For if Moses were heard who was a wretched sinner Rom. 5.17 Col. 1.20 what shall he be who hath all righteousnesse perfectly in him and to whoÌ„ authoritie is giuen to make full attonement betweene God and man Nowe theÌ„ seeing that our Lord Iesus Christ is appointed to be our mediator let vs not doubt but that although God holde vs in this worlde as poore banished wretches and withdrawe himselfe from vs and shrinke aside to outwarde appearaunce yet we be not bereft of the inheritaunce which he hath promised vs and purchased for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ. But howsoeuer wee fare let vs not tempt him nor abuse his patieÌ„ce but let vs wey wel this speech where Moses saith that he was hearde for that time also For it serueth to holde vs in awe that wee flatter not our selues when God beareth with vs but that we shoulde looke about vs to amende our faults and to bridle our wicked lustes that we giue not ourselues ouer vnto euill but hate it and abhorre it so as God may goe on with the thing that hee hath begunne in vs vntill he haue ridde vs quite and cleane of all worldly lettes and put vs in possession of the euerlasting life If wee doe so wee may boldely protest that we haue praysed God and that we haue giuen him such glorie as hee deserueth and wee haue cause to reioyce in that we were able to ouercome all the temptations and distrustes that coulde happen vnto vs and therefore wee shall not neede to doubt but that our good God is and will be mercifull to vs though we be not worthy of it Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to vouchsafe to make vs so to feele them as it may serue to mortifie vs daily more more that when we perceiue his displeasure we may flee to his goodnesse and mercy to obtaine fauour at his hande that beeing rid quite and cleane of our vices and spoâ—â—es we may bee so gouerned by the power of his holy spirite as we may become true sacrifices vnto him by dedicating our selues wholly to his glory through newnesse of life And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the xij of September 1555. The Lxxj. Sermon which is the third vpon the tenth Chapter 12 And nowe O Israell what doth the Lord thy GOD require of thee but that thou shouldest feare the Lord thy GOD and walke in all his wayes and that thou shouldest loue him and serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soule 13 And that thou shouldest keepe the commaundementes of the Lorde and his ordinaunces which I commaunde thee this day to the ende it may goe well with thee 14 Beholde the heauens and the heauens of heauens are the Lord thy Gods and likewise the earth and all that is therein HEre Moses proceedeth with the matter that we haue hard these dayes past that is to witte that God had vsed marueilous fauor towards his people in forgiuing them so many and so greeuous offences It was verie much that they were receiued to mercy so as they were not dispossessed of y e heritage that God had promised them Now Moses addeth here an other respect which serueth to make Gods great and infinite goodnes yet better knowen to giue it the greater beauty which is that he not onely forgaue the people the faults that they had done but also receiued them againe with so gentle and friendly coÌ„ditions as might set al meÌ„ in a wonder to thinke vpon it If a Citie or a countrie haue rebelled against their prince so as they haue broken their allegeance although he list not to vse extreeme rigor by putting all to fire and sworde but be coÌ„tented to graunt them their liues yet will he bereaue them of all their priuileges he wil lay fines and exactions vpon them he will perchance depriue them of their ancient liberties so as the wretched soules shall grone vnder the burden haue cause to remember their offence a hundred yeres after But Moses sheweth here that God dealt not so with the Iewes For when he had once pardoned their offence he delt with them as if they had neuer done amisse their state was as pleasant amiable as if they had obeied him in all points as became them And so ye see the intent of Moses in this place He had reported heretofore how he had bin heard nowe he addeth here What is it that the Lord requireth of thee He chargeth thee not with any amerciaments he layeth no punishment vppon thee he layeth no burden vpoÌ„ thee to beare thee down w t his only desire is y t thou shouldest loue him that thou shouldest honor him y t thou shouldest keepe his commandements And is this any profit to himselfe No. Euerywhit of it redoundeth to thine own benefite Was it not ynough to make this peoples heart to melt though they had bin the wickeddest in y e world when they might say wheras we had forsaken y e Lord broken the couenant that he had made with vs choseÌ„ an ydol in stead of him he hath not only forgiuen y t so hainous cryme bin coÌ„tented to take vs stil for his children to leaue vs the inheritance y t he had promised vs but also he gouerneth vs after such a fashion as it might seeme we had deserued al y e
his will by their meanes Then if wee saye that wee knowe not Gods will you see here is wherewith to disprooue vs for God hath giuen vs his worde in writing so as wee neede not to seeke for it and therefore it ought to be sufficiently knowen vnto vs. Nowe then let vs also learne to receiue it with reuerence humilitie and when we heare mortal men speaking vnto vs let vs assure our selues that wee must not measure the maiestie of Gods worde by their persons But wee must haue an eye to him from whome it commeth and which is the author of it that wee may submit our selues wholly vnto it Therefore let vs not haue these diuelish fansies with vs as some dreamers haue which say O that God woulde speake to mee from heauen I woulde faine haue some reuelation Let it content vs that God coÌ„meth down vnto vs to make vs priuie to his will for that is it which Moses ment in saying that hee did set foorth Gods commaundements as if hee had saide that men neede not to goe farre to seeke him And in the ende hee sheweth that all this tendeth to the welfare of the people so as God seeketh not any benefite to himselfe Iob 35.7 Psal. 16.2 for he needeth not to borowe aught of vs neither can wee do him any pleasure wee can doe him neither good nor harme all thinges are his according to the eyght Psalme Psal. 8.7 50.10 and also the fiftith Psalme where it is saide that all the beastes in the feelde are in his possession and that if hee be hungrie or want any thing he needeth not to seeke it at our handes Why then requireth he to be serued of vs It is for our benefit for that there can not be a greater good turne vnto men than to be the seruants of their maker Then let vs vnderstand that whereas our Lord layeth not the bridle loose vpon our necke but gouerneth vs himselfe and holdeth vs vnder his obedience therby to moue vs to serue him the more willingly hee doeth it to our benefite and respecteth nothing but our welfare Yet notwithstanding it is true that the lawe will finde vs all giltie that when God hath shewed vs all that is good and right 2. Cor. â—â— 12 that doctrine doeth so litle benefite vs that it rather bringeth vs death and wee bee cursed by it For it is a looking glasse wherein to see that wee bee Gods enemies and it is a keye to open the gates of hell And how then commeth it to passe that God shoulde procure our welfare and yet notwithstanding wee shoulde receiue nothing but harme by it That is not of it selfe but it falleth out by another meane that is to saye by our owne fault Then let vs vnderstande that Gods lawe if wee consider it in it selfe is vnto vs a doctrine of welfare whereby God commeth neere vnto vs to bee our father and to make vs finde life in him that by his ruling of our life wee might sticke vnto him and thereby bee made partakers of his benefites in the ende attayne to the heritage of the heauenly life But herewithal we be so froward and ful of corruption that the law can serue vs to no other purpose but to curse vs to make vs perceiue how lothsome we be vnto God in as much as we be his deadly enemies so we haue double cause to be abashed afraid ashamed of our selues when we see y t the good is so turned to our harm it is more than if y e nature of y e sunne were changed by our infection Woulde it not make vs to loth our selues if we should find such foule vyle smokes in vs as shoulde darken and quench the light of the sunne yes verily Nowe we see that Gods law is the light of our life and yet we not only dim it but also turn it into y e darknes of death it is vnpossible y t it should stande vs in any other steed vntil our Lord Iesus Christ haue wrought in vs 2. Cor. â—â— reformed vs by his holy spirit by writing his lawe newe againe in our hearts For asmuch then as we see y t men turne life into death light into darknes benefit into bane alas ought we not to be exceedingly abashed yes but yet must not y t put vs out of conceit of y e doctrin of y e law so as we shuld not loue it howbeit y t we caÌ„not performe it vntil god haue chaÌ„ged our harts to cause vs to submit our selues vnto him and haue made vs newe creatures in our lord Iesus christ True it is y t the setting forth of y e law vnto vs is not for nought but yet must we needes perceiue by experience y t vntill God hath brought vs home again vnto him y e doctrin of his law wil serue for nothing but to coÌ„demne vs. But when he hath once wrought in vs by his holy spirit then shal wee perceiue that in setting forth his law vnto vs he procureth our benefite welfare according as is saide of it here by Moses And so you heare what we haue to gather vpoÌ„ this text But Moses doth yet better confirme the matter that wee haue seene which is that God helde not his people downe like slaues not handled them roughly to be reuenged of theÌ„ to make them feele the offence they had committed but that he handled them after a gentle and louing fashion Now then saith he hath the euerlasting thy God any neede of thee Behold saith he the heauens yea and the heauens of heauens are Gods As if he should say you think that God would fain haue a people as though he could not forbeare to be without them Hath not hee the skyes at commandement hath not he his heauenly host hath he not whole millions of Angels hath hee not peaceable dominion in heauen Yes and therefore ye must not imagine any more that his choosing of you was to better his owne estate by you If hee shoulde destroy you and make quite riddance of you should his raigne ceasse No no and for proofe therof he hath no neede of men Againe besides that is not the earth and all thinges in it in his possession Yes What is the cause then that hee hath not taken and chosen other nations to him as wel as you Is it for that you are nobler or mightier or worthier in any respect than the rest as it is mentioned in the seuenth Chapter Deut. 7.7 No. It is certaine that the Iewes were not better than the Gentiles insomuch that if they should haue beene compared with them they shoulde haue found themselues to haue bin neither nobler of linage nor richer in substance nor vertuouser in life nor to haue excelled them in any thing What is the cause then saith Moses that God hath vouchsafed to take you for his people and that he hath
terrible things for their sakes For this cause he saith first of all that God is their praise And by that speech hee meaneth that when wee once know God and he hath shewed himself to vs by his word his will is that wee should glorifie him Marke that for one point Secondly he putteth y e people in remembrāce of the great miracles that had bin done for thē in their going out of the land of Egypt For they were as marks or tokens of Gods goodnes so as y e people could not but be conuicted of vnthankfulnesse forasmuch as God had vttered himselfe as familiarly as was possible to shewe himselfe fauorable to Abrahams posteritie To be short we see how God not onely vseth his dominion right of soueraintie which hee hath ouer vs to make vs subiect to his lawe and commaundementes but also commeth to vs as a father and vttereth as mield and gracious louingnesse towardes vs as can be and all to the end to breake the hardnesse of our harts Insomuch that if wee bee not moued at his maiestie or if we yeelde him not such reuerence as we ought to doe in respect of his souereintie ouer vs at least wise yet ought we to be meekened seeing he stoopeth to vs cōmeth downe frō his seate vnto vs as if he should say Wel sirs assure yourselues I am your father and therefore I pray you consider well the good that I haue done you and whereby I haue witnessed my fauour towardes you and let it moue you at lestwis◠to loue and serue me That is the very principall meaning of Moses But yet by the way let vs marke also that God is neuer duely honored at our hands vnles we lay all our glorie vpon him For wheras he is termed our prayse by y t word he bereaueth vs of al glorie sheweth vs y t there is not any thing in vs whereof we ought to be proude Therefore let a man set as much store by himselfe as he listeth yet in the end he shal come to shame so as he shall perceiue there is not one drop of goodnesse in himselfe What is to be done then Let vs resort right forth to our God to seeke al goodnes in him let vs glorifie him for shewing him selfe so liberall towards vs y t wee may also make our boast thereof according as it is saide by Ieremie that the rich man must forget his riches Ier. 9.23 and the strong man his strength the wise man his wisdome and all that euer is of man must be beaten downe that wee may fetch our glory at Gods hand knowing that it is he that executeth righteousnes iudgement and mercie Thus yee see what wee haue to remember in this worde where Moses saith that God is the praise of his people And if we be not moued by that which is tolde vs in the holy scripture at least wise yet let vs open our eyes and let the often experience of Gods benefits frame vs to such humility as wee may not presume to commend ourselues any more but onely haue our mouthes open to praise and magnifie the thinges that wee shall haue receiued at Gods hand For sith he sheweth vs so many waies that all our welfare consisteth in him and that it commeth only of him if we wil shut our eyes at it like a sort of blocke-heads and vouchsafe not ne list not to hold our selues to the thing that is throughly knowen and apparāt surely we shal be conuicted of bereauing God of his praise of bringing him to nothing as much as in vs lieth for his benefits are infinit towards vs. And therfore let vs learn by this lessō to acknowledge the benefits throughly which God hath bestowed vpon vs for they be a sufficient busines to keepe vs occupied If we gather our wits about vs to consider Gods goodnes towards vs we shal find that we ought to seeke our whole praise no where els than only in him And for that cause doth Moses adde It is he that hath done the great and terrible things which your eyes haue seene As if he shold say God needeth not to seek here there for record or for iudges to arreigne you for spite of your teeth it shal be proued to your faces that your God is great mightie and terrible For you were y e miserablest creatures in the world you were in bondage like bruit beasts and your God loued you so deerely that he hath stretched out his arme against the Realme of Egypt that stately excellent Realme y t realme so renoumed wherein all the wisedome of the world was inclosed insomuch y t hee hath made more account of your welfare than of y t Realme Sith it is so know ye that it is not for you to glory any more of your selues but to glorie onely of him Assure your selues y t looke howe manie benefits you haue receiued at his hand so many records haue you to be wray your lewdnes and vnthankfulnes if ye acknowledge them not vnto him And so by the example that is set vs downe here let vs learne to acknowledge gods gratious goodnes to lay it vp in minde and to make a good memorial thereof to call it often to remembrance that wee may be prouoked thereby to yeld al glory vnto God to confesse that for our parts we be sillie and wretched creatures in whom there is nothing but condemnation and therefore there belongeth nothing to vs but wrath it is only God to whom all the glory praise of our welfare perteyneth Wherefore let it suffice vs that he is ours and that hauing giuen himself vnto vs he vouchsafeth also to make his benefits common vnto vs. Rom. 8.30 Nowe let vs fall downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs to perceiue them throughly and that therwithal we may so know the greatnes of his maiestie as it may moue vs to submit our selues to the obeying of him and draw vs to such subiection as we may frame our selues to his wil and bee no more intangled and wrapped in worldly things but that we may bee so rid of them as all our seeking may be to dedicate our selues wholy vnto him y t he may acknowledge accept vs for his people haue his hād alwayes stretched out to succor vs at our neede And that in the meane while we may patiently beare al the aduersities that he shall sende vs for the tryal of our obedience so apply our selues thereunto as wee may not fayle to take comfort in his goodnes and to rest vppon the same til he haue made vs to feele y e things perfectly whereof hee hath giuen vs a tast alreadie in this transitorie life That it may please him to grant this grace not onely to vs but also to al people nations of the earth c. THE 74. SERMON OF IOHN CALVIN On Wednesday the xviij
to it againe for y e better confirming thereof For as I haue told you alreadie Men are alwaies desirous to passe their boundes cannot submit themselues to God to attēpt nothing beyond his word Wherfore let vs marke well that God thinkes it not ynough to tell men once for all that they should behaue themselues according to his word ordinance but he repeateth y e same lesson oftentimes to the intent that men should take y e better heede of it and marke it the better And bicause y e people had not as yet the law written as touching the Ceremonies it is said expressely You shall not doe as ye doe now For it behoued the people to bridle themselues thereafter as they were taught Howbeit for the better vnderstanding of this text it might bee demaunded first whether the Israelites did for a time offer sacrifice at their own pleasure without rule or without being certaine what God required or allowed The answere hereunto is that they had alwayes some marke to shoote at and that they had not the bridle so loose in their neckes but that they knew how they ought to sacrifice And in deede wee heare how the Apostle saieth to the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 11.4 that frō Abel forth on there was no sacrifice accepted but by faith And fayth importeth alwayes an obedience so as if men deale at alauenture there is no faith at all in them But the Apostle saieth expressely that Abels sacrifices pleased God bicause of his faith Whereupon it followeth that God hath euer shewed his will to y e faithfull so as they haue not gone to woorke vnaduisedly but haue had such certaintie as was requisit for them And wheras Moses reporteth in Genesis that Noy sacrificed of cleane beastes vnto God 〈◊〉 ◠10 it doth vs to vnderstand that Noy must needes haue had some knowledge of the difference of them aforehand for it passed his vnderstanding to finde out which beastes were cleane Needes therefore must it bee that God had imprinted it in him and that order hath continued for euer And so is it certaine that the Israelites neuer had any such lawlesse libertie but that they knew which was the trewe way of worshipping GOD. Also it is expressed by Moses that Abraham would instruct his posteritie in the iudgements Gen. 18.19 Lawes and Ordinaunces of GOD. Whereby he doth vs to vnderstand y t although there was not as then any law writtē yet notwithstanding Abraham failed not to haue knowledge of the things y t God required of whatsoeuer else was requisite For Moses coulde haue sayde at one woorde Abraham will teach his children to liue well and holily and according to the wil of God but he sayeth that he wil teache them his lawes statutes ordinances To what purpose I haue told you before that it was to magnifie God the better for his well prouiding of all things requisite to the seruing of him so as the faithful could not stand in any doubt but were sure of their dutie what they ought to doe According hereunto therefore let vs marke that when the people of Israel came out of Egypt their sacrificing was not after the maner of the Heathen according to the inuention of man but after a heauenly order that is to say according to the order which God had appointed Yet notwithstanding◠it is true that there was not as yet any such particular declaration made of the Sanctuarie and of all the appurtenances and things belonging thereunto as wee see is set downe in Exodus and Leuiticus These things say I were not so particularly set forth it was not yet sayd vnto them You shal haue but one altar which shal be of such a measure of such a heigth and of such a breadth you shall haue a Tabernacle of such manner of stuffe of thus many peeces thus long and thus broade You shall haue fire burning continually in the Sanctuarie Your sacrifices shall neuer bee offered without Salte there shall alwayes bee lyght and perfume in the Temple The cakes that shall bee offered in the Temple shall bee of such a fashion There shall be bread continually before the Lord and it shall be renewed day by day Againe there shall bee a hygh Priest which shall enter once a yeere into the narrowe Sanctuarie and there shal be an Aultar of burnt sacrifices for him to offer vpon from day to day These things were not yet thus set out that is the thing which Moses meaneth in this text whē he saith Ye shall not doe after the same manner as we doe this day For there was greater libertie before such time as God had set foorth his commandements to brydle the people withal and to hold them in such awe as they should not attēpt any thing vpon their owne head nor step aside to the right hande or to the left but followe the thinges roundly which were conteyned in his Lawe And heereof wee haue to gather that after as God vttereth his will vnto vs so are wee the more bound to follow the same For if we knew not what to doe and that God had let vs alone in suspence we might haue some excuse for our doeing of thinges as seemed good to our selues For why Our Lord hath not bin so gratious to vs as to say vnto vs expresly Thus shal ye doe And therfore we may do according to our owne skill seeing we haue no expresse word to y e contrarie After that maner might a man reply But now that God hath witnessed his will vnto vs we must stoope to it and it is not lawefull for vs to adde any thing thereto For that were as much to say as we would fall to scanning whether God or wee were the wiser And what a presumption were it if wee would needes haue better thinges than those which he inioyneth vs Yet notwithstanding if men cannot find in their heartes to yeelde to the thinges that GOD commaundeth they enter into this diuelish presumptuousnesse of purposing to be wiser than God hath giuen them leaue to be Wherfore let vs learne that when we haue once assurance what God alloweth we must rest wholly vpon it And herewithall we must marke that God did not without cause giue the people of olde time so many rules to shewe them how to doe sacrifice When we read the thinges that are conteined in Leuiticus to our seeming there bee many needelesse thinges For God might well haue sayd in feawe woordes I will haue a Temple and there will I haue you to sacrifice vnto me But there are such a sort of commaundements as may make a man amazed and out of his wits And what is y e cause thereof True it is that all thinges were made and doone according to the patterne that Moses had seene in the Mount Exod. 25.40 as God himselfe declareth And thereby we be doone to vnderstand that the figures although that at this day we know not perfectly in
with vs still and wee haue to gather of this text that our Lorde abhorreth ydolatry aboue all thinges and that if other offences bee to be punished this is not to be indured in any wise but that we ought to abhorre it And because wee be too colde in that behalfe we be warned to quicken vp our selues and to take the meanes which wee knowe to be fit for it to the ende wee may bee the forwarder in causing God to bee serued purely among vs and open no gap to deceiuers ne make any way for superstitions and ydolatrie that might bereaue vs of the pure trueth and drawe vs vnto lyes Thus yee see what we haue to remember vpon this text But heere a man might aske a question howe Moses may say that all the thinges which shal be founde in such a Citie shal be accursed and yet they must bee put ouer vnto God as an offering or sacrifice Yet doeth GOD speake after that fashion in manie places and not without cause For it is an offering of sacrifice vnto him when we protest that only he ought to be worshipped and when we make as it were a solemne homage vnto him And againe when other appurtenances come in place as when men sacrificed vnder the Lawe they protested that they were worthie of death and yet notwithstanding they had a warrant of their reconcilement vnto God by the sacrifice that was to bee offered Also men offered of their goods vnto GOD as who shoulde say Lorde all that I haue commeth of thee and it is alwayes at thy commaundement Yee see then that sacrifices were blessed and yet neuerthelesse there was a kinde of cursednesse in the sacrifices that were offered for sinne In the Firstlinges Tenthes and such other like things there was nothing but the praising of God and giuing of thankes vnto him but as for the sacrifice that was offered for sinne it behoueth Gods curse to be thereupon as who shoulde say Loe this is hee that shall aunswere for all To the ende that men may bee acquit and deliuered from death this sacrifice must answere for them And therefore those sacrifices were called sinnes and the same name is attributed to our Lorde Iesus Christ because he bare our curse in his person Leuit. 7.2 2. Cor. 5.21 But heere is an other kinde of cursednesse namely that GOD is honoured and homage is doone vnto him by rooting out the thinges that hadde defaced his honour before Therefore when a Citie is destroied that had erst beene a denne of ydolatry and all the spoyle thereof is set on fire it is a sacrifice that God liketh verie well of And why so Because it is a protesting that wee be not willing to suffer any thing that impeacheth the honoring of him at all mens handes and that all men shoulde submit themselues to him and his maiestie be knowen as it ought to be Nowe then we see howe it is not without cause that Moses commaunded sacrifice to be done vnto GOD with the vtter destruction of all thinges that had beene infected and defiled with ydolatrie And hee sayeth expresly to the ende that the wrath of God bee not vpon thee Whereby he confirmeth the matter that ◠haue touched already which is that we must beware that wee wrap not ourselues in other mens sinnes For they that correct not euill dooinges when they may and when their office requireth it are giltie of it themselues As for example if a preacher winke at the vices that reigne surely he is a traitour and vnfaithfull for he shoulde keepe good watch and waken such as are in daunger of vndoing Then if I beare with the euill wittingly or through negligence I am the first that shal be condemned Likewise if they that holde the sworde of Iustice execute not the rigor which they ought to redresse mēs misbehauiours surely the wrath of God is vpon them continually yea and vpon y e whole country because no man is found that complaineth of this that the mischiefe was so borne withall One good zealous man is ynough to turne away the wrath of God for hee will inforce others that were negligent But when no man beginnes the daunce but all men drawe backe and euery man sayes What nowe If all the rest put not to their handes what can I alone doe Surely none of them all can exempt themselues from condemnation before God when euerie one of them speaketh so Not without cause then doeth Moses here wrap vp a whole Countrey vnder condemnation if a wicked deede bee borne with or not punished when it commeth to knowledge And hereby we be put in minde to be more diligent than we are wont to bee in ridding away of all filth and vncleannesse from among vs. For it is all one as if we shoulde lay wood vppon the fire that is kindled ynough and too much alreadie so as we shall all of vs be consumed with it in the end and yet wee doe so euen wittingly and wilfully Why then doe wee not open our eyes sith our Lorde sheweth vs the daunger so euidently and warneth vs to prouide for it aforehande Why doe wee not thinke vppon it Nay wee be well worthy to perish and to be vtterly confounded because wee haue not vouchsafed to receiue the counsell that God hath giuen vs. After that Moses hath thus threatned vs now he addeth a promise that God will blesse his people if they obey his voyce doe the thinges that are right before him Our Lord indeuouring after his manner to winne vs to him alwayes by gentlenesse and friendely dealing when hee hath doone threatning of vs in this text doeth also attempt the contrarie way saying If ye finde the meanes to haue my seruice purely mainteyned I will be with you yee shall finde that my seeking is but to increase the benefites which I haue begonne already to bestowe vpon you yee shall inioy the Lande that I haue giuen you to inherite ye shall perceiue that my promising of my fauour and mercie to your fathers is not in vaine And let vs marke that heere it is our Lordes intent to drawe vs to a willing seruing of him True it is that yet for all this wee must not forgette his threatenings seeing we be so slowe in resorting vnto him Then lette vs be afrayde of them and consider that wee shall not scape his vengeaunce except we maintaine his seruice But yet howsoeuer the worlde goe with vs lette vs not doe it by constraint but let vs goe to worke with a free courage And howe may that bee doone Euen by beeing drawen by the gentlenesse that Moses sheweth heere vnto vs as if he shoulde say goe to happie will our state bee if we serue our GOD and euerie man endeuour to drawe his neighbours with him and suffer not any man as farre as lyeth in vs to peruert or trouble our state when it is well setled If we doe so our Lorde telleth vs that hee will be
a point wel woorth the weying y t God will haue his seruice to be such as he himself requireth appointeth that he will not in any wise haue vs to meddle with those y t inueÌ„t deuise superstitions on their owne head In y e first place Let vs marke theÌ„ how it is not w tout cause y t God is so charie of y e seruice y t we be to doe vnto him For in deed is it reason that men should stand in defence maintenance of their own right and that God should be disappointed of his And is there any thing more precious holy than y e honor which we yeelde vnto him in protesting him to be our God father of whome we hold all y t euer we haue at whose hand we looke for saluation Is there any thing more holy than y t TheÌ„ let vs learne to be attentiue when y e holy scripture speaketh to vs of the seruice of God For it is a thing y t passeth all other in dignitie Marke that for one point And is standeth vs so much the more in hand to giue our indeuour thereunto because wee see y e world holdeth skorne to yeelde God his due obedience If a man speake to a blasphemer or to a despiser of y e orders of y e church or to be short to one that is no better than a dog if a man tell such a one of his leawdnesse To whom do I any wrong saith he If he had giuen a man a fillip or had chaunced to haue spoken a crosse worde as small as y e wrong is he would haue confessed his fault and say de I haue done amisse and yet is this but against a mortall man But when hee shal haue spit God in the face tush it is nothing it is no wrong to any maÌ„ Dayly shal a man heare such speeches Insomuch y t if God bee blasphemed and his maiestie so shamefully dishonored as would make a mans hart ake to see it it is all one there is no account made of it But let vs mark as I sayd afore that our Lorde will haue his seruice to be placed formost in highest degree and when the case concerneth the ruling of our lyfe we must begin at that end To wit To honor him as he deserueth Moreouer let vs marke wel that it is not without cause that he will haue his seruice so farre vnlyke all y e superstitions of y e heathen For euen of our owne nature we be too much giuen to the corrupting disguising of thinges by meanes whereof the purenesse of the true religion is peruerted Euery man hath in himselfe a store-house of idolatrie though hee be not prouoked thereto by others in what case then are we when we light vppon stumblingblockes and occasions yea euen go to seeke them I see idolaters y t haue disguised falsified y e whole seruice of God I shall goe borrow of them I wote not what because this thing or that thing lykes me I shall goe put it to that which our Lorde hath commaunded me Am not I by and by snarled in the same folly that they were which played y e naughtipackes before me Yes surely For although I regard neither y e one nor the other yet haue I many vain fancies in my hart And if I fal to seeking of such thinges of set purpose it is all one as if I did cast my selfe into Satans snares And therefore let vs mark that our Lord meant to preserue his seruantes from a deadly plague when he sayd that they should holde them to y e pure simplicitie of his word and not resemble y e paynims and infidels in any case In those dayes the heathen for deuotion sake made shadowes about their Altars lyke as at this day in y e Popedome if a place be darkesome it seemeth to theÌ„ to cary some maiestie in it and the simple sorte are as it were amazed when they come into a Caue and where the windowes be dimmed with red or blewe glasse mens eyes dazle at it and sillie simple soules feele a kind of motion in theÌ„selues which maketh them afraid astonished and to their seeming it is good to stirre them vp to deuotion bearing folke in hand that it is a reuerencing of God whereas in deede it is stark foolishnesse After the same maner did the heathen in plashing of trees to make places darke that when men entered into them they seemed to be agast as though a woolfe had bin at their tayle as they say by reason whereof they were moued to some fearefulnesse Now forasmuch as this custome was among the heathen our Lord will not haue the faithfull to resemble theÌ„ Thus in fewe wordes we see heere how all maner of resembling the vnbeleeuers is forbidden vs if we intend to serue God in such wise as hee may lyke of it and take it in good woorth And this warning is as needefull for vs nowadaies as it was for y e Iewes in the time of Moses For what a nuÌ„ber of deuices are there in y e Popedome which haue bin taken from the superstitions of the heatheÌ„ All that euer is termed Gods seruice in the Popedome is but a coÌ„fused heape gathered out of the thinges that are commaunded in the Lawe of Moses the thinges that are seene to haue bin obserued of the Heathen And to colour the matter w tal they alledge that their so dooing is least the Iewes should vpbraide the Christians y t they haue not so goodly ceremonies in their Churches as they haue And therefore they must needes haue this and that after their example True it is y t they haue not bin so bold as to kil brute beastes in sacrifice for y t had bin too detestable But yet they tooke vp their Lampes their perfumes their attyrementes their altars and a certaine maner of sacrifycing though it be not of Calues Oxen Sheepe Besides this the Iewes had their washings therfore the Papistes would needes haue holy water To be short the Iewes were so throughly counterfeited that to all seeming they could not bost that they had mo goodly ceremonies in their teÌ„ples than y e Christians had in theirs But y t was high treason against God And if there had bin no more but meere folly in it it might haue bin y â— better born w t. But it tended to the darkening of the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ by drawing a new veile ouer him 2. Cor. â—panâ—18 The veile y t God had commaunded to be in y e temple is rent asunder and they fal to hanging vp of another y t is wrought by y e hand of man by means wherof Iesus Christ is as good as hidden so as men can not behold y t maiestie y t should shine forth in him â— Cor. 〈…〉 For he is y â— liuely image of God his father in him and in his person or face
maintained in all purenes Ye see then what we haue to beare in mind concerning this place But now hath God prouided a lawe for it and not without great cause For in those countries there was more corruption touching incestes thā hath euer bin in al other countries besides I say that neither in Greece nor in Italy men euer vsed such lawles and vilanous liberty in this kind of wickednes as they of Asia and of all the East countrie did For there it was counted nothing for the brother to couple with the sister It was therfore needfull y t God in this case should reine his people with a shorter bridle And hereby wee may see y t custome shall not serue vs for an excuse If a thing displease God although it be vsed among men it serueth not to lessen the fault For God wil alwayes remaine iudge And why Gods will is that we should do him this honor to hold our selues vnto his simple wil although mē draw cleane backward Let vs therfore learn to yeeld our selues vnto the Lawe of God touching this point And if a man reply that we are not to bee held thral to y t order of Moses I grant it But yet ought we at leastwise to admit y e warnings which God giueth vs and to vse his counsel Although we be freed from this bondage of the ciuill Law of Moses yet will he haue vs to beare alwayes in mind this ground to wit that we bethinke vs for what cause God hath forbidden this thing For it is because the thing is intollerable We must therfore frame our selues vnto that thing which we know to bee acceptable vnto God and withhold vs from that which he forbiddeth But yet there is a double condemnation to fall vpon them which wil go cleane contrary against it as S. Paul saith speaking of him which had takē his mother in Law to wife in Corinth How now saith he Are ye not ashamed y t such fornicatiō shoulde be among you and that so villanous an act shold be committed as y e Painims could not abide to heare the like spoken of Indeede sometimes such like things were to be seen among thē but yet neuerthelesse they did abhor such wickednes Seeing then y t the vnbeleeuing wretches haue bin taught by such a motion as themselues knewe not w tout either scripture or preaching albeit God draue thē therunto to keepe this honestie in the degrees of mariage what ought we to doe Verily we see y t the very Paynims are yet more to our cōdemnation For there was a certaine Emperour of Rome who because he wold cōmit the same incest himselfe made a law y t the vncle might mary with his niece And this libertie which was so graunted by y e law was neuer folowed of any but of his own baud Although he had all countries at cōmandement yet could he neuer make y t law of sufficient authoritie y t any man besides himselfe one baude of his woulde be perswaded y t the vncle might marry with the niece Now what shall we say of this but y t our Lorde had a secret bridle for men as if he should say I will y t there remaine some honestie in nature in despite of all those which beare rule in y e world would make such a confusion that men shold be as brute beasts yea euē as dogs swine Do what they can yet wil I be aboue thē cause my law to be so printed in y e heartes of men y t for all their wickednes blindnes they shall yet retaine some honestie in y t which I haue principally cōmanded thē Beholde I say how God hath borne sway in such sort y t men how vnbeleeuing soeuer they were haue yet had some remorse y t they would not altogether go against that which was forbidden them in this lawe In deede men might haue alledged This thing is lawful for vs. The Law is made the sentence is proclaimed libertie is granted vnto al mē to do so yet we see how God ouerruleth al sheweth y t he himselfe wil so waken mē sūmon thē to appeare before him y t they shal not fall into such confusion And therefore let vs humble ourselues vnder him and be so far frō wayting vntil he cal vs vnto our account draw vs vnto this honesty by force that we alwayes preuent his iudgement to walke in such feare and carefulnes that wee make it our pleasure to serue and honor him so as there may be such an honest conuersation among vs as not onely the order of nature may bee obserued but also that we may shewe how it is not for nought that hee hath shouled vs out from among the vnbeleeuing wretches and would that we should be an holy people vnto him and dedicated vnto his seruice But now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them more more and to draw vs away from them so torid vs of them as we may encrease from day to day be reformed vnto his righteousnes that he wil in the meane time beare with vs in our infirmities not intreat vs seuerely but pardon vs our faultes vntill he hath clensed vs altogether from them And so let vs all say Almightie c. On Thursday the xvj of Ianuarie 1556 The Cxxx. Sermon which is the first vpon the three and twentith Chapter NOne that is hurte by bursting or that is gelded shall enter into the congregation of the Lorde 2 A Bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lorde neither shall the tenth generation of him enter in 3 The Ammonites Moabites shal not enter into y e congregation of the Lord neither shall their tenth generation for euer enter into the cōgregation of the Lord. IT might seme a strāg case y t God in this place shutteth out of his congreegation such as are maymed in their bodies For men can hardly bee perswaded y t this hindereth any to come neare vnto God Nay rather when there in any weakenes in them it maketh them more worthy of pitie and compassion And we are assured on the other side y t God requireth a spiritual purenes maketh no great account of this outward appearance as it is expresly written in the fifteenth Chapter of y e first booke of Samuel that he respecteth not those things which appeare to the eye ward as men do But wee are to note that when God in the old time vnder the law required any outward purenes it was to bring the Iewes more forward to consider that they could not present themselues vnto the temple except they were throughly purified specialy touching their soules The like is meant in that which we see here For wheras God in this place condemneth y e maime which is in the body it is to betoken that they which will serue him desire to
with fornications or such other like defilements And why Because it is a renouncing of y e excellent priuiledge which God giueth them when he chuseth them in such sort vnto himself and therewithal chooseth their children also although they be not yet begotten But the chiefe point is Rom. 11.17 Gal. 3.7 that we must learne to be the true children of Abraham Seeing we be graffed into his stocke through faith let vs take heede that we be not cut off from this body by our vnbeliefe For the Prophets who were y e true expounders of the law do wel declare what the thing is which God ameth at in this place when they say Come you of the stocke of Abraham No ye are the childreÌ„ of an harlot euerychone of you Get ye hence ye harlots brats appeare here in your liknes come foorth and let men knowe you Esa. 57.3 Ezech. 16.3 yee children of a strumpet saith y e Prophet Esay And y e Prophets Ieremy Ezechiel speak in like sort What haue you like vnto Abraham whose name yee beare Was not your father an Amorite your mother a whore To whoÌ„ speake they thus Speake they to children of harlots vnto bastardes concerning y e flesh No. But vnto lawful borne children And why then calleth hee them strumpets children as if they were begotten in some brothel-house Because they were corrupted followed not y e faith of Abraham For y e true parentage is spiritual as S. Paul saith They which desceÌ„ded from y e stock of Abraham concerning y e flesh Rom. 9.7 Gal. 3.7 are not therfore accounted y e linage of AbrahaÌ„ And what is y e reasoÌ„ Forsooth because they are growen out of kind So then let vs note that wheÌ„ Moses forbade y t bastards should enter into y e temple it was not onely for this shameful note which is in respect of the world when childreÌ„ are not begotten in lawful wedlocke it was rather to shew y t the Iewes were not worthy to haue any accesse vnto God to call vpon his name or to company with his congregation except they held fast this spiritual kinred of Abraham that is to say except they followed his faith except they continued in y e pure couenant of god Now this could not be done except they always bare in mind that god had chosen them to bee an holy people to bee a royal priesthood Let vs now for our part note y t albeit wee were altogether strangers vnto God although we had no accesse into his teÌ„ple although as S. Paul saith we had no couenaÌ„t with him because y e promises were not made vnto vs Eph. 2.12 19. yet notwithstanding we are made houshold seruants with the holy fathers citisens of the kingdome of heauen through faith forasmuch as God hath communicated vnto vs this freedome which was giuen only vnto y e stock of Abraham Seeing it is so y t we which were wild barren trees Rom. 11.24 haue bin besids nature graffed into y e good Olife let vs take heed y t we vse well so excellent a benefite and let vs sticke with a stedfast faith vnto Abraham our father and as oft as we come vnto the church let vs take warning to examine our selues and to say Behold God hath appointed this order that we should come together to the intent he may be among vs â—ph 2.18 we haue familiar accesse vnto him and that is on condition y t we become true children of Abraham And in what sort Let vs consider of that which is said in the first Chapt. of S. Iohn Ioh. 1.12 23. for this kinred is there expounded such as God requireth nowadayes and alloweth of It commeth saith he neither of the will of man nor of the wil of the flesh nor of bloude but the cause therof is that we haue beleeued in the onely sonne of God Seeing then it is so that when we beleeue in our Lorde Iesus Christ be graffed into his body we are admitted for the sonnes of God although wee on our part are not worthy of that honour Let vs take heede that we hold our selues there and that we grow not out of kinde through vnthankfulnes so cut our selues off from that body wherunto we were ioyned through the grace of God and his infinite mercy by y e meane of faith Yee see then what we haue to beare in mind vpon this place when it is saide expresly that bastards shall not enter into the congregation of God euen vnto the tenth generation But let vs come now to y t which is spoken of y e Moabites the Ammonites These people were descended from Lot and so ought to bee y e kinsmen of y e Iewes Yet neuertheles God banisheth them out of his Church and will not y t they haue any entrance therinto vnto the tenth generation albeit they yeelded themselues vnder y e obedience of y e law He addeth They met you not by the way when you came out of Egypt with bread water that is to say they entertained you not as kinsmeÌ„ and friends should haue done Now albeit y e Ammonites and y e Moabites were seuered from the stock of Abraham as Lot was alredy gone vnto Sodome and so had not the promise yet neuertheles they ought to haue called to minde their kindred and y t Abraham had brought Lot into y e land of promise had taken him for his son The remembrance hereof ought so to haue endured that y e Moabites Ammonites if they had had any good nature shold haue granted passage vnto them which were of their owne bloud And againe we see how God spared them For we haue seene heretofore Deut. 2.18.19 how the Israelits were expresly commanded to abstaine from al iniury and violence wheÌ„ they passed through their land Take heede yee vse not any force of armes take nothing but what you pay for keep y e high and beaten common way as ye passe buy y e water which thou drinkest and vse no extortion And why For they be thy brethren And indeed although god chose not Lot as he did Abraham yet ceased he not to pity him to haue som care of sparing his successours those which issued from him albeit those people were begotteÌ„ by his incestuous coupling w t his two daughters Gen. 19.36 The two fathers which were y e first rootes of this issue were Ammon Moab y t is to say such as were begotten by incest by shameful and vnnaturall fornication Yet neuertheles God beareth w t them But they are so wicked vnthankfull y t they dâ—fie both God and man God hath compassion of them and therwithall chargeth y e Iewes to haue a care of them Ye see what curtesie y e Iewes vsed They praied them to let theÌ„ passe through their country as friends protesting y t they woulde not molest nor annoy them
God had a certaine regard bare a special fauour vnto al that house vnto them which were to issue from it accordingly also as we see how he saith As concerning Ismael 〈◊〉 17.10 I haue heard thee And in very deede it was not for nought y t God cōmaunded y t Ismael should be circumcised We know what circumcision importeth it is a signe of the fauor of God Now seeing it was giuen vnto Ismael it is great reason y t he should approch more neere vnto God than the Paynims which were altogither defiled which had no signe that God loued them I say no particular signe For in as much as he maketh his sunne to shine vpon the good vppon the wicked Mat. 5.45 in that he nourisheth the whole world therby he proueth himselfe a father towards all But here the case is of hauing some warrant of adoption Now Ismaell had it But in the end it is saide that he shall not be the inheritour of the house 〈◊〉 21.10 〈◊〉 4.30 Behold he is cut off And S. Paul also alleageth the same similitude to shew that there are many which are called in the church of God which in the ende are driuen out againe banished as not worthy to enioy so great a benefit And so was it with Esau for he was the sonne Isaac yea he and his brother Iacob were twinnes 〈◊〉 15.24 by reason whereof it might seeme there should haue been two nations of like condition estate altogither Esau was the elder for that cause should haue been preferred before his brother but he was bereued of his right God chaunged the order of nature to the intent we might haue a looking glasse as the holy scripture sheweth it to bee that it is of meere fauour when we are elected of God y t we must not seeke y e cause therof in our selues as if we had preuented him or as if we had deserued any thing y t he had found vs more worthy thā others There is none of al this But if wee bee smal contemptible yea as it were thinges borne out of time God will magnifie his goodnes so much the more by choosing vs. Yee see how Esau is driuen out of his fathers house And in what maner Is it that he should be put beside all y e commodities of this world No. For he was rich wealthie Yea it seemed y t he was an hundred fold more happie than his brother Iacob For whiles Iacob remained a stranger stil in the land Esau was wel harbored his ofspring was settled in peace Yea he had then the lordship gouernment in y e countrey of Edom which countrie caried his name And al this whyles poore Iacob is a fugitiue in a farre countrie And when hee returneth hee falleth on his knees before him Gen. 33.4 desireth mercie so as his life seemed to hang by a slender thread that Esau should deuour him like as when a Wolfe holdeth a sillie sheepe in his chawes Euen so stoode y e case with him And in the end when Iacob was com home againe wee see he did nothing but wander here there so as hee had scarce any corner to liue in yea y t was at the curtesie of another he had no water to drink but it cost him dearely he was hardly entreated many quarels were picked vnto him for al the things y t he had lastly hee was driuen from his owne home into Egypt by reason of famine there to dye But as for the Edomites they pyned not away after that maner And so we see as I told you y t God meant in this behalf to shew the fauour which he bestoweth on men when he vouchsafeth to choose them unto himselfe And herewithal we see how his goodnes was extended to al the stock of Abraham although they which were children only after y e flesh were not accounted nor aduowed to be of the church yet neuertheles there alwayes remained some remnant of grace amōg them Likewise at this day we be farre neerer neighbors vnto the Papists than vnto y e Turkes or other Paynims And the reason is because y t albeit they are estranged from the grace of god haue corrupted al religion are so intāgled in their abuses corruptions as it is horrible to behold yet notwithstanding there remayneth among them some footstep of y e calling of God For they haue baptisme which is a visible signe wherby we see y t God held thē of his house of his fold Ye see then how y e papists are as it were the Edomites For they were first called and shoulde haue beene partakers of the saluation which was preached vnto vs by the gospel they beare yet the mark therof as touching baptisme But because they haue peruerted the seruice of God yea as it were taken faith clean away by the which they should haue bin called vnto the mercie which hath bin brought vnto vs by our Lord Iesus Christ it is great reason y t they shold be held for Edomites But on the other side we ought notwithstanding to call to mynd the brotherhood which they had with vs. And therfore let vs endeuor as much as is possible for vs to bring them back againe that we may be knit togither againe And how knit togither againe I meane not that we should turne aside from the pure trueth of God to be at agreement with the Papists but that they should enter that is to say that they should approch neare vnto God so we be reconciled al of vs yeelding obediēce vnto our heauenly father so as we may haue al one head Iesus Christ who will defende vs vnder his wings When the Papistes come order themselues thus we are to receiue them with all gentlenes by reasō of the brotherhood which God hath set betweene them vs. And we must not only do so but also must seeke them as much as is possible for vs to do As touching the Egyptians it is saide y t they also shal be receiued into the Church And why For thou wast a stranger saith he in the land of Egypt Now in deede true it is that the children of Israel were oppressed with cruel bondage by reson of the cruel tyrannie which the Egyptians exercised ouer them But yet Gods will is that their benefits should be acknowledged Albeit they so vniustly oppressed the childrē of Israel yet because y e children of God had their refuge thither in the time of famine were there relieued God wil not haue that benefit forgotten And y t is the cause also why God by the Prophet Esay Esa. 52.4 comparing the captiuitie of Egypt with y e captiuitie of Assyria saith In deede my people went to soiorne in Egypt necessitie constrained them therto wheras the Egyptians oppressed them in so doing they did them wrong but yet they had some
murdered Saint Paul and had conspired together by a solemne agreement did not they make a vowe But who will say nowe that they are bounde by their vowe 〈◊〉 â—3 1â— and that God liketh of it They make a solemne vowe not to eate nor drinke vntill they haue put Saint Paul to death Truely this is all one as if they would make God a companion of their murder See what a diuelishe agreement is made and they confirme it by and by with a solemne vow Yea but if our wittes be setled we will condemne all such vowes Nowe then wee see when vowes are to bee performed But Moses said not without cause When thou doest vowe a vowe to the Lorde thy God appointing God in this place for the partie which accepteth that which shall bee presented and offered vnto him for without that all shall bee of no value and of no effect But nowe what do the Papists in their vowes First they take vnto themselues some trifling toy or other and thereuppon binde themselues vnto God and they beare themselues in hande that hee is much beholding vnto them and that they deserued some recompence of ouerplus at his handes One voweth a pilgrimage to such a Saint an other maketh a ninedayes vowe an other voweth to eate no fleshe on such a day or to fast such a feastes euen Nowe let vs consider whether God liketh of anie of al these thinges Doubtlesse hee doeth not For as for going on pilgrimage it is not onely a kinde of Iewishnesse but it is also a wicked corruption And although vnder the lawe it was Gods will to haue one Temple to the which men shoulde resorte to worshippe him yet it is nowe abolished Nowe if the place which GOD had chosen which was ordeyned by his owne mouth is no longer in force but wee must call vppon God eueriwhere throughout the whole worlde without going either vnto Mount Sion or to any other place which men shall choose I pray you howe may men of their owne brayne make such holy places That is to say howe may they according to their owne fancie hallowe Rome or Saint Iames of Compostella or I knowe not what And secondly for eating of fleshe on such or such a day we know it is mere superstition Seeing our Lorde hath ordeyned that men shoulde feede on all meates soberlie without any questioning concerning this meate or that meate as though one meate were vncleane in comparison of an other and that whosoeuer doeth otherwise serueth the diuell a man may well alledge his deuotion but out of all doubt the diuell settes him a worke and hee must pay him his wages Asmuch may bee saide of all the other pelting baggage which the Papistes vse when they fast And so wee see that these things are not vowed vnto God and that although his name bee therein pretended yet hee will neuerthelesse disalowe of all For why None of it is ruled by his worde Againe the Papistes vowe that which is not in them to performe as the Monkes and the Priestes vowe perpetuall chastitie as they say Nowe I graunt indeede that all men owe chastitie vnto GOD but this chastitie is not an absteyning from marriage but the leading of an honest life by keeping himselfe vndefiled in the state wherein he is but among the Papistes there is no other chastitie but the abstayning from marriage They vowe this vow vnto God but is it in them to performe it Nay it is a diuelishe arrogancie But if a man haue the gift of continencie hee must vse it with all humilitie committing himselfe alwayes into the hande of GOD knowing that whatsoeuer God hath giuen vnto him to day he must be fayne to continue it vnto him to morrow or else al wil slip away like water in a minute of an hour And further we know not how God will dispose of vs in this behalfe Againe it is not all one to abstaine from marriage and to abstayne from a thing which God hath not permitted vnto vs. A man may haue excellent vertues as if hee were an Angell of heauen and yet marrie for all that God calleth him thereunto hee hath libertie to vse marriage for a remedie therefore let him vse it But howesoeuer the worlde goe let vs beare in minde that which our Lorde Iesus Christ sayth namely Matt. 19.11 that the gift of continencie is not giuen vnto all And S. Paul as a faithful interpreter of that which his maister had saide 1. Cor. 7.17 warneth euerie man to walke accordingly as hee is called Therefore it is a diuelishe arrogancie in a man to presume that hee hath in him selfe and as it were in his owne sleeue the power of absteyning from marriage And if hee make a vowe thereof it is all one as if hee did openlie defie GOD and say hee passeth not for him Wee ought to offer vnto GOD. But of what Of the benefites which hee hath bestowed vppon vs as I tolde you Nowe wee knowe not whether hee will graunt vnto vs the benefite of abstayning from marriage for all our life time or no. And howe then can wee promise that vnto him which wee haue not receyued For wee must alwayes make account to say Lorde I offer vnto thee that which thou hast giuen mee Euerie man therefore must haue an eye vnto himselfe and to his owne abilitie Moreouer when a Fryer voweth pouertie is it not a notable mockerie Some of them vowe pouertie but after what manner Forsooth they will sticke to their bagge and wallet they will haue a common gathering they will be as bloud hounds to smell out the best collections they will conuey other mens goods vnto theÌ„selues from all sides Therefore they mock God euen to his face when they vowe pouertie and that is to doe nothing but to waxe greasie and fat at all other mens costes Others goe and lurke in a stie as these monkes doe who are wel landed and rented and whereas they be readie to burst with eating drinking yet for all that they vowe pouertie And doth not this pouertie please God well thinke yee Nay what is to dalie plainely with God if this bee not Lastly they vowe obedience And to whome To an Abbot or to a Prior. But in the meane while they will be priuiledged from all obedience of God and men I meane from that which appertayneth to anie rule of gouernment Ye see how God hath put children in subiection vnder fathers and mothers but they may shake off this yoke vnder shadowe of being in monkerie God hath put men in subiection vnder Magistrates and vnder such as haue the sword of iustice and a Monke will exempt himselfe from all this It must bee lawfull for him to breake all the bonds and listes which God hath set vnder colour of forging in his owne shoppe a newe obedience whereof God in no respect liketh Wee see then howe the papistes generally and particularlie mocke God with all vowes which they
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
of his holy spirit to ouercome all the temptations against which wee are dayly to fight vntill he hath giuen vs victorie in all our conflictes when hee shall haue withdrawen vs to himselfe to make vs partakers of his glorie in the kingdome of heauen That it will please him to graunt this grace not onely vnto vs but also vnto all peoples and nations of the earth c. On Fryday the last of Ianuarie 1556. The Cxxxvij Sermon which is the second vpon the foure and twentith Chapter 1.2.3.4 When a man taketh a wife c. 5 When a man taketh a newe wife he shall not goe to warre neither shall hee be charged with any busines but shal be free at home one yeere and reioyce with his wife which he hath taken 6 No man shall take the neather nor the vpper milstone for a pledge for this gage is his liuing I Haue declared already at large how men ought to liue in agreement with their wiues and how the bonde of mariage is such as cannot bee broken It remayneth nowe that we come to the exception which our Lord Iesus Christ maketh to wit Matt. 19.9 that for the cause of adulterie it shall bee lawfull for a man to put away his wife The reason is for that the man on his parte breaketh not the faith which he plighted but the wife hauing played the harlot doth asmuch as in her is vndoe the marriage altogether and so defileth it as there remayneth no longer any holynesse in it For on what other condition is the husband ioyned vnto the wife but that they should liue chastly one with another But the partie which committeth adulterie breaketh this condition and therefore the bond of mariage is then vntyed So then if a man knowing his wife to be a whore and hauing likewise prooued her such a one for sake her he violateth not the institution of God neither transgresseth he this law They shall be two in one flesh Matt. 19.5 but he is quitte and set freee because the wife hath swarued aside from the order of God and of nature Let vs therefore note well that when our Lorde Iesus Christ aloweth the diuorcement which is made for the cause of adultery it is not to graunt a man leaue to chaunge any thing in the institution of God For it must euer holde true That man may in no wise sunder those whom God hath ioyned together But because the woman hath broken the condition of mariage the husband is freed from it The thing then which wee haue to beare in mind is that the exception which we heere haue rehearsed serueth not in any way to lessen the force of the law of God That coniunction which God hath ordayned must alwaies remaine firme and steadfast But she that playeth the harlot is no longer a wife she is no longer to be taken deemed for such a one Now if a man demaund on the other side whether y e woman for her part hath like libertie we heare what Saint Paul saith y t like as y e husband is not maister of his owne body 1. Cor. 7.4 no more also is the wife of hirs Ye see what an equalitie of like right y e holy ghost setteth downe y t like as y e woman when she is maried is not mystris of her owne body so on the contrary side a man after y t he hath plighted his faith to his wife is bound in such wise y t if he abandon himself otherwise vnto lust his fault is alike with y e adulterie which y e wife committeth So then if wee will hold our selues vnto y t which God hath commaÌ„ded we see y t the rule is most euident and cleare namely y t the man must not only content himselfe w t the wife which he hath taken y t is to say he must not only keepe hir for a companion but also beare with hir bicause y t marriage importeth a true and perfect vnion of two persons and that as hartie as any may be Which vnion is not possible to be maintained except y e husband doe beare with his wife with those frailties which are in hir the wife also for hir part endeuor to please hir husband to bee obedient vnto him This we see I say on the one side againe wee see that if the wife be so loose in life as to giue ouer her selfe to fornication shee breaketh wedlock wherby she doth as it were warre with God peruerting all honesty which ought to be holy inuiolable Now if when the woman offendeth so on hir part the husband likewise step a side in his dewty and ouershoote himselfe so farre as to breake the faith which he hath plighted vnto his wife he is condemned of God For why The bond as I told you which passeth betwixt them is mutuall and of like force touching them both And in this case there is no doubt but that a man may marry a gaine if he in this sorte put away his wife because of adulterie and men shew an ouer grosse abuse when they weigh not the words of our Lord Iesus Christ Matt. 19.9 That if a man forsake his wife except it be for adulterie mary an other he is an adulterer that he causeth her whom he hath forsaken to commit adulterie also Now when Christ excepteth y e cause of adulterie it is to set the man in y t case at free choice libertie to mary agayne For what a thing were it to bar a man from a newe match if he haue obserued his promise faithfully liued in the feare of God and not beene vnfaithfull towardes his wife If he be constrained to put her away must he be punished for the offence of an other What reason were in that Should he not haue open wrong doone him Especially considering that our Lord Iesus Christ in that text addeth Matt. 19.11 1. Cor. 7. â—â— That all haue not the gift of continencie and that such as haue not receiued it haue the remedie of marriage and that they ought to vse it When our Lorde Iesus Christ pronounceth this thinke we that his meaning was that the poore wretched man who hath liued blamelesse with an harlot should bee left in dispayre Nay if hee see filthynesse in his house he must whether he will yea or no cast foorth such vncleannesse except he will infect himselfe therewith and be accounted a partie in such wickednesse Now if a man discharge his dewtie in this behalfe thinke we that God barreth him of all right and that he leaueth him in such trouble and anguish as he may not know where to become but must remaine vnprouided of all remedie It was therefore an ouer grosse folly in men not to knowe that our Lord Iesus Christ leaueth a man in free libertie to marrie agayne when his make hath violated the faith of marriage As much is to be sayde in the behalfe of the woman seeing the
Were we throughlie perswaded hereof wee would be as meeke and quiet as lambes wee woulde bee patient in our wronges wee woulde tarie till he redressed them But what Because we haue no trust in him euerie of vs shifteth for himselfe by right or by wrong wee regarde not what is lawfull for vs to doe nay wee thinke we should deceiue our selues if wee shoulde staye vppon the promises of God And therefore let vs learne to consider more deepelie of this doctrin where it is saide Thou shalt nor forget what Amalecke did vnto thee by the way For God sheweth that although we passe it ouer and make no matter of it when wee haue beene vniustly vexed but forget that anie such thing was doone vnto vs yet will hee remember it Wee are tender enough in our own iniuries but yet God sheweth that hee taketh them more to hearte than wee doe and that hee will punishe them which haue vexed vs and dealte ouerrigorously with vs so as hee will call to remembraunce all the euill which they haue done vnto vs. Ye see then what wee haue to beare in minde as touching this place to wit that wee must take heede of doing any violence to our neighbours for God will take their cause in hande and we must needs haue him for our aduersarie party That is the first point to bee noted Secondly let vs walke in all simplicitie and gentlenesse knowing that if wee will bee as sheepe wee shall haue a good shepheard which wil keepe vs from the wolues insomuch that although wee seeme to be euen in their chappes and readie to be deuoured yet God will prouide a remedie for all if wee can put our trust in him and feede our soules with patience Luke â—1 1â— as our Lorde Iesus Christ declareth But now we must also call to remembrance that which wee haue treated of before Deut. â—3 4 to wit that God is then speciallie mooued vnto anger when his people are troubled and hindered froÌ„ taking possession of their inheritaunce And if hee haue declared such signe of anger against the Amalekites because they would haue withhelde the Iewes from entring into the Land of Chanaan what will hee doe if wee noweadayes doe turne away the faithfull from entering not into the Lande of Chanaan but into the kingdome of heauen For nowadayes God calleth vs not to possesse the Lande of Chanaan but to the immortall and incorruptible life And therefore we must keepe on our way and labour to come thither Nowe then if anie come to trouble vs they which shall haue cast such stumblingblockes in our waye that is to say which shall haue helde vs backe from seruing our GOD shall bee driuen to feele a double curse in comparison of the curse that lighted vppon Amalecke Nowe let vs consider howe many there are nowadayes which seeke to turne the children of GOD out of their right waye some by crueltie and persecutions others by leawde and wicked examples to bee short wee cannot set one foote forwarde in this waye but wee are troubled and Sathan deuiseth still I knowe not what to hinder vs and euer hee findeth ministers fitte for the purpose What is the cause that all Churches are not so well ordered as that God may bee serued with one common accorde or that wee haue not such loue and agreement among vs as may shewe in verye deede that wee call vppon GOD as our Father It is bycause wee are mingled among Amalekites Wherefore let vs take heede that they hinder vs not and let vs also on our partes beware that wee trouble not the children of GOD but rather let euerye of vs take his companion by the hande as the Prophet Esay speaketh 〈…〉 .3 and saye Come let vs goe and mount vp into the hill of the Lorde that hee may shewe vs his wayes and guide vs in his righteousnesse Nowe then if wee will not bee coupled with them whom GOD hath heere ordayned to destruction let euerie of vs take payne to guide his neighbour and to further him in the good way and let none of vs staye or hinder them which are already on their way to goe whither God hath called them Nowe it is sayde When GOD hath giuen thee rest from all thyne enemyes in the lande whither thâ—â— goest to possesse it then remember the Amalekites By theâ—â— woordes wee are giuen to vnderstande first of all that the people to the ende they myght bee the more encouraged to execute that which Moses had in GODS name commaunded them are certifyed in this place that in the ende they shoulde haue the victorie ouer all their enemyes For it had beene a matter of laughter if Moses had sayde Remember Amalec and when thou hast made a dispatch of all the rest roote him out also For the Iewes myght haue answered What are wee to roote him out Why We are yet Wanderers wee liue as it were at the courtesie of another man wee knowe not what will betide vs. In deede God promised vnto vs the land of Chanaan but hath hee not led vs vp and downe in the wildernesse as if we were worthy to bee altogether depriued and defeated of the possessioÌ„ of that land which he promised vs Why Wee are yet to enter into it And what are we theÌ„ able to do vnto Amalec seing we haue so many and so strong enemies For this cause Moses setteth downe this promise When the Lord thy God hath giuen thee rest from all thine enemyes saith he Nowe heereby wee are warned that when God commandeth vs any thing which seemeth harde yea or altogether vnpossible we ought to haue an eye vnto his power for otherwyse our courage cannot but fayle vs. And they which of themselues presume to execute whatsoeuer GOD teacheth by his woorde doe breake their neckes in the ende through their foolishe presumption Seeing then it is so let vs humbly and earnestly desire of GOD so to strengthen vs as wee may bee able to obey him For the dooing whereof let vs haue an eye vnto his promyses For when GOD saith vnto vs Doe thus he addeth care not though men withstande you if you cannot accomplish that which I commaunde you I haue power sufficient in mee to supply your weakenesse I will vpholde you and when it shall seeme that you are fallen downe I haue meanes wherewith to helpe you vp agayne and if the thing be more than you can doe I will bring it to passe for you Let vs therefore arme our selues with these promyses and thereuppon take courage to marche forewarde in our waye and what threates soeuer wee heare or what stumbling blockes so euer are layde in our way let vs yet keepe on our course still And why Bycause GOD will take care of all and wee cannot bee deceyued by wayting for his helpe In deede if wee haue not the woorde from his mouth wee may not trust vppon our owne opinion and say I hope GOD will helpe mee Wee may not
why GOD ordayned this ceremonie among the Iewes that they shoulde offer euerye yeere the firstlinges of their fruites Before they shoulde presume to eate breade of newe Corne or taste anye other thing they were enioyned to offer their first fruites vnto the Priest And through this oblation all the fruites of the earth were as it were hallowed I meane in such wise that then they myght lawfully vse them In deede whatsoeuer the earth bringeth foorth is of his owne nature pure and cleane neuerthelesse wee our selues are so defyled that wee corrupt whatsoeuer wee touche vntyll GOD sende his blessing vppon his creatures that by that meanes they maye bee sanctifyed agayne to our vse And that is the cause why Saynt Paule sayeth 1. T 〈…〉 that thorough fayth and prayer the meates which wee receyue are hallowed not that there is any vncleanenesse eyther in the breade or in any other meates themselues but bycause wee are not woorthie to bee partakers of them vntill GOD gyue vs leaue to vse them as to his Children And this wee obtayne through fayth and by calling vppon the name of GOD bycause it pleaseth him to shewe himselfe our foster-father Yee see then howe the first fruites serued to make all the fruites of the yeere pure and cleane that men myght lawefullye vse them and bee made partakers of them receyuing them as it were from the hande of GOD. And whosoeuer they bee which without makyng this confession and without yeelding this homage vnto GOD doe glutte themselues with meates although they may saye it is of their owne goods and lyuing yet notwithstanding they playe the theeues with GOD and they are not woorthie to keepe any longer those thinges which hee bestoweth on them as hee which deceyueth his Lorde of his lande and wyl yet receyue profite by it is woorthie to bee thrust out of all the lyuing which hee holdeth of him So then wee see for what purpose this Lawe was ordayned But before wee proceede any further it shall bee good first to consider of that which is contayned in this texte and then wee will gather vp altogether and applye it vnto our instruction It is sayde Thou shalt take euerye yeere of the newe fruites which thou receyuest out of thy grounde and bring them in a basket vnto the place which the Lorde thy GOD shall appoynt to place his name there In that it is spoken of euerie yeere thereby we doe the better vnderstande the thing which wee haue alreadye touched to wit that it is not ynoughe for menne to bee taught their duetie once for all but GOD must pull them often by the eares and put them often in minde of that which hee hath once tolde them For that which wee shoulde beare awaye wee forgette by and by but if wee haue once learned any tryflyng toye or I knowe not what thing else which serueth for no other ende but to marre vs that shall bee throughlye imprinted and ingrauen in our memorie But when we haue knowen the wil of God and haue heard his promises and he haue commaunded vs any thing y t slippeth soone out of our remembraunce except euery man for this part doe diligently minde the thing which he hath learned Ye see then what the cause is why God thinkes it not ynough for men to make this acknowledgment once in their life tyme or at the yeere of Iubile onely 〈◊〉 â—5 10 bicause that then y e possessions were renued and there was good opportunitie to vse this acknowledging in such a chaunge GOD could haue contented himselfe with it were it not that men as I tolde you haue so short memorie when the case concerneth their duetie towardes God And this may profit vs not onely to teach vs to condemne that vice which is ouer great and too too wicked in vs but also to leade vs to the quickning vp of our selues For in as much as we perceiue what slothfulnes is in vs and that there is nothing more easie than to go so astray as we shall neuer thinke on God euery of vs ought to be so much the more watchfull to say What shal become of mee if I withdraw not my selfe out of this way and call to minde the will of God which hee hath already declared vnto mee Surely I shall by and by become a very beast Wee must therefore take occasion to quicken vp our selues seeing God for his part stirreth vs vp waketh vs in such sorte which thing hee doeth because bee cannot otherwise compasse vs. Let this be noted for one poynt Nowe to the intent that the people shoulde heere haue nothing to pleade nor seeke any startingholes to shift themselues from dooing their duetie it is expressely sayde When thou commest into the lande which the Lorde thy GOD giueth thee to inherite and possesse it and doest dwell therein For it is all one as if GOD did heere auouche his tytle as when a fyne is set and any chiefage required it is to bee layde foorth and declared that hee which is to receiue the fine is the chiefe Lord and owner thereof that his graunting of it at the first was with such condition Such is the case heere For God sheweth that the Iewes enioyed that lande eyther by right of conquest as gotten by their owne force power or by inheritaunce or by purchase or by gift of man to bee short he declareth that they can make no title vnto it by any inferiour meane but that they must looke vp vnto GOD aboue and say Our Lorde hath vouchsafed to plant vs in this land which was none of ours wee cannot say that it belonged vnto vs our fathers had no right vnto it whence then doe wee receyue this benefite but of the free gift of our GOD It behooueth vs therefore at leastwyse to acknowledge this benefite and to confesse howe greatly wee are bounde and indebted vnto God Men ought in deede of their owne mere motion to consider the goodnesse of GOD when it is vttered vnto them by effect but yet wee haue neede to bee put in minde of it and GOD must bee fayne to goe to lawe for his owne right and to defende it And the reason is bycause wee are too too wicked and seeke by all meanes as much as wee can possibly to darken the grace and fauour of GOD except hee himselfe bee a witnesse thereof and shew that hee wil not haue it mis-bestowed Therefore albeit this bee spoken vnto the Iewes yet notwithstanding let vs note that GOD meant to vpbrayde all mankinde with the wickednesse which wee feele to bee in vs that is that hee himselfe is fayne to speake and shewe howe much wee are beholding vnto him For except hee did so there is not one of vs which would not priuiledge himselfe from the obedience and subiection which he oweth vnto him Nowe it is expressely sayde That they shall come vnto the place which GOD will choose to put his name there This was
Idolatries which abuseth not his holy name which obserueth the day of rest al the other ceremonies which honoreth his father mother This blessing I say is matched with condition so y t if we serue God he will shew himselfe liberall vnto vs we shall not loose our time but yet doe all these blessinges depend hereupon y t God of his free goodnes had chosen this people so y t they might not rest on this point to say Blessed is he which serueth God And who is y t For none dischargeth himselfe of this duty as we haue already declared shall see further in y e ende of this chap. Seeing then y t we are all sinners yea euen the faithfull insomuch y t when they indeuour to walk vprightly they make many false steps what shall become of vs then It is certaine we should be all depriued of the hope of saluation if we had nothing else to leane vnto thaÌ„ our owne righteousnes But as I tolde you y â— promises which import a condition depende hereupon y t God hath receiued vs for his people will haue vs to take him for our father Now this thing is grounded on nothing else but vpon his mercie So then we must be throughly perswaded y t God will take pitie on vs though wee bee wretched sinners deserue not to be pitied he will receiue vs for righteous accept of vs although we deserue to be reiected of him And althogh we can hope for nothing but vtter coÌ„fusion yet notw tstanding we shal be assured of the inheritance of saluation because we are his children We must be throughly persuaded as touching this point And secondly it remaineth y t seeing God hath choosen vs out set vs apart for his seruice we may not take libertie to all maner of wickednes but indeuor to obey him For this cause we must be quickened vp and pricked forward by his promises to serue him Thus yee see howe the conditional promises shall not be in vaine in respect of vs namely when they are referred vnto the freebestowed goodnesse of God whereby he receiueth vs although wee be not worthy to be receiued and secondly he imputeth not our vices vnto vs but although there be many staines and corruptions in vs yet he hydeth them and will not call them to account And so we see now in what sort God incouraged the people of Israell to bee of good comfort For if hee had begun thus with them and said Serue me you shal be well recompensed for your labour if God should speak this simple worde vnto vs alas what should wee do For when we would thinke to serue him we should be very farre froÌ„ the perfectnes which he coÌ„mandeth vs they which should run best would be but in y e midway when they ought to be come to their waies end We should therfore al be discoraged rather than haue any good hart But we must ioyne both these things together to wit y t he will not deceiue vs in any thing secondly y t he bindeth vs to serue him declareth y t he wil beare with vs in our infirmities not deale seuerely with vs to pay vs as we haue deserued but vse a fatherly goodnes Now hereupon we may be of good coÌ„fort to serue him wheÌ„ we may say Surely it is true Lord y t I discharge not my self of y e hundredth part of my dutie towardes thee but howsoeuer y e world goeth yet thou wilt not faile to accept me because thou respectest not what I doe but takest a pleasure in me as in thine owne childe Ye see then how God pardoneth vs and regardeth not our faults imperfections which are in the seruice y t we yeelde vnto him So wee serue him not hypocritically but of an vnfained good will he liketh of all y t we do and rewardeth vs for it Sith we heare this let vs bestowe our paines let vs receiue the bridle into our mouths as they say and let vs go on although we be hindred by y e vices of our flesh yet let vs inforce ourselues to go on further And why For we shal not loose our labour Thus ye see what the meaning of God is whereby we perceiue his inestimable goodnes in y t of his owne good wil he offereth his promises so vnto vs whereas he is nothing bound vnto vs as we haue seene heeretofore but his will is to win vs vnto himselfe by all the meanes that he may Now he repeateth this point againe and y t is done because of our sloth and negligence For y t cause he addeth this aide and all for our profit for what is he aduantaged therby Shall he gaine any thing by our seruice Let vs defie him to the vtmost what shall y t hurt him but he wil possesse vs for our owne welfare And herewithall hee sheweth vs also what minde is requisite for the obseruing of his law in such soâ—t as is required to wit if we come willingly and yeelde ourselues vnto him and place our whole felicitie ioye in the seruing of him and put this sentence in vre Matt. 6.21 y t where our treasure is there will our heart be also Ye see what we haue to note as touching y e first point of the blessings What is it theÌ„ in effect y t we haue to do Althogh nowadaies we haue not the Ceremony whereof mention is made in this place yet must the substance thereof be in force among vs which is y t in seeking to serue God we must haue an eye always vnto his promises Behold our God calleth allureth vs vnto him And how He might coÌ„mande vs in one word and say You owe al vnto me see therefore y t ye discharge yourselues but he beareth with vs vttereth a fatherly goodnes towards vs in saying My children I will not haue your seruice vnrecoÌ„pensed In deede I owe you nothing but yet neuerthelesse I will be so bountiful aboue y t I need y t if you serue me your life shal be happy you shal prosper in all thinges And besides that there is a souerain blessing for vs as touching the life euerlasting For all y t wee can desire or looke for in this worlde is nothing in comparison of that saluation which wee hope for through faith and all the blessinges which God promiseth vs offereth vnto vs as touching the life to come Therefore all this ought to make vs the readier better disposed to submit ourselues vnto God For what Seeing our lord seketh nothing but our welfare in our obeying of him offereth vs a reward for our so doing are we not too too wretched if wee enforce not ourselues to serue our god Ye see theÌ„ how we ought with our good consent to ratifie all the promises which are contained in the holy scripture that whereas others thinke it were but lost time to do well wee may alwayes haue
is nigh vnto vs to succour vs let vs bee well resolued in this Moreouer Moses addeth Other people shall see that the name of the Lorde thy GOD is called vppon ouer thee and they shall be afraide It is certaine that the Idolaters can vaunt themselues enough of the name of God and we see howe they pretend it euen in their fighting against him when they cast off all doctrine Insomuch that being as fierce as wilde beastes yet they looke to bee counted of the Church But Moses dooth here take the worde call vppon for naming or calling vpon yea and that in trueth meaning that the people were truely and in deed called after God his name or named his People If wee walke in the feare of our God and frame our life after his calling then shall it be seene how it is not in vaine that hee calleth himselfe our God auoweth vs to be his people Now it is certain that this word dooth presuppose that wee haue our recourse to God as being vnder his protection For it is sayd that a man is called vppon or named after the name of a prince when hee is become his subiect and is vnder his tuition Euen so it is sayd that the faithfull haue GOD his name called vppon ouer them in protesting that they bee his and that there they bee all safe vâ—der his winges And this cannot bee vnlesse we call vppon GOD and haue our refuge vnto him in all our necessities But whence commeth such boldnesse that wee glory in this that wee belong vnto God more than any other For wee know that the state of men is alyke by nature Wherefore then be we preferred before them that are descended of the self same race It commeth through Gods election It may not begin of vs. For what is he y t can aduaunce himself to come nigher vnto God thaÌ„ others come What desert can any man bring w t him None at all TheÌ„ must God make choice of vs through his own meere goodnes wheÌ„ he hath declared himselfe to be our God then may wee also of our parte bee bolde in all assurance and without doubt to call vppon his name Nowe wee see what is the effect of this sentence And Moses meaneth to declare what preheminence GOD giueth vnto those whome hee hath adopted for his children to wit that albeit they be mingled amongest men and encompassed with many miseries yet be they preserued as being vnder his hand and protection euen because hee doth holde and auowe them to bee of his houshold not for any other cause than onely his own good pleasure Let vs therfore courageously defie Sathan when wee see that hee practiseth all that hee possibly can against vs and let vs count our selues assured against all the dangers of this world seeing that God hath done vs such fauor as not to leaue vs to fortune as the vnbeleeuers doe imagine And why For wee bee vnto him a holy people And from whence shall wee fetche this preeminence Wee haue it because hee hath testified vnto vs that hee is our GOD. If wee had not gotten this worde of him we should bee alwayes in perplexitie wee shoulde still doubt through questioning of this and that and our lyfe should hang as it were by a threed as wee shall see in this Chapter But seeing that God hath vttered his fatherly loue vnto vs and it hath pleased him to open his mouth to make vs to vnderstand that hee hath giuen vs familiar accesse vnto him seeing I say that wee haue such assurance let vs call vppon him that is to say let vs not doubt to glorie in this that hee is our Sauiour and that seeing we are his wee cannot perish Howebeit let vs beware that wee call not vppon the name of God falsly as all they doe which abuse it and yet in the meane while doe make a mocke of him and are despisers of his maiestie If wee clayme the name of God let it bee because we be grounded vppon his promises and haue receiued them through faith and then let vs call vppon him let him bee our refuge and let vs not giue our selues to fond bragging as they doe which thinke it enough for them to beare the bare name of Christians Nay let vs followe the call of our GOD as Moses sheweth here saying If thou wilt keepe the commaundementes of thy GOD as I dâ—e set them afore thee this day For it is good reason that seeing God hath so bound himselfe vnto vs wee in lykewise for our parte should yeelde our selues to his direction And that wee should not onely professe with our mouthes that wee bee his people but also shewe it by framing our whole lyfe agreeable to the same and by keeping his commaundementes make it apparant that we haue receiued the grace which hee offered vs For that is the true proofe thereof Now hee sayth moreouer That other people shall see how the name of God is called vppon ouer vs and that they shall feare vs. It is not enough for vs that GOD doe promise vs to make vs to feele that wee bee in his keeping but he saith that euen the Paynims our mortall enemies and the despisers of his maiestie shall bee made to know the same Now it is certaine that the Infidels knowe not the arme of GOD in such wise as it ought to bee knowen vnto vs they come far short of it For in seeing they see not a whit and how then should it be possible that they should perceiue that GOD hath blessed vs that we liue of his fauor and that we be nourished at his cost For they bee blockish and thinke not that any thing coÌ„meth vnto them from the hand of God Wee see well how the Infidels be fedde and cloathed they enioy the light of the Sunne yea and they haue aboundance of goods But as for the worshipping and seeking of God there is no tidinges at all among them thereof And if besides their despising of the benefites of their God they haue no vnderstanding whence they come vnto them howe should they then knowe that the name of God is called vppon ouer vs Their knowing of it is not through any perswasion of minde or through any such true vnderstanding of it as we ought to haue but Moses sayth that they shall haue it proued to their faces as for example wee see the wicked grinde their teeth when they behold the faithfull to prosper and see that God vpholdeth and keepeth them And whence commeth that Truely they shall be astonished at it and they shal not be able to think otherwise but that God fauoreth the contrarie parte not that they doe settle vppon it or bee rightly resolued thereof in their heartes but for that they be confounded in their owne selues Hee sayth that they shall perceaue that Gods name is claymed or called vppon ouer vs and that it shall put them in feare For albeit that they feare not God yet
neerer that our Lord commeth vnto vs the more would he haue vs giuen to doe good one to another And if wee doe the contrarie then must GOD stirre vp a people to come to spoyle vs because we haue not liued in peace like brethren ne knitte ourselues together like fingers of one hande This is the thing which wee haue to beare in minde touching this text Nowe where he sayeth And you shall be amazed at the sights which you shall see it is according to that which was sayde before Deut. 28 2◠namely that men shold be distraughted and grope at noone-day as doeth the blinde in the darke For if wee be borne withall so farre as to gather and plucke vppe our spirites to call vppon GOD and to bee patient in our afflictions it is a great grace and such a one as can not bee sufficiently esteemed But if our Lorde incourage vs not to repentaunce ne giue vs wherewith to asswage and diminish our sorrowes but all hope is taken away and we be as folke already forlorne so as we bee besides our wittes to see the naked sword continually before vs hauing no meane of remedie or succour at all that is a dreadfull threatning Neuerthelesse it is not sent without cause considering the hardenesse of hearte which is to bee seene in all men For vntill GOD haue brought vs to this straughtednesse we be altogether blockish and we haue the contrarie vice which is that we can verie well complayne when any thing doeth trouble vs yea and sometimes we lye as beaten downe but yet doeth not that make vs to come againe to God for we see howe euery man taketh the bridle in his teeth so as they shake off all feare and neuer thinke vpon that which is set downe heere And so we see howe men become blockish Now our Lorde would faine drawe them to repentaunce at leastwise if they were teacheable that is to say if they were not wilfull stubborne For he tryeth all manner of wayes to drawe vs vnto him This is the cause why hee doeth correct vs gently and as it were within compasse as with his litle finger But when hee seeth that that will nothing preuayle then must he bring vs to this kinde of woodnesse For vntill he hath les◠vs as men distraughted we wil neuer haue our minds peaceable and obedient we will neuer be wunne Therefore let vs marke well that this threatning is directed to such as stoope not at the first blowe when GOD hath warned them but goe on from euill to worse for then must they of necessitie come to this woodenesse Nowe he speaketh expresly concerning the sightes of the eyes For men doe blinde themselues as I haue sayde heeretofore persuading with themselues that they can escape by some mean in so much that although wee see the euill at hande yet ye woulde wonder to see howe wee holde on our course and care not for it according as the prophet Esaie speaketh of the wicked Isa. 28.15 saying that when the scourge passeth ouer the whole earth and the storme ouer taketh them all they bee not any whit mooued thereat After that manner doe the despisers of GOD speake and the number of them is infinite So then when men doe thus blinde their eyes and haue no respect at all to the plagues whereunto they be subiect but notwithstanding that they fall into infinite troubles out of the which they can not get out againe yet they holde on stil forasmuch as they be so frowarde Moses sayeth expressely in this texte You shall haue a sight before your eyes that is to say after that you haue beene a long while hardened in your vaine fantasies and haue flattered yourselues in your sinnes imagining that GOD should spare you and that you be as it were his mates and haue made a league with death and with the graue Isa. 28.15 according as the Prophet speaketh of it when as you haue beene thus a long while vntouched with any awe and haue deceiued yourselues in bearing yourselues in hande that your plague shall not last There shall come a sight that shall make your eyes to dazle in beholding the infinite mischiefes which you must bee faine to endure and which way so euer you turne your eyes whether it bee vpwarde or downeward foreward or backeward you shal see Gods hande continually pursewing you by reason whereof you shal be driuen into a madnes Let vs learne therefore to conuert this text to our benefite and whyle GOD doeth forbeare vs or at the least so moderate his plagues that wee be not thereby altogether ouerthrowen let vs feare him and lette vs bethinke ourselues howe sundrie wayes wee haue offended GOD insomuch that if he listed to deale rygorously with vs we shoulde then perish euerie minute of an houre And therewithall lette vs not tarrie till hee thunder downe vppon vs and powre out his curses vppon vs in such sorte as they may sinke into our verie bones but let vs returne to him and to his goodnesse And aboue all thinges when hee giueth vs the grace to foresee his plagues afarre off so as wee may say that others bee punished for our instruction lette vs take warning by their example and in such wise by faith receiue Gods corrections wherewith he threatneth vs as it may preserue vs from that sight whereof Moses speaketh heere to the intent that our Lorde strike vs not with such feare as we can not in anie wise thinke to receiue any recorde of his goodnesse by reason of our sinnes Nay rather that by putting this lesson of obeying him and of submitting our selues vnto him in vre wee may eschewe this foresayde amazednesse and not bee so oppressed as wee shoulde become like folke that were out of their wittes Let vs not come to such an extremitie neither let vs compell GOD to execute such Threateninges against vs. Nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes beseeching him to vouchsafe to make vs so to vnderstande them as euery one of vs may be his owne iudge and turne to him before we be thereunto constrayned and that hauing willingly condēned ourselues bewailed out sins we may seeke to return to his obedience in such wise as the same may be to dedicate vs wholely vnto him And that in the meane while it may please him y t like as he hath sent vs the message of reconciliation by his gospell he will also giue vs y t grace to obtaine mercie of him forgiuenes of all our sinnes in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and that resting thereupon we sayle not to walke alwaies in feare and that his bearing with vs through his fatherly goodnes may not cause vs to sleepe in our sinnes and to flatter ourselues in them but y t euery of vs may quicken vp himselfe vntil we be quite and cleane rid of them And that forsomuch as wee are to passe
God had no more to deale with the thinges that bee vppon the earth or if we haue reapt and laide vp the Corne in our barnes it shoulde make vs to be the more proude because we see no likelihoode of any more daunger But in steade of this wee shoulde euermoe haue an eye to Godwarde saying Lorde beholde the earth waiteth for raine as though it were a thirste and when thou giuest it it is to make it to bring foorth sustenance for our nourishment Againe such stormes might fall from heauen as woulde washe away all from vs and one warre woulde be enough to bereaue vs of all that wee haue Thus is all in thy hande O Lorde and wee â—ust depend vppon thy mercie and bee all our life long it thy custodie or else we must perishe and all the prouisions that we haue shall profite vs nothing Thus then must we call vppon God with diligence and walke in his feare seeing he is so gratious as to bee our forsterfather and vouchsafeth to stoope so low vnto vs. Therefore hath Moses verie wel declared in this text y t wee must not be beguiled by the goodly likelihoods faire prouisions which we are able to haue As for example when we see y e corne to bee faire vpon the ground we must not bee too lustie as though all were won no not euen when the corne is gathered in For God will be then called vpon according as we are bound to make our dayly sute vnto him saying Giue vs our daily breade O Lorde Matt. 6.11 that day by day hee may feede vs. For albeit we haue neuer so much to day yet to morrowe we may starue For when it pleaseth God he is able not only to destroy y e corne and wine in the fieldes but also he can make theÌ„ to bee worth nothing euen when we haue them in our garners and Cellers Nay we heare the threatnings that he maketh saying You shall carie corne to the mill by measure and y e bread to the ouen by weight and yet for all that you shall be stil emptie and hungrie Ezec. 4.16 when you haue eaten neuer so much there shall be no vertue at al in the meat neither shal you be sufficed therewith Seeing our Lord telleth vs that he hath so manie wayes to famish vs let vs not bee harde hearted but let it rather waken vs that we may altogether depende vpon him and walke in his feare and be his children if we intend that hee shall still continue to do the office of a father toward vs. That is the effect of the thinges which we haue to remember Here againe Moses repeateth these threatenings whereof he had spoken afore saying That the Iewes and their linage shall be caried away into captiuitie Now certainly there can nothing more bitter happen vnto men than to see their children taken away by force eaten and deuoured by the enemies and cruelly dealt withal they had rather to haue buried them a hundred times Now then let vs marke in fewe words that God meant to declare in this text that although he haue beene neuer so bountifull towardes vs and filled vs with his blessinges so as we be fenced in on all sides yet he can verie well bereaue vs of them all againe and that plague shal be much more greeuous vnto vs than if we had neuer knoweÌ„ what his goodnesse meaneth Wherefore the largelier y t God bestoweth his blessinges vpon vs yea euen those blessings that concerne this transitorie life let vs looke that wee bee alwayes so much the more prouoked to honour him and to serue him For he for his part will not cease to do vs good so we turne not tayle giue him ouer But seeing he allureth vs so gentlie if we be willing to come vnto him let vs assure our selues that his hande shall euermore be stretched forth to augment the giftes and blessinges that we haue receiued of him In the end he returneth to the matter which we saw heretofore All these curses shal come vppon thee they shal sease vpon thee thou shalt be caught and besieged by them on all sides vntill that God hath quite consumed thee euen because thou hast not hearkened to his voice to obey his statutes and commandementes which he hath giuen thee I haue tolde you herebefore howe that Moses hath oftentimes shewed to the Iewes that no euill or aduersitie came vpon them but by the hande of God But it behooueth vs also to knowe the cause True it is that sometime God doth visite vs and we cannot perceiue the cause thereof for hee doeth it not for our sins not for that he might not doe it but for that he spareth vs. Yet is this alwayes to be looked vnto that when we susteyne any afflictions we must thinke on our sins enter into examination of them to condemne our selues before God yea we must not tary so long but we must benefit our selues by al manner of calamities which we see throughout y e worlde knowing y t God punisheth mens sins by such meanes and thereupon bridling our selues from the like The matter then whereunto Moses doth nowe returne is that hauing shewed vs howe it is the Lord that withdraweth all maner of blessinges from vs it is he that curseth our possessions and the fruites of the earth it is he that sendeth vermine stormes and tempests to destroy all it is he y t giueth power to our enemies hee sheweth wherfore all this is done to wit because we haue rebelled against him because we haue despised his law That is y e verie cause why these plagues of vengeance do so pursue vs. Now then let vs beare in minde the doctrine which hath beene sufficiently set foorth hereaboue which is that when God doeth afflict vs we must shutte our mouthes from replying or entring into plea for we shal win nothing by standing in contention with him Nay rather we must condemne our selues confessing that hee dealeth iustlie Although it be his will to proue our patience and to trie vs to the vttermost yet notwithstanding we must yeeld ourselues as guiltie before him vnderstand that our sinnes deserue to bee thus roughly handled at his hands Here is wherwith to cause all y e blasphemies murmurings and coÌ„plaints to cease which are daily heard in y e world WheÌ„ there happeneth any aduersitie or anie other afflictioÌ„ it is to the end we shold think on y e sinnes that we haue committed Marke that for one point And whereas mention is made of the commandements and statutes which God hath ordeined the same expressely and purposely coÌ„cerneth vs. For albeit that the Papistes haue the law yet is it buried in them 2. Cor. 3 1â— the Iewes as saith Saint Paul haue a vaile before their eyes so as they vnderstand nothing The Turkes walke in their owne ignorance so doe all the rest of the heathen Now our Lord doth inlighten vs and shew vs the
we haue receyued of God we must not thinke that he will suffer them to be buried he will surely put vs throughly in minde of them euen to our vtter confusion according as we see how he speaketh here of the Iewes And nowe on the contrarie part he blameth them for that That they bee turned away after straunge gods which they haue not knowen and which had done them no good This is generally incident to all Idolaters For notwithstanding that there be a kinde of wilfull opinion in them yet are they at no certaintie Like as the Papistes which can not say that they bee assured of their religion all is grounded vpon a supposition True it is that they play the madde men for when they bee tolde of their foolishnesse they rage and storme and thinke that men do them the greatest wrong in the worlde when they make any gainesaying to that which they imagine to bee good and yet howsoeuer they fare they haue but a supposall For all their saying is Our fathers taught vs so it is the order of our holie mother the Church this hath nowe beene receyued of olde Verie well shall God bee outfaced with that Shall his trueth which wee ought to admitte to bee vnfallible bee made voyde vnlesse wee bee grounded vppon custome and authorities of men Nay without that there is nothing in men but vanities and lies Hereby then wee must learne not to thinke that straunge which the Scripture speaketh namelie that wee must fashion our selues after our fathers howbeit those fathers which haue followed the trueth of God and none other To bee short wee shall finde that there is no certeyntie in them that followe not the lawe that none but the children of God can talke of it vppon knowledge 1. Iob. 5 2â— according as Saint Iohn sayth in his Canonicall Epistle Soothly it is not for vs to bee taught by coniectures of men when the worde of God is laide before vs for it is good reason that God shoulde haue so greate authoritie ouer vs as that when hee saith the worde we shoulde wholy sticke to it and seeke no farther but yet is there alwayes a true knowledge in faith and not a wauering opinion Contrariwise all they that serue GOD after their owne deuotion doe but imagine and serue gods whome they know not The Papistes say that the Virgin Marie is their aduocate euerie one hath his patron such as hee hath deuised of his owne heade doe they vnderstande that GOD hath giuen them these offices Haue they any Testimonies thereof None but they thinke so When I goe on Pilgrimage or cause a masse to bee sung or founde such a yeares minde O that is goodly seruing of God What Haue you authoritie for all these thinges that they be pleasing to God and that hee alloweth them O no sir but our intent is good Yea but that is not enough to binde God for hee must bee serued according to his owne will and hee will none of all those things To bee short examine all that the Idolaters doe and yee shall finde that they be rauished and puffed vp with a wauering opinion Thereupon they sooth themselues exceedingly but yet are they neuer assured of their case Therefore it is not without cause that Moses reprooueth the Iewes for following the gods which they knew not And indeede howe shall a man knowe that which is not for there is no knowledge but the truth and there is nothing but lies in all that men doe deuise without the worde of God Againe hee saith yet further that the Idoles whome they serued had doone them no good Trulie the wretched misbeleeuers doe beare them selues in hande that the Idoles whome they serue haue doone them much good as we see the Papistes doe saying Lo wee finde it good to goe to sâ—ich a Saint for there is such a miracle as sheweth that this deuotion is not vnprofitable after which manner wee see the Idolaters to haue doone at all times When we serued the Queene of heaueÌ„ say they in Ieremie we had our fill of meate and drinke 〈…〉 .18 there was plentie of all manner of good thinges Lo howe Satan blindeth these wretches and God doeth suffer them to bee fedde with vaine flatteries and to please themselues with their owne superstitions to their condemnation Neuerthelesse that which is spoken by the Prophet Isay shall bee alwayes true namely that Idoles haue no power to doe either good nor euill 〈◊〉 â—49 for they bee nothing Therefore let vs learne first of all to sticke vnto the word whereby God teacheth vs and let vs followe our fathers that is to say those whome hee hath allowed and chosen and set foorth for our example to the intent that wee shoulde imitate them The verie point whereat wee must beginne for the hauing of a pure religion both certaine and infallible is the said doctrine and secondly that we be confirmed by the gratious giftes and benefits which God bestowed vpon the olde fathers yea and euen by those also whereof wee our selues haue had proofe in our own persons Let these things induce vs so much the more to giue our selues ouer vnto him and therewithall let vs stande in awe of his threateninges and likewise of his punishments which we see executed vpon all y e wicked that haue forsaken him That in effect is that which we haue to remember vppon this place Nowe for conclusion Moses addeth The secretes belong to the Lorde our God and the things reueiled befor vs and our children for euer to the end we shoulde doe the thinges that are written in this booke This text is taken diuerse wayes Some doe expounde it that the secretes of our God bee reueiled vnto vs and to our children and that is a verie profitable doctrine for it is saide that the lawe conteineth wonders that be incomprehensible to men vntill time that hee hath opened their eyes Therefore Dauid prayeth thus Lord lighten me that I may beholde the wonderfull wisedome 〈◊〉 119.18 which is in thy lawe And indeede we doe neuer by our naturall wit vnderstande that which is shewed by the worde of God it exceedeth all that is in man And that is the cause why this grace is so highlie magnified in holie Scripture that God dealt not with any nation as hee hath doone with the Iewes for that hee had not reueiled vnto them the secretes of his woorde Deut. 4.8 but left them to walke in brutishnesse and ignorance It is to a good purpose therefore to say That the secretes of our God be reueiled vnto vs at this day that folke might be the more mooued to be attentiue to the law knowing that God hath vsed a speciall goodnesse towarde them to whome he hath shewed himselfe so familiarlie as wee haue alreadie seene in the fourth Chapter But albeit y t the same doctrine be verie good profitable yet is it somewhat strained because of y e words for the text
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
dwel to nestle yea and altogether to rotte in their ignorance But contrariwise let vs trust and wholy rest vpon this promise knowing that God doth vs an inestimable good turn whensoeuer it pleaseth him to set his worde before our eyes and to deliuer it to bee preached in our eares Now then whensoeuer God giueth vs his knowledge let vs vnderstand that he will not haue such a treasure to be lost or to perish but that we should receiue it and turne it to our coÌ„moditie But herewithal we haue to mark also that vntill God haue spoken and taught vs in his schoole we haue neither learning not wit but are as stray cattell and at a worde vtterly forlorne It is not therefore without cause that Moses saith The commaundement which I giue thee is not hidden from thee nor farre off so as thou mightest say Who shall goe vp to heauen Who shall passe ouer the Sea or who shall goe downe into the deepe Hereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that if God doe pluck back his word so as we know not what hee requireth of vs nor haue any testimony of his will then may wee well seeke about lyke people in perplexitie crying alas what shall we doe Who is hee that shal goe vp aboue the clowdes who is hee that shall goe downe into the deepe Who is hee that shall passe the Sea To what end There is no other instruction at all whereby God giueth vs any certaine and infallibe direction When we bee thus destitute wee bee as lost people hauing neither way nor path to leade vs we can discerne nothing Howe much soeuer men doe attribute to their owne wisedome supposing themselues discreete enough to rule themselues all their lyfe long yet are they but wretched beastes vntill God haue shewed them his will Thus much for one poynt Nowe it is farther to bee vnderstood that if GOD come not first to vs wee haue no meane to come at him Who is he that can giue vs winges to mount vp to heauen Or howe shall wee be able to passe ouer the deepe Although we had the knowledge of all secrets of nature well might we trauell all the worlde from place to place and well might we mount aloft vnto the very skyes and yet in the meane while wee shoulde want the cheefest thing of all which is to vnderstand the trueth of God for that surmounteth al the wit of man Let vs learne therefore that God in his infinite goodnesse perceauing that we haue no meane to approch vnto him giueth vs an easie accesse thither Yea and hee commeth downe vnto vs to fashion himselfe to our rudenesse and infirmitie We see how he dooth as ye would say stammer with vs for hee speaketh not in such loftinesse as might well seeme agreeable to his infinite glory maiestie but the phrase of holy scripture is grosse and rude by the which God speaketh to vs in such plaine manner as there remaineth no excuse for vs if we vnderstand him not plainely Seeing it is so let vs vse this maruailous goodnesse which God hath bestowed on vs and let vs holde vs to the same and therewithall let vs also acknowledge our owne ignorance that wee may humble our selues for the very cause why so fewe folke doe profite in the holy scripture is their owne ouerweening in that they be forepossessed with an imagination of their owne wisedome and sharpnesse of wit and so being drunken with their owne conceite they alwayes despise the worde of GOD. Let vs therefore humble ourselues for wee knowe that God nameth himselfe the teacher of the lowly and of litle ones Psal. 19. â—â— Psal. 11â— â—â— to the ende wee shoulde not come to the hearing of his worde as people puffed vp with our owne greatnesse fondly surmising our selues to bee men of great abilitie to discerne but that our whole wisedome should consist in obeying him in considering that seeing hee hath stooped so lowe vnto vs it is not for any of vs to aduaunce himselfe And seeing wee haue no winges to mount vp aloft let vs take heede that wee attempt it not for so may wee fall and breake our neckes mount wee neuer so little But let vs marke moreouer that his promise dooth importe also a condemnation to them that haue their eares continually beaten with the worde of GOD and yet remaine hardhearted still and receiue no profite thereof at all In deede the Gospell wherein the Law of righteousnesse is conteyned is preached continually and if wee be of that sorte which S. Paul speaketh of 〈…〉 7. which are alwayes learning and neuer come to the knowledge of the trueth thinke we that wee bee excusable before God Surely no. It will come to passe that whatsoeuer we haue at any time heard of the worde of God the same must come to reckoning and we shall be reproued of vnthankfulnesse because great treasure shall haue perished without any benefite vnto vs. Wee shall not haue heard that Sermon in all our lyfe which God will not lay to our charge at the latter day as how How haue you profited by it Wee haue not heard one lecture that shall not bee recited vnto vs. Let vs therefore bee well aduised and whilest the Lorde is willing to teach vs giuing vs faithfull expounders of his worde and dealing so familiarly with vs let vs for our parte bee diligent to receiue it and embracing the doctrine that is deliuered vnto vs let vs shewe our selues more and more conformable to the same not alledging the obscuritie and depth of it therefore as the Papistes doe which goe about to shield them with their ignorance saying that the holy Scripture is too high and ouer deepe to bee conceiued It is true that the holy scripture is too high and too deepe but that is in respect that wee be wrapped in mistie darkenesse But it is the office of GOD to inlighten vs as wee shall see hereafter Howsoeuer the matter standeth let vs assure ourselues of this that if wee yeelde our selâ—es pliable to Gods direction he will instruct vs faithfully in his worde so as wee shall feele it to bee neere vnto vs. But yet is this neuer accomplished in vs vntill our Lorde instruct vs by his holy spirit together with the preaching of his worde by the mouthes of men And that is the cause why Saint Paul in the x. Chapter to the Romans sayth that this sentence is to bee applyed to the Gospel At the first sight it woulde seeme that S. Paul tooke it contrary to the meaning of Moses And for proofe thereof doth not Moses in this place speake of the Law Hee saith The commaundement which I ordayne for thee this day In saying this day hee speaketh of his office Nowe his office was to bring the Lawe and to publish it It is sayd in the first of Iohn that the Lawe was giuen by Moses but grace and trueth were giuen by Iesus Christ It seemeth not then
places with his power essence But yet because men are rude grosse it behoueth theÌ„ to haue some helpes to bring them vnto him So then the Tabernacle serued to waken mens wits that they might vnderstand y t in coÌ„ming thither they came neere vnto God as if they had beene present before his maiestie For y t cause therfore it was said vnto Moses Iosuah that they shold come to the Tabernacle of the congregation But that is not all For there appeared a cloudie piller and as we knowe y t was a double signe or miracle to shew vnto the Iewes y t God was nigh vnto theÌ„ 〈◊〉 13.21 〈…〉 14. For in the day time there was a long thicke cloude which was like a great piller and in the night the cloude turned to a fire And to what end was the piller darke like a cloud by day Because the fire should not be so apparant to the people Moreouer it was Gods will to refresh them as if it were sayde I haue my wings stretched out to giue you shadowe to maintaine you vnder my protection that if the sonne be ouer whot by day you shal be hidden as vnder me vnder my leading And by night when al is darke I will serue you for a light you shal be guided thereby there shal be continually a burning fire to shewe vnto you y t I am waking and that I am neuer asleepe that I haue not mine eyes shut but that I do foresee for all your necessities That is the cause why God appeared in such maner to the Iewes to wit y t by day he gaue them a cloud to couer them which was long and in forme of a great Pyller as I haue said and by night there was a burning fire all on a length like vnto a train of fire ouer al y e people And this fire serued to giue light to the people as if God had shewed his hand as who wold say feare not for I haue not forgotten you I wot what is necessary for you But yet it is sayd y t when Moses was called to the Tabernacle to receiue any great charge then the cloud descended by day like as the fire also did his office by night Thus did God cause the cloud to descende of purpose y t the doore of the Tabernacle should be shut Exod. 19.9 Numb 12.5 and that was asmuch as if y e people had bin taught thus Behold now is Moses to be withdrawen from all y e world God speaketh to him as it were mouth to mouth it is not for vs to looke to haue him conuersant any longer heere beneath after the maner of mortall men there is an other respect to be had of him God hath sequestred him because it is his will to haue such familiaritie coÌ„municatioÌ„ with him as we may receiue y t which he bringeth vnto vs as if it came from heauen That then is the cause why the cloud descended vpon the Tabernacle And this is not spoken here only but as often as it was Gods will to authorize Moses and to ratifie the office which he had giuen him to y e end that the people shold w c the greater reuerence receiue y e doctrine which proceeded from him The same in likewise was also done when Moses appointed Iosuah in his owne place to succeede him Insomuch y t when God was about to shewe him what he had to do the cloud appeared againe Now these thinges ought to stande vs in steede at this day For God did not meane to giue authoritie to his law only for that time but to the end of the world Therfore when we reade y t which is set downe heere concerning the cloud it is all one as if God had set his seale to the doctrine of Moses to the intent that we should receiue it without any replying or doubting and thinke that it was not Moses that was the chiefe author thereof but that he was the instrument of the holy Ghost Thus you see howe the same miracle doeth yet at this day apply it selfe vnto vs and howe we ought to be edified thereby But by the way we see the malice of men in that they which hadde seene such a signe with their eyes did yet for all that not cease to play the rebels against Moses It is a great matter that God shold put forth his hand as if his maiestie descended from heauen â—estifie vnto men y t it was he that spake that yet notwithstanding the people should stil continue like wilde beastes and not vouchsafe to hearken vnto him Is there any reason in that Neuerthelesse we see it in the people of Israel Albeit y t in the time of Iosuah there was some good gouernment yet ceased they not to abuse y e benefits which they had receiued afore time Indeed there was no general falling away but yet to say that the people did behaue theÌ„selues vprightly in y e obedience of God it wanted a great deale thereof Therfore we see that whatsoeuer God doth men notwithstanding be so blinde blockish that they cannot find in their hearts to submit theÌ„selues vnto him and if they doe it is not with any constancy or stedfastnes Sith we know this let vs cast downe our eyes and pray to our God that when he giueth vs any signes to confirme vs in the obedience of his word to edifie vs in the faith we may haue y e skill to profit ourselues thereby so as he loose not his labour nor we striue against his power but that as soone as it sheweth it selfe wee may be moued to honour him to yeede vnto him his due glorie Thus much haue we to gather vpon this place where it is sayd y t God hauing caused Moses and Iosuah to come vnto the Tabernacle did therewithall appeare in y e cloud It is out of doubt y t God shifteth not his place for as we haue already sayd he filleth all places with his essence howbeit in respect of men it is sayd that he descended from heauen To what end Because that when wee perceiue his presence it is sayd y t he is nigh vnto vs. Is it because that there is any change in him No Iames. 1.17 there is not so much as a litle shadowe as saieth S. Iames. But let vs consider how foolish we are and then shall we not find it strange that the Scripture speaketh in this maner to fashion it selfe to the weaknes of our vnderstanding We suppose that God is farre from vs and y t there is a great distance betweene him vs. And wherfore Because he hath told vs y t he is in heauen Howbeit it is not ment that he is there shut vp we must not imagine so but if it were sayde that God is heere with vs we would tye him to the earth yea and we would tie him vp in euery corner We see how mendeale in that behalfe when it
to the end we should not be so senselesse as we were before to flatter to hardē ourselues but that we should come directly vnto him and yeelde ourselues guilty yea euen with such misliking of our sins as we shold hate the euil y t is in vs and seek nothing but to be receiued vnto his gouernment to be changed renewed by him so as wee may take no pleasure but onely in framing ourselues to his good pleasure That is the thing which Moses meant in saying y t although the people should be constrained to say y t they suffered those so many plagues miseries because God was no more among them yet should they also haue a testimony to follow thē and to holde them as at a bay as who would say Thou shalt not escape but shalt know y t thy sins be the cause of al these euils although thou seeke starting holes yet must thou bee as it were pent vp and feele y t God is against thee that thou shalt be more more tormented vntill thou turne againe vnto him True it is that this is spoken of a witnesse y t was against y e people and y t it serueth to expresse y e stubbornes which was in y e children of Israell as hereafter we shall see more at large And surely although God vouchsafe to shewe vs mercie and would haue vs to heare his woord to the intent to bring vs to repentaunce yet must that woorde first bee a witnesse against vs. As for example wee shall neuer obtaine fauour of God vntill hee haue condemned vs. And wherefore Bicause we be wrapped in our sinnes and doe sooth and flatter our selues in them Nowe so long as men doe thus glory in themselues or become carelesse there is no place for mercie for they make but a scoffe of the goodnesse of GOD. Yee see then that wee bee shutte out from all hope of saluation vntill wee bee condemned of God To bring this to passe his word must discouer our iniquities and all our filthinesse and make vs abashed and ashamed and also driue vs to feele the sorrowes of death and to see hell which is prepared for vs. The point then whereat God beginneth when hee meaneth to bring men to saluation is that he stirreth vp his worde for a witnesse to them to make them to know that they be vtterly forlorne and damned Is that done Then doth God admonish vs and giue vs Testimonie of his good will and not onely lay vs foorth his doctrine but also recite the processe of all our faultes Nowe then let vs receiue the woord when it testifieth vnto vs our condemnation that beeing drawen thereby to repentance and altogether ashamed of our selues wee may obtaine fauour before GOD. Yet let vs vnderstande moreouer that when GOD doeth so frame our inditement it is for our benefite for hee maketh vs our owne Iudges to the intent that hee himselfe would not iudge vs but surceasse from it Nowe if wee will needes play the wilde beastes when as GOD testifieth our sinnes vnto vs or else if wee goe to seeke for leaues to couer vs 〈◊〉 3.7 that is to say if wee will needes scape his iudgement by our lying and hypocrisie and play the skoffers which make a mocke of all warninges that are giuen vnto them or if we play the mad bedlems in despising GOD as we see many doe who cannot abyde any rebukes but doe grinde their teeth as often as they bee made to vnderstande their sinnes if I say wee doe proceede so farre then must the woorde of God stand still in his first force to wit it must bee a Testimonie to vs of our damnation And therefore seeing it is sayde heere that the Song is a witnesse to auow that GOD hath iust cause to punishe his people and that the people stande conuicted thereby let vs feare let vs feare I say least our Lorde doe with lyke extremitie pursue the processe which hee hath made against vs and that there bee no place of refuge to his grace after wee haue once reiected it nay rather as soone as hee summoneth vs let vs learne to stoope and to shut our mouth and not to make any excuse but to say Lorde wee see verie well that if thou wouldest vse rigour towardes vs we were vndoone there is no shift for vs but that thou must receiue vs lyke damned and forlorne cast-awayes as wee bee and bestowe thy mercie vppon vs for all our welfare lyeth in this that thou looke no more vpon our sinnes to punish them but that through thy free goodnesse thou doe take them away and blot them out Thus ye see how we ought to put this place in vre where Moses sayeth that this Song shall be for a witnesse to the people of Israel Hee sheweth yet better what testimonie hee giueth by this Song It is sayeth he that I will bring you into the lande which I haue promised to your fathers a land flowing with milke and honnie Heereby he giueth vs to vnderstande that it is a fatte lande and fruitfull of all good things in such abundance as if milke did runne therein in stead of Riuers and as if they had withall the like abundance of hony This maner of speech is very commonly vsed whensoeuer God speaketh of the land of Chanaan and not without cause For God had blessed it aboue all the rest of the world yea and no doubt but the people found that with their comming thither the fruitefulnesse of that land was augmented And surely it is a maruailous matter how such a huge multitude was nourished in so small a countrie But at this day we see it is a land halfe barren True it is that euen as yet there are some places thereof as little speckes which are very fat abundant but yet farre vnable to verifie that which wee reade of it here namely that the land did flowe with milke and honie But herein we do so much the better see that which is spoken in the 107. Psalme Psal. 107.34 namely that when God hath giuen neuer so great fruitfulnesse to a land he can make it barrain againe as if it were sowed with salt so as there shall be nothing but leannesse nor any sustenance to bee found therein Wee perceiue then by the land of Chanaan how it is the hand of God that giueth aboundance to a land and likewise that his withdrawing of his blessing causeth a land to become fruitlesse and altogether barraine And therefore doeth Moses nowe protest that when the people come into y e land and there be nourished filled and fatted then serue straunge gods they shal bee condemned so much the more and then they must not looke for any startingholes but bee discouered to the whole world to their condemnation and this present song shal be as a processe wherin the forme of law is obserued so as y e summons shal be made first then the examinations and
Paule protesteth that he raigned not like a Lord vnder any colour ouer their faith 2. Cor. 1.24 but that he reserued that right vnto God to whom alone it belonged And in verie deede if wee should compare all the men liuing in the worlde with Moses it is certaine that we should alwayes finde that hee is the excellentest Prophet that GOD hath chosen of all the rest according as wee shall see in the ende of this song Deut. 34 1◠and yet for all that his speaking of the law which was published by him is not to bring vs in admiration of his person that wee should say Truely that was an excellent man but it is sayde that God was serued by him After what manner Soothly euen thus that hee did not take any thing in hand nor put foorth any dreame or dotage of his owne but onely wrate that which hee had receiued at the mouth of God Seeing that this testimonie is deliuered concerning Moses what diuelish boldnesse and arrogancie is in them that bee farre inferiour to him which will needes bee heard when they bring foorth nothing but their owne fantasies and submit not themselues to the worde of God And yet wee haue to marke that the charge of Moses differed greatly from theirs which be at this day ordained Ministers in the Church For God gaue him his lawe and therefore hee was fortie dayes and fortie nightes in the mountaine without meate or drinke to the ende that his doctrine shoulde bee authorised Nowe this was peculiar to him and as a speciall priuiledge Seeing it is so then are we so much the better confirmed in that which I haue spoken to wit that it becommeth not men to enterprise any thing of their owne braine as they say but that they must onely deliuer forth that which God cōmandeth them and be as it were his instruments And heerewithall let vs marke also how it is not without cause that Moses commandeth the Leuites to lay the booke of the Lawe in the side of the Chist or Arke of the couenaunt for thereby it had the more Maiestie not bycause the Sanctuarie of it selfe was of more worthinesse than other places but bicause God had ordained it to y t vse and that it was his pleasure that it shoulde be as a pledge a visible signe of his presence This matter hath bin alreadie treated of heretofore therfore we need not to stand vpō it any long whyle neuerthelesse it is requisite to haue y e remembrance there of briefely renewed vnto vs. Men of their owne nature bee so dull that they can neither attaine nor indeuour to attayne vnto GOD vnlesse they haue some helpes As for vs wee haue not nowe the figures and shadowes which the fathers had vnder the law For GOD hath nowe reueyled himselfe vnto vs more familiarly in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ 〈…〉 15. who is his liuely Image but vnder the lawe it was necessarie that the fathers shoulde haue the figures to aide them to the intent they might bee confirmed in the fayth And when they came to the Sanctuarie or the Tabernacle it was a kind of offering themselues before the face of God There were no Images nor Puppets for it was not their fashion to haue anie such remembrance of God as the Papistes doe imagine but there were the ten commaundementes which were laide vp there and God woulde that his maiestie shoulde bee looked vppon in his worde And Moses giueth expresse commaundement that the booke of the lawe which he had written shoulde bee laide there in the side of the Chest of the couenaunt And to what ende As if God shoulde say Here is my Testimonie you must not receyue this doctrine as if it were framed after the deuice of man ye must hold it as a thing that comes from mee for you haue a visible token thereof Nowe then we see whereunto this ceremonie of y e putting vp of the booke of the lawe into the Chest of the couenaunt did serue It was all one as if God had protested that hee auowed it to be his owne and that Moses had no further to do with it than onely that hee serued him as his minister Here we see yet againe that which we haue declared alreadie namely that God calleth vs altogether to himselfe and that hee would not haue drawen vs away one way or other to haue regarde vnto men for so shoulde our faith bee alwayes wauering and there woulde be no stay It is his will that wee shoulde haue our eye vppon him alone to yeelde our selues to his obedience And therefore let vs learne to betake vs wholie to our God if wee meane to haue a true and holie vnion in the Church The Papists do prate much of the Catholike church and of the agreement that ought to bee therein Yea but in the meane while there is horrible diuision and hellish confusion among them because God beareth not rule there by his word neither is there any allowable doctrine but they be tossed too and fro I meane not the common sort onely but euen them also which make the articles of fayth and frame commandements traditions at their owne pleasure whereof they haue hoorded and heaped so manie one vpō an other that they can scarsly wel tel who is the reporter of this or that or who is the inuenter thereof or who was the first maker of such an order or of such a tradition Thus yee see how all thinges goe to confusion and disorder when men direct not themselues by the pure doctrine of GOD. And therefore let vs marke that when our Lorde willed that the booke of the law shoulde be put vp in the Sanctuarie it was as it were his Royal seate where he sate himselfe where hee woulde bee honoured And thereby hee shewed in effect that hee woulde not haue his Church to be gouerned after the pleasure or liking of men but meant to holde it in awe and that his onely worde shoulde bee receiued so as men should looke onely vnto him and be gathered together there But now that wee haue our Lorde Iesus Christ for our heade Iohn 10.42 5.27 and that he is appointed our Shepeheard and telleth vs that if wee bee his sheepe wee must not onely heare his voyce but also discerne it from the voyce of straungers I pray you shall there be anie excuse if we be so wauering in the aire as we see the Papistes are following euery man his owne deuice or else busying themselues about the Traditions of men Therefore let vs learne to submitte our selues vnto God and vnto him whome he hath set vp in his behalfe to be our onelie gouernour Also let vs learne to heare the lawe and the Gospell in such wise as wee may quake at the Maiestie of our God and let vs come with such reuerence and humilitie to the hearing of the doctrine that is deliuered out of it as wee may not in
Gods worde and haue but an opinion of it as who woulde say the thinges that are conteined in it haue some reason but yet wee doe but coniecture so what a thing were it What certaintie shoulde wee haue of God or of any of all his vertues for the which hee is to bee glorified Wee shall bee alwayes in a mammering And so wee see of what importance this saying is where Moses termeth God True For hee woulde haue vs to learne to yeelde such authoritie to his worde as it may benefite vs and that as soone as wee heare God speake wee shoulde bee fully resolued and perswaded that wee shall not bee disappointed in following all that hee saieth to vs and in beleeuing the same By this meane then wee may consider all Gods workes so as wee shall haue a lampe to guide vs and to giue vs light that wee may not runne reeling in continuall doubtfulnesse But forasmuch as Gods worde is the infallible trueth to vs wee shall haue a stayed iudgement concerning the thinges that are saide vnto vs and wee shall trust in God not as the heathenish sort doe who bee shaken from it out of hande because there is no steadinesse of faith in them but wee shall haue a good staffe to stande by so as Gods trueth shall fence vs against all distrust against all grudging and against all thinges that may turne vs from the glorifying of him And therewithall wee shall also haue a good foundation of our saluation when wee once knowe that God is True For if wee imbrace not the thinges that God doeth what will become of vs There is nothing but damnation in men and the more they trust in themselues the more must they needes bee confounded Then can wee not conceiue any hope of saluation vnlesse wee bee well assured that God foadeth vs not with wordes without effect but that wee knowe him to bee faithfull and trustie so as if wee haue but a worde of his mouth it is as good as if our saluation were already shewed And thereuppon hee saieth further that there is no wickednesse in him but that hee is iust and faithfull It shold seeme y t Moses speaketh too coldly of God in this place in saying There is no wickednesse in him For who doubts of that Nay it is to cut off all the wicked imaginations that men deuise when they be not helde in awe so as they may yeeld to conclude that God is faitfull good and iust yea and voide of vnfaithfulnesse Aâ—d who accuseth him thereof But yet wee see howe that euen the holy Prophets were driuen to resist those temptations Lorde I knowe that thou art iust 〈◊〉 â— 1 〈◊〉 1.13 saieth Ieremie As much doeth Abacucke and they crie out so of purpose to shewe that they bee troubled with many incumberances when they see things so out of order in the worlde There then wee see howe they had easily beene caried away to blaspheme God and to deeme some vnrighteousnesse to bee in him if they had not beene restrained And so wee see that it is not without cause that Moses saieth heere that God is true without wickednesse There is nothing in him saieth hee but the same is praise worthie insomuch that when wee speake of his trueth and righteousnesse we must exclude all wisedome power of man And to be short he must be praised without exception and not after the common manner of men And that is the cause that when Gods word is spoken of in the Psalme it is saide to be like siluer tried seuentimes in the fire after it hath beene molten and all the drosse of it taken quite and cleane from it At the first sight this similitude may seeme to vs to bee but colde But let vs looke a little vppon our selues and we shall finde that our wits doe tickle vs incessantly insomuch that when wee haue confessed God yea euen without dissimulation to be true yet when wee come to his promises euermore we will haue some reply and we will neuer be contented in our minds nor well at rest For we haue a leawdnes which holdeth vs back and hindereth vs that wee cannot glorifie God as becommeth vs. So then let vs marke that Moses doth not heere without cause exclude all iniquitie to the ende that when we speake of God and of any of all his vertues wee shoulde doe it with such reuerence and admiration as wee may not onely not accuse him of any vnfaithfulnesse and confesse that wee perceiue not any vice in him but also be throughly perswaded and resolued that there is such perfection in him as that there remaineth no more for vs to doe but onely to worship him yea euen though we conceiue not the highnesse that is hidden from vs. Nowe let vs cast our selues downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to take from vs al hardnesse and stubbornnes and to frame vs to the obeying of him that the preaching of his worde vnto vs may not bee in vaine but that it may profite vs so as wee may become good ground and serue in such wise to the glorie of our God as that the labour and paine which he shall haue bestowed vpon vs may not be in vaine but that all may redounde to the full establishing of his kingdom And moreouer that seeing it pleaseth him that our saluation should be matched with his glorie he will also so further the same as wee may bee incouraged by that meanes to giue our selues more and more vnto him That it may please him to grant this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Friday the viij of May 1556. The CLXXIX Sermon which is the second vpon the two thirtith Chapter 5 They haue corrupted themselues before him by their sinne euen they that are not his children but a froward and wicked generation 6 Doest thou reward the Lorde so O thou foolish and vnwise generation Is not he thy father and thine owner is it not hee that hath made thee and fashioned thee 7 Remember the time past consider the yeares of so many generations Aske thy father and hee will shewe thee inquire of thine elders and they will tell thee YEsterday wee sawe why Moses speaketh here expresly of Gods truth For men had neede to be assured of Gods promises that they may holde themselues to them and rest vpon them and also to know that his worde is the rule of all perfection that they may receiue it with all reuerence And it is saide expresly that there is no vnrighteousnesse in him to the ende that men should learne not to measure him by their owne scantling as they be wont to doe For in asmuch as we comprehend not Gods iustice wee drawe it downe to ours by meanes whereof wee abace his maiesty too much Therfore if we will yeelde God his due honor we must separate him froÌ„
all his creatures wee must not imagine aught of him after our owne fancie nor compare him to mortall men for in so doing wee shall diminish his glory too much But now Moses addeth that the children of Israel had corrupted themselues towards him Nowe if we ioyne these two sayings together to wit That God is true iust and vpright so as his workes are perfect and also that the people of Israel were marde out of hande thereby wee shall the better see howe detestable that people was for their vnthankfulnesse For Gods trueth and righteousnesse shine forth the brighter in that they could not holde themselues to him Beholde God chose the children of Abraham But let vs see what he was To bee short had the children of Israel sticked to him and continued in the vnion which hee hadde appointed and called them vnto it had beene to their highest welfare yea and their whole happinesse and glorie But they turned from God and fell away from him and therfore must it not needs be that they were mad and caryed away with a diuelish rage accordingly as he saith in Ieremy Ier. 2.13 They haue forsakeÌ„ me euen me who am the fountaine of liuing water Nowe then wee see better the meaning of Moses for hee shewed heretofore the goodnesse iustice and righteousnesse of God to the ende that the people shoulde haue the lesse excuse and their sin be knowen to be the more heynous in that they coulde not abide that God shoulde holde them still for his inheritance But as I haue said alreadie if we be separated from God we bee as it were in the bottome of the dungeon of all mischiefe whereas if we be knit vnto him wee can want nothing Seeing then that the case standeth so with men when they cut themselues off yea banish themselues out of Gods kingdome after he hath gathered them to him and shewed himself willing to take them to be of his housholde worthily bee they to be condemned for folk voide of wit and reason and their vnthankfulnes is too too detestable And that is the cause why Moses speaketh so roughly saying They haue marred themselues towards him yea but they were such as be no more his children It is certaine that God had chosen Abrahams linage with condition to bee father to them all And therefore hee saieth by his Prophet Ezechiel Ezec. 16.20 that the children which came of them were begotten vnto him True it is that all men in generall are called Gods children but yet that title belongeth alonely by priuiledge to those that be of his church Let vs marke well then that in respect of adoption the children of Israel ought to haue been held and auowed for the children of God But it is saide here that they were not so for they were growen out of kinde accordingly also as God complaineth by his Prophet that their fathers dealt vnfaithfully with him for they had begotten strange children y t is to say they had so corrupted themselues y t there was no more soundnesse in them neither belonged they at all to the house of Abraham but had so wrapped themselues in the wickednesse of their forefathers that God sawe not any thing in them belonging vnto him Nowe then we see to what purpose Moses saide that they had marred themselues meaning those that are not Gods children whom he blameth for their depriuing and disappointing of themselues through their own malice of the inestimable benefite and honour which God had bestowed vppon them For what a thing is it that wee may bee so bolde as to call vppon God as our Father and resort vnto him familiarly and to be receiued as his children And euen so was it with the lynage of Abraham but they continued not in the possession thereof Who was to bee blamed for that It was because they yeelded not to God the honor due to their father as he himselfe complaineth by his Prophet Malachie Mal. 1.6 saying If I be your father where is the honour which yee owe vnto me But all their seeking was to hold themselues aloofe from God Ye see then how they renounced that manner of kinred which God had set among them and therefore it is not without cause that Moses vpbraideth them that they were become straungers True it is that they vaunt themselues to be Gods children but by what right Only by stablishing y e fleshly kinred Esa. 53.7 And we see also how the Prophet Ezechiel saith vnto them What Are you of the linage of Israel Ezech. 36.3 Hence yee harlots birds Was not your father a Chananite and your mother a Iebusite Nowe it is certaine that as touching the fleshe they came not of y e people of Chanaan nor yet of the Iebusites but the Prophet doeth them to vnderstande that they had no more to doe with the holy linage but had cut themselues off from it as rotten members Nowe let vs nowadayes bee well aduised and seeing that God hauing called vs to him hath giuen vs the marke of his free bestowed adoption that is to say baptisme wherby he doth vs to wit that wee bee reckened for members of Iesus Christ and be as it were graffed into his bodie let vs bee well aduised I say that wee boast not thereof in vaine For if wee despise God in liuing vndiscreetely and falsifie the faith that we haue plighted vnto him let vs not thinke that he is so bounde vnto vs but that hee may forsake vs and that for al our boasting of our selues to be his children he will tell vs plainely as wee heare in this place that wee belong not vnto him at all but that wee bee vtter straungers vnto him For as saieth Sainct Paul all that come of Abrahams linage are not accounted his seede Rom. 9.7 â—â— that is to say they bee not spirituall children To be short will we haue God to auowe vs for his children Let vs beware that wee walke in his feare and loue At a worde let vs take him for our father and shewe it by our deedes and then shall wee be acknowledged to bee his children But if hee see vs growe out of kinde hee must needes tell vs that seeing wee haue not kept our faith and troath towardes him hee will haue no company with vs. For what a bondage were it if God shoulde take vs for his children and in the meane while be scorned misused among vs so as his grace shoulde bee troden vnder foote and his holy name defiled Should God then mingle himselfe with our filth and vncleanesse when wee be so full of vnbeliefe No For then should hee renounce his owne nature which is vnpossible Now it is sayd here They marred themselues towardes him The worde that Moses vseth betokeneth to destroy corrupt or marre And some expounde it that the children of Israel did not any harme vnto God in their turning away vnto wickednesse as in very deede hee shoulde receiue no
portions Now then if it be demaunded why y e people of Israell belonged more to God than all y e rest of the worlde or what affinitie or acquaintance there was more betweene him and them It cannot be sayd that they had purchased or procured more to themselues or that they were nobler than all other men as we haue seene heretofore What canst thou say sayth Moses in the seuenth chapter Deut. 7.7 Hath God chosen thee because thou wast a nobler a worthier or a more renowmed Nation than any other No but for the loue which he bare to thee Therefore lyke as in that place Moses vsed the word Loue to shewe that Gods owne freegoodnesse moued him to take AbrahaÌ„ his ofspring so in this place he saith Know ye that your God hath chosen you that it is his will to take you for his heritage And so ye see in effect y t to take away all pride and presumption from the children of Israell to shew them that they could chalenge nothing to theÌ„selues Moses bringeth them backe to the welspring which the whole scripture sheweth vs to wit that all the benefits and gratious giftes which God bestoweth vpon vs and which wee receiue at his hand proceede of his owne meere goodnesse withoâ—t being bounde thereto or without inclyning thereto in respect of any deserte of ours but onely because hee loueth vs yea euen without any cause why that wee can alledge for we bring nothing at all vnto him That is the thing which we haue to beare in minde And if this doctrine was true as in respect of y e Land of Chanaan what shal it be in respect of our comming to the immortalitie of the heaueÌ„ly glory The people of Israell could not obteine the land of Chanaan by their owne deseruingâ— but GOD was faine to loue them euen of his owne meere mercie wherethrough hee did theÌ„ all the good that they receiued at his hand Yet notwithstanding that land was nothing in comparison of the immortall life Whereas it is sayd that wee bee reformed after the image of God to bee partakers of his glory and that wee bee his heires and companions to the Angels yea and to our Lord Iesus Christ it is a far other thing than y e land of Canaan and the sustenance that is giueÌ„ vs for this transitorie life And therefore let vs vnderstand that men are worse than blinde yea and more than mad wheÌ„ they thinke to attaine to so great a good thing by their owne desertes Yet notwithstanding we see how this diuelish opinion hath reigned and had full scope in the world and how the Papistes are still at the same poynt at this day that when y e inheriting of paradice is talked of they say that men must purchace it by their own merites And in the meane while they consider not how the immortal lyfe is named an inheritance because it dependeth vpon Gods free adoption And whereon is Gods free adoption grounded Eph. 1.14 but vppon his choosing of vs before y e world was made I say vpon his choosing of vs euen of vs which were forlorn as well as y e rest of the whole world For we know we be all cursed in Adam Again what is y e cause y t he chooseth vs who were lyke to those whoÌ„ hee reiecteth What is y e cause y t he proceedeth yet stil in drawing vs vnto him Shall wee finde the cause thereof in our selues Alas no but wee must discharge our selues of all ouerweening and repaire to the foresayd fountaine of his freegoodnesse And therefore let vs beare well in minde that here wee bee warned that we must not seeke the cause of our saluation in our selues nor of any of all the benefits which God bestoweth vppon vs no not euen in respect of this present lyfe and therefore that wee can much lesse seeke the cause or ground of the promised immortalitie in our selues or in our owne deserts but y t we must magnify his meere goodnesse in that behalfe And seeing that God hath chosen vs to be his heritage we must suffer him to possesse vs. But there is a greater reason in respect of vs than of the Israelites because he hath not onely reserued vs in creating the world but also purchased vs by our Lord Iesus Christ. Doth not this price which God hath bestowed for our saluation to y e intent we should bee his heritage deserue to haue vs wholy at his deuotion and y t euery man should so indeuour to dedicate himselfe to his seruice as that he might haue the dominion ouer vs So then let vs not play the traitors in bereauing God of the thing which he reteined to himself when he voutsafed to haue vs to be of his Church Also let this moue vs that he will not possesse vs but vppon condition that as we inioy him so hee may inioy vs and what an exchange is that Consider what we be We be dung filth and vtter cursednesse and yet ye see how God accepteth vs for his heritage and for his part would that we should possesse him Sith it is so what an vnthankfulnesse is it if we continue not in obeying him that he may possesse vs And let vs mark further that there is not any thing which ought to moue vs more to the seruing of God than to come to the knowledge of our free election so as we know that his beginning to doe vs good is not now presently but before we were borne before the creating of the world insomuch that he tooke vs to him and adopted vs aforehand euen before that time So much the more ought we to abhorre these rascals which would haue the doctrine of Election abolished for by that meane they ouerthrowe y e whole groundwork of our saluation as though they should stop the spring from wheÌ„ce the water floweth so as we may no more drink thereof For how shall we know that God hath called vs to saluation but for that he hath loued vs without any desert of ours and taken vs aforehand to himself euen before y e world was created Also how shall we know our selues to be beholden to him for all thinges and that he is not bound vnto vs vnlesse we come to this poynt that we were lyke to those which pearish so as there was no difference at all betweene them and vs sauing y t hee hath marked vs out to be his without finding any cause in vs why that we were dearer to him than other men and that he made more account of our welfare all which thinges are grounded vppon his euerlasting vnchaungeable purpose and will the reason whereof is vncomprehensible to the worlde They therefore which go about to abolish this doctrine are deadly enemies to God his glory and to our saluatioÌ„ and would as much as in them lyeth deface al religion That say I is the thing which we haue to remember vpon this Text. HereupoÌ„ Moses
sayd that all the fortresses of hell shall bee able to doe nothing to vs Matt. 16. â—â— if wee bee grounded vppon the faith of the Gospell Besides this wee knowe that God watcheth ouer his seruaunts and that he guideth them Therfore let vs sticke to those promises and suffer our Lorde to vse his kindnesse as he setteth it forth by this similitude and sith we see he is willing that we should come familiarly vnto him let vs not play y e wild beasts Nowe it is saide immediatly after that God alone ledde his people and that there was no straunge god with him This serueth to condemne the wickednesse of the children of Israel which coulde not rest wholly vpon God whereas hee was so sufficient for them for they had founde by experience that they needed not to seeke any other And not without cause is this set downe For although men doe not vtterly refuse Gods help yet can they not content themselues with it but they fall to raunging and rouing and make byleapes bearing themselues in hand that it wil be good for them to match some other helpe with God Lo at what point we be For we woulde bee ashamed to say that God can doe vs no good that we can well forbeare him Therefore wee can finde in our hearts that he shal haue the first place and chiefe preheminence but we cannot finde in our hearts to rest wholly vpon him but we fall to conceiuing of fonde imaginations O God is farre from vs wee deserue not that hee should haue care of our saluation and therefore it were good for vs to get vs this or that To bee short in all ages men haue sought occasion to turne away from God not by falling quite and cleane away from him as I said but by making a minglemangle and by seeking still the things which haue seemed best to their owne lyking as though God were not ynough of himself alone In respect of such naughtinesse it is said here that there was no straunge god with him when hee led the people through the wildernesse and conueied theÌ„ into the Lande of promise The God which had adopted Abraham the same which made both heauen and earth the same which afterwarde did set forth his lawe euen the same was hee alone and hee called not any others to his helpe True it is that God continually vsed the seruice of his Angels for the welfare of his people and for the maintenance of his Church but yet doth it not followe that hee borrowed aught of them Whereas it is said that the Angels are appointed to haue care of vs 〈◊〉 91.11 〈◊〉 1.14 it is not to stoppe vs from repaiâ—ing right foorth vnto God nor to darken his brightnesse therby that men should honour him the lesse for the Angels are nothing as in respect of themselues And therefore the holy scripture termeth them the vertues or powers of God 〈◊〉 1.38 for he vseth them as his owne hands Not without cause therefore doth Moses say that God was alone in the leading of his people and had not any straunge god with him For we see how those wretched folk forbare not to forge ydols to themselues Insomuch y t although God 400 yeres before had promised to redeeme them although he had performed that promise in very deede although he had shewed himself to them so many sundry wayes so y t they had euery day some newe visible token and y t the cloude by day and the fire by night were a warrant of Gods presence yet notwithstanding they forbare not to inueÌ„t new superstitions And why Because that as I saide afore such is our cursed inclination that we cannot repose our selues vpon God alone but we fal to raÌ„ging here there and our wits are rouing abrode to inuent ydols to our selues For this cause doth Moses here reproue the leawdnesse of the children of Israel which could not hold themselues contented with God though he gaue them sufficient cause But now let vs applie this lesson to our selues also For we see what y e Prophet Esay saith where he speaketh of the redemption that was to bee wrought in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ. It is said in the 59. Chapter that God sought and looked about him if he coulde finde any helpe to redeeme the worlde Esa 59.16 Not that God was cumbered with the matter or that he wist not what hee had to do but by that figure the Prophet expresseth the better that it was onely God that redeemed vs and that he was not helped by any other Therefore when he had sought he found that he shoulde bee faine to vse his owne onely power Then armed hee himselfe with his iustice hee fenced himselfe with his owne power and so finished and performed the thing which hee had determined that is to wit the redemption of his people Seeing then that God hath so purchased vs to himselfe in the person of his sonne as that he had not any companion in the doing thereof but hath vttered forth the infinite treasures of his goodnesse iustice and power let vs learne to hold our selues wholly to him and not to be so fickleheaded as to set vp ydols and to runne gadding here and there and to let our selues loose to no benefite Let vs rather consider howe God himselfe alone hath redeemed vs once for all and that hencefoorth hee will haue the guiding of all his himselfe alone and that hee wil haue vs to sticke to him alone True it is that our Lord Iesus Christ also was a leader of the people of Israell in the wildernes 1. Cor. 10.9 as sheweth S. Paule in the tenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians where he saith that they tempted Iesus Christ. And how was that Euen because he was alwaies the mediator howbeit that was after a darke maner But nowadaies hee sheweth himselfe to vs face to face insomuch that if we looke there we haue there y e whole fulnes of Gods maiestie Seeing it is so that God in these daies discouereth himself more fully vnto vs than he did to the Iewes in the time of the law there wil be so much the lesse excuse for vs if wee abyde nor fast setled in him so as hee alone do suffice vs and we doe take our whole contentation in him Yet notwithstanding wee see howe froward the worlde hath beene For what a number of ydolles haue men forged euen since Christes comming into the world And howe haue we behaued our selues since the time of our ignoraunce For looke howe manie Patrons and Aduocates the Papistes haue imagined so many fellowes haue they added to our Lorde Iesus Christ and so doing they set their minds vpon the creatures and let the liuing God goe Indeede they will protect that their intent is nothing so but a man may see by their doings that God is not knowen there from his sainctes as they themselues haue saide in
their common prouerbe After that manner haue we erred and we haue alienated our selues to our power so farre from our God that we haue wel deserued to be shaken off at his hand But forasmuch as he hath shewed vs that it is onely hee to whom wee must sticke and forasmuch as he offereth himselfe so familiarly vnto vs to the intent we shoulde submit our selues to him we ought now to be so much the more stedfast and seeing wee haue such assurance let vs not be drawen too and fro by our vnconstancie and lightnes but let vs conclude that God cannot away to haue any straunge gods with him and that it behoueth vs to doe him the honour of resting in such wise vpon his power and goodnesse as it may suffice vs to call vpon him and to flee to him for all our refuge And Moses addeth immediatly that God caried vp his people or made them to ride vp vppon the high places of the earth and gaue them the fruites thereof to feede them namely the butter of Kyne the milke of sheepe the fat of Muttons of Lambes and of Goates the fat of Corne and the bloud of Grapes for so he termeth them and that he made them to eate Oyle out of the harde stones and honny out of the Rocks Hereby Moses ment to vtter howe liberall yea euen beyonde all opinion of man God shewed himselfe towards his people His speaking of the high places of the earth is in respect of the situation of the lande of Chanaan for it is high in comparison of Egypt and of the countries thereabouts To say as some haue imagined that it is the middest and as ye would say the Nauill of the earth is to no purpose Because mention is made of the mids of the earth among the Prophetes Psal. 74.12 some haue surmised that God meant to bound it out as if he had beene some Geometrician that should haue butteled and bounded the whole world But whereas it is saide in the mids of the earth it is meant in the mids of the lande that is to say of Iewry Yet notwithstanding as I saide afore the Lande of Chanaan is high if a man haue an eye to any of all the Countries round about it Againe it hath many mountains and high Rockes in it insomuch that at the first fight a man woulde take it to be barren And therefore Moses declareth that the people shold eate honnie out of the Rockes and Oyle out of the harde stones that is to say that where men would think there were nothing but wildernes there would God make Olifetrees to growe and where men would thinke to be nothing but barrennesse there they shoulde gather honnie and to be short that eueriwhere there shoulde bee nothing but sweetenesse and abundance Afterwarde hee speaketh of fat Sheepe Goates and Lambes Trueth it is that in this place is vsed the worde Basan which had that name of fatnesse for the hill of Basan was a goodly countrie of pasture And this is the cause why hee expresly speaketh thereof And let vs marke that Moses neuer came within the land of Chanaan hee had neuer so vewed it that hee coulde describe it as he doth heere Needs therefore must hee speake not as a man but as one whose tongue is gouerned by the spirite of God And heere he treateth of the thinges which the people were to finde after the decease and yet hee speaketh of them as if he had seene them and as though the thinges had beene done alreadie So then we haue a plain proofe that Moses wrate not any thing on his owne heade but was an instrument of the holy Ghost For he left this song to the children of Israel and made it common among them before his death as wee haue seene afore Whereby it was apparant that hee was taught at Gods hand all the thinges which were vnknowen vnto him as in respect of the flesh surely not euen the children of Israel themselues coulde vnderstande the contentes of that song vntill they had had the experience of it But the effect shewed that his so speaking was not in vaine The thing then which Moses or rather the holy Ghost by his mouth intended is to put the Iewes in minde howe liberall God had shewed himselfe to them namely by bringing them into the Lande of promise and by giuing them fruitfulnesse that it might suffice to maintaine them And no doubt but he meant here to magnifie Gods goodnes by declaring that he passed the common order of nature when he had such a care to sustaine his people so welthily in that lande which a man woulde neuer haue thought able to do it So much the more therefore ought we to abhorre these diuelish heades which haue gone about to deface Gods grace in this behalfe seeing that the holy scripture standeth thereuppon namely that men must not deeme according to the common order of nature concerning Gods mainteining of his people after that manner He meaneth Seruettus As for example that cursed heretike which was executed heere among vs was not ashamed to write in one of his books that the land of Chanaan is indeede spoken of howebeit ouer fauourablie and that they which haue so spoken thereof haue made vs to beleeue many things vnaduisedly And what caused him so to do but that he was a worldly man and a despiser of God seeking by all meanes to skorne God and to abolish his grace and that men might no more knowe how to worship him So then yee see howe Gods grace was had in contempt But contrariwise we must always be resolued that God hauing once made his promise to his seruant Abraham did therupon intend to vtter his wonderfull power as one that had a care of his people Yea and we must call to mind what was saide yesterday namely that GOD had made his partition to the former inhabiters of that countrie to wit of the lande of promise according to the number of the children of Israel for he knewe wellynough what a multitude of people he was to maintaine there That is a cause why Moses declareth here again that the Rocks yeelded hony and y e stones brought forth Olifes that there was pasture ground to yeelde fat mattons lambs goats to yeeld butter all manner of white meate so as nothing might be wanting also y t the land yeelded y e fat of corne for he vseth that terme as who shold say there were lumps in the meale and nothing but pure and fine flower of wheate so as our Lorde gaue his people abundance of all things y t he knewe to be meete for them and that hee gaue them the bloud of y e grape that is to say the grapes were so full that a man might haue pressed as it were bloude out of them To be short he declareth that God failed not his people in any thing but prouided them store of all things necessarie yea and shewed
to cloke the matter as then for all that wee can alleage wil bee to no purpose Then is it a thrusting of GOD vnder our foote if after his shewing of him selfe vnto vs wee corrupt the purenesse of his woorde in chaunging the Religion which hee hath giuen vnto vs and in leauing the rule which it behooued vs to followe Nowe wee see the meaning of Moses And therefore seeing that God hath beene so gracious to vs as to reueale his will vnto vs and sheweth vs that hee is the liuing God let vs take heed that wee wauer not any more ne bee any more as reedes that yeeld to euery wynde 〈◊〉 4.14 but that wee continue stedfast in the fayth wee haue receiued by his worde least it bee cast in our teeth that wee haue forgotten him with all the benefites which wee haue receiued at his hande And heere Moses setteth not downe singly the worde God but sayeth The God which begate thee the mightie one which shaped thee Here Moses telleth the people of Israell that they had good cause to holde him for their God if they had not quyte and cleane forgotten the gracious goodnesse which they had earst founde in him by experience And that is a thing well woorthie to bee weyed For it is Gods will not onely to bee knowen in his beeing or in his name but also to shewe himselfe to vs by his deedes so as wee haue true recordes of his power goodnesse mercie and iustice Seeing then that God hath so shewed himselfe to vs what is our vnthankfulnesse if wee knowe him not Is it not too shamefull Therefore wee must alwayes consider that God hath caused it to be declared vnto vs not onely that it is hee whome wee ought to feare and to whome wee ought to be subiect without any further proofe but also that therewithall it is hee that hath begotten vs. And this is to bee marked yet better of vs than it was of the men of olde time vnder the lawe For wee haue our Lorde Iesus Christ the onely sonne into whose bodie wee be graffed that we may become the sonnes of God Therefore the body of the tree and roote of our adoption is that wee bee made the brethren of our Lorde Iesus Christ. For beeing begotten of God wee bee nourished and sustayned by the doctrine of his Gospel Nowe if wee consider what wee were before namely the children of Adam and heires of euerlasting cursednesse and also if wee haue an eye to those whome God suffereth to runne into destruction it will yeelde the greater glory to the fauour which hee sheweth vs. Seeing then that God doeth nowe drawe vs to him to bee his owne and to bee of his housholde shall wee fling away from him Shall wee rather followe ydoles which wee are not acquainted with Wee see then as nowe that wheras Moses doeth so grieuously blame the children of Israell hee doeth it not without cause considering the experience which they had had of Gods goodnes power and iustice and yet that they had made no reckoning of it In respect whereof hee sayeth that God sawe it and was angrie at it euen because of the misbehauiour of his sonnes and daughters This sentence is a confirmation of my former saying For whereas the Iewes are termed the children of God it is not in way of honour but rather to shewe that they were guiltie of such vnfaithfulnesse as to forsake their God and to rebell against him and to woorke him such spyte as that they had leuer choose the deuil than him Thus yee see howe wee ought to ioyne these two thinges together namely that God is the mightie one which begate vs and of whom wee holde all thinges and therewithall that hee hath receiued vs and adopted vs to be his children But wee shall pay full deare for it if wee continue not in his obedience The thing then whereunto wee must come backe is that if God cannot beare with the wickednes of the world ne doeth forgiue the vnbeleeuers which haue sinned without the knowledge of his wil needes must wee bee dubble punished and needes must more horrible vengeance light vppon our heads who haue beene faithfully instructed to drawe nigh vnto him and taught that hee hath nourished vs in his lappe as his owne children and yet notwithstanding wee haue forsaken him Rom. 2.12 And that is Saint Paules meaning where hee sayeth that they which haue sinned without the lawe shall perish neuerthelesse for all that and that they which haue offended after warning giuen by knowledge of the lawe shall haue the sorer damnation accordingly also as our Lorde Iesus sayeth Luk. 12.48 that the seruant which hath done amisse though it were through vnskilfulnesse shall not fayle to bee punished for it because hee ought to haue inquyred his masters will If a seruaunt say I wist it not And knowest thou not that I am thy master Oughtest thou not to inquire my will But much more ought God to haue such preheminence ouer his creatures And if they that haue offended so through ignorance are not excused what shall become of vs which knowe the will of our GOD If wee fall to stryuing against him to spyte him as it were of set purpose and of prepensed malice and frowardnesse if wee fall to dashing at him with out hornes so as wee set our selues against his righteousnesse and transgresse his whole doctrine must not so greate and so diuelish headdinesse bee punished much more grieuously In that respect is it sayde heere that God was prouoked to anger with the transgression of his sonnes and daughters as who shoulde say True it is that God is greately offended throughout the whole worlde but hee had reserued a people to himselfe whome hee had gathered together for his owne inheritance and euen they are growen out of kynde and is not that a thing to moue Gods vengeance the more Nowe let vs apply this doctrine to our owne vse And sith wee see howe the wretched worlde is blynded nowe adayes let vs consider thus with our selues Well the Papistes shall not fayle to bee condemned And if wee condemne them can they scape the hande of GOD That is vnpossible But let vs first of all play the Iudges towardes ourselues and consider that GOD hauing called vs to bee his children will bee knowen to be our father and wil be serued worshipped at our hands And therfore whensoeuer we happen to ouershoote our selues and to giue ouer y e doctrine wherein we haue bin once trayned Gods wrath must needs be kindled against vs without cōparisō much more grieuously than against the silly ignorant and vnbeleeuing sort Seeing then that we be Gods children he hath set his markes vpon vs neuer ceasseth to allure vs by gentlenes let vs not turne away from him but let his so doing prouoke vs to honor him and to serue him in such wise as he may take pleasure in vs and delight
it selfe But now it is added here That this people were destitute of discretion voyde of vnderstanding Truly men thinke themselues wise ynough when they bee craftie and suttle in prouiding well for their businesse and in practising this and that And then fall they flat to despise God as wee see that all these worldlings doe who are forepossessed of this fantasie of selfwisedome by reason whereof the whole worde of God and the suffering of themselues to be gouerned by it is to them but simplicitie and foolishnes But yet for al that the holy Ghost affirmeth that iustly that all such as liue not in the feare of GOD are witlesse For our true wisedome is to yeelde our selues to him which can leade vs to saluation and without that wee bee blinde wretches and inclosed with darkenesse And therefore wee can not but goe astray all our life long and after tripping to stumble right downe yea euen into a deadly fall Wee must vnderstand then that vntill we bee come to the submitting of our selues wholly vnto GOD and to knowe that all our happinesse lyeth in him wee bee voyde of discretion But this cannot bee but that therewithall men must also needes knowe themselues And in deede if a man haue gone about heauen and earth and gotten the vnderstanding of al things in them and in the meane time thinketh not vppon his GOD nor yet vppon himselfe I pray you to what purpose is all his vnderstanding If hee were the skilfullest Astrologer in the world and had all Philosophie inclosed in his braine and were perfect in all other sciences and yet in the meane while knewe not himselfe nor had any regarde of GOD but were so brutish that he wist not what Religion meaneth were such a man to bee more esteemed than a simple idiot which liueth in the feare of GOD and knoweth to what ende hee is created Then is it not without cause that Moses condemneth all those of brutishnesse which haue forgotten God are gone backe from his worde are intangled in superstitions and to bee short haue left the way of saluation and the light which God offered them to guide them all their life long As for those which haue so estraunged themselues Moses not without cause doeth terme witlesse and forlorne in their Discretion And by that terme he meaneth that the despisers of God being giuen to their vanities and wicked lustes haue in deed some discretion and doe delight and glorie in their own reason yea and are ful of pride in so much that if a man speake to them to reclayme them into the right way they despise all doctrine bearing themselues in hand that they bee able ynough to discerne betweene good and euill That doeth Moses meane But what It is a discretion of ouerthrowe and destruction And therefore let vs suffer our selues to bee ruled by God let vs apply al our indeuour to the receiuing of y e thinges which he teacheth if wee will haue an vnderstanding that shall doe vs good And for the confirming of the same matter hee addeth heere O that they woulde haue beene aduised O that they had vnderstood this and that they had considered their last end We see why God hath pronounced that there is no reason in men and that they be vtterly dull and destitute of vnderstanding when their lyfe is loose and vnorderly And why Wee haue seene whereto GOD called the people of Israel Nowe his adopting of vs is to the ende that our lyfe shoulde bee blessed and happie and that after he hath preserued vs in this worlde the inheritance of the heauenly kingdome should bee bestowed vppon vs. Yee see then that the true happinesse of men is to haue the fauour and loue of God And wee be sure of his fatherly goodnesse towardes vs if when hee calleth vs by his woorde wee come vnto him and accept that grace by faith The vnseparable bond then betweene God and man is that they receiue the record of his goodnesse which hee giueth vnto them And that serueth as well for this present lyfe as for their euerlasting life On the contrarie part wee haue heard the threates which are giuen forth heere that is to say that GOD hauing long time borne with the Churlishnesse of that people woulde bee reuenged of it Now he addeth Must it not needs be y t this people are destitute of wit and reason when they consider not this thing ne haue an eye to their owne ende Not without cause doth Moses here point out what y e people ought to haue considered for wee haue bin told afore Deut. 29.26 y t God hath so reserued to himself the matters which concerne his own incomprehensible determination as yet notwithstanding he hath made the doctrine of the lawe familiar vnto vs and he will haue it to be obserued for y e exercising of vs therein all our whole life Seeing then y t God hath spoken and his will is set before our eyes let vs mark that his so doing is not in vaine accordingly also as hee auoweth by his Prophet Esay saying Esa. 45.19 We cannot alleage y t it is a darke thing such as passeth our vnderstaÌ„ding We must not say any more Who wil go ouer the sea Deut. 12.30 Who shall climbe vp aboue the cloudes Or who shall go downe into the deepe Seeing y t the word is in our mouthes in our hearts Rom. â—â— 6 it ought verily to suffice vs. Neuerthelesse it is true y t although God haue spoken yet must he be faine to inlighten our wits with his holy spirit or else we shall abide still without vnderstanding But if wee consider the doctrine in it selfe it is most manifest vnto vs and God reueileth himselfe therein familiarly ynough The thing then which we haue to remember vppon this text is that Moses vpbraideth the Israelites that they had beene called to God after such a fashion as they coulde not haue erred vnlesse they had would and moreouer that their end had beene shewed vnto them And by the word End he meaneth al the happines that is promised to al gods children which addict themselues to him and rest vpon his promises walking continually vnder his obedience and contrariwise the confusioÌ„ and ouerthrow of all skornefull and disobedient persons which despise such grace withdrawing themselues from him and corrupting his woord To that intent and purpose then doth Moses expresly speake of the end of them And now must we make our benefite of this lesson First of al therefore let vs mark that as I haue said afore we may be y e wittiest folke in the world and yet we shal be counted as brute beastes and without reason at Gods hand if we haue not a regard of him The chiefe point then of our wisedom is to haue our eyes open to behold the light of life to haue profited wel in the schoole of our God so as we can worship him and to be
trybe of Nepthalim at leastwise in comparison of the other trybes Not that that countrey also was not wasted in the ende because of the vnthankfulnes of the people But God sheweth here that whereas hee intended to stablish the people of Israel hee would giue vnto euery of them his portion the blessings which hee woulde bestowe vppon them should be diuers accordingly as we know well that hee dealeth not alike with all men no not euen with his owne children whome hee hath chosen Albeit that hee loue them all and be father in common to them all yet doeth hee handle them diuersly After the same sort was it with this people Here then wee see as in a mirrour that God is not bounde to gouerne his Church after such a sort that euery faithfull man shoulde haue the same thing that the others haue For God knoweth what is meete for vs. One is handled after one fashion and another after another And doth God sayth some man take pleasure in such varietie For hee knoweth that those things are for our behoofe Although wee knewe none other reason euen this were sufficient that he doeth not any thing but with perfect righteousnes wisedome and that ought to content vs. But we see moreouer and finde it prooued to vs by experience that it is not good that all men should be dealt withal alike And why For we haue diuerse dispositions diuerse complexions al meÌ„ are not to be fed with one kind of meate nor all diseases to be cured with one medicine God therefore vseth diuersitie of dealings towardes vs after as hee perceiueth it expedient for vs And that is the cause why I sayd that the whole summe of Gods blessings is a mirror vnto vs to shewe vs that hee so distributeth his gracious giftes vnto his Church as that euerie man hath his measure and qualitie and yet notwithstanding that howsoeuer wee fare wee must with all humilitie giue thankes vnto GOD for that it pleaseth him to bee our father assuring our selues that although he giue vs not all that our flesh craueth yet will he succour vs at our need and turne our sorrowes to good making them to serue to our saluation But it behooueth vs to marke well the word that is set downe heere by Moses where he sayeth that Nephthalim shall haue his fill of Gods fauor and that he shal be replenished with his blessing This word Blesse as wee knowe is taken diuers wayes in the holy Scripture Sometime it is taken for praying As when wee blesse one another it is as much to say as wee wish well one to another And when it is attributed vnto God it is also taken for benefiting or dooing good For when God sayeth the worde the deede goeth ioyntly therewith God then needeth not to wish vs any good if hee doo but say that hee will doe vs good wee shal haue our fill thereof and whatsoeuer is expedient for our saluation Nowe then Gods blessing is a testimonie and effect of the free fauour good will and loue which hee beareth towardes vs. But yet this free loue of God is as the fountayne and then his blessing is as the Conduit pype Therefore whensoeuer wee receiue any good or prosperitie let vs assure our selues that it commeth of Gods blessing of vs that is to saye of his vttering of his fauour towardes vs but yet must wee euer resort to that free loue of his when so euer wee bee so blessed at his hande For hee would giue vs no show of his fatherly goodnes if he had not receiued vs alreadie for his children And that is the cause why he dealeth so gently and kindly with vs. Moses then hath kept here a verie good order in saying that Nephthaly should haue his fill of Gods fauour and be replenished with his blessing Hee setteth downe Fauour in the first place for as I saide that is the very welspring and afterward he addeth the blessing which proceedeth thereof that is to saye the record which God yeldeth by effect that he loueth vs and that hee hath adopted vs for his children in respect whereof hee vouchsafeth to powre out vpon vs all the stores treasures of his goodnes Now haue wee a good lesson to gather vpon this text which is that if wee bee desirous of prosperitie wee must seeke it at Gods hand not do as they do which wish ynough but in the meane whyle cannot lift vp their hearts to call vppon God Looke vppon the wishes of this world how they flee in the aire euery man coueteth whatsoeuer most liketh his flesh there is no ende of wishing with I woulde I woulde And whereas men speake after that fashion yet shall yee scarse finde one among a hundred which directeth himselfe to God to say Lorde thou knowest what is meete for mee vouchesafe I beseech thee to sende it mee Forasmuch then as men are so gadding and that their nature leadeth them but to flickering in the aire after their wishes and in the meane while they occupie not themselues in prayer and supplication therefore it behooueth vs to marke well the texts where it is shewed vs that all prosperitie commeth of God And moreouer we must vnderstand that when God vttereth his fauour in that wise it is because that hee of his owne free goodnes hath vouchsafed to loue vs so as we must not seek the cause therof in our selues as though we had preuented God or as though wee had gotten aught by our owne desertes but wee must vnderstande that God is fauourable vnto vs because hee hath loued vs notwithstanding that wee were vnworthie of it Thus yee see then that from the conduit-pype whereat wee drinke wee must goe vp to the fountaiâ—e and to the springs head that is to wit to Gods free goodnes which is highest in degree as the onely cause of all the benefites which wee receiue at his hand Nowe last of all it is sayde of Nephthaly that hee shall possesse the South and the West that is to say the Sea for so doeth the speach import Wherein Moses prophesieth againe of the state of that trybe And let vs alwayes beare in mynde howe it is God that speaketh these things to shewe that hee hath a care of that people And that people was as a Mirrour of the Church yea and in olde time it was the Church in whose roome wee bee nowe succeeded Wherefore let vs assure our selues that GOD will alwayes haue a fatherly care of vs. And although hee gouerne all the nations of the worlde in generall by his prouidence yet is hee neerer vnto vs and that shal wee feele in that wee shal bee vnder his direction and that hee will so maintaine vs as wee shall knowe that nothing happeneth vnto vs by his will Luke 12.7 in so much that one hayre shall not fall from our head but by his appoyntment In the ende hee concludeth with Aser True it is that Iacob in his
which haue done seruice to the building vp of the Church and which coulde haue continued in doing the same still that is a wel-ordered mourning But yet must we also come to the measure For it may bee that a man shall mourne for iust cause and yet if he giue his sorrowe too much scope then is it a fault and a vice As howe If wee sorrowe for our sinnes without comfort wee shal be swallowed vp of heauinesse and thereuppon oftentimes spring grudgings and repynings against God But saint Paul telleth vs that when we mourne so for the death of our friends and kinsfolke or of such as serued in the Church we must not resemble the vnbeleeuers 1. Thess. 4.13 who saith he haue no hope and therefore can haue no comfort In that place S. Paul saith not that it is sinne to weepe hee doth not vtterly condemne the thing but hee sheweth that our sorrowing must be moderated because God giueth vs comfort by calling vs to y e hope of the heauenly life wherein we shal be renewed So then let vs vnderstande that GOD humbleth vs by death and that we must goe into corruption like stinking carions yea and eueÌ„ our soules must seeme to vanish away and that all shal be forlorne Nowe although wee must needes bee sorrowfull when wee consider these things and specially our sinnes yet I say wee must euer come backe to this point that God of his infinite goodnesse pitieth vs still and wil not haue vs to perish in death but rather that it bee vnto vs a passage into the euerlasting life And this hope is ynough to comfort vs in the middes of all our heauinesse at leastwise it ought to be a bridle to restraine our sorrowing that it passe not the bounds and so we fal to fretting against God as we see the vnbeleeuers do who storme and howle and yell and cannot by any meanes be held in order And why Because they haue no comfort which is the mother of patience But forasmuch as God calleth vs to the hope which hee giueth vs therefore after wee haue wept and mourned we haue wherefore to giue him thanks to blesse his holy name and to coÌ„tent our selues that he vseth not extreme rigor against vs. Now then although we weepe when we see that our Lorde hath taken those from vs which might haue stoode vs in great steede yet must we not fall into despaire as though God had no way to succour vs. For he can raise vp euen the stones if he thinke it good Therfore we must resort vnto him when wee perceiue any signe of his wrath and when we haue acknowledged our sins and asked forgiuenes of them at his hand we must also waite his leisure vntil he shew vs fauour that in finding mercy wee may also find remedy of all our griefs Thus y e measure which hee speaketh of is that hauing sorrowed to a good end because our Lord hath taken such folk out of y e world as we ought to long for desire wee must also haue some stay of our selues not be caried away to fretting chafing in our sorrowe but rather asswage our sorrowes because wee know y t when God hath chastised vs he will moderate his mightie hand and not stretch it out to the full against vs but chastise vs with the rodde of man 1. Sam. 7.14 as is said thereof Sith wee see this let vs learne to comfort our selues and be patient But herewithall we haue yet one point more to obserue which is that our forefathers had â—o ceremonies than wee haue because they had not so euident a recorde of the euerlasting life And the selfesame reason was of burial vnder the lawe for they buried men with greater pompe than they do nowadays And what was the reason forsooth because the resurrection was not yet so well witnessed as it is now I grant that the fathers knew well what was requisite to their saluation howbeit y t was vnder shadowes and figures But behold nowadayes God himselfe calleth vs from heauen our Lorde Iesus Christ sheweth vs that as he himselfe is risen to glorie so we also shal be made like to his image and therefore that wee haue no more neede of such helps as y e fathers of old time had So then it were a mockery at this day to counterfeit the thinges that were obserued in the olde Testament And that is a thing wherein the fondnesse of the Papistes appeareth vnto vs. For they woulde needes counterfeit al things without cause or reason And yee see that in their burials they haue so many gewgawes and pelting toyes that a man woulde bee ashamed of them And what is the cause thereof but that they knowe not the difference that is come in since the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ namely that the ancient ceremonies are come to an end Yee see then that the Papists are become Iewes howbeit but bastarde Iewes For not without some reason did the Iewes vse that custome because it behooued their ceremonies to supplie the want of doctrine But nowe that our Lord Iesus Christ is come and we haue the resurrection manifested in his person if we set our mindes stil vppon shadowes and figures what is it but a defacing of the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ an vtter quenching of y e light of the Gospel That is y e cause why I said that the Papistes are not worthie to bee called Iewes but bastarde Iewes But whereas it is saide that the people made lamentation by the space of thirtie dayes let vs on our side learne that it behooued the auncient fathers to bee kept vnder because God had not giuen them so large a testimonie of the euerlasting life and that for their rudenesse sake they were gouerned like little children Gal. 4.3 as Sainct Paul speaketh of them to the Galathians Let vs nowadayes learne on our side to make the resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christ auailable that when any man dyeth there bee plainenesse vsed in his buriall and these pompes eschewed wherewith GOD is mocked and the people intangled in manie errours and superstitions And not without cause is it saide that our Lorde Iesus Christ was buried after the manner of the Iewes Matt. 27. 59. to shew that that custome ought nowadayes to bee chaunged among vs and a newe to bee put in the steede Also let vs moderate our mourning and let not our sorrowe bee excessiue but sith wee haue wherewith to comforte our selues which thing the folke that liued vnder the Lawe had not at all or at leastwise not so largely as wee haue let vs practise the doctrine which we bee taught in the Gospell and also by S. Paul to the Thessalonians 1. Thess. 4.13 Thus much concerning that point where mention is made of the lamentation that was made for the death of Moses Now it followeth That Iosua the sonne of Nun was filled with the spirite of wisedome because
world at this day is that men take leaue continually to imagin whatsoeuer comes in their heads O say they I trow God will lyke wel of this to my seeming such a thing is good Now if men behaue themselues so after their owne imagination all things must needes be out of order Ye see it is euen a very seagulfe Therefore let vs learne to giue eare to God when hee speakes to vs let vs not take leaue to coÌ„ceiue any thing of him otherwise than is shewed vs by his worde This then is the first point that we should learne to discerne our God from all the Idols which the world forgeth to it selfe therewithall y t we should not attempt any thing but that which he alloweth For y e Papistes can welenough protest y t their intent is to serue y e God y t made both heauen earth so also doe the Iewes Turkes y e case is common to them all But yet for al y t ye see how y e Turks haue wounde themselues into a maze of superstitions through y e deceitfulnesse of their Mahomet who hath bewitched them Again y e Iewes on their parte are growen out of kinde haue mingled y e Lawe w t their owne inuentions refusing y e redeemer that had bin promised them who is the very foundation of all y e religioÌ„ which they should haue held And as for y e Papists y e world sees how they haue corrupted all trueth turned it vtterly into lying Therefore let vs learne y t if we will not worship straunge Gods we must so holde our selues in awe as we attempt not any thing vnlesse we be sure y t it is according to Gods will For whensoeuer we fal to worshipping him after our owne deuice we doe set vp an idoll in our owne braine that is a thing which he vtterly mislyketh reiecteth and abhorreth Thus ye see y t the thing which we haue to remember vpon this place is y t seeing God hath graunted vs y e grace to haue his word to be our guide we ought to be y e more watchfull sith we be so weake as we neede not any thing to thrust vs out of the way we ought to take so much y e moore heede y t we may profit dayly by his word And besides y t let vs assure our selues throughly that it is not enough for vs to weene we doe well for we win nothing by being deceiued our case is neuer a whit amended by it before God therefore let vs learn to pray him to inlighten vs. And therewithall let vs knowe y t wheÌ„ God hath shewed vs his wil we must hold vs to it without adding aught thereto Thus yee see in effect what we haue to remeÌ„ber vpon this text of Moseses Now he addeth immediately that men shoulde lay vp the things in their heartes which he telleth theÌ„ that they shoulde make a continuall monument of them as if it were of bracelets about their wristes or of attyres on their heades or of deuices in writing at the entrace of their dores so the intent they might occasion them to thinke vppon the lawe of God so as at their rysing in the morning as their going to bed at night men should talke conferre of it that their children might learne thereby Hereby Moses sheweth yet better y t vnlesse men be held as it were by force they will soone start away froÌ„ God Lyke as wheÌ„ a man thinkes he hath made a Foxe tame if he let him alone but one halfe day he returnes againe to his kinde by and by Euen so is it with vs. We be so wilde y t although it may seeme for a time that we be throughly brought home vnto God very wel reformed yet in y e turning of a hand all is quite forgotten And therefore our Lord is faine to put vs in remeÌ„brance as hee doth in this text to quicken vs vp to inforce our selues to seeke al the means and helps y t may be to hold our selues in awe vnder his obedieÌ„ce That is the cause why he saith y t folke shoulde make theÌ„ frontlets as ornaments of their heads Whereas men doe commonly weare brooches buttons such other thinges women weare billiments of gold and other costly attyres vpon their heades the attire of the faithful must be to haue some remembraÌ„ce of Gods law In stead of bracelets other fine toyes to apparell deck our selues w tal we must vse such an attyre as may teach vs to garnish our soules yea to giue our selues wholy to God to submit our selues altogether to his word In stead of the hauing of gay things to furnish our houses withal for delight we must haue some such thing as may put vs in minde to say These are the things that our God calleth vs vnto he will neuer haue vs to forget him And if we haue ouershot our selues so as our minds do wander abrode he calleth vs home againe telleth vs y t we must not raunge so after our own vaine fansies Thus we see y e summe of that which is contained here We haue had the like saying in the sixth Chapter Dâ—â— 6.7 â—â— But yet this sheweth vs more expresly that it is not ynough for vs to haue withdrawen our selues for once froÌ„ our vain and wandering imaginations but God must bee faine to bring vs to that point againe by putting vs in minde of our flouth and negligence or else we shall dwel in it continually and he must be faine also to shewe vs the weaknesse feeblenesse of our spirites And in deede very experience shewes it for the whisking of a flye before our eyes is ynough to make vs run after it to do what we can to stop her Wee builde castles in y e aire by and by al vanisheth away Now then seeing there are so many vanities in our braine do we wonder y t we doe very quickly start away from God What a nomber of occasions are there in this world to turne vs this way that way so as we shal be led caried quite away ere euer we thinke on it Again Satan is such a suttle Sire that if we be not wel armed against him we shal neuer continue in y e obeying of our God This repetition therfore is not superfluous where God telleth vs again y â— it is good for vs to haue his law written eueriwhere so as we might reade his coÌ„mandements vpon our fingers And he hath disposed them into ten sentences to the end they should be y e better knowen vnto vs. For looke how many fingers there are vpoÌ„ our haÌ„ds so many are y e commandements of God to y e intent they should be y e easier to beare in remeÌ„beraÌ„ce so as there needeth no loÌ„g registers which were hard to carie away forasmuch as he hath giuen vs so short a rule y t if we be long in