when GOD giueth sentence vppon our sinnes it is alwayes with this condition that hee doeth it not with out giuing of vs some respit to remedie the mischeefe so wee seeke the remedie by such meanes as he commaundeth in his worde And so yee see what we haue to remember vppon the example of Moses To bee shorte wee see that it is not lawfull for men to put forth themselues to make prayer and supplication except they haue the promise and be sure that it is Gods good will that they shoulde doe so But GOD will giue them such a zeale as the temptations which shall crosse them shall not stay them from going on forwarde though it seeme to themselues that GOD is not minded to heare them but rather to put them backe and to shake them quite off Therefore let vs not cease to resorte vnto him as it were importunately For the importunatenesse whereof our Lorde Iesus Christe speaketh Luke 18.2 in reporting the similitude concerning a widow y t had to do with a wicked iudge made y e iudge ashamed though he were a naughtie and frowarde man But surely when wee come to GOD we neede not to bee importunate for Iesus Christ telleth vs that if wee finde mercie in men that are lewde and ill minded towardes vs we shall much more obtayne fauour at Gods hande who â—arieth not till we come vnto him but calleth and allureth vs to him Seeing then that he is so friendlie let vs not be afraide that we shall not obteyne our requestes But yet for all that let vs not giue ouer with once praying vnto him as it were for fashions sake but let vs holde out to the ende yea and euen be importunate vppon him Although he seeme vnwilling to heare vs and let vs alone in our distresses yea and that to our seeming our miserie doeth still increase yet notwithstanding let not vs fayle to holde on still resting vppon his promise which he hath giuen vs which is certayne and vnfallible that is to wit that hee will neuer faile those which come vnto him and call vpon him in trueth Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better than wee haue done heretofore and that forasmuch as wee knowe what neede wee haue to pray insomuch that euerie minute of an houre wee runne in daunger of endlesse death and are like to perishe both bodie and soule it may please him to inflame vs so by his holie spirite as we may call vppon him vnfaynedlie and be more carefull to doe it and to exercise our selues in it at all times as prouoked thereto by the great neede which wee haue thereof considering the miseries wherethrough wee shoulde perishe if wee were not succoured by him and by his grace and that in the meane whyle it may please him to beare with vs in our infirmities and not suffer vs to be rent off from y e bodie of his Church but make vs to perceiue by experience that the prayers which are made through the whole worlde are auailable to his chosen and y t their prayers also do auaile vs so as the same may stablishe vs continuallie more more in the holie vnion which he hath made with vs in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ. That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth reducing all poore ignoraunt people into the right way of saluation out of the bondage of errour and darkenesse and that for this purpose it woulde please him to rayse vp true and faithfull ministers of his worde which may not seeke their owne profite and ambition but the glorifying of his holy name and the saluation of his poore flocke On the other side c. On Saturday the xxxi of August 1555. The Lxvj Sermon which is the fifth vppon the ninth Chapter 15 Then turned I mee and went downe the Hill and the hill burned with fire and I had the two tables of the Couenant in my two hands 16 Then looked I and behold yee had sinned against the Lord your God and had made a molten Calfe and were turned out of hand from the way which the Lord your God had commaunded you 17 Then tooke I the two tables and cast them out of my two handes and brake them before your eies 18 And I fell downe flat before the Lorde fortie dayes and fortie nightes as afore without eating breade or drinking water for all your sinnes which you had committed in dooing euill in the sight of the Lord by prouoking him to wrath 19 For I was afrayde of the anger and wrath wherewith the Lord was displeased against you to destroy you And the Lorde hearde mee that time also 20 Likewise the Lord was sore angrie with Aaron to destroy him but I prayed also for Aaron the same time 21 Then tooke I your sinne which you had made that is to wit the Calfe and burnt it with fire and stomped it and grounde it throughlie euen vntill it was small as dust and cast the dust thereof in the brooke that came downe from the hill HEre Moses declareth the great good zeale that hee had at suche time as he sawe God so sore offended with the Iewes for making the golden calfe and for their forsaking of their Redeemer to giue theÌ„selues ouer to a deade thing rather than to him of whose power they had had experience so manie wayes Nowe he saith that hee had the two tables in his hande and that when hee sawe the people so falne away to Idolatrie hee brake them in peeces Heere it might bee asked whether Moses were not caried with ouerhastie moode For we haue seene that those two tables were written with Gods owne hande so as there was not anie workemanshippe of man in them but that the ingrauing of the tenne commaundementes in them was of Gods owne doing Nowe then that Moses threwe downe Gods handie worke after that fashion notwithstanding that the people had sinned it seemeth not to proceede of any modestie but rather of too vnaduised zeale and oueruiolent headinesse We must not presume to iudge of such odde things for wee see that God gouerneth his seruauntes by his holie spirit and we knowe that sometimes hee stirreth vp his faithfull ones to doe his pleasure by extraordinarie meanes And although wee may not make a certain rule of it yet is not the deed it selfe to bee blamed Numb 25.6 Wee see what happened vnto Phinees For although he was not ordeined to be a iudge but onely to bee a priest yet did he execute Iustice vpon the adulterer the adultresse which had defiled the Sanctuarie God allowed his doing and there is recorde of it in the holie scripture Psal. 106.30.31 and yet notwithstanding it was a peculiar deede which wee may not follow without a special mouing of the holy Ghost As much is
vnto him that y e land was not the cheefe heritage whereunto the children of Abraham were to attaine Here therefore wee haue a sure record that although the fathers which liued vnder the Lawe had not the heauenly lyfe so lightsomly largely reuealed vnto them yet did they grounde themselues thereupon laboring to attaine therunto and were not wedded to this world as if that had bin the marke they amed at and that they had bin tyed to it to say Well God hath chosen and adopted vs to possesse a good and fatte land to the intent wee should bee fostered therein For if the people had but thought vppon that what had become of Moses who was the excellentest prophet that euer God raysed vp vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ as wee shall see in the last Chapter That is the cause why Moses beheld y t land and vewed it afar off Deut. 34.10 And although hee neuer ate one graine of the corne thereof nor tasted one drop of the wine yet did it suffice him to see that God had not disappointed his people It is to bee concluded then that Moses had a further forelook and stood not musing vppon the transitorie inheritance but considered full well that when wee be made the children of God it is to the ende wee shoulde liue euerlastingly with him Seeing then that Moses had that let vs vnderstand that the fathers were not without cause called the children of God which thing they were not vnlesse they were heires with vs. And forsomuch as they tended to the heauenly lyfe which notwithstanding was shewed to them but afar off let vs take the more courage to vs seeing that God is come neerer vnto vs after a more familiar maner euen in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ. Therefore let all these things moue vs that our faith may waken vs and withdrawe vs frō all the impedimentes of this world so as we may keepe on our way to the euerlasting rest which cannot faile vs. Now whereas it is sayd vnto Moses that hee shall bee gathered vp with his people hereby our Lord meant that hee was of necessitie to passe the common way as they say of all mankinde and that his case should be no better than of all the rest of Adams children Truely this woulde trouble vs if there were no more than so But I haue spoken already of y e special promise whereuppon Moses was grounded Neuerthelesse our Lord shewed him that forasmuch as he was descended of Adams race it behooued him needes to dye And this accordeth still with the matter which I speake of euen now namely that we shal neuer take sufficient taste of Gods goodnes and promises vntil we be brought low in ourselues y t we may know our own needines and what y e lyfe is which is promised vs and which we obtein by Iesus Christ. We think not vpon any of all these thinges except we first know the death y t is purchased vnto vs by Adam that the same dwelleth in vs and holdeth vs prisoners in his bands If we knowe not that wee bee cursed of God by nature and that we haue no other hope but rottennesse as touching our bodies and that as touching our soules we be reiected of God feele that he is against vs and that he is our Iudge y t he will vtter forth all his maiestie to our confusion Vntil such time as we feele all these things it is certeine that we will neuer seeke the remedie that is offered vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ nor receiue him with such reuerence as to become lyke poore hungry soules So then we see how we haue neede of this warning that we must be gathered vp With whom With those which haue gone before vs. And without that what comfort shall wee haue Lesse than the brute beastes haue For if we thinke vpon nothing but death we goe all into rottonnes our bodies be in no better plight than the bodies of Asses and Dogges And againe as touching our soules we must needes bee separated and cut off from God and feele him to be against vs. That then is our state And therfore whensoeuer we heare any speaking of death let vs by and by bethinke vs of Adams sin of the corruption of our nature and of all the vices that dwell in vs which serue all to cut vs off as rotten members from Gods house and kingdome When wee haue bethought vs thereof and that we be so dismayed as we know not where to become for the terror that shall haue caught holde of vs let vs repaire to Iesus Christ Iohn 11.25 and sith we knowe that hee is the resurrection and the lyfe let vs take courage to offer our selues vnto death and let it not greeue vs to be done away seeing wee haue promise that we shall be restored againe And so when wee haue bethought vs of all the nations of y e world and of all Adams ofspring let vs come to the people whom God hath sanctifyed and chosen to be his heritage Seeing then that we shall be gathered vppe with the righteous surely it is a good gathering and therein lyeth all our rest cōtentation so as death shal be sweete vnto vs. And although wee must of necessitie passe that way with all other creatures yet dooth God take vs and keepe vs as his chosen children and to be ioyned to our Lord Iesus Christ who is named the first borne from among the dead And to the intent we should bee the first fruites of the resurrection and of the quicke hee hath gathered vs to himselfe and matched vs with y e holy Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles That say I is the thing which sweeteneth all the sorrowes that we can conceiue Now in the end it is sayd yet again vnto Moses That he sanctifyed not Gods name among the children of Israel and therefore hee should see the Land euen the Land which God had giuen to his people Here we haue to marke that it is not enough for vs to absteine from doing euill but that we must also sanctifie Gods name when we see men misuse it through their leawdnesse And in very deede the chiefe thing that God requireth Matt. 6. ◠is that his name should be sanctifyed for it is the first petition which we make And by that order our Lord Iesus Christ sheweth vs full well that wee must begin at that point as for example when he saith First seeke yee the kingdome of God what dooth that signify Matt. 6.33 That we should seeke to exalt God that all the world shoulde obey him and that his maiestie should be knowen to the end that all prayse of wisedome righteousnesse goodnes and power might bee attributed vnto him That is the thing whereunto euery of vs ought to put his indeuour True it is y t we ought in deede to sanctifie the name of God that is to say to dedicate our selues euery man
well that Moses hauing alledged Gods promise and hauing saide that the Lande was at the peoples commaundement because GOD ment not to fayle in the perfourmance of the thing that hee had once promised addeth afterwarde Enter into it and take possession of it Wherein hee sheweth vs that although GOD performe in vs al that hee hath saide yet must not wee on our side bee idle nor bee as blockes of wood but wee must offer our selues to his seruice For albeit that wee cannot stirre one finger to doe wel yet hath GOD made vs instrumentes whereby hee will worke Therefore wee must goe forwarde when hee commaundeth vs and wee must indeuer to apply all our members and wits to obey him True it is as I saide that men are vtterly vnprofitable yea and that their will goeth cleane backe from that which God commaundeth but yet for all that God ceaseth not to giue vs willingnesse and when hee hath giuen vs willingnesse hee giueth vs also performance as saint Paul auoucheth to the Philippians Phil. 2.13 and therewithall hee maketh vs to doe it with feare and carefulnesse When as Saint Paul saith Doe ye and also It is God that doeth those two thinges seeme to bee contraries but they bee not For Gods working is in such wise as hee imputeth to himselfe the thinges that hee doth in vs and yet for all that hee will not haue vs to bee slothfull and to fall a sleepe but that euerye of vs should indeuour himselfe Let vs learne then that whensoeuer God promiseth vs any thing it is his office to accomplishe the whole Neuerthelesse he will haue vs to take paynes and to straine our selues yea euen vs which are vtterly vnprofitable And hauing giuen vs his power hee will haue vs indeuour to make the thing auailable which he hath bestowed vppon vs and to make it to bee profitable That then is the thing which we haue to note here Howbeit there withall there is also the conclusion which Moses maketh namely when as hee saith Feare not bee not dismayed And hereby hee doth vs to vnderstande that although we bee armed and fenced with Gods promises so as wee ought to bee sufficiently resolued that hee will guide vs vnto the ende yet shall wee haue manie occasions to make vs grudge and repyne so as we might swarue aside from the right way or vtterly forsake it if we had not constancie to ouercome all the stoppes and lettes that the diuell thrusteth in our wayes for of nature we be fearefull True it is that in many things we be but too hardie When any fond thing is to be attempted foolishly in that case men neede not to be hartened for they be but too bold already to attempt this and that to mount aboue the cloudes as thee say But when GOD shoulde be followed whithersoeuer hee calleth vs our eyes runne heere and there vp and downe wee bee at our wittes ende yea and if a flye doe but whiske before our eyes or a strawe stirre at our feete by and by wee are at a stoppe Nowe seeing wee haue this vice in our nature let vs determine to fight on al sides against this foÌ„d fearefulnesse to the ende wee bee not helde backe from following God whithersoeuer hee commaundeth vs but that wee may ouercome all the temptations of Satan though he bee neuer so wylie in forging and framing of innumerable occasions in that behalfe to turne vs away from our calling And therefore let vs marke this warning giuen to the Iewes by Moses For it is a warning to vs as well as it was to them that it is vnpossible for vs to come thither as god calleth vs if wee ouercome not this fearefulnesse and dismayednesse that is to say if wee fight not against all the incumberances that sathan can set before our eyes to make vs afraide Therefore it standeth vs on hande to bee armed with strength from aboue Thus you see howe wee ought to apply this streyne to our instruction Nowe the thinges will bee the plainer and better vnderstoode if we make a similitude betweene the lande that was promised to the children of Israel and the kingdome of God whereunto wee bee called For in good sooth the land of Chanaan was but as a figure earnest-penny of the kingdome of heauen Had the auncient fathers setled their mindes vppon the lande which they sawe they had had a verie poore rest and weake stay for in verie deede they inioyed it not of all their life they did but onely trauell through it as straungers and wayfarers â—eb 11.9 â—13 Wee see that Abraham had not one foote of it in possession sauing that hee purchased a little peece to burie his wife in no hee had not so much as water to drinke Iacob was banished out of it a great parte of his life Isaac and all the Patriarks had but their walke in it they neuer possessed one foote of the land which God had giuen for an heritage to them and their issue Wee must needes conclude then that the auncient fathers did not passe through this visible land and that their acknowledging of it for their inheritance was after such a sorte as they tended alwayes towardes heauen and that was the marke which they aimed at Seeing it is so wee must make a similitude betweene this lande and the inheritance wherunto GOD calleth vs as it hath beene purchased for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ. Whereas hee saith That God made the people to passe through a horrible and dreadfull wildernesse the same belongeth vnto vs also if wee consider in what state God founde vs and whence hee hath drawen vs. For are wee not all damned and forlorne by nature Hath not the diuell a tyrannous dominion ouer vs from whence no man can deliuer himselfe by his owne power Euen so if wee consider where GOD seeketh vs when hee calleth vs to him wee shall finde that the wildernesse wherethrough the Iewes passed is not so dreadefull and terrible as is the damnation wherein wee were For wee bee in bondage of sinne wee bee vnder the thraldome of death satan reigneth ouer vs and is king and prince of the whole worlde Seeing then that GOD riddeth vs out of so miserable slauerie and setteth vs at libertie by his holy spirite is it not all one as if hee shoulde make vs way through the gulfes of hell Yes for wee bee there in verie deede and wee cannot come at Iesus Christ except we be brought out of the dungeons of death Nowe then if there were no more but this that God hath ridde vs from the curse which was brought vppon vs by Adam and wherein wee are all of vs fast shut and locked vp vntill hee haue pitie vppon vs the experience of that one point ought to make vs perceiue his goodnesse And if there were no more but that it ought to giue vs courage to followe him and to giue our selues wholly vnto him For if wee bee
dearely Thus you see after what maner wee must put in vre this text of the possessing of the land which he hath promised vs and purchased for us Besides this when wee heare this saying that it is at our commaundement let vs vnderstand that it were a disanulling of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ if wee should not bee fully resolued of this inheritaunce according also as Saint Paule sheweth Rom. 10.7 If thou say who is he that shall goe downe into the deepe it is all one as if thou shouldest fetche vp Christ againe from death Then if wee imagine with our selues alas wee bee wretched creatures there is nothing but vtter weakenesse in vs euill doeth so ouermaister that wee wote not what to do the diuell tormenteth vs on the one side and on the other side wee bee so fraile as is pitifull to see and wee bee in trouble and vnquietnesse if wee stande herevpon as quite out of heart and discouraged Saint Paule sayeth it is all one as if we beleeued not that Iesus Christ dyed for vs. For why The death and Passion that he suffered are no trifling thing but a thing of verie great price Nowe then wee must take it to bee of power as it is so that although we see our selues in the mids of bottomlesse pits yea that very often and commonly insomuch that when wee bee out of one gulfe by and by wee enter into another and therewithall Satan hath such power against vs and wee on the other side are so feeble that we can scarcely stirre one finger yet let vs not forbeare to assure our selues that the inheritaunce belongeth to vs still for that is the honour which wee must yeeld to our Lord Iesus Christ. But therewithall let vs go foreward still After what maner Let vs call to minde howe the Apostle saieth that like as our Lord Iesus Christ went out of the Citie as reiected out of the companie of men Heb. 13.12 so we must not disdaine to become like him and to beare the shame and reproche of his crosse for it becommeth the members to be fashioned like to their body And therefore let vs determine to goe after him For those are the true markes whereby he knoweth vs to bee his And for performance thereof let vs vnderstand that wee must forsake the world in general yea and our selues too For the matter standeth not alonely vpon going out of the world True it is that so long as it pleaseth God to haue vs lodge here here wee must abide but yet howsoeuer we fare wee must euer haue one foote vp readie to goe hence whensoever it shall please God to take vs to him so that if wee will be heires of the heauenly kingdome wee must be but pilgrims and straungers in this world Yea and which more is wee must go out of our selues that is to say we must not leane to our owne will and wit but wee must ridde our selues of all selfweening and couet nothing but to goe vnto God And if the world shake vs off and make a mocking stocke of vs as we see now adayes how the poore Christians are lightly esteemed so that they bee taken to bee as the of-scouring of the world or rather as myre dung as saieth S. Paul I say if wee bee so reiected of the whole world 1. Cor. 4.13 let vs beare it patiently For why Iesus Christ went out of the Citie Ierusalem bearing the reproch and curse of the whole world vpon him and therefore let vs bee readie to bee fashioned like vnto him Also therewithal let vs determine to separate our selues from all the vncleannesse that reigneth euerie where now adayes in the world And forasmuch as we can not possesse the heauenly heritage vnlesse wee ouercome this doubting and fearefulnesse which plucke vs backe insomuch that if our mindes runne still vpon our owne feeblenesse truely wee shall not neede any other thing to shake vs downe whereas on the other side if we haue our eye vppon our captaine Iesus Christ who alonely hath vanquished all feare yea and euen death and the diuell all his power then may wee boldly goe on still to ouercome all lets that may hinder vs or turne vs aside from following God whithersoeuer he calleth vs Let vs shut our eyes against all that euer may turne vs out of the right way and let vs not doubt but that God wil alwayes be our guide and worke in such wise as he will outgoe all our desires yea and all the hope that we can conceiue of him Nowe therefore let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs so to feele them that being cast down in our selues wee may resort wholly vnto him an acknowledging our selues to bee wretched offenders that haue deserued his wrath and vengeance yea euen w tout euer being able to recouer out of endlesse death and cursednes flee for refuge to the redemption that is purchased for vs by the bloudshed of his onely sonne And that seeing our Lord Iesus Christ hath payed all our debtes to discharge vs of them and to beare the condemnation that was due vnto vs and forasmuch as he offereth vs daily the fruite and effect of his death and passion we may not doubt but that he will accomplish the thing that he hath begunne in vs and by his holy spirit make the power of his resurrection auaileable in vs to the end that we may leade a new life and bee stablished in him more more till we be quite rid of all the corruptions of our flesh to bee taken vp into his kingdome That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely c. On Saturday the xiij of Aprill 1555. The sixth Sermon vpon the first Chapter 22 Then came you all vnto me and said let vs send men before vs to search out the land for vs and to bring vs word by what way we shall go vp into it and into what Cities we shall enter 23 That saying liked me well and therevpon I tooke twelue men among you of euery tribe one 24 And they departed and went vp into the Mountaines and came to the riuer of Escol and searched out the land 25 And they tooke of the fruits of the Land in their handes and brought them to vs and brought vs word againe and said The Land which the Lorde our God giueth vs is good 26 Yet notwithstanding you would not goe vp but were disobedient to the commaundement of the Lord your God 27 And you murmured in your tentes and saide bicause the Lorde hateth vs therefore hath he made vs to come out of the Countrie of Egypt to deliuer vs into the hand of the Amorrhytes to cause vs to be destroyed 28 How shall wee goe vp Our brethren haue made our heartes to quaile by saying The people are moe in nomber and taller of stature than wee The
God but that their eares must be attentiue to heare his voyce so that whensoeuer God speaketh men must be as it were imprisoned to it and content themselues to be taught by him Therefore when we come before the Lorde accordingly as it is sayd that they which meete together in his Church doe appeare before him let vs note that wee must make account of his voyce and think thus with our selues What come we hither to doe Whereas the Papistes gase vppon their Church walles and fiske about after their foolish ceremonies and after murlimewes of their own making insomuch that although they thinke they please God yea and hold him bound vnto them yet they doe but play the brute beastes in y t behalfe Let vs haue Gods word as y e certaine mark that he sitteth in y e middest of vs is alwayes at hand with vs. After that maner must wee thinke if wee will not erre for the true marke for all the faithfull to shoote at when they assemble together in the name of GOD is to haue his voyce as a warrant of the presence of his maiestie And of a trueth lyke as the eare was the cause of the withdrawing of the first man from God so must it drawe vs to him again at this day What was it that banished our father Adam out of Gods kingdom What caryed him away from the hope of lyfe Gen. 3.17 but his eares which receiued the voyce of Satan and the falshoode that was put to him Now then lyke as wee be separated from God by that damnable voyce when wee haue yeelded vnto euill so now wee knowe that the onely meane to bee called vnto God and to enter into his house that wee may be of the number of his children is to heare Gods voyce and therby to be vnited vnto him Thus muche concerning that worde Moses addeth thereunto that at the same time God published his couenaunt which hee had made afore and commaunded Moses to bring them the ten articles in two tables charging him to teach the people his lawes and iudgementes that they might doe them Hereby wee see againe that which I haue touched heretofore that is to wit that God will not haue his doctrine to be as a dead thing but to bee of power to reforme vs so that wheras naturally wee be frowarde and giuen to all naughtines wee must be subiect to him in such wise as his righteousnesse may raigne in vs. To that intent was the lawe set foorth True it is that the lawe being writteÌ„ in two tables of stone could not be kept vnlesse God subdewed the hardnesse of mens hartes by his holy spirit and therefore it serued as a figure to shewe that the lawe ought to be written in mens hearts 2. Cor. 3.3 though they be neuer so hard Iere. 31.33 Those stones then were as an image of our heartes For as God auoweth by his prophet wee haue such a hardnesse in vs as hee can neuer bow vs till wee be softened Neuerthelesse lyke as hee ingraued his lawe in the stones so also doeth hee print the same in vs when it pleaseth him to touche vs by his holy spirit And this was done at the same time that the lawe was put foorth And here yee see why comparison is made betweene the Gospell and the lawe God tolde the people how it behoued theÌ„ to know theÌ„selues for such as they were in deed that is to wit y t they were hardned in naughtinesse Rom. 8.6.7 Colos. 1.21 stubborne and ful of all corruption so as there was no concord nor agreement betweene the thoughtes and affections of them and the righteousnesse of himselfe And for proofe thereof let vs marke that there are two thinges betokened by that which Moses rehearseth here The one is the goodnes that GOD hath shewed in setting forth his lawe For it is not enough for men to be taught that will not boote them vntill such time as he subdew them Wee may haue our eares beaten long enough with the doctrine of the Lawe but wee shall continew still giuen to our owne naughtinesse and therefore it shall be but labor lost and mispent to preach Gods word vnto vs. And why For it will slip out againe and so shall wee continewe alwayes lyke our selues That is one thing that is betokened vnto vs. And therewithall God hath shewed that yet notwithstanding the setting foorth of his worde in that wise by the mouth of a man is not in vaine for it serued to put the people againe in hope of thinges that were yet hidden wherof wee haue not onely a full sight but also the effect and accomplishment by the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ Ier. 3â— 3â— Eze. 37. â— according as it is sayd by the prophets Ieremie and Ezechiel that God will make a newe couenant after another maner than that which he made with the fathers of olde time For that couenant sayth he was soone broken because they had no holde of themselues but I wil ingraue my Iawe in your heartes God then did testify this newe couenant by Moses in mount Sinay which our Lord Iesus Christ hath performed by his comming into the worlde and which is offered vnto vs still euery day And therefore let vs learne that when wee come to be taught it must not be to any other ende than to be renewed by God so as hee put away the hardnesse that is in vs and soften our heartes after such a sorte as wee may stoope vnder him to receiue his yoke and hee holde vs in awe because wee be so fickle that we would start away from him euery day if hee gaue vs not steddie constantnesse to goe through with our vocation That is a thing which wee ought to marke well And why Euen to humble vs and to make vs knowe that although GOD spare our liues yet should they bee turned into death if hee should let vs alone in our owne plight and not adde a second grace in reforming vs by his holy spirite And therewithall let vs be of good comfort forasmuch as wee see that nowadayes wee haue not onely the auncient figures and the tables of stone wherein God wrate his lawe but also that hee worketh effectually by his holy spirit as Saint Paul sheweth in the thirde to the Colossians Col. â—â— Seeing then that God worketh after such a sorte as wee perceiue that our heartes are no more stony forasmuch as wee be willing to stoope vnder him and desirous to honor him insomuch that although there be many lettes and hinderances in vs as wee see that the fleshe striueth continually against goodnesse yet notwithstanding our Lord giueth vs the grace to be sorie for our infirmities and sinnes being desirous to eschewe them indeuoring to withstanding and inforcing our selues with all our heartes to serue him Let vs acknowledge the singular grace that hee vouchsafeth vppon vs and therewithall let vs learne to preace boldely vnto him
but that he will maintaine his owne honour as good reason is that he should and in so doing he sheweth vs how dreadfull his wrath is Behold then here are two points which we must mark for a conclusion Not y t we can lay them forth at length as at this time but that it shall suffice to haue some foretaste of them Let vs marke then that the cause why God vÌ„ttereth himself vnto vs is y t hauing once knoweÌ„ his goodnes that he hath chosen vs called vs by his word we should couer nothing but to be quietly gouerned by him and acknowledge y t it is he to whom al honour praise belongeth therevpon apply our whole indeuours to the glorifying of his holy name That say I is the end why our Lord hath once called vs to his knowledge and why he calleth vpon vs daily and exhorteth vs still to come vnto him But yet let vs consider therewithall that if wee doe not serue and glorifie him as he deserueth and as wee bee bounde wee shall feele him a consuming fire that is to say wee shall feele that it is no dalying with such a Maister not that this is saide to make Gods Maiestie terrible vnto vs so as wee shoulde bee afrayde to come at him but rather that wee shall not bee a whit dismaied if we take him for our Father But if wee will not behaue our selues as children towardes him but continue vnamendable he will lay away the person of a Father and shewe himselfe to bee our iudge and that not such a iudge as needeth to make long inquirie to call the hangman to put his iudgementes in execution but if he do but cast forth the fire of his spirit or but his breath by and by the fyre is kindled as sayeth the Prophet Esay Esa. 5.25 so as wee must needes bee consumed by it So then if wee will not haue the Maiestie of our God terrible vnto vs but rather that wee may goe vnto him let vs looke that wee glorifie him in all our life and not giue him cause to kindle his wrath against vs Deut. 32.21 nor prouoke him vnto ielousie For then doeth he tell vs that he will prouoke vs to ielousie likewise Rom. 10. â—9 by casting vs froÌ„ him by taking another people in our place Wherfore let vs looke that wee persist in the vocation whereunto he hath called vs and that wee kindle not his vengeance against vs. And seeing he hath once vttered his goodnesse and manifested himselfe vnto vs in our Lord Iesus Christ let vs not doubt but that he on his side will continue to make vs feele the same still if wee on our side continue in glorifying him Now let vs kneel down before y e maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better than we haue done so as wee may bee sorie for them and depart from them by the power of his holy spirit And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the iij. of Iune 1555. The xxvj Sermon which is the eight vpon the fourth Chapter 27 And the Lorde God shall scatter you among the Heathen and ye shall remaine fewe in nomber among the Nations whither the Lord will bring you 28 And there ye shall serue gods which are the worke of mans hand wood stone which neither see nor heare eate nor smell 29 And there thou shalt seeke the Lorde thy God and thou shalt finde him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule 30 And when thou art in tribulation and all these thinges are come vpon thee in the end thou shalt returne vnto the Lord thy God and obey his voyce 31 For the Lord thy God is a merciful God he will not forsake thee nor destroy thee nor forget the Couenant of thy fathers which he sware to them WEe haue saide heretofore that Gods vsing of the similitude of fire is not to dismay vs in such sort as we should not come vnto him but contrariwise to make vs come to him with reuerence For what shoulde it boote men to bee striken in such terrour as shoulde make them shrinke away from GOD and loth to haue any thing to do with him Againe we know that our Lorde hath not any other marke or intent Ezec. 18.23 than to winne vs to him and to drawe vs to saluation Nowe the onely meane thereof is to goe right foorth vnto him and to bee ioyned vnto him Wherfore let vs beare well in minde this lesson that Gods intent is not to scare vs in such wise as we should shun him and that is the thing which we haue to gather at this time vpon that which is rehearsed here For the threate that Moses giueth here is hard but yet it serueth to bring the people backe to God If thou disobey the voyce of the Lord thy God saieth he thou shalt bee scattered Flatter not thy selfe w t his choosing of thee from among all other Nations to bee his inheritance nor with his giuing of thee this lande in possession for he can well ynough bereaue thee of all these benefites Yet notwithstanding hee addeth that if God see repentance in his people after he hath chastised them he will bring them againe deale fauourably with them so as they shall feele him to bee a mercifull God and such a one as powreth not out his rigor with extremitie vpon offenders when he seeth that they bee not vtterly past amendment What is to be done then First of all when wee heare this sentence which God gaue in olde time vppon his people let vs learne to beware that wee abuse not his goodnesse Let vs goe to him with all humilitie while he allureth vs by gentlenesse as the Apostle declareth in the Epistle to the Hebrewes He. 12.18.22 For there he saieth that wee bee not come to Mount Sinay where there was nothing but flashes of Lightening and Thundercraks and where the people were so amazed as they looked for present death What remaineth then Behold saith he God calleth vs by his Gospell to the intent wee should bee fellowes with the Angels with the spirits of the faithful and that we should bee verie Citizens of his kingdome Seeing it is so saieth he let vs enter into the heauenly Ierusalem for our God is a consuming fire It should seeme at the first sight that there is some contrarietie in these two sayings That wee should come boldly and after an assured maner to our God and also that he should bee a consuming fire But both these agree verie well togither For first the Apostle sheweth that wee ought not to be so afraide of the Maiestie of our God as that wee should shunne him but rather consider that there is nothing in him but gentlenesse But yet therewithall wee must knowe also that wee must worship him vnfainedly or else
our hearts but also of al our thoughts imaginatioÌ„s and conceits There is not that thing in vs which commeth not then to triall and knowledge In so much that the things which we tooke to be no faultes at all must be condemned before God and hee must haue the iudging of them vnlesse wee play the iudges with our selues aforehand And herewithall wee haue to magnifie the mercie of our God Rom. â—â— 23. in that although we be faultie so greatly so many wayes yet notwithstanding he accepteth vs for righteous Let vs make comparison here betweene the righteousnesse which we obtaine by faith and the curse that is vppon vs. Whereinto be we plundged Are we faultie but in some one offence or in some two or three or in some certaine nomber Nay we be plundged in such a gulfe that if wee begin once to fall to reckening wee must needes be confounded A hundred Millions of faultes is not the hundred part of the offences that wee haue committed before God Then are we so guiltie as there is none ende nor measure of our sinnes Yet notwithstanding God receiueth vs to mercie so as wee bee counted as righteous before him as though there were such full soundnesse and perfection in vs that nothing were amisse but that we had performed the whole Lawe Seeing then that God forgiueth vs such an infinite nomber of offences and clotheth vs with his owne righteousnesse through the operation of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ in as much as wee lay hold by faith vppon the grace that is purchased for vs and do him the honour to say Lord it is in thy meere and free bestowed goodnesse that our saluation consisteth doeth it not appeare therein how much wee bee bound vnto him Yes So then wheÌ„ Gods Law hath brought vs to our wittes end not only bicause of the infinite nomber of our lustes but also bicause wee shoulde lye buried vnder them as vnder huge mountaines if God should deale rigorously with vs let vs call to minde that Gods intent is not to leaue vs in despaire but to lift vs vp againe as soone as wee be sunke downe When he sees our feeblenesse he reacheth vs his hand and calleth vs to him and will haue vs to bee comforted for as much as he of his mercie layeth not any of al our sinnes to our charge Thus ye see howe the faithfull ceasse not to be of good cheere though they bee so condemned in themselues But yet must wee begin at this ende of being vtterly dismayed in our selues that our Lorde may deliuer vs from the dungeon of death and wee acknowledge y t our saluation consisteth in his only grace Howbeit let vs notwithstanding liue warely and keepe good watch assuring our selues y t when we haue trauailed neuer so much and taken neuer so much paine to serue God so as wee haue on the one side eschewed all occasions of euill and on the otherside subdued our affections lusts also indeuored to represse al wicked thoughts yet wee must not ceasse to condemne our selues still and to stand still in awe Although we haue had victory through the grace of God and sinne hath not ouermaistred vs yet doth it dwell coÌ„tinually in vs and there is still some vncleannesse and spot in vs. Therefore let vs sigh and let vs sigh in such sort as it may sharpen vs to doe our duetie We see how S. Paule speaketh of it After he had profited as much as might bee and was come to an Angelicall holinesse yet notwithstanding he saith still wretch that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of death Rom. 7.24 And what is the cause that he considereth death in himselfe but for that he sawe sinne there Neuerthelesse let vs vnderstand that wee must not bee out of heart Although wee perceiue a Million of sinnes day by day in vs yet must wee still passe on further And therefore when Saint Paule exhorteth the faithfull to eschew sinne He saieth not Rom. 6.12 Let not sinne dwell in you but he sayeth Let not sinne raigne in you In deede it were to be wished that sinne dwelled not in vs but seeing it is in vs yet must wee not bee too much discomforted For whereas it is saide that sinne dwelleth in vs first it warneth vs of our wretched state and secondly it willeth vs to consider that wee must bee occupyed in continuall warfare and therefore flee the earnestlyer to our God for succour praying him to strengthen vs with his power by the grace of his holy spirit which he hath giuen vs for our Lord Iesus Christes sake Nowe let vs fall downe in y e presence of our good God with acknowledgment of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better and that wee may learne to frame our lyues to the obeying of him which beholdeth not onely our outward woorkes intentes and affections but also euen all our thoughtes and conceytes And for as much as wee can not attayne to such perfection out of hand let vs beseeche God that the same may bee an occasion to humble vs and therewithall to stirre vs vp continually to fyght lustilyer so as euerie of vs may inforce himselfe to correct the vyces that are in his nature vntill our Lorde hauing rid vs from this corrupt fleshe doe clothe vs againe with his owne righteousnesse and fashion vs al wholly like to his glorious image That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people c. On Tewsday the xvj of Iuly 1555. The xlij Sermon which is the thirteenth vpon the fifth Chapter 22 These are the woordes which the Lorde spake to your multitude vpon the Mount from the middes of the fire out of the Cloud and darkenesse with a great voyce And he added no more thereunto but wrate them in two tables of stone and gaue them vnto mee FOr as much as wee finde not a better excuse of our lewdnesse disobedience towardes God than to pleade ignoraunce we coulde finde in our heartes to haue alwayes that shrouding sheete so as wee myght saye wee vnderstand not what GOD sayeth or that hee speakes not vnto vs or else that his voyce is too farre off for vs to heare But GOD foreseeing such lewdnesse meant to preuent all that men could alledge to the ende they might haue nothing to defend themselues withall And therefore in setting forth his Lawe it was his wil that the doctrine which is contained therein should be vttered with a loud shirle voyce Yea he spake it not onely to three or foure but to all the people both great small without exception Besides this Matt. 5.18 it was his will that the lawe should be put in writing that it might continue and not serue for one age onely but stand in force and authoritie to y e worldes end And y t is the cause why it is said in this place
thither and know that God will bee neither father nor Sauiour vnto them but by accepting them in the person of him in whome hee auoweth all his delight to bee Mat. 3. 〈…〉 17.5 〈…〉 Eph. 〈…〉 Thus the thinges which wee haue to remember vpon this text are first that if we will haue God to allow of our lyfe wee must not doe what wee thinke good of our selues but simply follow that which is commaunded vs in his Lawe Howbeit forasmuch as it is promised vs that wee shall bee taken for righteous before him if wee keepe his Lawe and yet notwithstanding all of vs are traÌ„sgressors of y e law so as our whole lyfe condeÌ„neth vs there is none of vs but hee may iudge by y e Rom. 〈…〉 heartbitings of his owne conscience that wee bee full of sinnes and offences we must flee to y e forementioned refuge which is to beseech God to iustifye vs of his owne free mercie And besides this when wee bee once graffed into the body of our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs not doubt but hee will make vs partakers of the fruite of his death and passion Ro. 〈…〉 so that although our workes be sinfull yet God will admit them for righteous But yet that proceedeth of his free goodnesse and not of any desert of ours Finally forasmuch as wee knowe that the best workes which wee can doe are worthie to bee condemned let vs looke well to it that wee presume not of our selues not of our owne vertues but let vs go and submit our selues with all humilitie to our God 1. P 〈…〉 praying him to worke so in vs by his holy spirit as hee make the death and passion of his sonne auaileable whereby the euerlasting saluation is purchased for vs. And now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to voutsafe to print his Law in such wise in our heartes as wee may bee able to keepe it not of our owne power and motion but by the guiding of his holy spirit and that therewithall it may please him to beare with vs in our infirmities vntill hee haue rid vs quite cleane of al our sinnes taken vs vp into the euerlasting kingdome which hee hath promised vs. And so let vs all say A mighty God c. On Thursday the first of August 1555. The Lj Sermon which is the first vppon the seuenth Chapter WHen the Lord thy God shal haue brought thee into the Land whither thou goest to possesse it and shall haue cast out manie Nations before thee namelie the Hethites the Gergesites the Amorrhytes the Chananites the Pherezites the Heuites and the Iebusites seuen Nations moe in number and stronger than thy selfe 2 And when the Lord thy God shal haue deliuered them before thee thou shalt smite them and roote them out and thou shalt make no couenant with them nor shewe them any fauour 3 Thou shalt not alye thy self with them by mariage thou shalt not giue thy dawghter to their sonnes nor take their dawghter for thy sonne 4 For shee would make thy sonne to go away from mee to serue other Gods and the Lordes wrath would kindle against you and destroy thee suddenly IT shoulde seeme at y e â—irst sight that y e commaÌ„dement which is giuen here to y e Iewes was very straÌ„ge For they be charged to dispatch all their enemies and to put them to death euerychone yea euen the young children and all without sparing any of them and it is God that speaketh it But wee know that when he intendeth to exhort vs to mildnesse and mercy hee alledgeth his own example Ye shal reseÌ„ble your heauenly father sayth our Lord Iesus Christ Matt. 5.45 who causeth his daysunne to rise both vppon good and bad and therefore doe good to such as are not worthie of it Seeing that GOD hath not a better reason to perswade vs to shewe mercy than by shewing vs what he himselfe doth it seemeth not in any wise conuenient that he should prouoke vs vnto crueltie For when hee sayth ye shall kill all yee shall leaue nothing euen the young babes shall passe vnder the edge of the sworde what is to be sayd to it but that GOD had no pitie nor kindeheartednesse in that behalfe But although it seeme so to vs yet let vs learne to glorify him knowing that the greatest rigor which is in him is rightful faultlesse yea eueÌ„ although the reason thereof be not manifest vnto vs. And hereby let vs learne to beware y t we be not so bold as to iudge of God or of his doings after our own wit imagination For as soon as a thing seemeth good vnto vs wee take it to bee so in deede and on the contrary part if wee fall to iudging of Gods ordinances at aduenture deeme them to bee euill because wee perceiue not the reason of them where is our obedience Wherefore let vs learne to humble our selues in such wise that if the thinges which God sayth doe not sitly agree with our vnderstanding yet neuerthelesse wee receiue them with all submission and reuereÌ„ce acknowledging that as there is nothing but all wisedome and righteousnesse in him so it becommeth vs to yeeld to his good pleasure and to confesse that whatsoeuer he ordeyneth is the souereine righteousnesse Againe to the end that the thing which is set downe here may not seeme straunge wee must marke what maner of people they were of whom mention is made here It is sayd Thou shalt destroy the people whom I will deliuer into thy hand Now if it be demaunded whereof it came that God would haue none of them reserued Let vs haue an eye to that which had bin spoken foure hundred yeeres afore namely The wickednesse of the Amorrhites is not yet come to his full ripenesse Gen. 15.16 In the time of Abraham these people were so malicious and spitefull in vexing that holy patriarke as they refused euen to let him haue water GeÌ„ 21.25.30 Not that hee went about to borrowe any out of their pondes and fountaines but that they wold not suffer him to injoy the welles that hee himselfe had digged in the desert places He did no wrong to any man and yet they were so cruell that they would not suffer him to drinke of the water which hee had gotten by his owne skill and trauell He was hunted from place to place and yet hee had not done any man wroÌ„g Againe all the countrie was ful of the contempt of God all was full of wickednesse robberie whoredome and all maner of vncleanesse To bee short God seemed to bee asleepe in that hee punished not those nations which were so giuen ouer to all vngodlynesse and outrage And if they that grudge at this text had liued in those dayes they would haue sayd how now God promiseth to doe iustice and to take vengeance vppon all the despisers of his maiestie
be of his Church in which respect we be say I more bound vnto him than were the Iewes Now it is true y t gods writing of his law in two tables of stone as I haue declared already heretofore specially in the first place was to y e intent y t his doctrine should abide sure For he had an eye to y e cōmon trade among men who vpon the making of leags alliances are wont to haue thē ingrauen in stone or brasse After y e same maner it was Gods wil y t his law should for y e better continuance therof be grauen in two stones Ye see then how God doth as it were passe a solemn couenant Neuerthelesse wee must therwithall also come to the figure namely y t the writing of the law after y t fashion in a cupple of stones serued to shew y t it was not ynough for folke to haue y e law giuen thē to vnderstand it vnlesse it were ingrauen in their hearts For we must come to y e similitude y t is made by y e prophets For although God shewed his law to be sufficiently authorised by vouchsafing to ingraue it so in these stones yet did he giue an incling y t that would nothing boote verily because y e true tables wherein it behoueth vs to write the doctrine of God are our harts howbeit not as they be by nature For what maner of ones are they Euē of stone as it is said of them in Ezechiel So then let vs marke that y e letter of y e law is nothing worth Ezec. 11.19 36.26 vntil god worke in vs by his holy spirit And that is the cause why he hath promised to make a newe couenant Ier. 31.32.33 not after the maner y t hee made it with the fathers for that continued not saith he And why Hee sheweth y t the blame fault therof is in men be cause they turne away runne at rouers as soon as God hath called them neuer follow him at all Although they pretend to make great account of his grace yet is there no stedinesse in them but rather vtter lightnesse for by and by they fling away after their own wicked affectiōs The couenant of God then yea though it were written in stones could not hold them in And why so Not for that God abode not faithful on his part or that hee persisted not to shewe that his choosing of Abrahās linage was not in vaine but for that they were bereft disappointed of that great benefite dispossessed of Gods freebestowed new againe But there were fourtie yeares betweene the one and the other For Aaron dyed at such time as the people had outworne their terme of fourtie yeares during which time god had forfended them the lande of promise Now in the ende of that terme Aaron was depriued of the dignitie of the priesthood and Eleazer his son was made highpriest in his stead But here Moses comprehendeth all that had bin done by the space of fourtie yeares from the publishing of the lawe vnto the verie same day that he exhorted the people to put themselues in better readinesse to enter into their inheritance than they had beene in at the beginning He telleth them that although there had happened many changes in the meane time yet had God in effect prouided that his lawe was to bee had alwayes in estimation to be honored and that the world might perceiue that his maiestie was therein that all men ought to submit thēselues thereunto And for that cause doth Moses say that hee had chosen the children of Leuye notwithstanding that Aaron had sinned For to what ende doeth Moses speake here of his brothers death Euen to make it knowen that God had shewed fauour towardes the trybe of Leuye as well as towards all the rest of the people The trybe of Leuye was chosen to offer sacrifice it was a prerogatiue which God had giuen them And were they worthie of it Could they boast themselues to haue beene more worthie than their brethren It is true that they executed vēgeance vpon the ydolaters but yet was Moses faine to call them to him and to command them to sanctifie their handes Exod. 32.29 Yee must hallowe your hands to the Lord sayth he howe in slaying those that haue so grieuously offended and been an occasion of turning all thinges vpside downe This day therfore it behoueth you to vtter what zeale ye haue towards the maintenance of gods honour and to sanctifie his name without sparing of your own brethrē or your neerest neighbours forasmuch as they haue so defaced Gods glorie to the vttermost of their power therefore they must be vtterly rooted out The Leuites did well execute the thing that Moses cōmaunded them Exo. 32.2.4 but yet did the high priest Aaron make the golden calfe True it is that hee withstoode it or at leastwise consented not to it but yet did he swarue at length by graunting the peoples importunate request and therefore was he faine to beare the punishment which GOD tolde him of saying thou shalt not come within the land which I will giue vnto my people Albeit that he represented the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ Hebr. 5.1 ◠and was a figure of him although he was a mediatour betweene God and men so as he made intercession for the sinnes of the people offered sacrifices for the reconciling of them to the maiesty of God yet was he banished out of that lande to his shame hee dyed hee was stripped out of his robes before his death hee was as a man disgraded and God left him as a dishonoured person and as a man defaced with perpetuall reproche Now if God extended such punishment vppon the person of Aaron what had they deserued which were inferiors to him So then Moses telleth them that Gods choosing of the trybe of Leuye to carrie the Arke and to be occupyed about his seruice was not for that they were worthie of it Deut. 〈…〉 but because hee was minded to shewe the same thing to the successours of Leuye which he had spoken of the rest of the whole bodie of Abrahams ofspring namely that they had all things of his only free goodnesse That is the cause why the death of Aaron is rehearsed here But by the way we see that Moses spared not his own brother For here he repeteth the sentence y t God had giuen also executed against him y t was not for y e honor of his own house But what His meaning was y t God should be glorified men condemned Yea we see that his intent was not to conceale his owne fault but to shew that God had punished him for it though there were great cause of excuse in him al the blame was to haue bin layd vpon the people because his ouershooting of himselfe was but in y t one case that not through malice but
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
doing him homage for the goods that wee haue receiued at his hande bee by such force and constreint Nowe wee see in effect what is imported in these two speeches namely that wee must not haue our hearts locked vp to hinder vs from well doing but that not onely our handes but also our heartes must bee open towards such as are distressed to haue pitie vppon them and to vse kindnesse to them Where this is not there must needes bee all manner of crueltie as wee commonly see that such as haue most to spare doe fall to repyning if a bodie go about to wring an almes from them and they make a grudging at it like a dog when one woulde take away a bone out of his mouth And if they happe to giue any thing bee it for shame or for any other cause it is a death to thē to part from it And surely it were better that such rakehelles were rooted out of the worlde than that they should liue among men For they bee monsters against kinde they bee foule churles that coulde finde in their hearts to deuour and swallowe downe all the worlde into their mawes Or rather they bee men full of vnbeliefe which haue no more trust in God than diuels bearing themselues in hande that the earth is not able to finde them By reason whereof if it come to the point that they must giue any thing it striketh them to the heart it killeth them insomuch that the asking of an Almes at their hande is as the drawing of a sworde to cut their throtes Therefore let vs looke to our selues and when we heare our Lord speake of the not hardening of our hearts let vs beginne at this point of kindnesse in hauing pitie and compassion vpon such as are in distresse And therewithall let our hande bee at libertie afterwarde in such sort as wee may protest that wee offer GOD a sacrifice with a free heart And nowe Moses addeth Beware that this wicked thought come not in thy heart to say Beholde the Seuenth yeare is at hande and if I lende my money must lie dead for the time He calleth it a wicked thought when we be helde backe by it too much to our owne profite and in the meane while forsake the partie that is in neede For were our thoughts well ruled surely wee should not bee so greatly wedded to our owne profite but that we would also thinke vpon those whom God commendeth vnto vs. 1. Cor. 13.15 It is saide that loue seeketh not his owne True it is that it cannot bee but that euerie man will bee mindfull of himselfe But Saint Paules meaning in saying so is that men must not bee caried away with the loue of their owne profite as who shoulde say they woulde haue no fellowshippe with their neighbours nor streine themselues to doe any thing for them Therefore as for those which say I must haue regarde of my selfe and therewithall doe despise others and passe not what they endure those seeke their owne gaine and in so doing shewe themselues to be vtterly voide of charitie Contrariwise if wee bee kindhearted although wee be mindfull of our selues yet are we not so caried away with it but that wee beare an euen hand and proceede to the louing of our neighbours as our selues Whereas our nature wholly draweth vs to our owne priuate profite let vs bethinke our selues thus What I cannot separate my selfe from those to whom God hath knit me for that were a wicked diuorce If I should holde my selfe alone and haue no regard but of mine owne aduantage It were a cutting of my selfe off from mankinde I were worthie to be cut from the rest of the world for it is against kinde So then it is not without cause that Moses saith that when a man is so mindful of his owne profite and seeketh it in such sort that he taketh it as an occasion to refuse to help his neighbors at all it is a wicked thought for thereby wee bee done to vnderstand that we must not iustifie our selues because that although men be not able to accuse vs so as we may condemned by mans Lawe yet doth it not followe therefore that wee be quit before God If a man come to borrowe mony of mee and I thinke thus with my selfe I cannot tell whether this man be able to pay me againe or no he is a poore man and when I haue taried a long time hee may chaunce to growe poorer and poorer and then is my money loste Nowe then if this poore man that was to be succoured abide still in distresse and in the end perish the other that woulde not lend him shall not be accused for it nor brought to answere for it before men And if men cast him in the teeth with it O will hee say It was for mee to seeke mine owne profite I listed not to hazarde my selfe after that fashion Well this excuse may serue afore men but in the meane while what saith the heauenly Iudge to it It is a wicked thought saieth hee and let men flatter themselues neuer so much they shall winne nothing by it Therefore let vs marke that wee must not wey our woorkes in our owne scales as who shoulde say wee shall goe scotfree because wee haue some startinghole For our Lorde telleth vs that the thing which beares a shewe to be excusable of it selfe is cursed in his sight that is to wit if wee succour not the partie that hath neede at leastwise according to our abilitie And it is the selfesame thing that our Lorde Iesus Christ putteth vs in minde of where hee saieth that wee must doe good to such as are not able to requite vs with the like Luke 6.35 and that wee must lende without looking for any gaine For neither in lending nor in giuing commonly is there any liberalitie among men but euerie man hath an eye to his owne gaine If a man giue it is to the ende to receiue giftes againe and if a man lende alwayes his respect is that such a one may doe him pleasure and recompence him with the like good turne againe It is no Liberalitie when wee doe good in hope to bee recompensed for it againe But if wee do good to a poore man at whose hande wee cannot by any meanes reape any profite that is a point of free goodnesse and God alloweth of it for it is an acceptable sacrifice vnto him And that is the cause why hee saieth that we should not giue to such as are able to requite vs but to such as are vtterly vnable and of whom wee haue no hope to recouer the principall for it is no Almesdeede that is to say no deede of mercie vnlesse there bee neede and where is neede but among such as are not able to recompence Yea and euen where our money may seeme to bee cast into the water insomuch that wee haue succoured such a man as it may bee saide Verily this is quite lost
deede they coulde well finde in their heartes that their children were taught what to doe To thinke vpon their houshould businesse and dealinges or to occupy some trade that they might put them to no cost when they came to age but rather that they might reape some profite by them For these wayes there is commonly care ynough But as for the feare of GOD honestie of conuersation and all other vertues they neuer thinke vppon them For as the prouerbe sayes there is no likelihoode that those thinges will bring gryst to the mill and therefore a father can finde in his hart to winke at y e vices of his child so long as he sees no disaduantage to insue of it But there is malice also matched with it insomuch that if a man goe about to reforme their children they will steppe vp against him and fauour their children and maintaine them euen against GOD. And our Lorde payeth them the wages which they haue deserued Wee see howe the veriest pinchpennies in a whole Citie or countrey and the veriest niggardes and vilanes which would gnawe off their fingers endes for a pennie or for a dodkinne to white their teeth withall haue whoremongers to their children who can not but picke their fathers purses for a harlotte will alwayes be crauing The child therefore becomes a robber of his father and yet the father is contented to maintaine him and will be angry that any body should chastise him for it spewing foorth his poyson like a diuell as hee is In deede this is no newe thing for it falles out so in all cases and likewise also in this behalfe Nowe when such thinges are to be seene ought we not to beholde Gods vengeance also Thou art a pinchpenny thou art so giuen to couetousnesse y t thou pinest vpon the ground thou darest not eate one bit of breade but with greefe and yet in the meane while thou hast a Sonne that filcheth and stealeth from thee to maintaine his whoredome Because thou art a despiser of God and a wicked keytife and wilt needes haue thy sonne to resemble thee and thy mainteyning of him after that fashion is a furtherance of his sinne and wickednesse Therfore doeth God recompence thee according to thy desert For thou art worthy to haue thy goods deuoured and to be mocked at of the whole worlde so as all men may beholde thy shame thou thy selfe neuer perceiue it Herein we see Gods manifest iudgement Whatsoeuer it be let vs beare in minde this lesson that if fathers and mothers be negligent they be as blameworthy before God as if they had giuen their children leaue to doe all maner of wickednesse But if they be offended at other men for correcting them for indeuoring to bring thē backe into the right way they shew thēselues to be become starke diuels and y t God hath giuen them vp to a reprobate sense Therefore let euery of vs for his owne part take warning to discharge ourselues of his duetie And let such as haue children take pains to teach them howbeit not for the reaping of any earthly profite by them Truly that may well be an accessarie to it but it ought not to be the chiefe point Wherunto then must they haue regarde Forasmuch as God hath done them the honour to set them in the degree of fathers they must do their best to yeelde vnto him their children whom he hath put into their handes to make true sacrifices of them vnto him that there may alwayes remaine some good seede to honour him withall For we see howe y e scripture telleth vs oftentimes that Gods name must florish from generation to generation And that is to the end y t hauing serued him all the time of our life we should indeuour to the vttermost of our power that there might remain a good ofspring after our decease so as Gods glory might not be quenched nor buried but y t his praise might indure for euer That say I is the marke whereat fathers mothers ought to aime insomuch that euen they y t haue no children ought to haue the same minde and desire yea and to shewe it also by their doings as much as they can possibly What ought he then to doe who is bound to it by some speciall reasō When he seeth a mirrour of Gods grace in his house Psal. 128. it is the blessing which the scripture doth so highly commende as who would say I haue my yong children about me God sheweth me as it were with his finger y t he loueth me hath a care of my house He hath created mee heere yong children of my seede after his own image and they be baptised in his name to the intent I should bee the more mooued to dedicate them to him to frame them to the obeying of him If a man haue such a teaching and such a marke to set his eyes vpon and yet is neuer the more prouoked to doe his duetie must it not needes be that he is worse than a block So then let this respect bee well marked and let men beare it in mind that it may stirre them vp to do the thing that is tolde them heere namely to bring vp their children faithfully if they haue any And moreouer when they see any euill touch or vice in them let them labour to reforme it so as the father and mother may protest that they haue done their dueties Nowe moreouer heere is expresse mention made of stubbornnesse For as concerning peculiar faultes a father and a mother ought to indeuour continually to bring their children into the right way True it is that God ment not to haue other faultes to goe vnpunished When a childe hath any way offended hauing a father or mother aliue it is not meant that hee should be exempted from punishment vnder colour that he is vnder correction of his father and mother But heere God speaketh of an other case which is that fathers and mothers should bring their children before the Iudge to haue them put to death Loe heere is a great extremitie We knowe well what a heartbreaking it is to a father to see his sonne punished by Lawe euen though it bee by some other bodyes meane Then is it not possible for a father to deliuer his sonne to death vntill he haue assayed all the remedies that can bee for otherwise it were against kinde Therefore not without cause is heere mention made of so great pride and stubbornnesse that the father hauing streyned himselfe and done what hee can to the vttermost to reclayme his childe perceiueth that it booteth him not to doe any more and therefore that he must bee faine to deliuer him into the Iudges hande to be put to death And so wee see that fathers and mothers must proceede in chastisesing their children vntill they see them vtterly past hope of amendement And I adde this because that parentes are so out of patience sometimes when
two parts The one is that when an offender is executed by order of lawe men must not bee ashamed of the hanging of his bodie Why so For a witnesse that his death is a thing neither against God nor against right but rather that for the mainteining of ciuil gouernment among mankynd it is requisite that misdeedes should bee punished as wee haue seene alreadie that the euill must bee rooted out from among the people And the seconde parte is that the dead bodie for all that shall not hang vppon the gibbet aboue one day because it straketh a horror into men and maketh them dismayed to see a mannes bodie so hanging in the ayre God therefore willed that men shoulde content themselues with it for one day in respect of iustice and that afterwarde the bodye shoulde be buryed In deede it is true that this lawe was peculiar to the Iewes and that at this day wee bee no more bounde to it than to the ceremonies it is now set at libertie But yet doth the doctrine thereof continue still The vse of the lawe is vtterly abolished but yet must wee haue an eye to the ende wherefore God commanded it and apply the same to our learning First of all then let vs marke that although it bee a dreadfull thing to put a man to death because hee is created after the image of God yet notwithstanding when it is done vppon iust cause and by those to whome God hath committed the sworde of Iustice it must needes bee done and wee must not esteeme it as an vnkindly thing For what a thing were it if faultes shoulde scape vnpunished It were better for vs to bee wylde beasts So then seeing that mankynde cannot bee maintayned but by rigour of iustice and by the punishing of such as haue disturbed the common order it must not bee taken for crueltie or for a defacing of Gods image when a man is put to death All such manner of allegations must bee set aside For God him selfe speaketh and telleth vs that wee ought to bee so little ashamed to put an offender to death that his body must bee layde out to the sight of euery man and thereupon God is to bee praised for hauing so great and so fatherly care of men as to roote out the person that is a disturber of the peace and to cut off those as rotten members which might marre all the residue that the rest might abyde in safetie To bee short wee haue here a maintenance of the iustice that is executed by magistrates in punishing mennes faultes and misdeedes euen vnto the death Iustice is not to be abhorred or misliked because a man is sent to the gallowes Well may wee bee afrayde when wee see such examples before vs but yet must wee also commende and reuerence iustice For why Yee see here howe God alloweth and vpholdeth the punishing of offenders as a thing acceptable to him and that he will haue the verie heauen to bee a witnesse thereof by hanging vp the body vppon a gibbet and hee will haue all the elementes to bee there also to saye No no yee must not spare them God hath appoynted that this execution should bee done and commanded the same and therefore you ought to obey him For if that were not wee shoulde come to vtter confusion and God hath shewed vs that wee ought not to bee so wise as to incounter his will I tell you this is a lesson verie behoofefull for vs in these dayes Although this lawe was but for the outwarde man yet was it Gods will that the instruction thereof shoulde indure for euer And in very deede it hath continued among men euen by nature For the Heathen who had not the lawe of Moses fayled not to followe the same order insomuch that whensoeuer any man was executed by iustice it was set foorth for an example Whereby wee may perceiue that God hath grauen this principle in mennes heartes that the executions which are done by persons of authoritie and by such as are in office haue the charge committed vnto them are not to be euil spoken of but rather that wee ought to cōmend them for obeying God and for doing the thing that belonged to their degree For if a Iudge beeing armed with the sworde doe spare the partie that hath committed a wicked deed he is as blameworthie before God as if hee had condemned a guiltlesse person Prou. 17.15 as Salomon auoweth And this serueth to ouerthrowe the fantasticall opinions of such as say that among Christians no man ought to be put to death because the like rigour is not as was vnder y e lawe Verily as who shoulde say that God had changed his mynde and resigned his office for wee knowe that hee is Iudge of the worlde for euer And although hee reserue the execution of that office till the last iudgement and haue committed that charge to our Lorde Iesus Christ yet is it his wil that there should be some resemblance of iustice euen in this earthly life True it is that it shall not come to perfection heere and that the most parte of such as shal bee condemned at the latter day shall in this worlde scape the handes of the earthly Iudges but yet for al that howe soeuer the worlde goe God will not haue inordinate loosenesse to reigne so as men might do what they list and al crymes scape vnpunished Therefore his will is that vengeance should be executed by those into whose hands hee hath put the sworde of iustice as sayeth S. Paul in the thirteenth to the Romanes where hee telleth vs that Gods arming of them after that sorte is not for naught hee will not haue them to bee but as a shadowe to scarre babes and to bee vtterly voyde of power but hee will haue Iudges to knowe that they bee bounde to punish misdeedes And so farre off is it that their so doing shal bee imputed to them for euill or sinne that God hath shewed by this ceremonie of the lawe that all the Elementes of the worlde accept it and allowe of it as witnesses to God as who shoulde say that the body hanging in the ayre is as a solemne Record that such execution is not to bee condemned neyther ought the magistrates to bee desirous to hyde it as though they were murderers of such as they cause to bee put to death but rather to set them out for an example as who woulde say wee haue done a sacrifice vnto God it is our office it is our charge thus behoueth it vs to doe for if wee shoulde spare men in this behalfe wee shoulde sell that good cheape which is none of ours that is to saye Gods iustice For it is committed vnto vs vppon condition that wee must yeeld account thereof Thus much concerning the first poynt Nowe there is also a seconde poynt which is that the body must not hang in the ayre aboue one day And that is because such sightes doe in trueth
make men afrayde Also it was Gods will that one dayes recorde shoulde suffice among his people that they should not keepe the corps there any longer But I haue told you alreadie that wee be no more bounde thereunto by necessitie In some countryes they haue deuised certaine brotherhoods who should goe and take down the bodyes from the Gibbets burie them And truely that was a fonde deuotion for they knewe not wherefore they did so The Iewes also were so bewitched with their owne dotages that they thought that the buryall of them commaunded in this place did concerne the welfare of their soules Likewise the Heathen imagined that the soules of men went wandring and straying heere and there vntill their bodyes were buryed But these are dotages of the diuels owne deuysing to turne away men continually to a multitude of lyes Gods care is rather of vs which are alyue as though hee meant to set a meane betweene the rigour of Iustice and the gentlenesse which ought to bee among vs. This meane therefore is well woorthie to bee marked for wee euer swarâ—e aside to some extremitie In shunning crueltie wee become cowardly and haue no more regarde of Iustice but woulde haue all faultes forgiuen and that men might haue free leaue to do all manner of mischiefe without correction On the other side in mynding to bee seuere we run in daunger of being too seuere God therfore appoynteth a meane which is first of all that we should punish the offences that deserue death And secondly to the ende that Iustice shoulde bee had in honour and that we shoulde not surmise any reprochefulnesse in it hee will haue the offenders bodies hoysed vp into the aire for men to looke at as it were in way of warrantie y t wheÌ„ a magistrate punisheth an offence he offereth vp a sacrifice acceptable in heauen consequently which ought to be well taken on earth Yet for all this hee will not haue vs to be too hardhearted but alwayes to reteine still some pitifulnesse and compassion And when iustice is so approoued he will haue the body to bee buryed yea euen remooued from of the earth as an infection For why So long as a mannes body hangeth vppon the gallowes there are two thinges seene the one is that God hath well prouided for mankinde in ordeyning the execution of iustice and that malefactours should not bee spared That is one poynt Another is that men may say thus with themselues Lo here is a wicked deede done for these are tokens that the land hath bin defiled Therefore when a bodie is so hanged vp it is a signe of the defyling of the lande by the committing of some robberie murther or other haynous cryme When it is so let this also bee euer marked God therefore intendeth to shewe that where iustice is executed the fault is forgiuen and the countrey standeth no longer charged therewith but his wrath is pacified And as though the misdeede had bin spared he will haue the body buried Thus yee see howe the executing of iustice vpon offenders and wicked doers and the cutting off of leaudenesse is a warrant that Gods vengeance shall not light vpon the Lande Nowe then wee see in effect what God ment by his Lawe Also we see howe the instruction continueth still vnto vs though we haue not the vse of the Lawe it selfe because the Lawe commaunded a thing whereunto wee be no more bounde since the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ. So to be shorte this doctrine is not vnprofitable for wee knowe Gods meaning which concerneth vs as well as the Iewes But nowe must wee come to the chiefe point that is to be gathered of this text For whereas our Lorde Iesus Christ was hanged on tree it happened not by happe hazarde Truely the Iewes desired that he might be crucified which in those dayes was the most horrible reprochfull yea and painefull death that could be For the hanging of Christ vpon the tree was not after the manner that is spoken of heere Such as were stoned among the Iewes were also hanged vp vppon a gibbet after they were dead and although they were not strangled nor beheaded but ouerwhelmed with stones yet were their bodyes taken and hanged vppe that all others might take example at them But our Lorde Iesus Christ was crucified yea euen as though hee had beene a cutthrote after the same manner that men lay murtherers nowadayes vppon the wheele And as I sayde that was a verie cruell kinde of death Neither was it doone by the Lawe of Moses but by custome of the Romanes who raigned at that time in Iewrie Yet notwithstanding the sonne of God was hanged on tree And the Iewes regarded it not but cryed out to haue him crucified Also when Pylate condemned him thereto his meaning was not to put him to it as in respect of the reprochfulnesse thereof before God but God gouerned it in such sort by his secret prouidence that Iesus Christ was accursed when he hung vppon the crosse according to that which had beene spoken of him afore And that is Saint Paules meaning 〈◊〉 3.13 For in telling vs that we be sette free from the curse of the Lawe hee sayeth that our Lorde Iesus bare it in his body by being hanged vpon tree Also it is the same thing that Saint Peter ment in saying that he bare our sinnes vpon the tree 1. Pet. 2.24 And otherwise this saying of the prophet Esay had not beene fulfilled 〈◊〉 53.5 that the chastisement of our peace was layde vpon him so as hee was faine to beare our punishment whereby we might be reconciled vnto GOD. And in the foresayde text which I alleadged out of y e Galathians S. Paul treateth of two things He sayeth that because wee can not attaine to righteousnesse but by fulfilling the Lawe in all pointes and by being discharged before GOD it behoued our Lorde Iesus Christ to bee subiect to the Lawe to the intent that his obedience might nowe be imputed vnto vs and God accept thereof as though we brought the like obedience of our owne When we speake of being iustified before God howe is that to be vnderstoode Verily that we should obey the thinges that God commaundeth vs in his Lawe For the righteousnesse that hee speaketh of is that he which doeth those thinges shall liue thereby Leuit. 18.5 Then must our life be ruled altogether after the will of GOD and then shall wee be taken for righteous before him Is there nowe so much as one man to be founde which commeth anie thing neere this obseruation of the Lawe and that with such vncorrupt soundnesse No. The holiest Saintes that euer haue beene were farre off from such perfection Then are we all disappointed of righteousnesse so as we can not in any wise stande in Gods fauour But yet are we righteous in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And why For he beeing the souereigne king in whome there was no
he hath also his latter iudgement which he reserueth vnto himselfe We see in deede that he beareth with the contemners of his maiesty and with those which are most harde hearted and vnamendeable he winketh at them he maketh no reckening to punish them but the time which he giueth them shall cost thē very deere They may well vse that diuelishe prouerbe of theirs That the time is woorth a mans monie but it had beene better for them that they had beene reformed at first that so to haue nourished the vengeaunce of God against themselues For after that they haue defied him to y e vtmost they shall in the ende feele that they abused his goodnesse ouermuch which waited their leasure so long and allured them vnto repentaunce God then reserueth vnto himselfe a iudgement which appeareth not yet vnto men But as for mortall men which are Iudges they must doe their duetie they haue their rule and their lesson deliuered vnto them let them sticke to that and discharge themselues So then lette vs learne to vnderstande that our Lorde sheweth himselfe very gentle and pitifull towardes vs in that we liue still in this worlde and are nourished still at his handes and in that he beareth so mercifully with vs. For why Our faults towardes him are innumerable and wee shoulde be killed with stripes if he vsed not this inestimable goodnesse which I haue spoken of Moreouer secondly in this place here is mention made of moderating the chastisementes which are vsed For the Iudges ought alwayes to consider that they sitte in Iustice in the behalfe of GOD and therefore into that seate which is holy and dedicated to the dooing of right they may not bring their owne passions to feede their owne choler and to deale crossely and ouerthwartly as they themselues list God therefore in saying that there shal be a certaine number of stripes declareth expressely that there must be a reasonable measure vsed in punishing Verily when a man is not to be cleane rooted out but to liue still in the worlde God will not haue him maimed that he should become vnprofitable as touching his body For what a thing were it if a man should be so rigorously handled as to be made a cripple so as hee can no more helpe himselfe It were better hee had beene put to death at the first than to be left to pine away in this worlde and to be as a blocke Nowe therefore when a man is to bee left aliue still GOD will haue the Iudges to haue a regarde that he be not beaten or scourged in such wise as he be disfigured or made vnable to helpe himselfe That is the very thing which God will haue men to looke vnto And for the same cause he setteth downe heere the number of stripes to wit fortie stripes and that at the most Nowe the Iewes being ful of Ceremonies tooke away one stripe and it is the manner of men to adde alwayes somewhat to the lawe of God as though all perfection were not contained in it Truely GOD hadde sayde vnto them Ye shall nor adde nor diminish any thing from that which I haue spoken but mennes affections are euer boyling and men will alwayes bee wiser than it is lawefull for them to bee And that is the very cause of the inuenting so many rules obseruations of the which sort there are a number of thinges in the Popedome And why it is good to doe so say they a man can not do too much In deede a man can not do to much in conforming himselfe to the will of God For howe great soeuer our care bee in that behalfe yet our weakenesse will not suffer vs to be linked thereunto in such sorte as were requisite But to adde any thing vnto that which GOD commaundeth is alwayes an ouerweening and presumption worthie to bee condemned Yet neuerthelesse it was the manner of the Iewes to giue thirtie and nine stripes And why They thought thus with themselues Oh it is to bee doubted least when a man hadde giuen fourtie stripes hee coulde not withholde himselfe from giuing one more and so by that meanes he shold goe beyonde the Law Ye say well but our lord had no respect of such small tryfles He ordained onely that there should be a moderation in all the chastisementes which were made I meane alwayes when the offence deserued not death as we haue declared afore But as touching this obseruation it hath beene a long time among the Iewes it is yet in vse among them at this day Saint Paule sheweth it where hee reporteth that he was fiue times whipped For albeit that at that time the Iewes had no iniurisdiction nor rule in their owne handes yet some kinde of chastisement was left vnto thē in their Synagogues so that when any offended among them if the crime touched not the publike estate they had authoritie to correct him after the manner of their countrey 2. Cor. 11.24 And Saint Paule sayth that he was beaten in this wise fiue times And I receiued sayth he fortie stripes saue one When he sayth saue one he giueth vs to vnderstande that the Iewes neuer tormented him but with extreeme rigour I meane as farre as their power stretched For if they coulde haue killed him and eaten him vppe they would haue done it they sought nothing else but to teare Saint Paule in peeces as farre as their rage and furie draue them But because it was not lawefull for them to passe any farther the scourged him vnto thirtie and nine stripes according as it was sayde that the punishment must be made according to the desert But a man coulde finde no such desert in Saint Paule for it was for the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ that he snffered such punishment But we see the crueltie of the Iewes who coulde not be satisfied without they had vsed the vtmost extremitie that they coulde against Saint Paule Beholde how hypocrites would obserue the lawe of God in vsing of some formalitie but in the meane time they misse alwayes in the substaunce So much the more therefore ought we to be warned to haue an eye vnto Gods meaning and when wee see what it pleaseth him to commaunde vs lette vs holde ourselues vnto it let euerie man stay himselfe thereupon let vs not turne aside from it neither vnto the right hande nor vnto the left and in so doing we can not erre And that is the thing in effect which we haue to beare in minde vpon this place Nowe if such chastisementes must be vsed for the smaller iniurie where a man can not complaine of any great matter as that his arme is cut off or such a wounde is giuen him as will sticke by him all the time of his life but only that one hath hurte him either in his good name or in his bodie if God I say will haue such a fault so punished and that the malefactour shall not escape what shall be done to those
swaruing aside one way or other Yea hee will haue them to waite for the worde from his mouth and hee telleth vs that hee vtterly mislyketh all that euer men doe bring of their owne Esa. 1.13 and that it is not only vaine but stinking and abhominable in his sight Neuerthelesse it is an ordinarie matter in Poperie to forge such pelting trifles and gewgawes without number Yea and it is a common prouerbe among them That whatsoeuer is doone of a good intent is well done yea but God saieth the cleane contrarie So then let vs note that as the people is in this place warned that they haue no libertie graunted vnto them to choose what place euerie man listed as who shoulde saye wee will serue God in this place and hee will accept well of it but that they must come vnto the place which hee himselfe had appointed and not attempt any thing vppon their owne heades but onely followe the saide rule of resorting to the place which God had marked foorth Whereby we see that when the case concerneth the seruing of him we may not attempt any thing of our selues but holde vs vnto that which hee hath ordained Nowe in deede it is true that at this day there is no such peculiar place appointed wherin God wil be worshipped or wherein he will haue sacrifices made as was the temple of Ierusalem yet notwithstāding vnder one particular we haue here a generall instruction that it is not lawfull for vs to doe what we thinke good to worship God withall but that we must haue an eye vnto that which he requireth and lyketh of and neuer passe beyond those boundes Let vs come now vnto this saying That the man shall offer himselfe vnto the Priest and say Beholde I protest here that my father was a Syrian a very beggar and came into this land lyke a poore hunger staruen soule and was afterward driuen into Egypt from whence at length God brought him backe againe and gaue vnto vs this Land wherein wee dwell now through his fauour Now by this manner of protestation the Iewes were done to vnderstand that they ought to come vnto GOD without compulsion as if it were sayd I looke not to be thrust foreward I looke not to bee called vp by processe as one that minded not to doe his duetie but by force but I protest that is to say I offer my selfe here of mine owne good will I come aforehand In deede God had appointed this law as I haue already tolde you it was to reproue the people of their vnthankfulnesse but yet for all that his intent was that the people shoulde come their owne good will and that is the thing which I haue already touched I might seeme at the first blush that GOD constraineth vs but yet hee meaneth not to stand vpon this poynt it is but to inure vs to an vnfayned and freehearted obedience At the first wee be lyke the young Heiffers which cannot skill to beare the yoke For when a man setteth a young Heiffer first to the plowe he turneth away his head he strugleth striueth and chafeth and in stead of going forewards he draweth backward vntil he be tamed In lyke case is it with a horse there is much a doe with him at the first before hee can be broken God vseth vs in the same manner howbeit but to make vs tractible that whē we be once brought to subiection then we may come with a free franke wil to yeeld ourselues obediēt vnto him Let vs not therfore abide stil in this slauish feare but let vs know y t God is our father and that we ought to take pleasure in framing our selues according to his will Let euery man therefore enforce and set foreward himself herein that we may truely say Behold I protest that I am bound vnto my God Now it is sayd afterwardes My father was a Syrian No doubt but this is meant of Iacob not that he was borne in Syria for he was borne in the land of Chanaan and his father was a straunger there and had not one foot of ground to dwell on he had onely a burying place which he bought for his monie and they were faine to remoue often out of one place into an other as men draue them out They were lyke byrdes vpon a bough 〈◊〉 37.41 Besides this Iacob was banished out of his fathers house and forced to get him away because his brother Esau threatned to kill him By reason whereof he abode a long time in the land of Syria he dwelled there fourteene yeere to get him those wiues which hee had namely Lea and Rachel and after that he serued his father in Law Laban for sheepe because he would not depart home altogether naked Ye see then how Iacob was first a poore wanderer and had soone forgotten the land of Chanaan when he was gone out of it In deede God alwayes kept him in sure trust of y e promise which was made vnto him concerning that land and that was the cause why hee made that vowe of his Gen. 28.20 when he went out of the land which was giuen vnto him yet neuerthelesse he was olde before he went out of Syria Behold being a man broken with age and striken farre in yeares he entreth againe into the land of Chanaan that as a Syrian for he is altogether new he commeth thither as one that had neuer bin there before and although he had then some wealth yet were all his miseries there brought new again to his minde My father a Syrian was in the very way of destructiō For how was he afflicted when hee was constrained to leaue his fathers house He hath the knife held as it were to his throate Gen. 30.31 for behold Esau his brother seeketh to put him to death Esau is possessed as it were w t a diuelish spirite to persecute his brother Iacob And when Iacob meant to returne into the land of Chanaan behold that cruel beast namely Laban deuoureth him not onely fleecing the wool from his back but also oppressing him after a tyrannous manner In the end he must yet appease his brother Esau in which miserie of his he is as it were halfe dead and maketh no other account but to be vtterly cast away he thinketh neuer to saue his familie Gen. 32. Neuerthelesse he diuideth it into foure bandes that if the one might not be saued the other might escape Beholde to what shift hee is put and how hee deuiseth with himselfe well if there bee no remedie but that thou must dye well yet some one of thy children maye escape and although I cannot saue all yet God will keepe some one aliue to performe his promise in him Such was the comming home of Iacob So then it is not sayd without cause in this place that hee was at the poynt to be destroyed yet did God succor him as it is sayd here Neuerthelater Iacob is yet farther
to walke vprightlie and not to halt on both sides as hypocrites doe Wee see that they which were the iustest in all the world haue confessed their wretchednesse and bin ashamed of their whole lyfe Iob in deede sayth Iob. 29.15 that he was an eye vnto the blinde a foote to the lame a defendour of the fatherlesse a father of the poore the refuge of the widowe that he deceiued no man that he abused not his credit and that his hand was not shut vnto theÌ„ which were in neede And yet after he hath said all this hee sayth Alas when I come before my Iudge I must haue my mouth shut vp Wee see how the seruantes of GOD haue not bin so presumptuous as to set forth their owne lyfe as perfect Act. 13.22 Dauid had such a witnes of God as wee may wonder at I haue found Dauid sayth God according to mine owne heart Beholde how God speaketh and auoweth that Dauid was the holyest of all creatures and yet for all this wee heare what he sayth Psal. 143.2 Alas Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for neither I nor any man liuing shall be founde righteous in thy sight Psal. 130.3 Lord if thou deale lyke a Iudge who shall stand before thee Beholde we are all of vs confounded If these men haue thus spoken what shall be sayd of vs which are farre wide from such perfectnes as was found in their lyfe And therfore we see how al the faithful y t euer were haue alwayes acknowledged their faultes haue euer bin humble haue euer bin beaten downe Saint Paul also who was so excellent in al vertue Rom. 7.24 saith Alas wretch that I am who shal deliuer me from this bodie of death And afterward in the end although he was a prisoner although hee waited for nothing but death and prepared him self to receiue it and beheld euen then y e crown of righteousnesse which was prepared for him yet he saith I am not yet come to my marke but I must enforce my selfe yet farther Phil. 3. â—â— S. Paule herein confesseth his infirmities So then let vs note that the Saintes neuer vaunted themselues before God to haue performed all that he commaunded them and to haue discharged themselues of their dutie But when they had taken holde of the free fauour which was promised vnto them namely that GOD pardoned their sinnes and that he would not call them to any precise account that he forgate and buryed all the spottes and staynes which were in their workes when they tooke holde I say of this promise and hung wholy vppon it then could they protest and say Lord we haue done all that thou hast commaunded vs to doe yea because they were grounded vppon the meere fauour of God who will not examine their workes with rigour After that manner ought this place to be vnderstoode It is not that any man may say that he hath fully discharged his dutie and that he hath obserued y e whole lawe for we are al accursed because it is vnpossible for vs to obserue it but that God meant to stir vp men to enforce themselues to do well And moreouer because we haue alwayes our recourse to the freebestowed goodnes of God he hath giueÌ„ vs this leaue and libertie to say Lord I haue done that which thou commaundest that is to say I haue sought to do it For when we tend to the seruing of God it is all one as if we had serued him wheÌ„ we haue the affection it is all one as if we had y e effect wheÌ„ we are in y e way it is all one as if we had ended our course when we desire it is all one as if we had put the thing in practise And what is the cause hereof EueÌ„ y e infinit goodnes of our God who sifteth vs not seuerely but spareth vs beareth with vs as with his children We see now in effect what is sayd And hereby we are warned to doe our indeuour to walke according vnto the commaundementes of GOD that wee may vnfainedly say Lorde I haue doone all that thou commaundest me And yet in the meane time let vs also acknowledge our vices and craue pardon for them But howsoeuer the worlde goeth let vs not double with GOD but let vs endeuour willinglie and vnfainedlie to obey him This is the thing which wee are taught in this place of Moses Now because the fruits of the earth are treated of here it is saide I haue not eaten of the first fruites in the anguishe of my heart This saying may be expounded two manner of wayes either that men haue not eaten with griefe that which they ought to offer vnto God or that how great soeuer their neede were yet it constrained them not to swarue from doing well but that they alwayes discharged their offeringes As touching the first it is certaine that albeit men bee at defiance with GOD so as they harden themselues to offend yet notwithstanding they haue alwayes some remorse within them In deede when men are come to the fulnesse of all wickednesse they haue no longer any remorse of conscience as S. Paul saith Ephe. 4.19 they make no conscience of doing any thing as we see these robbers which are altogether brutish and not onely such as beset the high wayes but those also which are giuen to pilling and polling they are so setled in crueltie that they make no conscience of dooing any thing The adulterers likewise after the diuel hath once blinded them are no longer ashamed of their owne filthinesse As much is to be saide of all others which are set to followe their carnall affections and desires These seeme to haue no feeling nor remorse of conscience at leastwise as in respect of themselues But yet in the meane time God presseth them in such wise that spite of their teeth they are constrained to haue within theÌ„ many blinde sightes they are awaked when they would rest and they haue secret stinges which torment and vexe them 〈…〉 22. as the Prophet Esay saieth That the wicked man hath no peace that his thoughts are as the waues of the sea which meete together and beate themselues one against another In this case are all such as offend God So then it is not without cause that it shoulde bee said I haue not eaten of it with anguish of my heart as if it were said Lord I haue not eaten my bread in such sort that I haue bin touched with any remorse of hauing giuen any thing vnto thee faynedly or of hauing kept backe y e offerings which thou hast commaÌ„ded me to make Now hereby wee are warned so to content our selues with y t which God giueth vs as y t no prick of conscience might grieue vs for keeping backe other mens goods Yea but in y e meane while wee must note also that we must be diligent in coÌ„sidering what we haue done for they that flatter
men bee not brought into the way of saluation and that all of vs liue not with one accorde as wee ought to doe It is saide The straunger also that dwelleth with thee shall in likewise be taught In deede they had not the promise as the childrē of Abraham had they were not of the body of that people But neuerthelesse God would not haue any brutish people to abide there which shoulde despise all religion for it is such an infection and corruption as is not to bee borne withall in the church when such folke are to bee seene there as knowe not whether there bee a God in heauen or not or which knowe not what religion they shoulde holde Such are to bee ridde away or else there wil bee nothing but corruption which in the ende will marre all Againe it is sayde The children of them which haue not heard thereof afore It is shewed in this place that when the lawe of God hath serued to establish vs in his feare and in the hope of his goodnes and that wee our selues haue beene edified thereby from day to day wee must not forget them that haue not yet tasted of y e trueth but doe as yet goe astray in their errors we must pitie them and doe our indeuour so much as in vs lyeth to winne them that God may be honoured of vs all together That is all in effect which wee haue to beare away concerning this place Nowe as I haue alreadie sayde if the people of Israel were exhorted to haue such a care in the time when they had the doctrine yet more darkely than it is nowe deliuered vnto vs in the Gospel for albeit that it was sufficient for that time yet in comparison of the Gospel it was not so large as wee haue it now sith it is so let vs looke well to our selues and marke well that if euer wee be bereft of this so precious treasure which God hath giuen vs so as it be taken from vs it is for our owne malice rechlesnesse and vnthankfulnes because wee haue despised God and thrust the things vnder foote which wee shoulde haue kept most carefully And therefore let it be a warning to vs to make vs giue good heede to the heauenly doctrine when it is once taught vs and set afore vs. And moreouer let vs followe the order which our Lorde hath established in his Church and not onely let euery of vs for his owne particular part and person followe it and indeuour to profit his owne housholde but also let vs benefite al other folk in common by exercising our selues in that which God commandeth vs. And againe when euery of vs hath so considered of himselfe let vs in likewise bee careful of our neighbours doe our indeuours to winne the ignorant to confirme them which be alreadie brought into the good way vntill wee bee all come to the marke that God hath set before vs. Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults beseeching him to make vs to feele them more and more euen with such repentance as being beaten downe in our selues we may seeke nothing but to obtein mercie of him according as he hath promised vs in our Lord Iesus Christ so as he will cause the desert of his death passion to be auailable that we being washed from all our filthines may be so gouerned by his holy Spirite as we may desire nothing but to giue ouer our selues vnto him fighting against all maner of wicked lustes affections labouring more and more to bee ridde and deliuered from all things that may hinder vs from yeelding our obedience to his righteousnes That it may please him to grant this grace not only vnto vs but also to al people nations of the earth c. On Munday the iiij of May 1556. The CLXXV Sermon which is the third vpon the one thirtith Chapter 14 Then the Lorde said vnto Moses Behold the dayes of thy death be at hand Call Iosuah and stand both of you at the Tabernacle of the Congregation that I may giue him his charge So Moses and Iosuah went and stoode at the Tabernacle of the congregation 15 Then appeared the Lord at the Tabernacle in a clowdie pillar and the clowdy pillar rested vpon the doore of the Tabernacle 16 And the Lord said vnto Moses Beholde thou goest to sleepe with thy fathers and this people will stande vp and commit fornication with the strange gods of the lande whereinto they goe and will forsake mee and breake my couenant which I haue made with them 17 By reason whereof my wrath shall in that day be kindled against them and I will forsake them and hyde my face from them that they may be a pray Many mischiefes and troubles shall they fynde By reason whereof they shall say at that day Do not these mischiefes finde mee out because my God is not with mee GOD hath such a care of mans welfare that hee delayeth not the remedying of a mischiefe til the mischiefe be come but preuenteth if aforehand as we haue here a faire exāple thereof He tarried not til the people were turned away after idols but forasmuch as he knewe well y t it would so come to passe hee vouchesafed to warn them of it made an assay to see whether any preseruatiue medicine might holde it from breaking out God therefore ordeined this song to the intent y t the people shoulde daily haue in their mouth a testimonie against themselues y t they should by that meanes be either restrayned if it were possible or else bee left vtterly w tout excuse And here we see first of al y t God did not choose this people for that they were more worthie or more righteous than other nations of y e earth For proofe wherof he knew very wel that they would be always inclined to euil and not ceasse to shrinke away but become hard-harted in rebelling against him yet for all y t he forbare not to deliuer them out of the land of Egypt to powre out all y e treasures of his infinite goodnes mercie vpon them in doing thē good We haue then heere a certaine proofe y t when God did choose the people of Israel hee had no respect to any worthines or merites that were in them but rather meant to glorifie his own free mercie in shewing y t although men be neuer so vnworthie to be receiued to mercie yet doth he not therefore cease to shew himselfe a father towards them But herewithal we see also as I haue already sayd that god ordeineth such remedies as hee knoweth to bee conuenient to bring them back into the right way delayeth not the releeuing of them till they haue done are falne downe but prouideth all the helpes aforehand which he knoweth to be meete for the leading guiding of them to the intent they should not swarue nor start
rauished that hee had no care of himselfe Nowe therefore when he heard that the people would fall away from God there is no doubt but his heart was mortally wounded But what Yet must hee needes heare these tydinges full of sorrowe and anguish Heerein we see how God did exercise him euen vnto y e end We must not therefore suppose that Moses discharged his duâ—tie as it were with dailyaunce but that he had terrible hartbyting so as he was tossed too and fro and God gaue him alwayes dreadfull grypes of minde But yet neuerthelesse he did still continue And therefore when we see that matters fal not out as we wold albeit that we haue faithfully laboured and it seeme that our trauaile is vnprofitable and that Sathan will throwe downe that which we haue indeuored to set vp and thinges fall out to trouble and disorder let it not turne vs aside from the good way let it not repent vs that we haue serued our GOD let it content vs that our labour is acceptable vnto him for although it be not so profitable vnto men as were to be wished yet haue we done such a sacrifice vnto God as he doth receiue and accept Yea but yet if men fare litle the better thereby wee may be sorrie and sigh therefore Neuerthelesse we haue not lost our time because God liketh well of our dooinges That say I is the thing whereby the ministers of Gods worde should coÌ„fort themselues at this day when they see the worlde so drunken as we see it is and that in steede of going forwarde the greater part goeth backewarde and that whereas Gods worde is so preached vnto them that the very walles doe ring of it yet doe they but make a scoffe of it When we see such thinges let vs resort to God and say Alas Lorde thou knowest wherfore thou hast employed vs hereunto and albeit that thy doctrine be so slenderly receiued of the worlde yet is it alwaies a sacrifice of good sauour vnto thee according as Saint Paul sayth Beholde sayth he it behooueth our preaching to be as the sauour of death to many people 2. Cor. 2.15 They be the missebelieuing which be hardened against God but howsoeuer they fare that sauour is a sweete sent to our God forasmuch as it is his will that his Gospell should be preached vnto all creatures And all the faithfull in generall ought to apply the same to their owne vse specially when wee deale vprightly with men and they render vs euill for good For then it seemeth that the thinges which we haue indeuoured to doe for their welfare are taken in disdayne and by meanes therof we coÌ„monly repent vs by reason of our frailtie What then We must arme ourselues with stedfastnesse in this case And although there be neuer so great vnthankfulnesse in the world yet must we neuer be sorry that we haue obeyed our God No but the issue is not answerable to our desire There is no remedie Let vs be contented that our God alloweth our obedience So much concerning that point Moreouer whereas it is sayd that the people will rise vp God telleth of a change that whereas they shoulde holde them quiet vnder the bridle which God had giuen them they would rise vp proudly and stubbornely through inordinate desire seeke to shake off the yooke which was layde vpon their necke By the sight heereof we may learne what our owne nature is For it is certaine that heere God ment to shewe vs as in a glasse what wee be vntill such time as hee hath wrought in vs. Nowe then when we be taught in the doctrine of the Gospel what is our dutie but to hold ourselues quiet without wrenching either hither or thither as we be too much giuen by nature The word of God then must hold vs in and settle vs that we couet not newe changes euery day euery minute of an houre but that God may haue the obedience that is due vnto him and wee followe that which he commandeth vs. Thus ought the word of God to preuaile in vs to keepe vs quiet But yet we see howe the children of Israell dealt in that behalfe and howe they rose vppe that is to say that they changed and could not keepe themselues in the obedience of God At the same point are we Therefore let vs mistrust all our owne conceites When so euer any thought comes in our minde or whensoeuer we take any thing in hande let vs euermore suspect it for feare least wee shake off the yoke which GOD hath layde vppon our neckes and let vs vnderstande that God must guide vs to the ende Seeing then that we be so wauering by nature let vs learn to submit ourselues the better to the word of God not to enterprise thinges of our owne heades as who would say I will doe this I will doe that for as soone as we followe our owne wit and aduise we become stray beastes There is no more then for vs to doe but onely to liue in continuall obedience And for somuch as our Lorde hath shewed vs howe he would haue vs to walke let vs hold vs thereto not follow our tickling lustes to be carried too and fro by them After that manner are we to practise this place where it is sayde That the people would ryse vp after the death of Moses True it is that wee ought to haue our hearts alwayes lifted vppe to Godwarde but yet must they also bee brought lowe through humilitie and we must not lift vp ourselues with pride and presumption tâ— cast away that which hath beene taught vs. Nowe let vs kneele downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes beseeching him to vouchsafe to receiue vs to his mercie And forasmuch as wee know we bee no better than these whom we see here condemned euen before they were borne according as it is heere spoken of them which should succeede after the death of Moses let vs pray to that good God that seeing he knoweth the vices that be in vs that we bee not able to helpe it vnlesse he worke by his holy spirite he will therefore clense vs from all wicked affections and so subdue vs vnto him that though we be straied away by nature yet notwithstanding he suffer vs not to continue still in our iniquities but that being drawen vnto him as he hath once called vs thereunto we may continue constantly therein and so perseuere vnto the ende and that in the meane while hee will vpholde vs because he knoweth vs to be weake vntill hee hath fully restored vs by his power That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely vnto vs but also vnto all people and Nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the v. of May 1556. The CLXXVI Sermon which is the fourth vpon the one thirtith Chapter 17 Is it not because my God is not with me that these euils haue found me out
them wee may exercise our selues continually in calling them to our remembrance and in mourning for them so as hee may haue pitie vpon vs and not onely forgiue vs all our sinnes whereby wee haue offended him but also rid vs cleane of them and redresse vs in such wise by his holy spirite as our whole seeking may be to dedicate ourselues vnto him and that his name may be so sanctified among vs as that in the end wee may come to his glorie as he hath prepared it for all such as doe here yeeld and submit themselues to his yoke 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 xx of Iune 1556. The CXCI. Sermon which is the first vpon the three thirtith Chapter HEere followeth the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death and sayde 2 The Lorde came from Sinai and rose vp from Seir vnto them He appeared brightly on mount Pharan and came with ten thousands of Saincts hauing at his right hand the Lawe giuen in fire for them 3 Yet loueth he the people and all the Sainctes are in thy hands and they bow downe to thy feete to receiue of thy wordes WEe knowe that Gods word is ordaind chiefly to this vse that we shoulde be assured of y e good wil loue which he beareth vs. For w tout that also there is no hope of saluation wee be vndone and to be shorte there is no religion For how shall we feare God vnlesse wee knowe that all our welfare lies in him and that we dare seeke him with a right faith But that is vnpossible vnlesse he call vs vnto him and that wee haue assurance that if wee come vnto him we shall be receiued That is the cause why God in all ages ordeined that those which are the teachers of the people should blesse them in his name that is to say assure them that God receiued them and was mercifull to them For so dooth y e worde Blessing import True it is that wee blesse one another by prayer And when it is sayd of a priuate person that he blesseth his neighbor it betokeneth that he wisheth him all good But there is a speciall kinde of prerogatiue in those whom God hath appointed as in his owne person to beare abroad his worde and to preach it For they in blessing are as witnesses of God and agentes in his behalfe And in very deede as we haue seene heretofore as oft as Gods word is preached it is a solemne act whereby he couenanteth with vs and lyke as he will haue vs to professe our selues to be his children and to giue our selues to his seruice so dooth hee bind himselfe to be our father and sauiour That is the cause why we haue now here y e blessinges of Moses which he made before his death And it is lykely that this was thē done when he was ready to yeelde vp his spirit vnto God For he had bin commaunded afore to go vp into the mountaine where he had nothing else to doe but to go seeke his graue which notwithstanding remained vnknowen Deut. 34.6 as we shall see hereafter At such time as he was to take his leaue of the people he pronounced these blessinges here present By what authoritie As one appointed to yeelde record of Gods good wil. Also he ratified that which had bin done before by Iacob to whome God had giuen the lyke charge commission For wee reade of the blessinges which Iacob made ouer his children Gene. 49. how they were not as a houshold prayer when a father making his last will beseecheth God to bee mercifull to his fatherles children Iacob went not that way to worke but being a Patriarke and knowing whereto God had called him hee vttered what was to come accordingly also as we see how hee speaketh by the spirit of Prophesie And in good sooth yee see he was a poore man such a one as was constreyned by famine to goe into Egypt he possessed not a foot of land in y e whole world and yet hee assigned inheritaunces to his children Thou shalt haue such a portion by the sea-coast Gen. 49.10.13.20 Thou shalt haue the pasture grounds Thou shalt be a delicate soyle for kinges so as y e bread which shall be made there and y e sweete fruits of thee shal bee their strength thou shalt haue y e royall scepter thou shalt be aduanced thou shalt reigne among thine enemies As for thee thou shalt be scattered but yet shalt thou haue ease of body although thou be faine to remoue here and there Seeing then that he tooke order after that maner for the land of Canaan that although he was driuen thence by famine yet he alotted it out by portions to his children spake he as a mortall man Let vs knowe then that God gouerned him by his holy spirit and there came not that worde out of his mouth which was not as a heauenly oracle Now hereby the people were edifyed so as they knew that God had chosen them with condition that they should enter into the inheritance which he had promised them When the children of Israell were in Egypt after the decease of their father they were by this meanes certifyed y t God had not forgotten his promise but that hee woulde performe it when the time came They were fed with y t hope and to hold them thereunto God had giuen thē occasion enough if their own vnthākfulnes had not letted thē This being done after that they had bin deliuered out of the land of Egypt and were to inioy the Land which had bin assigned them long afore God made Moses to speake and draue him to vtter that which he had determined to doe as touching the childrē of Israell And in verie deede wee see that the things which had bin spoken afore by Iacob are partly rehearsed here againe for the larger confirmation of them And againe the things which were not reuealed at that time are set downe here so as the people of Israell might here beholde their owne state to come whereby they were taught that God had a speciall care of thē For seeing hee declared first by the mouth of Iacob and secondly by the mouth of Moses all that hee meant to doe to the people of Israell did hee not shewe that hee was neere them and that hee tooke them to bee as of his flocke and that hee preferred them before the rest of the whole worlde For it was not with them as with those which are straungers to God Although hee held and accounted those for his creatures yet did hee not take them for his Children to gouerne them and to direct all their steppes so as nothing shoulde befal them but they might know howe it was God that wrought it who did also tell them of it aforehande Therefore let
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
whose offense is in things whereof no mention is made in his lawe 934. b 10 Of the generall Curse for the breach of Gods lawe and that the same extendeth euen to the righteousest 938. a 10. â—0 30 763. b all 764. a all A Curse vpon such as confirme not the words of Gods lawe by performing them 937. a 30.40.50 After what manner the Curse that was due to vs is quite and cleane done away by the curse of Christ. 766. a 40 Two thinges set before vs by the scripture when it speaketh of the Curse which Christ bare in his bodie 766. a 10.20 763. all 764. a all The chiefe Curse that falleth on mankinde is death 954. b 20 The meanes whereby we be deliuered from the Curse of the lawe 940. a 40.50.60 That Gods Curse is extended to all meÌ„ and in what case 763. b all 764. a all Curses All the chastisementes of God are Curses yea euen vpon the faithfull 947. a 60. b 10 Curses pronounced of the Iewes by consent vpon mount Eball 929. and so forward in the sermon 151. 486. b 40.50 What we haue to learn by these words the Curses of the lawe shal rest vpon him 1037. b 40.50.60 The 156.157.158.159 sermons containe certaine greeuous Curses denouÌ„ced against such as violate Gods lawe Howe wee must answere Amen to the Curses of God 487. b 10. why ib. 20 Howe Gods Curses are saide that they shall cleaue vnto vs. 966. b 60.967 a 10 Certaine Curses of God set against the benefits that hee had promised vnto his people the Iewes 152. b 10.20.30 40 The maner how Gods Curses shall encompasse them that obey not his voyce 963. b 50.60.964 a 10 Cursed In what respect all men are Cursed 487. b 40.50 How a Cursed thing is called sanctified and holy 781. a 40.50 Looke Accursed Cursednesse The meaning of these wordes Beware thou bring not Cursednes into thine house 345. a 30.40.50.60 c. That we must feele our owne Cursednesse and mourne and be afraide at the sight thereof 941. a 10.20 A kinde of Cursednesse in the sacrifices that were offered for sinne 550. a 30.40.50 The way for vs to be deliuered froÌ„ our Cursednes what it is 940. b 10.20 Cursing The name of Cursing giueÌ„ by the scripture to all the punishmentes which God sendeth vpon men by reason of their sinnes 766. b 60 Cursinges Howe the twelue tribes were diuided and the Leuits in the middest whiles blessings and Cursings were vttered of either side 922. b 60.923 a 10 Reade how God intreateth his people by Cursings or threatninges in sermon 156 beginning at page 961. Custome Against the wicked Custome of not giuing thanks to God for his benefits 360. a 10.20 How harde a matter it is for men to amend wheÌ„ Custome of sinning hath preuailed with them 1143. a 30 40. That men must not make a continuall rule or lawe of Custome 1129. b 30.40 662. b 40. 663. b 60 That Custome shall not serue vs for an excuse in a thing that displeaseth God 795. a 60 The Custome of making vines coÌ„mon among the Iewes 719. b 30.40 The force of euill Custome described by the force of a tempest 881 a 40.50 521. b 40.50.60 A Custome in the East countrie to put the children to death for y e fathers offences 861. a 20.30 The inconuenience that followeth vpon such as fashion themselues to y e Custome of men 31. b 30 We must not alleadge Custome or continuance of time when Gods seruice is commaunded to bee imbraced 495. b al. What shall become of vs if wee ground our selues vpon Custome 522. a 10 Of making euill Custome a law how that is done 517. b 40 Customes Why we must not be caried away with euill Customes 887. a 10 People are loath to forgoe their auncient Customes and why 162. b 20 There is not a worse thing than to fashion our selues after the Customes of men in seruing of God 523. a 10.20 D. Dam. Why the law forbade to take the Dam when shee sitteth vppon her young birdes and what doctrine dependeth thereupon 775. b all Dan. The blessing of Moses vppon the tribe of Dan and what doctrine we haue to reape thereupon 1225. a 20. and so forward a tribe of no great reputation 1225. a 20. What it signifieth 1225. a 40 Danger We must not cast our selues ouerboldlie in Danger c. 174. b 40 Howe the faithfull must assure themselues in cases of Danger 477. b all 335. a 40 Howe in cases of Danger wee doubt of Gods power 337. b 10.20 Dangers In what respect all the Dangers in the worlde must not holde men 174. b 30 Of Gods preuenting of Dangers in cases of murther done by chance medlie 174. a 50.60 b 10 Of some that rush rashlie into Dangers and temptations 174. b 20.40.50 Daunsing Daunsing can be no better than a prelude or flourish to whordome 227. a 30 Daunsing is a bait of whordome and a tricke of bawderie 343. b 30 Of the Daunsing of the Israelites about their golden calfe 403. a 10 Darkenesse To what ende God set Darkenesse before the eyes of the Iewes when he spake to them 130. a 50 The cause why we abide still in Darkenes like blind wretches 298. a 10 Daughter The meaning of these wordes Hearken my Daughter forgette thine owne people and thy kinred and thy fathers house 746. a 60. b 10.20 Day The signification of this word To day and what the same betokeneth 910. a 40.50.60 b 30.40 913. a 40.50 60. 524. a 20. 525. a 10 Dead Against excessiue mourning for the Dead 553. a b all Superstitions of the Papistes and the heathen about the dead 561. b 10.20 To touch a Dead man or to enter into the house where he lay was a defilement to the Iewes what they were warned thereby 907. b 40.50.60 Of the care which God hath ouer the Dead and what lessons we are to gather thereof Reade sermon 120. and page 738. a 20.30 Deale How we must Deale and not deale with God these wordes containe much goodly doctrine of the true seruing of God 494. b 50.60 495. a b all Dealing The wicked Dealing of the worlde to maintaine their fine fare noted 512. a 10.20.30.40 Why the Papists laugh our plaine Dealing in Gods seruice to scorn 518. a 10 Al false Dealing accursed by a common consent of the Iewes 930. all Touching vpright iust Dealing both to man and beast Reade the 141.142 144. sermons Gods purpose in Dealing mildely with vs what it is 280. b 50.60 What kinde of Dealing God will haue vs to vse 140. b 10 The difference of Gods Dealing with the wicked and those whom he meaneth to reserue to himselfe 480. b 10 A forme of vpright Dealing set downe for imitation 234. b 50.60 Our order of Dealing in the world with the poore and the rich 449. a all Howe it should seeme