vnderlings but for the common welfare and benefit of all men Then if gouernours vnderstand not that they be bound by Gods will and by the order of nature to them of whom they haue the charge they must be faine to yeeld an account vnto God for their abusing of his gift and of the honour that he bestowed vppon them Thus much concerning the first point that we haue to marke here And herewithall let vs marke also that if they bee so greatly bounde vnto men much more straitl are they bound vnto God If a man be grieued in a matter of fiue shillings or lesse and the iustice cause him not to haue right we see what is sayd here But now if the name of God bee blasphemed if his honour bee defaced if wicked and detestable thinges bee done and they that sitte in the seate of iustice and beare the sworde in their hande withstand it not but are carelesse what iniurie bee done vnto God are they to bee excused No for if they suffer but a poore man to bee troden done so as he haue but one penny losse they shall bee blamed for it before God But yet much more precious is the Maiestie of God and the thing that concerneth his honour and seruice Sith it is so that Magistrates bee bounde to minister right to euery man in thinges that are small and in maner of no valew let vs marke well that they ought in any wise to procure the maintenaunce of Gods honor more carefully without al comparison specially when the case concerneth the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ wherevnto all the whole world is not to bee compared in as much as Gods glorie shineth forth there And that is the second point which we haue to marke vpon this streine Againe whereas it is sayde that the Magistrates must accept no mans person it betokeneth that they must not bee mooued with any mans riches or pouertie or byrth or friendship or any thing else For in the holy scripture this worde Person is taken for any qualitie in man which may purchace him grace and fauour or disgrace and disfauour When wee speake of a person in our common speache wee meane a man or a woman but the Scripture meaneth a more speciall thing namely that there should no regard be had what maner a one the man is whether he bee our neighbour our friend a riche man able to doe vs good a man of credit and authoritie able to reuenge himself of vs or a poore man a man of no allyance or kinred or I wote not what else All these accidentes which serue but to induce vs to liking or misliking of the partie and to make vs swarue from the right way are comprehended in the Scripture vnder the worde Person as if wee should vse the word Vizor And in very deede all these accidentes which bleare our eyes and beguile vs to make vs start out of the right way are but as vizors If a man come before vs without any qualitie very well we would heare him simply and wee woulde not bee corrupted to iudge amisse But if there happen any stoppe by and by wee bee ouerraught and our reason is so troubled that wee iudge not any more as wee ought to doe That therefore is a vizor which yeeldeth foorth such a qualitie to bee seene in the partie as maketh vs eyther to fauour him too much or else to mislike him out of measure so as wee keepe not an vpright and euen hand betweene the great and the small And truely Moses declareth the same very well in this text in that he sayeth Thou shalt heare the small as well as the great for it serueth to expound the word Person and there needeth none other glose from elsewhere And it is a phrase of speache which wee shall see in other textes hereafter Therefore it behoueth vs to acquaint our selues with the termes and phrases of the holy Ghost that the thinges which are contained here may not seeme straunge vnto vs. Howbeit by the way that wee may fare the better by the things that are declared here let vs marke that the chiefe reason and ground of this doctrine is bicause there is no accepting of persons before GOD. For the same cause ought Iudges to haue a stay of themselues and to keepe them cleare from all considerations that may thrust them aside or make them to swarue one way or other â—â—m 13.1 â—â—ut 10.17 namely say I for that they represent the Maiestie of God in as much as he hath made them his officers Now then there is no accepting of persons before God that is to say when he iudgeth he hath no respect to the thinges that men regarde and wherewith they bee drawen too and fro so as they iudge not vpright any more bicause their excessiue affections doe ouer maister them And this saying that there is no respect of persons with GOD extendeth very farre For when as Saint Peter speaketh of it first in the tenth of the Actes 〈◊〉 10.34 â— Pe. 1.17 and afterward in his Epistle he sheweth that God chose whom he listed out of the whole world in so much as he passed not whether they were Iewes or Gentiles Whosoeuer doeth good saieth he shall haue the fauour of God and as for Circumcision or vncircumcision they shall none of them both bee made account of True it is that God must bee faine to looke mercifully vpon vs before we can do any good For of our owne nature wee bee vtterly froward and there can nothing come from vs but all maner of naughtinesse insomuch that God should hate and abhorre the whole world and cast vs away euery chone if hee should tarie till any of vs gaue himselfe to well doing for our nature driueth vs alwayes vnto euill But God chooseth his without any abilitie of deseruing aforehand on their behalfe and yet notwithstanding after he hath marked them to bee of the number of his flocke he auoweth them loueth them as his children and houshold folke yea euen without regarding of what nation or state they be whether they be riche or poore or in credit or indued with any good qualitie and handsomnesse or any other thing God then doeth as it were shut his eyes against all the respectes which are had in so great estimation For he hath an eye to nothing but to soundnesse of heart he doteth not vpon these vizors that are seene to the eye 1. Sam. 16.7 according to this saying in an other place namely that the outward showes deceiue not him but that he looketh vpon that which is within Thus much concerning the first point But wee must apply this texte to the same vse that Moses putteth it which is that after the example of God wee must haue this vnpartialitie in vs so as wee will not bee drawen one way nor other by the thinges that appeare in men And this is a very profitable or rather needefull doctrine
must beare in minde that God is to bee reuerenced as our iudge and offer our selues in such wise before him as hee suffer not any falshoode to abide vnpunished and as wee yeelde vnto him the office of serching euen our heartes If wee deale so then shall our othes be holie vnto him and accepted as a part and portion of the seruice that he requireth and alloweth And by that meanes wee shall abhorre and loth not onely the blasphemies whereby he is spyted out of measure but also all fonde and trifling othes that are made without cause or reason Thus wee see in fewe words what wee haue to note and howe this text is to bee put in vre Nowe Moses addeth immediately Yee shall not followe any other Gods the Gods of the heathen which dwell rounde about you When hee saieth yee shall not followe any other Gods hee sheweth vs that wee cannot mingle the true religion with any abuses or with any thing deuised by vnbeleeuers but by and by all is mard and God disauoweth it as soone as wee swarue one way or other from the plaine trueth and from the rule that hee hath giuen vs. For it is not saide simply you shall not renounce your GOD but they bee forbidden to followe any other Gods So then let vs marke wel that if wee intende to serue the liuing God we must holde our selues to him alone and worshippe him with such vncorruptnesse as all ydoles bee vtterly cast downe and all superstitions cut off and cast behinde vs. And if this were well obserued wee shoulde no more bee put to such paines neither shoulde wee haue so manie bickerings as wee haue For what causeth the troubles that are nowadayes in the worlde and that there is such diuision betweene vs and the Papistes For both of vs confesse that there is but one God that grounde is common to vs both both of vs name him the maker of heauen and earth and both of vs take Iesus Christ for our redeemer and yet notwithstanding we bee at so greate oddes that the Turkes and the Iewes are not more deuided from vs than the Papistes are Whereof commeth this Not that the Papistes doe vtterly renounce GOD but because they will needes make a mingled and confused hotchpotch of all the Religions of the worlde They haue raked together all abuses all Sathans trumperie and all the superstitions that euer haue beene and that terme they the seruice of God It is no part of their meaning to holde themselues to the purenesse of the holy scripture and of the Lawe and the Gospell but to the thinges which they haue deuised of their owne braine They will needes haue those thinges mingled with the pure seede and that is such a corruption as God is vtterly shaken of by it Although men thinke it not or at leastwise confesse it not with their mouth yet hath hee no more place where those thinges are So then as I saide afore if this saying which forbiddeth vs to followe any other Gods were well obserued we might easily agree nowadayes with the Papistes For the controuersie heere concerneth not the onely name True it is that the Papistes call not their Sainctes which they haue forged their Gods but yet they serue them and worshippe them as Gods And therewithall they haue deuised such lawes and ordinances as they thinke good and yet the thing which they terme Gods seruice is but vtter follie of their owne inuention Nowe it is a flatte following of the Gods of the Paynims when men vse straunge fashions in the seruing of God and in steede of praying vnto him alone doe call vpon the creatures so as they cannot tel whom to choose when al comes to all And therefore let vs beare wel in minde the meaning of Moses which is that to worship God aright we must sticke simply to his word wee must stop our eares against all thinges that are brought vs from elsewhere and we must not admit any thing but y t which we haue from God onely Let vs then submit our selues wholly to the obeying of our god not receiue any thing which procedeth not out of his mouth And if we beare with our infirmities Esa. 42.3 and that he is always pitifull Although we deserue to sinke vnder his hande yet will he alwayes shew mercie towards vs. But doth it followe therefore that he will be scorned at our handes and that wee may come pranking against him to despise him No but contrariwise forasmuch as he sheweth himselfe gratious and louing towards vs it ought to break soften our harts to make vs submit our selues wholly vnto him and at leastwise to applie our selues altogether to the seruing honouring of him when he preueÌ„teth vs through his free goodnesse Then let vs mark well that when our Lord is neere vnto vs although it bee of purpose to make vs glad and also to giue vs contentation and rest yet notwithstanding hee ceaseth not to be zealous in the maintaining of his glorie neither will he suffer it to be trampled vnder foote without sending horrible vengeance for it Doe we then know that our Lord dwelleth among vs Let vs on our side beware that wee sanctifie our selues wholly vnto him for feare least his wrath bee kindled that is say least hee withdraw his goodnesse which he hath once shewed towards vs and bereaue vs of it as we deserue and therewithall powre out his wrath vppon vs when hee seeth that hee cannot winne vs nor any whit preuaile by shewing himselfe pitifull in bearing with vs with such louingkindnes and gentlenes as he doth Ye see then after what sort we ought to vse y e goodnes and patientnesse of our Lorde That is to wit knowing that we may boldly stay vpon him not doubting but that he wil be fauorable vnto vs wee neuerthelesse must indeuour and inforce our selues to the vttermost of our power to serue and honour him And forasmuch as we cannot do it of our selues wee must pray him to hold vs in such obedience by his holy spirit as our whole seeking may bee to shewe y t his comming so vnto vs is not in vaine but that we be truly knit vnto him and that hee hath set such a holy and vnuiolable bond betweene him and vs Psal. â—â— â— that as he once gaue himselfe to vs to be our inheritance so he also possesseth vs and maketh vs to be throughly contented with him and to proceede in such wise in profiting to his honor glory as our whole life may shewe that we desire nothing else but to bee reteined vnder his protection Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God w t acknowledgment of our faults praying him to humble vs more more by true repentance so as we may not onely be sorie for our faults but also amend them and submit our selues duetifully vnto him to the intent we may be more and more rid of all our naughtie lustes
sheepe or of the Goate Yet notwithstanding if wee glut our selues with them the meate that is cleane of it selfe becommeth vncleane vnto vs because we bee vnthankefull to GOD in that we consider not to what end he giueth vs sustenance One man rusheth foorth into all excesse and yet is neuer the more mainteyned in strength of bodie by it for he is readie to burst and maketh himselfe altogether vnweeldie A drunkarde playeth the Swine or some other brute beaste and the wine so ouercommeth him that he hath neither wit nor reason And although wine be a creature that God hath blessed and haue no vncleannesse at all in it selfe yet is it defiled by such misusing of it Othersome neuer remember to giue GOD thankes nor to call vppon his name And that is an other kind of defiling our foode Againe othersome abuse it to vaineglorie and deliciousnesse and growe so farre out of order that they can no skill to serue GOD. Othersome are so giuen to daintie fare that it maketh them to put their consciences in ieoperdie insomuch that they will not sticke to make them bondslaues to all leawdnesse and wickednesse so they may haue good cheere Othersome are afraide of want and fall to snatching to filching to catching and to al that can be deuised to get somewhat by hooke or by crooke And thus doe all of vs defile Gods creatures which of themselues are cleane And that is the cause why I saide that sith our Lorde hath giuen vs greater priuiledge and set vs more at libertie to the end that the bondage of the lawe shoulde not haue dominion ouer vs therefore wee ought to bee the willinger to restraine ourselues in absteining from all vncleannesse and to consider that the cause why God hath giuen vs the free vse of all kinde of meates is that wee shoulde vse them purely and not be defiled on our side so as we might not bee blamed for defiling of the things which haue no manner of vncleannesse in them selues in respect of God and in respect of the order that hee hath set among vs. And we must haue this regarde not onely in respect of meate and drinke but also in respect of our whole life in general Considering then that God nurtured the people of old time by forbidding certaine meates to the ende that they shoulde thinke thus with themselues well then seeing that our God hath forbidden vs the things that are lawfull for the heathen and which they take leaue to doe let vs vnderstande that it behooueth vs to liue in all manner of purenesse and that seeing God will haue vs to bee pure in smal thinges hee will much rather haue vs to bee so in great thinges Let vs nowadayes consider to what purpose this ceremonie of the lawe may serue vs to the ende that euerie of vs may enter into himselfe As for example if a man be led with ambition so as hee wil needes aduance himselfe and clymbe too high or if he be caried away with couetousnesse so as he burne therewith or if hee be an vnthrift and leade a lawlesse life or if hee bee a whorehunter and giuen to beastly lust let vs bethinke ourselues thus howe nowe Our Lorde abhorreth euerie little vncleannesse euen in eating and drinking and what will come of it then if our soules be defiled sith they be the thinges wherein he will haue his glorie to shine most cheefely True it is that our bodies also are the Temples of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.19 Eph. 4.23 24. but yet hath God set his owne image in our soules and what a thing were it then to defile them after that sort with all diuelishe and worldly vncleannesse Thus ye see whereunto it behooueth vs to applie this doctrine to vse it wel And by the way let vs marke that Gods wil was to holde the people of olde time in obedience that they might knowe howe it is not for men to take such libertie and licence as they list but that they must receiue it at his hande To bee short let vs not attempte any thing in al our whole life except wee knowe it to be acceptable to our God When wee haue leaue of him then may we well goe forwarde but if hee say it not then let vs be still And indeede although this prohibition were not put in writing yet had God put a difference afore betweene cleane beastes and vncleane beastes as we may easily perceiue by that which is written of Noe. Gen. 8.20 God commaunded him to make sacrifice after the fludde And whereof Was it of all beastes in generall No Neither had hee reserued so great a number of the vncleane beastes as of the cleane and that was by reason of sacrificing Then was there a difference alreadie euen at that time And whereof proceeded that Had men deuised it of their owne braine No. And therefore let vs marke howe God reserued to himselfe the prerogatiue of putting difference betweene the beastes that were cleane and the beastes that were vncleane to the intent that men shoulde know that it is not for them to liue as they list to haue y e bridle loose in al things but that it behooueth them to looke vpwarde to harken what God giueth them leaue to do And when he giueth them leaue then let them vse their libertie or else let them keepe themselues still Ye see here a doctrine that is as profitable as that which we haue touched alreadie for wee see howe men burst foorth into such disorder with so great headinesse that they haue no mind at all to vse Gods benefites according to his meaning Ye shall not finde one among a thousande that will consider with him selfe whether God giueth him leaue to doe a thing or no. But men rushe out into all disorder as though they had leaue to doe what they list Nowe then seeing wee be so leawde and vnkinde that wee fall to thrusting our groynes into thinges like swine and consider not from whence the benefites come good cause haue we to remember this doctrine wherein it is shewed vs that euen from y e beginning of the worlde GOD did put a difference betweene the cleane beastes and the vncleane And let vs vnderstande that although the ceremonie continue not any longer nowadayes Yet notwithstanding the same ought to serue vs for a warning to lift vp our mindes on high in our eating and drinking and in our vsing of all the rest of Gods creatures that wee may know howe farre God hath giuen vs leaue and simply submit our selues thereunto Again if he giue vs libertie let it always prouoke vs to glorifie his name to giue him thāks for it is one of the sacrifices which he requireth of vs that wee shoulde doe him homage for all his benefites as holding them from him Psal. 50.14.23 But that cannot be done except wee bee first put in minde that we cannot so much as eate one bit
is as I saide afore that there is no ill in it for the Christians to haue a certaine daie wherein this historie shoulde bee declared vnto them For we must not tie our selues to so streit a precisenesse that it should not be lawfull for vs to vse that helpe for our infirmitie But to make a seruice of God thereof and to take example at the Iewes as though it behoued vs to fashion our selues like vnto them or as though the feast of Whitsontide ought to be obserued at this day by reason of the sending of the holy Ghost that were too grosse a fondnesse Let vs vnderstand then first that the Iewes had but a figure shadowe of the trueth and on our owne part wee may knowe in Iesus Christ that God hath not figured anie thing in vaine Col. 2.17 but that all the ceremonies of the Law tended to verie good purpose because the effect of them is shewed vs in him Therefore let vs holde vs contended therewith and now let vs learne to reioyce in the presence of our God and to make otherfolks partakers of our mirth The Iewes were commanded to resort to Ierusalem as soone as haruest was done not only to reioyce there but also to impart of their goods to their neighbors so as there might be a common gladnes among them and God might be glorified with one accord And now that these things are at this day accomplished what haue we to doe We must not run trotting to Ierusalē to worship God there and to doe him homage there 1. Tim. 2.8 For we must lift vp our hands eueriwhere howbeit so as they be cleane And moreouer for asmuch as GOD hath not only sent vs a haruest of corruptible fruits to nourish our bodies withal but also powred out y e infinite riches of his holy spirit and sent vs the liuing waters as is saide in Ezechiel Ezech. 47.9 let vs vnderstand that it is to y e end we should haue the mirth whereof S. Paul speaketh in the fourteenth to the Romanes Let vs now reioyce then seeing our Lord hath shewed himselfe so bountifull towards vs that hee hath not withhelde any of the cheefe good thinges which he had but hath powred vppon vs all the benefites that concerne the endles life and heauenly glorie Seeing then that we haue receiued the holy Ghost let vs also be ioyful in our harts As how By withdrawing ourselues from y e vanities of this world by holding our selues contēted with the fauor of our God praising him euen in the middes of our afflictions Albeit that wee haue not all things at wil in this world yet let vs not cease to hold on still assuring our selues that it ought to suffice vs that our God is fauourable to vs that he sheweth vs his loue When wee be at that point once then shall wee haue such peace and contentment in vs Phil. 4.7 as passeth all the ioyes of this world yea and putteth away all the sorrowes that may trouble vs. And when wee haue such gladnesse our selues wee must to the vttermost of our power make them partakers of it which haue need For if the Iewes were commanded to cal the widowes the fatherles and the strangers to make merie with them in spending of the goods which God had giuen them much more reason is it that seeing the spirituall giftes which God hath bestowed vppon vs belong to the common building vp of the Church as saith Saint Paul in the twelfth to the Romanes Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 12 7. and also in the twelfth of the first to y e Corinthians we should take heed y t we defraude not our neighbours of the thing which GOD hath appointed for them Let vs marke also that as nowe there is no more any stranger as in respect of vs. For wheras God had separated the Iewes from the gentiles nowe it is his will to bee knowen through the whole worlde there is no more diuision of bodies the wall is broken downe as saith Saint Paul in an other place Eph. 2.14 Seeing then that God fully and thou must not tarie till there bee a solemne holy day to call thee to the Church there to keepe the feast of Trumpets but it must serue thee al thy life long for a spurre to make thee to return vnto God That is the thing say I which we haue to beare in mind And as much also is to be noted concerning sorrowing For it is not for one day onely that wee must be sorie in our heartes and bethinke vs of our sinnes But forasmuch as we fal to them incessantly there passeth not any day wherein we offend not GOD let vs match it with sorinesse and let vs mourne for it and not play the vnthriftes which make a skorne of all that euer a man can alleadge to them out of the worde of God but let vs bee afraide of his iudgementes and threats and yet therewithall let vs not doubt but he will giue vs whereof to reioyce and that although wee bee faine to passe through many sorrowes and hart-bitinges in this worlde yet in the ende he will deliuer vs from them to make vs partakers of the heauenly rest After this maner say I must wee put this doctrine in vre concerning the feastes which the Iewes had of old time in figure and whereof wee haue nowe the trueth substaunce as it is brought vnto vs by the sonne of God Now let vs kneele downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them better than we haue done so as wee may returne vnto him with true and vnfained repentaunce and bee stirred more and more to amende our faultes knowing that our good God is ready to receiue them all to mercie which come to him with lowlinesse And that for asmuch as he hath graunted vs the grace to haue nowe so full light of his Gospell as may wel inlighten vs throughly it may please him not to suffer our eyes to be blindfolded that wee should walke any more in darkenesse but to graunt that wee keepe y e right way and indeuer to bring others into the same so as God may be glorified with one common accorde of all men And that for the performance hereof it may please him to raise vp true and faithfull ministers of his word c. On Fryday the viij of Nouember 1555. The C. Sermon which is the fourth vpon the sixteenth Chapter 13 Thou shalt keepe the feast of Tabernacles seuen dayes after thou hast gathered in thy corne feeldes and thy vineyardes 14 And thou shalt reioyce in the feast thou thy sonne thy daughter thy man-seruant and thy woman seruant the Leuite the straunger the fatherles the widowe which are within thy gates 15 Seuen dayes shalt thou keepe the feast to the Lorde thy God in the place which the Lord shall haue chosen for the Lord thy God
sinnes are washed away by his bloude Rom. 5.19 Eph. 1.5 that he continueth still our aduocate and spokesman at this day to procure vs fauour in Gods sight that his obedience is imputed to vs for righteousnesse and that God adopteth vs in him to make vs heires of his kingdome All these thinges then are at this day declared vnto vs largely in the Gospell And seeing that God is so gracious to vs in preferring vs before all the kings and Patriarks that liued vnder the olde testament Wo worth vs if we cannot fare the better by such a prerogatiue Seeing that the kings I say which were desirous to haue hearde the thinges which wee heare Luke 10.24 and to haue seene the thinges which wee see obtained not their desire and nowe GOD hauing giuen vs more than them can winne nothing at our hands by so doing but skorne and despite what will our rewarde bee Hee may well vpbraide vs as hee did the Iewes in olde time Esa. 5.4 saying My people what haue I done to you My vyneyard I haue planted thee I haue husbanded thee and I haue taken great paines about thee and thou bringest foorth bitter grapes that are able to choke their master If GOD blamed the vnthankfulnesse of his people after that fashion in olde time howe much more may hee blame vs in these dayes Are not wee worthie to receiue a hundred folde more damnation than they Yes certainely So then let vs marke well that if God coulde not beare the despising of his Lawe he will much lesse nowe suffer the skorning of his Gospell or that men shoulde make none account of the order which hee hath set for them to resort to sermons there to bee taught by the mouthes of those that are in that degree and office For as I haue declared it is not ynough for vs to say Gods worde is worthie to bee hearde but wee must also shewe the same by proofe Whensoeuer our Lorde speaketh although it bee by the meane of creatures yet let vs receiue him quietly and obey him Let vs note further that where as it is saide hee will require an account of it the meaning thereof is that wee shall haue gained nothing by scaping the handes of men For why God will maintaine his owne honour And this is notable in many respectes For oftentimes yee shall see that they which shoulde holde the sterne to make Gods worde to bee receiued with reuerence haue no regarde of it at all The Princes Magistrates and Iudges of this worlde doe punish thinges which they knowe to bee to their owne domage such offences are straitely looked to And why For if they shoulde goe vnpunished great disorder woulde insue thereof This respect were not amisse so they did not set the cart before the horse For if God be offended they let that slippe And why Because they thinke there growes no inconuenience of it And in verie deede it is growen to a cōmon by word to say Who is hee that accuseth mee Whome haue I wronged The partie that shall haue spited God openly and therefore deserueth to bee rooted out of the worlde shall but wring his mouth or rather his groyne and steppe forth with a shamelesse foreheade to aske who accuseth him The verie Angels of heauen yea and all other creatures crie out against him and yet hee hath not offended And why so Because no bodie is against him heere among men for it may chaunce that no man will stande in Gods defence Euerie man will wellynough pleade for themselues but they be not so zealous as to set themselues against such as offende God And yet in the meane whyle the Iudges are asleepe and let all such manner of vngodly dealings slip Yea there are some which are worse than Iewes and Sarasins shewing no token of Christianitie but openly despising both Sermons and vse of Sacramentes Othersome are not contented with such contempt but they doe also make warre against God and play the venemous beasts in spewing out their vilenesse to make all religion to bee set light by These thinges are to bee seene and yet men winke at them Therfore doeth God tell vs that hee will call them to account for it Verie wel saieth hee let men bee as negligent as they will yet wil not I forget these things whatsoeuer come of it Heereby wee bee warned to receiue Gods worde when it is set forth vnto vs and to inure our selues to the hearing thereof not for feare of men onely but to eschew the wrath of the heauenly Iudge seeing hee is minded to defende the authoritie of his worde Were this well marked men woulde bee better disposed to suffer themselues to be taught by Gods worde than they be Men woulde make more speede when they heare the bel tol than they doe But what We can scarce finde in our heartes to goe three steppes to a Sermon And why For feare least wee shoulde afterwarde be censured If I go continually to sermons men will point at me with their fingers and I shall be called afterwarde into the Consistorie for it and in the end I shal be cēsured After y t maner do these Sarasins speake that dwell among vs here who haue neither faith nor Christianitie in them more than dogs Their comming hither commonly is but to scrape the ground with their pantoples in mockage of God But it were better for them to breake their neckes than to come to vnhalowe Gods temple after that sort Others come with gay Ceremonies and outwarde shewes and in the meane while haue no affection at all But let vs bethinke vs howe it is saide here that our Lord wil not let men alone so for although no mā maintain his glorie but presume malapertly to despise him yet shall not their so doing boote them For why He telleth vs that he will doe his office not bury things in forgetfulnes Then if men winke at the despising of Gods worde God himselfe must in the end shewe that he setteth such store by it that hee will be auenged of them for it Thus yee see what we haue to mark in Gods vttering of such threatnings against all the despisers of his Law Besides this it is his minde also to prouide y t wee be not deceiued nor abused vnder pretence of this honourable title of Prophet For as it becommeth vs to obey God by being taught by such men as he hath set in the office of teachers so on the other side it is not for any man to take that charge vppon him thereby to deceiue the plaine and ignorant people God then hath prouided here for both twain First he sheweth how there is no cause why the people should grudge seeing there was no want of teaching and therfore that they which turne away after Witches Soothsayers and Inchanters are leawd and vnthankfull For why God commeth to vs and requireth no more but to teach vs familiarly Therefore when men step aside after that
worlde And so our Lorde Iesus Christ was not made so accursed as y t the blessednes which was giuen vnto him could perishe and not continue alwayes vnappaired Moreouer we must come to that which Saint Paule sayeth to the Colossians Col. â—â—â— For there hee setteth out the crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto vs as a Charyot of Tryumphe saying that our Lorde Iesus hath defaced and cancelled the handewriting that was against vs and finally nayled it to his crosse The Lawe hadde shewed Gods wil And by meanes thereof it behoued al men to knowe themselues to bee indaungered vnto God and to feele theÌ„selues to be accursed as I haue shewed before But what remedy was there to comfort poore sinners In deede God ordained sacrifices and washinges and such other like thinges but were they able to doe the deede When men came to doe sacrifice it was tolde them in deede that their sinne should be wiped away Yea but that was not by the power of the brute beastes which was offered at the Altar Could the bloud of an Oxe a calfe or a Heckfer clense away the spottes of the soule We knowe that the bloud of such thinges is not onely corruptible but also filthy Therefore it could not satisfie Gods Iustice it came farre short of it Againe when a man washed himselfe it is true that he hadde a promise but was that promise tyed to the water We knowe that water is a transitorie element and can not attayne to the soule to clense away the filth thereof To be short both the Sacrifices and the washinges which GOD hadde ordeined in the Lawe were a kinde of renewing of the bond which all sinners haue ingrauen in their consciences Like as if an offender shoulde be taken and made to confesse all his misdeedes and haue all his former confessions rehearsed vnto him to the intent to put him in minde of them euen so was Gods meaning towardes the Iewes in willing them to take water at their going to the Temple Leuit. 1.3.4 as if they should haue sayde wee acknowledge and protest before heauen and earth that we be defiled so as there is nothing but vtter infection in vs and y t we haue neede to be washed Againe came they once at the Altar there a sacrifice was offred vp an innoceÌ„t brute beast was put to death and that was as a lookeingglasse to sette before our eyes that wee bee worthie of death and not of bodilie death onely but also of euerlasting death before GOD and to be plundged into hell Ye see then howe the sacrifices and such other like thinges were as matters of recorde and authoritie to assure all folkes the more of their sinnes and to conuict them of the same and to make them the more to abhorre their misdeedes But was Iesus Christ hanged on tree Saint Paule sayth that in so doing he tooke vppon him the bonde that was against vs Col. 2.14 that is to say all the thinges whereto the Lawe bounde vs all the fetters all the condemnations and all the sentences that serued to put vs to shame and to bewray our leawdenesse Al these thinges tooke he vpon him and cancelled them as if a man shoulde take a handewriting and teare it in peeces to make it of no force by defacing it after that fashion and euen so delt our Lorde Iesus Christ with vs. And Paule addeth there immediatly that Christ tryumphed ouer all our enemies so as the deuill was ledde in tryumphe As howe Yee see that Iesus Christ was put to the vttermost reproch that could be in being hanged vpon the crosse and as the prophet Esaie sayth he was so disfigured that folke vouchsafed not to acknowledge him for a man Esa. â—3 2 but all men abhorred him And where is then this tryumphe Although the sacrifice which he offered vp imported a curse in it at the first sight yet ceased it not to yeelde a verie good sent before GOD as the scripture termeth it And therefore our Lorde Iesus tryumphed against Satan against Sinne and against all our enemies To be short let vs marke that Iesus Christ hath so borne our curse that he hath abolished it quite and cleane Because hee was the fountaine of all glorie it must needes be that the condemnation which he tooke vpon him on our behalfe is quite and cleane discharged by his power In like case standes it with his death He suffered death but was he ouercome of it No but hee did rather abolish death And the very staye and trust of our righteousnesse is the diuine power of his resurrection as wherein hee hath shewed himselfe to haue gotten the vpper hand of death accordingly as Saint Peter sayeth in the thirde chapter of the Actes Act. 2.31 3.21 that it was vnpossible for him to be helde downe by the forrowes of death because he had ouercome them and by that meane hadde purchased righteousnesse for vs. Nowe wee see that whereas Iesus Christ is sayde to haue beene forlorne and accursed for our sakes it did so litle abace his maiestie that we ought the rather to magnifie his glorie in that behalfe assuring ourselues that we shall no more be accursed because hee hath done away our curse and borne it in his owne person Also let vs marke therewithall that notwithstanding his being accursed before God yet he ceased not to be Gods welbeloued sonne according to this saying vttered by the heauenly father himselfe Matt. 3.17 This is my deerebeloued sonne in whome I am wel pleased and in whome I am pacified And serued that but for one instant Nay it was to continue for euer How is it then that Iesus Christ was accursed seeing that the father was pacified by him And that hee was not only well liked himselfe but also the meane to reconcile the whole worlde He is our peace and although through our corruption of nature GOD hate vs yet are we beloued in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ and howe is it then possible that he should be accursed before God They agree both very well For as I haue sayde afore Iesus Christ hath borne our curse yea and he hath borne it in such wife as GOD ceaseth not to loue him still for all that And this curse is so abolished that the reproch of his crosse is turned into glorie and tryumph because it is vnpossible that the sonne of GOD should not continue euerlastingly the same that he was afore True it is that he was somewhat abaced for a while but yet it behooued him to be also crowned with honour and glorie Hebr. 2.9 as it is now come to passe After this maner must we put this text in vre Nowe therefore forasmuch as wee perceiue that GOD hath set downe heere a Lawe for the ciuill gouernement of the Iewes let vs assure ourselues also that hee knewe well in his owne euerlasting counsell what should come to passe namely that his sonne should
constrained to fly into Egypt by reason of famine wherewith he is so pinched y t he goeth to seeke foode in a strange countrie and for a time forsaketh the inheritance which was promised him Afterwards hee remaineth there in cruel bondage and his ofspring is after a sorte drowned in Egypt They were not onely put to great taxes and tallages but also oppressed as bondslaues yea and in the end commaundement was giuen that all their male children should be destroyed so as that people might neuer be spoken of any more Thus ye see in what horrible bondage they were and a man would thinke that the children of Abraham dwelt in Egypt as in a graue so as all was now past hope of recouery But it is sayd wee cryed vnto the God of our Fathers and he heard vs and hath giuen vs this land in possession And therefore I protest this day that I held it of him Here we see first of all how men are led to acknowledge the state and condition wherein they were when God first tooke pitie on them For assoone as we are once at our ease we beare our selues in hand that it is a fit occasion for vs to runne astray and thereupon followeth pride this pride is accōpanied with y e contempt of God There is therfore no other way to humble vs to make vs to feele the goodnes of God than to know y t before he reached vs his hand and helped vs we were the most wretched miserable of all creatures And this is a very necessary poynt to be noted For ye shall see men so blinde or at leastwise so bleare eyed that they will thinke we are of I wote not what abilitie vntill our Lord bring vs vnto this poynt of knowing and acknowledging our selues to be the children of Adam and consequently accursed and that from our mothers wombe Wee bring nothing with vs but sinne and destruction If this were not declared vnto vs in the holy scripture how wonderfully would men stand in their owne conceites For euen yet for all this they cannot stay themselues from boasting such beastes are they neither vnderstand they how it is a certeine kinde of drunkennesse that turneth them so away to vaunt thēselues after that fashion and to beare themselues so in haud that they haue this and that which they haue not Thus yee see how men presume maruailously of themselues vntill their prating bee daunted but when God once thundreth vpon all mankinde and sheweth that we are all heires of death that we are the bondslaues of Satan that there is nothing in vs but cursednesse that all our wisedome is starke foolishnesse y t we cannot bring any thing vnto him which he shall not mislyke and condemne Whē we see that the holy scripture painteth vs forth after that maner so as there remaineth nothing to vs but vtter shame then wee beginne to hang downe y e heads But vnlesse God vsed this maner of dealing with vs it were vnpossible to win vs but we would alwayes lift vp our hornes Let vs therefore beare this lesson well in minde as it is taught vs here which is to bethinke vs of our first originall whence we are come whence wee are sprong what we were when God first tooke pitie of vs and what we shoulde yet haue bin if hee had not preuented vs with his goodnesse After that we haue once knowen this in generall let euery man particularlie also haue an eye vnto himself He which thinketh that he hath somwhat to glorie in as touching the world as there are many which will say I am borne of such a kinred there is such a thing in me and another will glory in his wisedome and another in his vertue and another in his riches an other in his byrth let him I say looke vpon himself and say yea but for all this how many shamefull markes hath God imprinted in me as well as in all others And first of all that how highly soeuer a man be exalted yet assoone as God withdraweth his strength behold he is no better thā a wretched carrion and again what is the soule but a bottomlesse gulfe of al wretchednes And if any man haue a good vnderstāding it is without doubt the especial gift of God And moreouer they which are the most excellent of al others and best accounted of in the world haue yet many spots and staines in them so as they haue wherefore daily to lament For although a man haue something in him which is worthie to be accounted of yet shall hee finde so many wantes and defaultes in himselfe as shall make him to cast downe his head So thē let vs learne not onely to haue an eye to that wretchednesse which is in vs inasmuch as we are the sonnes of Adam but also let euery man throughlie examine the faults vices and infirmities which are in him and therby learne to stoope and enforce ourselues to yeeld vnto God the glorie which belongeth vnto him reseruing nothing at all vnto our selues as in deed we haue nothing good of our owne To be short let euerie man exercise himself in the vewing of his owne miseries and let vs not doe as some fooles doe who take a glasse to behold their own beautie in but let vs take it rather to see what blemishes wee haue And that is the very thing whereat God also amed when he meant to haue the Iewes euē of purpose put in minde that their father was a poore begger that he was as a creature halfe dead For he was so despised a person in the eye of the world that they had no cause to bee prowde of him or to presume to attribute any thing vnto themselues in that behalfe Againe not only he speaketh of their father Iacob but they also say Our kindred went downe into Egypt and there were we trampled vnder feete aboue measure which thing serued well to beate downe the pride of the Iewes to the intent they should no more attribute any worthinesse to themselues seeing they were so euill intreated in Egypt Also it serued well to make them forget whatsoeuer moued them to pride when they were there as bondslaues and were so heauy burdened as it would pitie a man to beholde yea and y t in the end they were condemned to haue their remembraunce rased from out of the earth When they were so far oppressed it was an occasion to make thē to forget all their hautines and ambition and to confesse that they helde their lyfe of God Now in the end it is sayd We called vpon the GOD of our fathers and hee hearde vs and hath placed vs in this lande which wee doe nowe possesse True it is in deed that God tarried not vntill he was called vpon for he had already made a promise vnto Abraham that at the end of foure hundred yeres hee would take pitie of his seede when it had bin so oppressed so that God would haue the Iewes
And therfore God neuer vseth any superfluous speache but thereafter as he seeth it expedient for vs so doth he repete things and because he seeth that we haue but a short memorie hee is faine to put vs in mind of the things which we knew haue now forgotten Also for as much as he seeth vs to be hard of digestion he is fayne to chaw the doctrine to vs aforehand that we may bee able to digest it That is the thing which Moses doth presently when he sayeth This day I call heauen earth to witnesse that I haue set before thee good and euill blessing and the curse Nowe let vs returne to that that wee haue spoken which is that as often as the worde of God is declared vnto vs wee must looke into the power therof euen to stay our selues thereuppon that after wee haue once receiued the grace which hee offereth vnto vs wee may not dout that wee shal be deceiued being so stayed vppon the testimonie which hee hath deliuered to vs of his goodnesse and loue And likewise that beeing touched with dread and feare to the intent we may preuent the threatenings wee must not linger till hee put the thinges in execution which hee hath denounced against vs but we must goe and yeelde our selnes vnto him to pray him to receiue vs to his mercie and pitie And albeit that this solemne protestation bee not made euery day as it was here done by Moses yet wee must vnderstande that it belongeth vnto vs at this day to the ende that none of vs shoulde beguyle himselfe Moreouer it is sayde that both blessing and cursing are set before our eyes when wee haue the worde Why so For when our Lord trayneth vs vnto him what remayneth then Is not hee our life and the length of our dayes Shall wee liue when wee bee parted away from God which is the fountaine of life and of all manner of happinesse If wee take this worde God in our mouth and do not vnderstande whose we bee nor what wee owe him wee make him but an idoll hee is but a fantasie as there be many which talke ynough of God but yet they doe not thinke that they leaue him emptie of all his glorie But it is not for vs to speake after that manner of our God wee must yeelde vnto him that which belongeth to his maiestie Beholde our God is the fountayne of life hee is the welspring of vertue of ioy of felicitie of glorie To bee briefe the fulnesse of all goodnesse lyeth in him and therefore as soone as wee turne away from him wee cannot haue any droppe of those things but all manner of mischiefe shall pursue vs. That is the thing which Moses hath declared vnto vs in this place So then by this worde God and by his proper office he sheweth vs that when we haue his word we must not then any longer stagger neither is there any excuse for the misbeleeuers which do not this honor to God to conclude to answere Amen as soone as he saith the word And why For it is alone as if they renounced him And y e Apostle vseth as it were a like reason in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Hebr. 4.12 where hee sayeth For as much as it is the office of GOD to search mennes heartes hee hath also giuen the same power to his word so as it must pearce our bones and soake euen into the marrow and into y e very thoughts He putteth downe there a likenesse and conformitie betwixt God and his worde So also in this place Moses telleth vs that it is not for vs to cauill or wrangle any more when wee haue once beene instructed by the worde of God For therein hee sheweth himselfe what he is there must wee behold his power Nowe then if wee intytle God to this prayse that hee is our life and the length of our dayes it is certaine that wee must fynd the same in Gods worde and thereof wee ought to bee throughly well assured To be short wee see howe Moses standeth vppon this point that the worde of God ought to haue such honour reuerence at our hands as to accept it as if God himselfe appeared vnto vs visibly in his maiestie and to submit our selues obediently thereunto as in very deede that is the true proofe and tryall of the obedience which wee yeelde vnto him But herewithall wee bee also admonished that men deceiue themselues when they seeke either life or prosperitie any where else than in God For wee foorthwith goe to wracke as soone as he draweth his spirite from vs. Do wee then desire to liue Let vs abide vnder the wings of our God and cleaue vnto him according as it is sayde here True it is that in this place Moses setteth forth an earthly life vnto the Iewes and also the land of Chanaan which was assigned vnto them for their inheritance but yet he sheweth that God meant by exercising of them in those thinges to trayne them on farther Let vs marke I say that Moses did not meane to holde the people to this earthly life but to make them to vnderstande the goodnes of GOD and to giue them some certaine taste therof by the testimonies which they had here beneath Moreouer seeing that it is so that God protested vnto the Iewes by the mouth of Moses that hee layde before their eyes both life and death when hee willed that the lawe shoulde bee published let vs vnderstande that the sayde life is yet better vttered vnto vs at this day For the lawe is called the messenger of death because life is not there so largely knowen as our Lorde Iesus Christ doth shewe it vs at this day in that hee commeth to offer himselfe vnto vs as the liuely image of his father Col. 1.15 to the inâ—ent that wee shoulde be transfigured into his glorie Let vs then marke well that as oft as the doctrine of the Gospell nowadayes is preached vnto vs God sheweth forth life vnto vs and calleth vs in such wife vnto him as wee may become one with him according to this saying which wee reade in the seuenteenth Chapter of Saint Iohn Holy Father I beseech thee Iohn 17.21 that they may bee one with vs as thou and I are but one Seeing then that our Lorde Iesus hath pronounced this with his own mouth let vs not feare but that whensoeuer we bee called vnto him hee doeth ioyne vs perfectly to himselfe in glory But yet therewithall let vs also bee afrayed least for our refusing to receiue life to inioy it death bee giuen vnto vs. Not that that is of the nature of the Gospell for wee our selues be the cause thereof but because the reprobates bee euermore consumed by the onely sauour of the Gospel through their owne malice and vnthankfulnes 2. Cor. 2.16 Let vs bee aduised to choose the life that is offered vnto vs seeing wee neede not to seeke it farre
said it is good reason that men should continue in their beastlynesse and that GOD should discouer their shame when they will not submit themselues to him but are so stately that they thinke it a needelesse thing to be taught because they be no young children any more Alas that is euen the very cause why god withdraweth his blessing from them But contrarywise let vs doe as Iosua did If God bee so gracious vnto vs as to teach vs let vs bee ready to receiue instruction and then shall we be inuincible Albeit that Satan doe practise all that euer he can against vs and albeit that the wicked bee as barres to stop vs so as by all lykelyhoode wee can not set foreward one step no nor stirre one finger yet shall wee bee strengthened by the power of God so wee followe the order that is shewed vs here Now for a conclusion it is sayd of Moses and the people that they abode in the valley ouer against the Temple of Pheor For Bethpheor is as much to say as the house of y e Idole Pheor and the word House is put for a Temple This is not set downe for nought for it was Gods will to ad this as the vpshot of condemnation vnto Moses that hee was fain to haue the Temple of an Idol continually before his eyes He was chosen to leade the people of Israell into the land of Chanaan And it is certaine that hee himselfe murmured not against God ne letted the people from comming there but yet for all that when it came to the poynt that hee should haue made the water to come out of the rocke he went not to it cherefully but was as yee would say ouergreeued in his minde so as he gaue not glory vnto God By meanes wherof whereas Gods seruice should haue bin set vp in the lande and whereas there should haue bin such a melodie in calling vppon his name as al superstitions should haue bin rooted out and as all the thinges that had bin shewed him in the mountaine should haue bin put in practise that Gods maiestie might haue bin seene shining in the middest of the poeple in stead of hauing so goodly and as ye would say angelicall order he is faine to tary hard by a temple of Idols he is faine to see himselfe as it were defiled with it he is driuen to beholde the abhominations that were dayly committed by the heathen as it were in despite of God he is driuen to see the true religion ouerthrowen and this could not bee but a great hartbreaking to him and worke a terrible vexation in his minde Now vppon this example wee haue to gather how it is not for naught that our Lorde causeth vs to see thinges that ought to offend vs and to cast vs into great heauiness And why For we be not worthie to see his seruice throughly in good order and to see his religion purely and soundely obserued so as he might bee worshipped with one common consent throughout all the world We bee not worthie to inioy such a benefite For the full perfection of all felicitie that wee can haue in this world is that GOD be serued and honored and that in such wise as all superstitions al abuses and all other things that may corrupt his seruice bee layde downe But for examples sake wee see at this day how God mingleth many of his faithful ones among the Papistes where they be faine to behold abhominations dayly with their eyes and are held in so strait bondage as they dare not open their mouthes to speake against them They see Gods temples turned into no better than brothelhouses and fraughted with so fowle and filthie baggage that it were much better that Temples or Churches were neuer spoken of than to haue such as are in the popedom But yet this are y e poore faithful ones driuen to behold And why For they be not worthie to see such reformation as they desire God intendeth to humble them and hee knoweth to what ende And least wee should perke vp aboue other men to say heere is no corruption alas what are we Though there be not open Idolatrie among vs. is there not a horrible cōtempt of God by swearing and a rebelling against his worde Is there not such a beastlynesse to bee seene in a great nomber as it were much better for them to become Turkes and Heathen men than to pretend the name of Christianitie which they abuse so shamefully Are they not seene to bee manifest despisers of God and to bewray themselues in such sorte as euen little children may discerne it Now then sith wee see such corruptions among vs let vs vnderstand that they bee the rewards of our sins And therfore let vs bewaile our case assuring our selues that Gods suffering of such minglemangle among vs is to make vs perceiue that wee deserue well to be so intangled Yea which woorse is wee see this come to passe euen where the Gospel was purely preached Is not the hellish corruption of the Interim returned againe Doth not the worlde see how idolatrie is set vp againe by it And think wee that this is happened without Gods iust punishment Now therefore let vs looke well to it that lyke as it was Gods wil to humble his seruant Moses and al the people by facing them with the temple of a cursed idoll so lykewise nowadayes sith wee see so great corruptions sith wee see religion disguysed sith wee see on the one side idolatrie and on the other side losenesse and occasion of stumbling let vs vnderstand that all this commeth through Gods iust vengeance by reason of our sinnes Wherefore let vs humble our selues and mourne vntill it please God to set al thinges againe in such order and plight as wee may all call vppon him with one common accord forasmuch as the same is the ende whereunto hee hath set vs together and for the which hee hath redeemed vs so deerely with the bloud of his sonne Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to mortify them more and more that wee may learne to be so subdued as our whole seeking may be to obey him and to glorify him in all thinges that hee listeth to doe and that in the meane while we may not be wedded to our owne affections and fleshly lustes but that although wee haue neuer so many incomberances in this world neuer so many meanes to turne vs from the right way yet notwithstanding wee may goe through with the course of his calling vntill hee haue deliuered vs from all Satans trappes and from all thinges that hee setteth afore vs to make vs turne head and to hinder vs from going forewarde to our saluation euen till wee bee come thither That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also c. On Wednesday the xv of May. 1555. The nineteenth Sermon which is the first
we had all the lettes in the world against vs ought it not to ridde them all quite away Otherwise what an vnthankefulnesse were it Therefore let vs learne that whensoeuer God matcheth promises with his commaundementes it is to win vs by gentlenesse because hee seeth vs so slowe as is pitifull and therefore he allureth vs as a father that flattereth his children as ye would say That is the y e thing which wee haue to gather here Now if wee consider this lesson well wee shal not say as the Papists doe That seeing God promiseth reward to such as shall haue serued him it appeareth thereby y t we deserue and that God is as wel bound vnto vs as we to him But cleane contrariwise Gods promising vs to doe vs good is not for that our seruice can deserue aught at his hand nor for that hee is or can be beholden to vs for any thing but his shewing of himselfe so freeharted towardes vs as to forbeare his owne right proceedeth of his owne free bestowed goodnesse as I haue declared afore Surely the Papistes doe well shew themselues to be puffed vp with diuelish pride when they presume after that sorte to abuse Gods fatherly goodnesse He could doe no more except he should make vs cockneyes as I haue sayd already and yet notwithstanding mortall men which are but carion and dung fall to aduauncing of themselues and say it is a token that God is bound vnto them Now then ler vs beare in minde that the promises which GOD setteth afore vs to prouoke and incourage vs to doe him seruice serue not to shewe that he oweth vs any thing or that we can deserue aught at his hand but they be a record vnto vs of his free bestowed goodnesse inasmuch as hee byndeth himselfe to vs of his owne good will notwithstaÌ„ding y t hee can not be any way indetted vnto vs. Moreouer it behoueth vs to marke that in speaking Moses setteth y e lawe in the first place to the ende to leade the people yet further For by the lawe wee knowe our duetie and how wee ought to liue Matt. 22.37 that is to wit that wee ought to loue God with all our heart with all our minde with all our affections and with all our powers and that wee ought to loue our neighbors as our selues Now when we once know this we must see whether wee bee able to doe it or no. But so vnable is any man liuing to discharge himselfe thereof that wee cannot so much as stirre one finger to begin it Therefore are wee all guiltie before God And what is there to be done We must flee for refuge to his grace and therewithall beseech him to be mercifull to vs in forgiuing vs our sinnes and moreouer to vouchsafe to reforme vs forasmuch as hee seeth that wee be not onely weake but also vtterly vnable to doe any good because there is nothing but corruption in vs And finally that when he hath made this lawe to bee preached vnto vs hee vouchsafe also to ingraue it in our hartes and to giue vs such a minde as wee may seeke to serue him This is the maner of proceeding which wee haue to beare in minde in that it is sayd that the lawe is preached vnto vs to the ende wee should serue our God as in deede the ende whereto it tendeth is to shewe men what they ought to doe Nowe herewithall let vs examine all our owne abilities and wee shall finde our selues ouerwhelmed and that wee bee all of vs cursed and damnable if God added not a remedy to drawe vs out of the curse which the lawe bringeth vppon vs. 1. Cor. 15.56 Ro. 3.19 4.15 6.14 And therefore Saint Paul sheweth that if men will needes holde themselues to the lawe they shall bee damned without any further hope of saluation And why for it is written hee that doth these thinges shall liue in them Leuit. 18 5. Ro. 10.5 Now then sayth Saint Paul let euery man looke into himselfe and examine his whole lyfe is there any man that is able to vaunt that he hath fulfilled Gods lawe No wee be all disobedient Seeing the case standeth so there is no more life in the Lawe Rom. 3.9 Rom. 6.2.3 10.4 but wee must rather flee to the free forgiuenesse of sinnes and specially beseech God to giue vs power to doe that which we can not And so whereas the Papistes doe make themselues drunken with their diuelish imaginations of meritorious works and such other lyke thinges let vs vnderstand that after our Lord hath allured vs by gentlenesse he addeth a second grace which is that albeit we be not able to performe his commaundementes throughly in all respectes yet he beareth with vs as a father beareth with his children and imputeth not our sinnes vnto vs but receiueth our halfe seruices as though they were whole and perfect not for any worthinesse that he findeth in them but because he purposeth to play the father with vs. Marke that for another poynt Besides these there is a thirde grace which hee vseth which is that hee ingraueth his lawe in our heartes insomuch that whereas he seeeth our heartes to bee as harde as stone or stithies 2 Cor. 3. â— hee maketh them as soft as fleshe and meekeneth them y t they may be obedient And hee not onely prepareth vs after that maner to serue him Phil. â— â—â— but also giueth vs discretion power and performance Sith wee see this let vs put all meriting or deseruing out of minde and let vs not be so presumptuous as to aduaunce our selues any way but as wee haue iust cause to abase our selues so let vs w t all humblenes giue the glory vnto god Thus ye see what we haue to do y t we may take profit of y e doctrine coÌ„teined here And immediately hereunto Moses addeth That men must purely and simply followe the doctrine that hee commaundeth without putting any thing to it or taking any thing from it To the intent sayth hee that yee may keepe the commaundements of your God which I inioyne you Before wee proceede any further wee must marke the authoritie that Moses taketh to himselfe in this text Hee had sayd heretofore I teach you and now hee sayth I inioyne or commaund you And why is that To shewe that hee speaketh not in his owne name but as sent froÌ„ a greater master in respect wherof it is meete that euery man shoulde wholy submit himselfe to him without gainesaying And here wee see how all true shepheardes ought to behaue themselues and all such as haue charge to preach Gods worde or haue the gouernment of the Church that is to wit they must be sure that God hath sent them so as they attempt not any thing of their owne head but speake as in the name of God and vtter all their sayinges as on his behalfe Being once at that stay then must they also maintaine Gods
Gods secretes without ende or measure And why Because wee feele not our own vnabilitie Wherfore let vs magnify the goodnesse of our GOD for that it pleaseth him to haue regard of vs and of our rudenesse and to hide his glory from vs least wee shoulde be ouerwhelmed by it For as I sayd afore wee coulde not abide it being so fraile as wee bee And herewithall let vs vnderstande that there is no excuse for vs if wee yeelde not GOD his due honor when hee shall haue giuen vs any euident token of his presence Therefore let vs not looke that God should come to vs in his inestimable glorie that the heauens should cleaue a sunder and that all the Angels of paradise should appeare to vs But when our Lord sheweth vs that it is hee that speaketh let that suffise vs and let vs humble our selues out of hand For if wee will needes bee slothfull in that case it shall bee cast in our teeth that wee turned our backs vpon him when hee shewed vs his face In deede it is sayd vnto vs in another place that men cannot beholde Gods face without perishing Insomuch that although hee shewed himselfe in such wise to Moses as is spoken of in Numery Num. 33.11 20.23 so that he was familiar with him as with his friend yet is it sayd that hee sawe no more of him but onely his backe partes But that is to shewe vs alwayes that wee must not presume to preace vnto GOD so long as wee beare this fleshe about vs we must not think to attain so high For if the very Angels of heauen vnder the shape of Seraphins Esa. 6.2 doe hide themselues when GOD sheweth himselfe what shall wee doe which doe but creepe heere on earth But howsoeuer the case stand yet will God condemne vs for our vnthankefulnesse if we haue no list to behold his face and that the tokens of his presence which hee sheweth vs doe not suffise vs. Aboue all thinges let vs beare this in minde namely that the case concerneth our submitting of our selues as well to the lawe as to the Gospell For it is there chiefly that God will be knowen of men to the ende they should worship him simply receiuing whatsoeuer commeth out of his mouth Whereunto then shall wee apply his saying of Moses To this ende verily that whensoeuer the scripture is set afore vs so as it is either preched or expounded vnto vs or wee our selues reade it this preface must serue to humble vs that we may exalt God with all reuerence and not aduenture to reply against his worde but tremble at it as is sayde in the prophet Esay Esa. 66.2.5 For all that euer is conteined in the holy scripture is so throughly warranted vnto vs as it may well be sayd that GOD hath talked with men yea and euen shewed himselfe to them after a visible manner Nowe hereunto Moses addeth that he himselfe had bin as a mediator betweene God and men because the people were afraide and durst not goe vp into the mountaine Whereby Moses doth vs to wit that the deliuering foorth of the lawe by a mortall man ought not to diminishe the authoritie thereof And why Because the infirmitie of the people required it that was their fault And it is a text well worthie to bee marked For wee doe alwayes seeke startingholes that wee might despise Gods worde In deede wee will not pretend it openly but yet are all of vs so lewdely disposed that wee thinke our selues well at ease if wee can finde any color to say Tush I knowe not whether this bee Gods word or no I cannot tell whether it speake to me or no I wote not what condition is annexed to it Thus wee see how the worlde striueth continually to exempt themselues from the obedience of Gods worde and it is a very common excuse to say yea it is true that GOD ought to be obeyed but yet for all that they that preach are but men lyke our selues and must their doctrine bee hearkened to as though they were men that came from heauen Many men beare themselues in hand that this shoulde goe for payment notwithstanding that they be rebels against GOD or rather that they passe not at all to submitte themselues to him and to his worde But wee haue an aunswere heere wherewith to cut off the occasion of all this which is that whereas GOD sendeth his worde by the hand of men hee doeth it in respect of mens default and infirmitie Neuerthelesse hee ceaseth not to giue vs some marke of his glory whereby his word is sufficiently knowen to be heauenly insomuch that if the matter bee duely scanned it appeareth that God hath warranted it throughly So then it is not onely for the auncient fathers that Moses spake but this warning is directed to vs also that is to wit that although men bee appointed as messengers to preach Gods worde to vs yet ought not that to diminishe the maiestie thereof any whit at all And in deede wee doe misconsider our owne frailetie when wee desire that God shoulde worke miracles dayly nay verily wee cannot tell what is meete for vs. For as touching miracles there haue bin enowe wrought already for the warranting of the trueth as well of the Lawe as of the Gospel that wee might bee fully certifyed of them Yet notwithstanding it is expedient for vs at this day that God shoulde send vs men like our selues with commission from him to teach vs in his name and in his stead as one that allureth vs to him with all gentlenesse and courtesie Thinke we that wee were able to abide his presence if hee shoulde come to vs in such sort as hee is in deede Alas no there were no shift for vs but wee should bee all consumed If God should speake in his strength wee knowe how it is sayd that it would make the very rockes and mountaines to melt and could we that are as feeble as any thing may bee Psal. 97.5 Esa. 64.1.3 Mich. 1.4 bee able to outstand such force that it should not thunder downe vpon vs and destroy vs Therefore let vs marke well that when God ordeined that his word should bee preached vnto vs and that we should haue it in writing therein he applyed himselfe to our weakenesse dealing with vs as if himself were a mortal man to the intent we should not be afraide to come vnto him but be drawen to him with all gentlenesse Againe how highly doth hee honor vs in that it pleaseth him to choose men of no reputation among vs to represent his person and to speake to vs in his name For what could hee giue more to the Angels of heauen Coulde hee giue them a more honorable charge or office Seeing then that hee vouchsafeth to set men in so noble and excellent a roome as to beare abroad his word thererein hee sheweth how great his goodnesse is towardes vs namely that it is more than fatherly
prepared a better inheritance for vs than this transitorie life when we see al these things must it not needes be that wee bee worse than blockish if we be not rauished with earnest affection to worship our God and to vowe and dedicate our selues wholly to him Yes but besides this wee must bethinke vs of all the good turnes which God hath done vs as well in general as in particular and then must we confesse with Dauid Lord when I thinke vpon thy benefites behold my wit is plundged as it were into a bottomlesse pit Psa. 40. â— yea they be moe in nomber thaÌ„ the haires of my head as it is said in the fortith Psalme Againe when wee haue acknowledged how much we be beholden to our God generally let vs also consider the benefites that euerie of vs haue receiued at Gods hand particularly And whereas it was saide to the people of Israel in olde time I brought thee out of the land of Egypt let vs consider whence our Lorde deliuered vs when he vouchsafed to admit vs into his household and Church Rom. â— 1 Eph. 2 3â— 1. Co. 1â— â— Act. 26. â—â— 2. Tim. â— â— For we be Adams childreÌ„ by nature cursed heires of death altogither sinnefull and consequently must needes be lothsome to our God Let men like of themselues and glorie of themselues as much as they list yet not withstanding this is their pedegree this is al their nobilitie namely y t they bee Satans bondslaues that they haue a sinke of sinne and corruption in them Eph. 2.11 4.18 and that they haue nothing but Gods wrath and curse hanging ouer their heads and to bee short that being banished from the kingdome of heauen they be deliuered vp to all mischiefe and woe But our Lord hath deliuered vs from these things by the hand of his sonne he hath not sent vs a Moses as he did to the people of olde time Rom. â— â—â— nay he hath not spared his onely sonne but hath deliuered him to death for vs. Seeing then that we be rauÌ„somed with so deare and inestimable a price 1. Pet. â—â—â— as is the holy bloud of the sonne of God ought wee not to giue our selues wholly vnto him Furthermore if Egypt were termed a house of bondage I praye you what is it when y e diuell holdeth vs in his bondes and vnder his tyrannie so as we haue no meanes to scape death but are shut out from all hope of saluation and God is vtterly against vs Seeing wee bee deliuered from all these things is it not a much more excellent deliuerance than that which Moses here speaketh of Yes and therefore whereas it was saide to the people of olde time thy GOD hath brought thee out of the lande of Egypt nowe it is sayde that we be not our owne as saieth Saint Paul in the fourteenth to the Romanes Ro. 14. â—â— 1. Cor. â—â— 24. and also in the seuenth of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Wee bee not our owne the faithfull must not take leaue to doe what they list nor to liue euerie man after his owne liking And why Bicause our Lorde Iesus Christ dyed and is risen againe to raigne both ouer quicke and dead Then is it good reason that Iesus Christ shoulde bee Lord of life and death seeing he spared not himselfe when our redemption saluation were to be wrought And moreouer besides that the sonne of God hath offered vp himselfe for redemption let vs vnderstand that he maketh vs partakers of that benefite at this day Eph. 1 1â— Eph. 1. â—â— by meanes of the Gospell For hee gathereth vs to him to the intent wee should bee of his flocke True it is that hee is the Lambe without spot which wypeth awaye the sinnes of the world Iohn 1.29 2. Tim. 1.9.10 Rom. 5.10 and 2. Cor. 5.19 and that he hath offered himselfe vp to reconcile men vnto God But yet for all that wee see a great nomber of people that are let alone against whome the gate is shut and GOD doeth not graunt them the grace to bee inlightened by faith as wee bee And therefore let vs marke well that seeing the Gospell is preached vnto vs and wee haue there a warrant that the sonne of God will make the redemption auailable in vs which he hath once wrought and cause vs to inioye the benefite thereof wee must learne that our thankelesnesse will bee the shamefuller if wee doe not our indeuour to giue our selues to our God who hath bounde vs to himselfe after that sorte If the vnbeleeuers play the loose Coltes and ouershoote themselues in their superstitions and in wantonnesse of life well it is bicause they haue no bridle he hath not reyned them backe as he doeth his housholde folke Wee see the horrible confusion that is in Poperie but yet there is not any doctrine to plucke men backe to God nay rather that doctrine which is there doeth drawe them quite and cleane from him And we see that the diuell hath gotteÌ„ such footing there that all is full of trumperie and illusions and the liuing God is quite forsaken And so ye see that there is a horrible confusion But as for our part seeing that God draweth vs to himselfe is it not a straiter bond to make vs to linke in throughly with him and to holde ourselues vnder obedience of the doctrine that is set foorth to vs in his name Yes and therefore let vs learne to sticke so to our God as wee may renounce all that euer wee can imagine of our owne head and let vs consider that it is not for vs to swarue one way or other any more or to be tossed too and fro in any wise assuring our selues that there is but onely one God who will possesse vs yea and possesse vs in such wise as his honour bee not taken from him and bestowed vppon creatures and that he watcheth ouer vs to the end wee should knowe that it is onely he on whom wee ought to call Psal. 11 6.9 and to whose grace we ought to repaire for succour And finally forasmuch as it is his will to haue and accept vs to bee of his houshold let vs walke as in his presence and in his sight and that in such wise as wee worshippe him as our onely God not onely with Ceremonies and outward protestation but also in our hearts as they that knowe that his seruice is spirituall and to be short let him possesse both our bodies and our soules that he may bee throughly glorified in all respectes Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better that it may leade vs to true repentance to be mortified more and more so as our wicked lustes may be cut off and we bee wholy giuen to feare and honour him that forasmuch as wee can not serue him throughly as he deserueth so long
name in all lawfull cases by the which grant of his wee may well perceiue that hee is more than fatherly towardes vs. Neuerthelesse hee warneth vs therewithall to bee more ware in abstayning from all wicked othes For as for periurie as I said afore it is an offering of too outragious and cursed vilanie vnto him because his trueth is turned into lying and wee bee false-dealers to the vttermost of our power And so ye see that that is a passing deadly crime But it is not ynough for vs to refraine from periurie it behooueth vs also to looke that our othes be sober and that Gods name be not tossed among vs like a tennisball but that necessitie may excuse vs in our vsing thereof And forasmuch as by our swearing we giue to vnderstande that GOD hath all superioritie ouer vs therein we see that the othes which are made by creatures are wicked and proceede of superstition As for example whereas in the Popedome men sweare by S. Antonie or by S. Iohn it is all one as if they made ydols of them And why so For we must always bethinke vs of this saying of the Apostle which I alledged afore namely that by our swearing by the name of God wee auow him to bee our superiour yea and our soueraine Lord. And that is the cause also why God sweareth to confirme vs in his promises or rather to waken vs when he seeth vs wilfull and hardened in our sinnes so as we be not afraid of his iustice He sweareth and by whom Euen by himselfe He reserueth that honor to himselfe as shall bee declared more at large in the 6. Chapter of this booke Deut. 6.13 And therefore they that sweare by creatures are ydolaters By reason whereof in speaking of superstitions the othe is set downe as a record to proue that men are turned away from the purenes of the Law Soph. 1.5.6 The shepherds saith Ieremie which haue the charge of leading Gods people Ier. 12.16 must teach them to sweare by the name of God that is to say to lay away all other othes and to intermingle no creatures in that behalfe Furthermore whereas the name of GOD is mentioned let vs marke that it is not the onely speaking of that word that is forbidden vs but that we must haue a regarde to the substance of it as I haue said alreadie God is not a sophister to vse trifling suttleties towards vs but hee hath an eye to the deede it selfe There are that will not sweare expresly by the name of GOD but yet they cease not to bee faultie and offenders For wee must refer our selues to that which our Lord Iesus Christ speaketh in the fift of saint Mathew When yee sweare by heauen saith he is it not the seate of the liuing God Mat. 5.34.35 If yee sweare by his temple is it not the place where his maiestie resteth Then if wee thinke wee shall not bee condemned so wee expresse not the name of God it is aâ—fondnesse Let vs not beguile our selues therewithal for it is too childish an excuse For why Doeth not the heauen beare a representation of Gods Maiestie Yee see then that his glorie is thereby diminished As much is to be saide of the earth For it is his footestoole as Iesus Christ auoucheth in the forealleadged text Wherefore let vs learne in fewe wordes that we must yeelde such reuerence to the name of God as to put away all othes from among vs sauing so farre forth as necessitie requireth and as God giueth vs leaue to borrowe his name And moreouer let vs alwayes followe this to keepe this simplicitie in our talke to say it is so assuring our selues that whatsoeuer is more is euil and condemned by the lawe Matt. 5.37 that is to wit if wee take the name of God in vaine And indeede there is a dubble mischiefe to bee seene in all needlesse othes and wherein Gods name is not honoured as it ought to bee For when men let them flie so at all aduenture it is a token that they passe not what they saye Againe whereof commeth it but onely of this that folke are so full of lying and deceit as no man can beleeue that which is saide to him when one speakes to another Needes must there bee greate frowardnesse and naughtinesse among them Whereas God hath giuen vs a tongue it is partly to the intent wee shoulde common one with another thereby for it is as yee woulde saye the messenger of the hearte so as thereby wee expresse the thinges that we haue conceiued in our minde Wee see then that needelesse othes spring of the vntrustinesse of men And there needes no inquisition or long trial of the matter for euerie man hath his owne witnesse in that behalfe Howe so euer the case stande let vs learne to vse such modestie in this respect as God commaundeth that we sweare not without cause nor vnrequired Howbeit to make this matter the easier to bee vnderstoode many do beare themselues in hand that when they sweare by their faith it is not materiall Indeede the most part of them sweare by nothing at al for they haue no more faith thaÌ„ dogges they haue neither conscience nor Religion But yet shall not the name of Faith faile therefore to be esteemed afore God for hee setteth much store by it and counteth it as a holy thing which cannot nor ought not to bee so vnhallowed except we will needs make our selues guiltie and runne in daunger of the threat that is vttered here as we see Now then let vs mark wel that it is not ynough for vs to haue forborne to sweare expresly By God but also that if a man sweare by his faith or vse any confirmation wherein there is any marke of Gods maiestie his name is vnhallowed in so doing And what shall then become of such as not onelye vse false othes to countenaunce their matters withall and sweare at all aduenture and as it were in scorne and mockerie but doe also spite God with horrible blasphemies so as they spare neither fleshe bloude nor death nor anye thing else Are such men to bee helde as onely guiltie of simple abusing of Gods name No but as guiltie of the heynousest vilanie that can bee doone Beholde our Lorde Iesus Christe the Lorde of glorie abased himselfe for a time as saieth S. Paul Now if there were no more but this Phil. â—â— that he being the fountain of life became a mortall man and that he hauing dominion ouer the Angels of heauen tooke vppon him the shape of a seruant yea euen to shed his bloud for our redemption and in the end to suffer the curse that was due vnto vs Gal. â—â—â— were it conuenient that notwithstanding all this he should now adayes in recompence thereof bee torne in peeces by the stinking mouthes of such as name themselues Christians For when they sweare by his bloud by his death by his woundes and by
can finde no leasure to profite in Gods worde Now then let vs forbeare all such trifling replies as this Oh sir the holy scripture is a deepe sea it is a bottomlesse pit If a man would enter into it how should he get out againe Let vs alledge no such thinges 1. Pet. 1.12 It is true y t in the scripture God sheweth such secrets as euen y e Angels doe reuereÌ„ce It is true y t we can haue but a small tast of theÌ„ so long as we be in this world 1. Cor. 13.12 It is enough y t we know in part as sayth Saint Paul darkely and y t we see y e thinges now as it were through a glasse which we cannot see as yet face to face All this is very true But yet for all y t God hath so abased and applyed himselfe to our slendernesse that the thinges are become easie vnto vs or at leastwise wee conceiue so much of them as is auailable to our saluation If we meet with things that are doubtfull let vs haue this modestie with vs that wee rush not too farre forewarde till wee haue first asked counsell at Gods mouth knowing that wee bee yet farre of from our perfection Yet notwithstanding wee may alwayes glorie that according to the abilitie that is giuen vs our Lord will not leaue vs in doubt and ignoraÌ„ce without giuing of vs such certeintie as we may walke safely on our way so as we shall knowe that his calling of vs to him is not in vaine and that wee bee not let loose to runne at rouers but that wee haue a certeine marke set vp for vs to runne at whereunto if wee hold on our way wee ought not to mistrust that we shall misse forasmuch as wee haue so good direction Therefore let vs beare in minde that our Lorde speaketh not here according to his owne nature For if he should speake in his owne language should it bee vnderstood of mortall creatures Alas no. But how is it that hee hath spoken to vs in the holy scripture As nurces doe to their little babes 1. Cor. 3.1.2 Saint Paul sayth that hee did as a nurce doth with her little children when â—ee preached the Gospel And in speaking of himselfe no doubt but hee sheweth the goodnesse of God who ruled him after that sort by his holy spirite And looke what was in Paul the same doe wee finde lykewise in Moses and in all the prophets Then let vs marke that God made himselfe nurcelyke who talketh not to her little babe as shee woulde doe to a man but hath a respect of the childes capacitie So then GOD did as it were stoope because wee should not haue vnderstood what hee sayd vnlesse he had lowlyed himselfe vnto vs. That is the cause why that in the holy scripture hee shewes himselfe the rather lyke a nucre to the intent to conceale his high and infinite maiestie whereunto wee could not atteine no nor once come neere it Seeing that GOD hath yeelded himselfe so courteously vnto vs there hangeth the greeuouser condemnation ouer our heades if wee indeuer not to profite in the doctrine which is as yee would say chawed to vs aforehand to the intent that we should doe no more but swallowe it downe and digest it Furthermore let vs marke well y t where as Moses sayth that God added not any thing to these ten sentences it is to the end that this breefenesse should stirre vs vp and incourage vs knowing that Gods intent is not to make vs to wander as in a thing that hath neither brim nor bottome but to set vs downe these onely ten sentences True it is that he expoundeth these ten sentences by Moses and consequently by all the prophets and in the ende wee haue had a finall exposition of them Heb. 1.1.2 made by our Lorde Iesus Christ as it is giuen vs nowadayes in the Gospell But what for that Yet haue wee still this one marke to aime at that there are but tenne sentences Sith it is so must it not needes bee that men are too frowarde when they dispise such grace of GOD and cannot finde in their heartes to come to him when he intreateth them so gently Yes So then this is the effect of that which wee haue to remember here concerning the easinesse which Moses sheweth to bee in Gods word And by the way let vs marke also that hee intended to cut off all occasiion of quareling to the ende wee shoulde learne to bee contented with the simplicitie of the lawe that is to say that wee should not fall to controlling of GOD by adding of collups and morsells of our owne to his worde For when hee spake hee spake once for all And hee will haue vs to holde our selues to that which hee hath spoken as we shall see hereafter where he forbiddeth vs straitly to swarue to the right hand or to the left Deut. 5.32 or to adde any thing at all to the doctrine thereof And in deede seeing that GOD himselfe hath not added aught vnto it what are wee that wee shoulde presume to take vppon vs aboue him Thinke wee that when GOD gaue his Lawe hee had lost his rememberance and wist not what was for our profite Can a man bethinke himselfe of any thing that is vnknowen to God Againe moreouer when as our Lorde hath applyed himselfe so familiarly vnto vs thinke wee hee meant to teach vs by halues and to leaue vs in the middest of our way No. Then let vs remember that seeing God added not any thing after hee had once spoken those ten wordes it becommeth vs to yeelde our selues wholy to the simple doctrine that is conteined in his Lawe without interlacing of any thing of our owne assuring our selues that our perfect wisedome is to obey our God Had this bin wel obserued we should not be so greatly cumbered nowadayes in correcting y e corruptions y t reigne in the world For wherof came the corruptioÌ„ of Gods religion seruice that is is to be seene in the Popedome The Papistes vaunt they serue God when they vse their kyrieleysons their holy holy holy their ceremonies other petie trash And why Because they tooke vppon them to adde to Gods word so as they thought it not enough to serue God after his owne deuising vnlesse men also did forge what they listed in their owne brayne Therfore all y t euer is termed by the name of Gods seruice in poperie is but toyes of mens inuention And not onely so but also the saying of the prophet is fulfilled in them Esa. 29.13 Ier. 11.13 namely that they haue despised Gods commaundementes and in the meane while giuen themselues to their own inuentions The worlde sees what mischiefe hath insued through this diuelish malapeartnesse that men durst disguise Gods word w t their owne dreames and dotages So much the more therefore doth it stand vs in hand to marke this text where it is sayd that
messengers hee hath respect to our benefite and commoditie and therefore it proceedeth of a foolish and inordinate lust in vs to desire that hee shoulde appeare to vs from heauen or that hee shoulde worke any visible miracle for wee cannot comprehend his glory and maiestie Furthermore although the proper nature of the lawe bee to fray folke yet notwithstanding the same may also bee verifyed of the Gospell For wee must take it for a generall rule that as soone as wee perceiue Gods presence we must needes bee abashed Wee see how the very Angels doe hide their eyes Esa. â— 2 because Gods glory is too great for them and they be driuen to confesse that they bee too feeble as creatures And what will become of vs then For wee be inferior to the Angels and besides that wee holde not still the vncorruptnesse of our nature Wee be not as wee were created that is to say we be not earthly men as our father Adam was but wee bee vtterly corrupted so as there is nothing but sinne in vs and therefore God is faine to be as an enemie to vs and wee bee faine to shunne his throne as offenders shunne the seate of the Iudge to the vttermost of their power To bee short we be but wretched wormes and caryons Nowe then looke how soone God commeth neere vs wee must needes be dismaied yea and vtterly stryken downe And therefore as I haue touched already it is to our benefite that God sheweth himselfe after that fashion that is to wit by the meanes of men so as hee appoynteth men to shewe vs his will as well as if hee spake himselfe and hee will haue vs to receiue his word with as great reuerence as if we heard him thundering from heauen But yet it will bee good for vs to vnderstand more at large the thing that I haue touched in one worde namely that the Lawe frayeth vs far more in comparison than the Gospel as is declared also more at length elsewhere And why is that Because that in the Lawe God requireth that which is due to him at mens handes But now let vs see if wee be able to discharge our selues of it No but contrariwise wee bee lyke wretched detters which haue not one dodkin nor dodkins woorth Now then wee be vtterly vndone For whatsoeuer come of it God dischargeth vs not but sheweth vs that wee deserue to bee cursed and damned at his hand And for the same cause after he hath shewed how the lyfe of man ought to bee ruled he addeth this curse thundering downe vpon them That they be all accursed which performe not all the thinges that are conteined there As if hee should say All men must bee faine to yeelde themselues guiltie in this behalfe and from the greatest to the least they must all knowe that they be in my daunger and that I may sinke theÌ„ downe to the bottom of hel I doe already pronounce this sentence there is no man able to reply against it Behold then ye are all lost and condemned This is the language of the Lawe and the speach that God vseth there and now must not all men needes quake at it Yes So then it is not sayd for nought that the lawe frayeth vs and that we must needs bee forlorne so long as God listeth to demaund his due at our handes with rigor But the case standeth not so with the Gospell Eze. 11.19 2. Cor. 3.3 For there God beareth with vs and not onely forgiueth vs our sinnes but also wryteth his lawe in our heartes And moreouer although wee serue him but by halues yet doth hee pardon vs our defaultes and as it were winke at them And lyke as a father will not presse his childe too straitly so doth God vse a fatherly gentlenesse towardes vs in the Gospell to the intent wee should not bee afraid to come vnto him In respect whereof the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes He. 12.18.20 sayth that wee bee not come to this smoking mountaine wee be not come to mount Sinay to bee astonished at the sight of burning fyre and at the sight of the lightnings and of all the other thinges that were done there to abash the people but that wee heare a gratious and pleasaunt melody wherein we be accompanyed with the Angels of heauen with the soules of the holy patriarkes and other fathers that liued vnder the hope of lyfe notwithstanding that they had as then but darke shadowes of it and so GOD coupleth vs with those that waited in olde time for the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Seing it is so we must not recoyle backe but goe still on foreward with a chearefull courage to heare our God because he speaketh to vs so kindely and with so fatherly speach as doth not scarre away his children but rather as ye would say allure them This difference then is to be marked well that it may make the Gospell amiable to vs in comparison of the Lawe But yet for all this we must come backe againe to the generall principle which is that it is much better for vs that Gods word should be preached vnto vs by the mouthes of men than y t God himself shold thunder it down from heauen And why For let vs but here the naturall thunder and by and by we be astonished and yet is nothing expressed there God doth but as yee would say braye with a confused noyse What would come of it then if hee should speake to vs shew vs his glory We feele such a weakenesse in all our senses that we cannot so much as looke vpon the sunne which is a corruptible creature and how then can we beholde gods maiestie if it shewe it selfe to vs playnely and in full perfection And therefore it is sayd that no man liuing can see God and not dye and bee vtterly consumed Trueth it is that God shewed himselfe to Moses and that not as he did to the prophets not in dreame nor in vision but with a speciall priuiledge and as it is sayd in Exodus face to face as a man speaketh to his friend â—xo 33.11 and with so great familiaritie that he was after a sort exempted from the companie of men that hee might become the more familiar with God But yet for all that the trueth is so that GOD shewed himself vnto him but in portion measure For had he shewed himselfe in his infinite being what grace of the holy ghost soeuer Moses had receiued hee must needes haue bin vtterly ouerwhelmed In deede once in his lyfe God shewed him his glory more fully than euer he did but yet for all that he sawe but as it were the backe parte of him In the which similitude is expressed vnto vs that when wee see but the backe of a man wee see not the chiefe part of him for the chiefe sight of a man is in his face so although Moses had speciall familiaritie with God insomuch
that in y t souereigne sight which was shewed him in the mountaine he was separated from the state of this mortall and transitory lyfe and was as an Angell of paradise yet notwithstanding he sawe God but in part as if wee should see a man but on the back Therfore let vs be contented when God vseth the lyke order with vs that is to wit that his worde bee preached vnto vs by men and let vs receiue it as if wee sawe his maiestie face to face And why For it is good for vs that shepheardes are ordeined to bee ministers of his worde because we shoulde be vtterly confounded by the glory of God if it were manifested to vs to the full And to the ende that no man shoulde haue cause to complayne as though Gods doctrine were not sufficiently ratifyed but y t it were to be doubted whether a man might holde him to it or no therefore did hee shewe himselfe in the setting forth of his lawe And wee haue record of it heere in that the people say It is the Lorde This day hath hee made vs to see his glorie and his greatnesse and wee haue seene that it is euen hee that hath spoken vnto vs hee hath not put any other person in his place but we haue heard his voyce with our owne eares This was done but once for all Howbeit let vs take the thinges that are reported here to bee as a record that Moses spake not on his owne head nor deuised the doctrine of his owne brayne which we receiue of him but that hee was a faithfull stewarde to Godwarde who aduoweth him so to bee and not onely ratifyed his doctrine with miracles but also declared in his owne person howe it was hee himselfe that was the author of the doctrine that Moses taught And forasmuch as it was good reason that the Gospell should bee authorised as well as the Lawe wee haue had recorde likewise from heauen that the same is not a doctrine of man but that it proceedeth of God 1. Pet. 1.17.18 And this is the thing which Saint Peter toucheth in his second Epistle saying that hee his fellowes had heard the voyce from heauē whereby the father proclaymed his sonne the chiefe maister and teacher of all his Church saying this is my welbeloued sonne heare yee him Seeing then that this voyce hath thundered from heauen God hath shewed that wee must not take the Gospel as a doctrine bred here belowe but we must alwayes haue the sayd maiestie before our eyes Lykewise noweadayes if we will bee Gods true disciples wee must at our resorting to sermons remember what Moses rehearseth namely that the lawe was giuen forth in such sort as God was the speaker thereof Againe in the second place we must adde the testimonie that I am about to alledge so as the foresayd saying of God may euer ring in our eares whereby he proclaymeth our Lord Iesus Christ to be the onely partie whom he will haue men to heare Loe here the perfect seale whereby Gods worde hath full and perfect authoritie among vs as it deserueth notwithstanding that it be brought vnto vs by mortall men Furthermore to the intent that men may not thinke that Iesus Christ is not to bee heard but onely in his owne person hee sayth hee that heareth you Luke 10.16 heareth me and hee that refuseth or despiseth you despiseth mee and him that sent me In deede the Pope and his champions lyke a sort of traytors to God vsurpe that saying to mainteine their owne tyrannie but it belongeth as much to them as to the diuell of hell And why for first they should bring vs the pure doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ. For the sonne of God hath not resigned his office to men to be spoyled thereof hee will not haue vs gouerned after the lyking of men but hee himselfe will alwayes haue the preheminence and soueraigntie ouer vs that was giuen vnto him Now then whereas hee sayth that in hearkening to those whome hee sendeth wee hearken to him his meaning is that if wee obey the doctrine of his Gospell without despising of it when it is preached to vs by men it is all one as if hee himselfe spake to vs and wee must not in this case rest vppon the outward appearance And that is it that Saint Paul meaneth in saying that although wee be brittle vessels ◠Cor. 4.7 yea and as broken vessels of no valewe nor worthinesse yet the inestimable treasure that is committed vnto vs is not y e worse or of lesse estimation valewe therefore True it is y t we cannot purchase the word of God such reuerence as we faine would And why For we haue not any thing in vs I meane of our own wherby it may be sayd y t God shoulde bee exalted but yet must wee approue our obedience in this behalfe namely that wee deliuer God his worde with such boldenesse courage and power as if hee himselfe spake in vs. And herewithall let all loftinesse be corrected in this case and let euery man receiue the doctrine of the Gospell in simplicitie and without disputing or scanning why we be bound to submit our selues to mortall men For inasmuch as it were a despising of Gods sonne Luke 10.16 Matt. 17. ◠yea and of the heauenly father himselfe who ordeined him to bee the chiefe teacher if wee should not heare those whome hee sendeth as his messengers it standeth vs in hand to yeelde in y t behalfe Luke 9.35 So then let vs learne to bowe downe our neckes and to beare the yoke of Gods sonne by receiuing y e doctrine of y e Gospel with all humilitie though it bee preached vnto vs by men And as I sayd afore let vs thinke well vpon the ratification that was giuen thereof which ought to bee enough to make vs to vnderstand that the lawe was brought from God himselfe and that the Gospell also was warranted and ratified from heauen when God pronounced with his owne mouth that he would haue vs to hearken to his sonne That is the effect of the thinges which wee haue to remember vppon this text And therefore let vs followe the example of those which are spoken of here and let vs not couet that God should come down frō heauen to feede our humors but let it suffice vs y t he voutsafeth to cōmunicate his word vnto vs. But it should seeme at the first sight that heere were some contrarietie For first the people say This day haue wee seene how God speaketh with men and that they continue aliue still and afterwarde they say againe wee dye if God speake to vs. For by all lykelyhoode if wee haue once found by experience y t God speaketh to vs without destroying of vs it ought to imbolden vs. And why For seeing wee remaine aliue still after wee haue heard the voyce of God once why should wee not doe so still after twise or thrice as well as
the whole worlde and men giue themselues whollie vnto him Immediatly herevppon Moses addeth that which he had said afore namely to the end that their dayes might bee prolonged and that God might make the people to prosper according as he had promised to their fathers to giue them a land that flowed with milke and honnie I haue declared alreadie heretofore what Moses ment by this saying that is to wit that although God might at one worde haue compelled vs to serue him yet notwithstanding he vseth a more louing kinde of dealing towards vs which is that hee promiseth vs rewarde for seruing of him not that our workes deserue aught or that hee is any whit bounde vnto vs but that his benefiting of vs after that sort is to the end that we shoulde be the better allured to serue him the more earnestly For is it not too shamefull a thanklesnesse that when wee heare howe God bindeth himselfe to vs after that maner of his owne accorde and vouchsafeth to set rewarde before vs is it not say I too great a shame and vnthankfulnesse if we giue not our selues wholly to his seruice Wee bee his and whatsoeuer we can doe wee be beholden to him for it Luke 17.7 as our Lord Iesus Christ speaketh thereof Howe say you saieth hee tell mee if a man haue a seruant or rather a slaue whom he may put to toyle like an Oxe or a horse and the same haue done him some seruice will his master rise from the table to serue him at his turne No for whatsoeuer a man doeth that is in bondage hee oweth it to him that hath the superioritie ouer him So owe you all thinges to God saith Christ and God oweth you nothing Yet notwithstanding God binding himselfe of his owne free good will promiseth that if wee serue him wee shal be well recompensed and not lose our labour To what purpose doth hee so euen to breake our hearts for as I saide afore we bee too churlish if wee bee not wholly inflamed to serue God when wee see that he of his owne free goodnesse vouchsafeth to beheight vs rewarde whereof we be not worthie And herewithall let vs marke also that if God had couenanted a thousande times with vs to rewarde our workes yet coulde wee so little say that hee owed vs any thing as hee might rather curse and abhorre vs. For which of vs performeth his Law as we ought to do If wee doe one point we faile in a hundred and when we thinke we do the thinges that God commandeth vs in his Lawe we do but drag our legges and there is alwayes much imperfection in vs so as wee can neuer runne as were requisite therefore wee should be cursed and damned if God listed to iudge vs with rigour Then is it not for men to vaunt thēselues in this behalfe of the obteining of any rewarde for desertes sake or to boast of their workes But rather they must vnderstand that all the promises which God hath giuen in his Law import a condition and therefore that they should not boote vs at all because none of vs dischargeth his dutie if God did not accept vs beare with vs of his own mere goodnes And hereby we see how mad the papists are to boast of their merites so as it seemeth to them that they haue to bargaine with God and thereupon enter boldly into account with him through deuilish malapeartnes bearing themselues in hand that God is greatly bounde vnto them And for what maner of dealinges They alleage their satisfactions their workes and their merites And where shall a man finde these merites O say they we haue done this and that and therefore we neede not sticke to enter into account with God But on the contrary parte God requireth here that we shoulde serue him throughly in all respectes which thing we can not do as we haue seene heeretofore and as is declared in many other places Ro. 7.14.18 For lette all the worlde examine themselues and see if euer there were anie one that performed the Lawe Nay so farre off is that to be found that there is none which may protest that he hath done the hundreth parte of it Therefore all must needes confesse themselues to bee accursed Besides this euen in that little portion which men can bring howe small so euer it be there is alwayes some default and blot by reason whereof God might well refuse it and abhorre it Nowe then let men continue confounded in their shame and confesse themselues to be all faultie before God And let vs note that this promise can not be performed vnlesse God beare with vs and respecte not the great number of infirmities and vices that are in vs Psal. 32.1.2 but bury them through his mercy Our workes then are receiued at Gods hande inasmuch as he respecteth not what they be but accepteth them as good and holy through the power of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And although there be euer som blemish and blot in them yea and that God could finde euen some filthinesse in them if it were not blotted out by the bloud of Iesus Christ yet doth he accept vs by that meane and not otherwise Wherefore let vs learne to glorie in Gods meere mercie and not to boast of any deseruings And yet therewithall let vs not cease to steppe vppe with the better courage to serue him when wee see that he vouchsafeth to drawe vs so vnto him and to winne vs by such gentlenesse Verily Moses sheweth that all that euer God promiseth to his people for keeping of his Law springeth from the same fountaine rather than from any bond And that is it which he meaneth by saying As God promised to thy Fathers As if he should say my friendes serue God and hee will be good maister vnto you and thinke not that ye shall haue lost your time when yee shall haue kept his Lawe for ye shall haue the large rewarde that is behighted you But yet for all that consider from whence the same commeth The fountaine thereof sayth he is that before yee were borne into the worlde God promised your fathers to bring them into a lande that floweth with milke and honnie Moses by bringing the people thus backe to the promise that had beene made to the Patriarkes sheweth sufficiently that God promised not any thing anewe but onely that he performeth the thing that hee had promised afore And why so Was it for that hee was bounde to them which were not yet borne into the worlde Deut 〈…〉 No but because he loued their fathers as is saide heretofore It is true that heere Moses sheweth that the people should be partakers of that promise so they kept Gods Lawe But what for that Yet behoued it them to come backe still to this point that men are vtterly vndone if they set themselues against God and that if they alledge any worthines they shall abide still in
1.18 That no man euer saw God but the sonne who hath alwayes beene in the bosome of the father hath reuealed him vnto vs. The fathers of olde time had a knowledge as I said but that knowledge is esteemed as none at all in comparison of the knowledge which we haue now adayes by the Gospell Matt. 4.2 God sheweth himselfe more plainely vnto vs by the shining forth of the daysunne of righteousnesse And for the same cause the Prophet Esay treating of the redemption that was to bee perfourmed in the person of the sonne of God Esa. 25.9 saith expressely Behold this is he beholde this is our God The Prophet crieth out this is he this is our God He contenteth not himselfe to say behold our God but he speaketh as if the thing were present and as though God had appeared vnto him How so And was not God in y e mids of his people Exod. 25.8 Yes for he said I will dwel among you And againe This is my rest Sion is y e place where I will dwell Psal. 131.13.14 And afterward he protesteth that he will neuer depart thence and that the people is his temple and a royall Priesthood Why then doeth the Prophet Esay say Behold behold our God this is he this is he when our Lorde Iesus Christ was to come into the world Euen bicause God reuealed himselfe to vs in greater perfection Now then we be the lesse to be excused if we run gadding nowe adayes without holding of our selues to the pure trueth so as euerie of vs turneth away after his own dotages to say it seemeth so to mee this thinke I good Let vs assure our selues that all this is nothing worth but we must repaire to the certaintie that is brought vs by our Lord Iesus Christ. Neuerthelesse so farre off is the worlde from knowing this that it should seeme they bee all bent to spyte God and haue conspired to turne their backes vppon him and to shake off all subiection that they may haue libertie to continue in their disorders and to scape in the meane while vnespyed with their lewdnesse The Iewes are vnexcusable according as wee see howe the Prophetes vpbrayde them with their wilfull forsaking of God Es. 42.19.20 65.10.11 Esa. 55.11 so as they coulde not excuse themselues by saying y t they had not heard any thing as the poore Paynims might doe for God protesteth that he spake not in vaine And now adayes when God speaketh to vs with open mouth 2. Cor. 3.18 and wee haue him perfectly discouered vnto vs by the Gospell is it not too great a lewdnesse that men should runne astray after that fashion Were there euer any superstitions more grosse and more outragious than are to bee seene nowe adayes in the Popedome It is true that the Iewes medled with the superstitions of the Heathen and tooke much filth and vncleannesse of them but if all bee well searched it will bee founde that the Papists haue farre exceeded them For Gods word is as it were at this day buryed among them When they treate of fayth they fetch the points of it from mens inuentions and the holy scripture is in as much reuerence among them as if it were dead and that all thinges went to hauocke Loe at what poynt they bee And if a man speake to them of Gods seruice as I sayde they bee busie about their owne inuentions Yea verily myne intent is good say they and so they beare themselues in hand that God will suffer himselfe to bee dandled lyke a little babe and will neuer come to examine any whit of the doctrine of Poperie Againe if they speake of fayth exhort they men to resort to Gods free promises No but they chalendge all to themselues When they take in hand to treate of the office of Iesus Christ they ouerthrowe the vertue of his death and passion as much as they can When they treate of their saluation then step forth their owne free-will their merites and their satisfactions But contrariwise we should resort to the mere grace of the holy Ghost Ro. 7.17.18 acknowledging our selues to bee in bondage to sinne vntill God deliuer vs from it through his mercie And thereuppon it commeth that the holy Scripture calleth the forgiuenesse of sinnes our righteousnesse That is the point which wee must resort vnto Rom. 3. â—2 23 â—4 to know that when wee haue done amisse wee can bring none other amendes or payment for it than such as wee borrowe of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ. But there is not a word of all this in Poperie When God is to be prayed vnto they make their vagaries to their Heesaintes and Sheesaintes in the meane while Iesus Christ is not knowen to bee as he is neither is let alone with the office that is giuen him by God his father but they depose him lyke a sorte of theeues and traytours that seeke nothing else but to burie him againe and to make hauocke of all the glorie that was giuen him by God his Father After the same sort deale they also in all other things Wee see how the Sacramentes are defiled to the vttermost In stead of the Supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ they haue set vp that same hellish abhomination of the Masse wherein they say that Iesus Christ is sacrificed as though he had done nothing alreadie nor were appointed to be the onely euerlasting Priest by God his father Heb. 7 2â— Wee see then that the Papists haue so dalyed with Gods word wherein he hath reuealed himselfe as it should seeme that they meant of set purpose to wype away the knowledge that is in the Gospell And therefore wee haue so much the more neede to marke well this saying That the Lord is God yea eâ—en the onely one God Nowe then as oft as this word God commeth to our minde let vs assure ourselues that it serueth to cut off all toyes that may come in our heades and all inuentions of men and all other things whereof we haue not warrant in the holy scriptures For God will haue vs to consider him in such wise as wee snarle not ourselues in the imaginations and errours of idolatrie And of a truth we cannot haue the true God except wee haue him alone that is to say without adding any companion vnto him For as soone as we fall to bringing in of vndergoddes we forsake the liuing God And why Bicause his will is to bee alone as he auoweth in another place by his Prophet Esay saying Esa. 41. â—â— I am the liuing God saieth the Lord and I will not giue my glory to any other Againe we haue seene heretofore how he called himselfe a iealous God And why was that but to withdrawe vs from all corruptions 2. Cor. â—â— as S. Paule affirmeth in the second to the Corinthians For as soone as we be turned aside from the simplicitie of Gods word it
not enough for vs to confesse y t he doth it iustly but also if he commaūd vs to execute his iudgemēts wee must doe it we must shut our eyes at all thinges For as for him y t will be more pitiful thā God although he be cōmended of men that his doing haue some shewe of vertue Yet doth he most leawdly blaspheme him which is y e fountaine of all goodnesse The man y t pretendeth to be more mercifull than God is worse than the diuell For why What are we Let vs make comparison between God vs. Behold God will haue vs to execute rigor we will needes call him back to mercie now is not that a spiting of him as though wee would spit in his face if we could Yes for there is nothing more peculiar to him than his goodnesse Let vs take away his goodnesse from him he is no longer God Shal we imagine God to be but some dead thing Nay when we speake of God we must vnderstād y t al goodnesse is in him that we haue none at al in vs but by smal peeces such as it pleaseth him to bestowe vppon vs. Now then if a man wil needes say I wil vse mercie when God forbiddeth him what a presumptuousnesse is y t So then let vs marke well in this text that it is not enough for vs to confesse that God doth iustly punish whom he listeth but also y t if he list to giue vs the charge cōmission to execute his iudgements we must goe through w t it w tout skanning or gainsaying And therefore in matters of Iustice men must forbeare their own opinions wils not be so ouerweening as to take leaue to do what they think good or to turn aside one way or other but haue a regard to followe the rule that our Lord giueth them assuring themselues that the authoritie of Iustice is tyed to the thing which he sheweth and that his putting of them in that commission is to the intent they should represse punish euil doers and maintaine defend good folke Seeing it is so it is meete y t y e vse therof should be thereafter Moreouer as cōcerning these nations whom Moses speaketh of Let vs marke that besides the other crimes enormities which they had cōmitted there was also a contempt of God which was vtterly intollerable In deede wee will make no great reckoning of that but yet doth GOD make reckoning of it and hee passeth not what we haue imagined for all our imaginations are corrupted Whē God doth once set vp his iudgment seate we may well put forth our opinion but y e thing which God hath ordeyned must stād not be repealed Now thē let vs note y t whensoeuer Gods honor is lightly estemed then must rigor be vsed rather thā mercie in y t behalf And we must call to minde y e example y t is rehearsed in y e first booke of kinges 1. 〈…〉 namely of Achab who would needs shewe mercy to Benhadad king of Syria And there is expresly this saying that whē Benhadad came to him to sew for mercie al that euer he said vnto him was no more but this that the kings of Israel were mercifull and kind hearted And behold that goodly vertue of clemencie ouer came his heart by meanes wherof wheras God commaunded him to execute rigour he shewed mercie But it happened vnto him as he had deserued And why For the Syrians had cōmitted horrible blasphemie against God scorned him saying He is y e God of y e mountains but if we come into y e plain grounds we shal haue victorie he can do nothing there Thus were idols set vp in Gods place And therefore it was saide to Achab that the king of Syria should bee vanquished rooted out Now it came to passe that his aray was put to flight but yet they founde a shift by by to make peace And why For this goodly commendation liked Achabs eares well when they called him a mercifull Prince By meanes wherof he was dandled a sleepe so as he made sale of the blasphemie y t was committed against God as it is a common matter with vs to bee pitifull in cases where God is offended For this cause a Prophet was sent vnto him bringing his badge with him that is to wit that he had bin woūded by the commandement of God and the first man who had refused to do it was deuoured of a Lion out of hand Yet notwithstāding the Prophet came to Achab wounded and disfigured and said vnto him I tooke a man to keepe and he that deliuered him to mee bad mee I should not let him goe vpon paine of my life Neuerthelesse while I turned mee too fro he scaped from me And thou must answere him vpon thy life quoth Achab. Then answered the Prophet vnto Achab it is thy selfe that this toucheth This message is sent to thee of God to shewe thee that for as much as thou hast spared the king of Syria whom God had put into thy hand to be reuenged of him for the outrage done to his Maiestie thou must answere for him lyfe for life and thy people with thee So then we see that if Gods honor be impeached it is not for vs to let things slip but we must vnderstand that if wee make light of such a crime God will surely make the vengeance to light vpon our selues To be short let vs marke well that if such as haue commission to punish offenders doe it not there will bee no excuse for them For y t which is written will not be repealed for mens pleasures that is to wit that he which iustifieth or acquitteth y e guiltie person Prou. 17.15 is as abhominable before God as he that condemneth the innocent If a poore innocent bee oppressed men can skill to say there is no reason in it and that the matter must come to account before God And here God addeth the second part that is to wit that if an offender be quit and Iustice and equitie so turned vpside downe it must come to account as well as the other Yee see then howe it is a lesson which all those ought to beare in minde whom God hath commanded to punish mens offences that they must bee well ware to vse one rule and one egall measure For if a man punish one offender and pardon another and thinke to goe halfe quit for it before God it is cleane contrarie And for proofe thereof let vs consider the example that is set downe in Hoseas concerning king Iehu Osee. 1.14 God commaunded him to destroy all Idolaters he did it partly but not altogither for hee destroyed those whom he stoode in feare of and he did it for his owne vaine glory and suertie God did him the honour to make him king he considered it not But when he came once to y e kingdome O he must maintaine himselfe in it
But in stead of honoring the Lord after that maner wee bee full of douting and vnbeleefe and fal to skanning whether God wil be as good as his worde or no. And if any let come in our way wee thinke wee be disappointed of our hope Also there is another extremitie on the contrarie part which is y t when God hath brought thinges to passe and matters are dispatched we father the doing of them vppon our selues as though God were no body and forgetting the perplexitie wherein wee were before we besotte our selues with fond ouerweening to set out our owne prayse Thus is God robbed of his honor two wayes and it is our maner of dealing in all cases For as I sayd if wee thinke the thing to bee hard wee perswade our selues that it shall neuer come to passe And when it is done wee deface his working and indeuour to take the prayse of it to our selues and we be so vnthankfull to him that wee would haue him plucked out of his seate For this cause Moses maketh such an exhortation here as wherein hee reproueth both partes For on the one side hee sayth Hearken yee bee now at the point to enter into the lande that was promised you Nowe I am sure you will bee afraid for ye must fight against great and strong Nations which doe farre surmount you euery way It may bee therefore that yee will be dismayed and out of hart and thereupon turne head so as ye shall be disappointed of the heritage that God hath promised you But plucke you vp a good courage in him and assure your selues that it is through his power that you must conquere y e land of Chanaan your God will be your guide and ye must vnderstande that he is a deuouring fire to consume all your enimies Therefore be not afraide for any thing that ye shal see but assure your selues that the power of God passeth all capacitie of man Now then if you finde your selues abashed stay and let God goe through with his worke and he will shewe that he can without help of man consume all those against whome he hath armed himselfe in his wrath Be mindfull therefore of the power of your God trust thereunto and be bolde to rest vpon it That is the first point which Moses toucheth here and it serueth to correct the said distrust withall namely that men looke no further but whether a thing be easie or no therupon conclude so fondly that they make not such account of God as they ought to do Beware saith Moses that yee imbace not the power of your God through any imagination of vnbeeliefe And afterwarde he commeth to the seconde part and telleth them that when God shall haue giuen them the vpper hande of their enimies they must not boast themselues of it as though it proceeded of their owne worthinesse desert abilitie power or skill And why For God saith he will driue out those nations because of their wickednesse And to confirme this withall I haue tolde you alreadie heretofore that determinate sentence was concluded giuen against those nations Gen. 15.16 foure hundred yeares afore and that God had taryed patiently for them to see if there were any amendment and conuersion But when they continued hardharted still and that the mischief increased more and more was it not reason y t God should execute his iudgement Yes verily So then the Iewes are warned that they shoulde not be puffed vp with any vaine selfeweening as though they had beene worthie to bee placed in the land of Chanaan but rather consider that God executed his vengeance vpon those nations for their euil life therefore that they which shoulde succeede them ought to humble themselues the more And moreouer that if they compared themselues with their enimies there was no cause why they should thinke themselues to haue the better case or that they ought to be preferred before them I say there was no cause why they should haue any such conceit For Moses telleth them that the couenant which God had made with their fathers was concluded long afore any of them were borne whereupon it followeth that God had no respect to their desertes I haue tolde you moreouer that the same couenant was freebestowed for it was not grounded vppon any seruice of men but Gods intent therein was to set foorth his owne goodnesse and mercie Ye see then that the Israelites are bereft of al power and glorie and that all worldly loftinesse is here beaten downe so as onely God must bee knowen to be good and righteous and men are bounde to him in all cases insomuch that they must keepe their mouthes shut and not boast of their owne power or vertue as though they were folke of good abilitie That in effect is the thing that is treated of in the text which I haue rehearsed And these two vices which Moses rebuketh reigned not onely at some one time but they reigne still at this day and we haue them rooted in our nature Therefore let vs marke well that this doctrine is directed to vs at this day and that it behoueth vs to benefite our selues by it So then as touching the first point let vs call to minde the lesson that is shewed vs by the example of our father Abraham Rom. 4.18.20.21 when it is saide that he beleeued beyond hope giuing glorie to him that had made the promise in beleeuing him to be able to bring the same to passe Lo here a generall rule for all the faithfull which is that if they purpose to leane vnto Gods promises they must not deeme of them after their owne witte and imagination for what a thing were that but they must assure them selues that God hath meanes in his hande which are vnknowen to them and which they conceiue not and that it is enough for them to haue his word which is the infallible trueth This reacheth verie farre but it shall suffice for this present to gather a short summe of it For when God calleth vs to him if wee consider but what wee our selues are surely wee shal bee vtterly dismayed As for example when God promised issue vnto Abraham he was a man alreadie decayed and sore broken as well with age as with trauell that he had endured His wife also was past the age of childbearing and moreouer she had beene barren all the time of her life it might seeme then that God had mocked him in promising him issue But what hee had not an eye to his owne bodie which was forworne and broken with age as sayeth Sainct Paul neither had hee an eye whether his wife were able to conceiue or no but seeing that God had spoken the worde hee rested thereupon assuring himselfe that forasmuch as God is faithfull he shoulde not be disappointed in trusting vnto him And after the same maner must wee deale seeing wee haue so faire a looking glasse For as I saide if wee haue an eye to
and haue all praise giuen vnto him Furthermore let vs consider well that wee knowe not why God hath preferred vs before others for it is only he that putteth a difference betwixt vs as sayth Saint Paul to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 4.7 Who is he saith Paul that maketh thee to excell And in deede God sheweth vs matter ynough why hee shoulde altogether cast vs downe in so much that when the faithfull haue throughly examined what is in themselues they see nothing there but vtter wretchednesse and those are they that knowe them selues best What is the cause that a number become so proude It is for that they keepe aloofe from God and are so full of hypocrisie that they take vice to bee vertue and which woorse is doe sooth themselues in their vices filth and wretchednesse But the faithfull beeing well wakened doe consider what Gods iustice is After they haue well examined themselues they haue an eye to their faultes and without flattering of themselues they take Gods worde to them to discouer all the naughtinesse in them whereby they knowe howe to condemne themselues in good earnest they hinder not themselues through any hypocrisie Therefore when God commeth to the faithfull they acknowledge their owne misdeedes and hate them in their hearts And when God hath refourmed them so as they feele that hee hath wrought in them by his holye Ghoste they father all vppon his free goodnesse knowing well that there is no thing in them woorthie to bee made account of And let vs marke herewithall that sith our Lorde vouchsafed to keepe the couenaunt which hee sware to the holy Patriarches wee neede not to dout but that hee will keepe and perfourme the promise at this day whereby he hath willingly bounde himselfe vnto vs. The worde Sweare is set downe because God considering mennes frailtie thinkes it not ynough to make them a single promise as I haue tolde you heretofore but also hath vouchsafed to sweare that they might haue the better warrant to rest vppon him and vppon his sayinges In deede God ought to bee heard and obeyed though hee giue but his bare worde but yet he condescendeth to our infirmitie and so hath hee vouchsafed to doe euen from the beginning so as hee hath not thought it ynough to giue vs his bare worde but hee hath also warranted it with a solemne othe Wherefore if in these dayes there rise any dout concerning our saluation yea or but euen concerning this transitorie life if wee dout what shall become of vs let vs haue an eye to his promises assuring our selues that they bee warranted to the vttermost to the intent wee shoulde haue no cause to cast any dout of them at all Beholde our God sweareth and yet wee charge him with vnfaithfulnesse yea and wee accuse him not onely of vntrueth but also trecherie yea and euen of periurie and what a diuelish blasphemie is that So then let vs learne to sticke to the promises that are so well warranted vnto vs vnlesse wee will bee blamed for blaspheming God after that fashion And let vs marke moreouer that if he haue kept the promise which hee made to Abraham who was but a poore mortall man and confirmed the same to Isaac and Iacob who were but weake creatures though they had receiued neuer so excellent giftes of grace Hebr. â—â— wee may much better trust that hee will not fayle vs in the couenant which hee hath made with vs by the hande of our Lorde Iesus Christ the king of glorie and head of Angels which is the fountayne of all righteousnesse and holinesse So then wee see howe this doctrine belongeth vnto vs at leastwise if wee stop not our eares and forsake not the thinges that are offered vs through the great bountifulnesse of our God as wee see the moste parte of the worlde doeth nowadayes seeking altogither to blinde their owne eyes that they might not knowe any whit at all of the thinges that are tolde them concerning Gods promises Let a man call them to the Gospell let him shewe them the way of saluation and they wote not what it meaneth they take no taste of it And why Because some of them bee traytours and hypocrites some be open despisers of Gods maiestie and othersome bee so forepossessed of their owne wicked affections as they will not giue any eare vnto God nor suffer him to haue any entrance in vnto them But as for vs let vs looke that wee submit our selues willingly to his sayings and receiue his worde with awe and reuerence and bee readie to fight vnder the Ensigne of our Captaine Iesus Christ in resisting all the temptations of this worlde stoutly and in ridding awaye of all our wicked lustes And in so dooing let vs not dout but that as GOD adopted vs before wee were borne and chose vs of his owne mercie and hath called vs to his Gospel and receiueth vs presently into his protection so in the ende hee will bring vs to his euerlasting inheritaunce to enioye the endelesse glorie which hee hath promised vs. Nowe lette vs kneele downe in the presence of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to vouchsafe so to cleanse vs of them as wee may bee ledde to true repentaunce and learne to mislike more of our selues than we haue done that wee may hate the sinnes whereby we prouoke him to displeasure and hee so arme vs with his strength as wee quayle not and againe that forasmuch as this life is a continuall battell we may not be slothfull nor fall asleepe but euerie man indeuor to make the strength of the holâ— Ghost auayleable vnto him so as it may make vs to get the vpper hande of all our ghostly enemies euen vntil GOD haue taken vs hence into his rest That it may please him to grant this grace not only to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the xxviii of August 1555. The Lxiij Sermon which is the seconde vpon the ninth Chapter 6 Knowe ye therefore c. 7 Remember and forget not that thou diddest anger the Lord thy God in the wildernesse Euen from the day yee came out of the land of Egypt vnto the time that you came vnto this place you haue rebelled against the Lord. WE haue seene already yesterday howe Moses warned the people that they shoulde not boast of themselues when they were come into the Lande of promise and howe hee tolde them that they had not obtained that benefite for their owne desertes but through Gods meere grace and goodnesse Wee haue seene the three reasons that he alleaged for the same Howebeit for as much as it is harde to bring men to humilitie so as they may knowe themselues as they be in deede and bee vtterly ashamed of themselues not attributing any thing to their owne power but depending altogether vpon Gods free mercie Moses addeth a plaine demonstration and sayeth If ye alleadge your owne
to abase themselues vtterly acknowledging that GOD found not any thing in them why hee shoulde chose them but that all came of his owne free goodnesse Now if Moses were faine to vse such exhortation to the Iewes let vs vnderstand that we also haue as much neede of it nowadayes as they The end therefore which we must begin at is this that wee must cast downe ourselues and not be lifted vp with any presumption nor vaunt our selues through any foolish ouerweening but acknowledge our selues to be voyd of all deseruing and that there is not any grace or righteousnesse in vs for the which we might obtaine loue at Gods hand And therefore must he needes preuent vs with his free goodnesse Marke that for a speciall poynt But howe may men abase themselues after that fashion Wee will neuer doe it of our owne accord In deede if euery of vs looke well vppon himselfe it must needes bee that wee bee as it were bewitched if wee bee not induced to mislike of our selues and to be ashamed and vtterly at our wits ends For what is man Let him search throughly what is in him both in bodie and in soule and surely wee shall finde euen from the most to the least of vs that there is nothing in vs but vtter shame and confusion as I sayd afore Neuertheles euery of vs abuseth himselfe through this follie so as we beare our selues on hand that our vices are vertues And although our life be as leaude as may be and our sinnes most outrageous and horrible Yet to our owne seeming there is nothing in vs but perfect righteousnesse and soundenesse Yee see then that men beguile themselues And therefore it is requisite that we shoulde bee held shorte and haue our faultes layde afore vs not onely some one or two faultes but also all the faultes of our whole life so as we may know that we haue offended our GOD so grieuously that it behoueth vs to bee ouerwhelmed with shame and reproche and that if wee shoulde goe about to lift vp our heades it were meete that wee should bee thrust backe and that GOD should knock vs harde vpon the pates with a cudgell to shew vs that our pride is diuelishe against him Then let vs marke that Moses spake not onely to the Iewes but that the same lesson is toulde vnto vs at this day in so much that if wee will yeeld glory vnto GOD we must be bereft of all prayse and not presume any whit at all of our owne vertues but assure our selues that there is not aught in vs but vtter vanitie Furthermore for as much as wee come not to such myldenesse of our one accorde let vs haue an eye to our sinnes and not tary till God open his bookes of account as he will doe at the last day for then it wil be too late for vs to yeeld our selues giltie But let vs bethinke vs of our sinnes now while he summoneth vs by his word and whyle hee warneth vs aforehande Let euery of vs submit himselfe as a wretched offender before his Iudge and let vs acknowledge our selues to bee iustly accused yea euen of infinite faults before God And when we haue bethought vs of one offence let the same minister occasion to vs to bethinke vs of another And to bee short let vs both generally and particularly practise this lesson of considering what wee bee yea euen without flattering of our selues that all the good which wee receyue at Gods hand may bee fathered vpon him and the honour which he reserueth to himselfe remaine whole and vnminished vnto him Let vs not couet to inriche our selues with the thinges which wee haue borrowed of him let vs not seeke to attyre and decke our selues with his feathers but let vs acknowledge that it is of his owne free goodnesse that hee vouchsafeth to shew himself so liberal though he be not bound thereto And for our partes seeing we cannot bring any desert vnto him but we be guiltie in all cases and all respectes he of his inestimable mercy must be faine to beare with vs or else wee would be deadly enimies to him stil he should be driuen to thunder down vpon vs. Thus yee see what wee haue to marke generally vpon this text But nowe let vs come to the stories which Moses toucheth heere Hee speaketh first of Thaberah which betokeneth Burning as I sayde afore For there the people were chastised with burning bycause they murmured at their trauelling through the wildernesse O quoth they shall wee neuer come to an ende Wee doo but runne vp and downe heere wee bee fayne to remooue our tentes from place to place wee bee driuen to carie our stuffe vppon our shoulders and why bee wee not rather in some place of rest discharged of such trauell But alas those wretches considered not that GODS displeasure was to bee accomplished according to his othe which was that none of them should enter into the promised lande They shoulde haue thought Alas wee deserue to bee drowned in the bottome of hell and GOD is contented to send vs a temporall correction Although he bee not minded to bring vs into his earthly resting place yet notwithstanding hee giueth vs respit to bethinke vs of our sinnes and to sue to him for pardon For albeit that he make vs to feele some rigour and it behoueth vs to beare the markes of his displeasure all our life long by being depriued of the inheritance which he had promised vs yet notwithstanding we ought therewithall to acknowledge his goodnesse in that he will not haue vs to perishe euerlastingly as we wel deserue But they considered none of all this neither considered they that they were in as happy plight as they could wish They had the Manna downe from heauen they tooke no paine to make prouision for themselues they needed no more but to gather it vp to take euery man his measure of it they were all fed yea and that with a good sauorly foode Yet considered they none of all this but grudged at their ouerlong iourney And what cause had they so to doe First they were priuiledged from the curse that was layd vppon all mankinde We be set in this world to leade a painefull lyfe man was ordeyned to labor euen before he had sinned for it is vnkindly that we should be idle vnprofitable Moreouer the trauell that God inioyneth vs now serueth not onely to keepe vs occupyed but also to lode vs so as we may be inforced to shrink vnder our burthē to grone for our sins sake Now thē this people had good cause to submit themselues quietly when God led them so through the wildernesse And therefore it is no maruell though fyre came from heauen to burne vp part of their tents and though Gods wrath appeared after that fashion to make thē abashed Yet notwithstanding so little did this amend them that they fell to murmuring by and by again because they
forgiuenes of sins as if they should drawe the wretched captiue soules out of the bondage of hell Ye see then how our Lorde Iesus Christ hath vttered the grace that was vnknowen vnto vs before but wee take small profite by it For although wee were baptised from our infancie yet when wee come to yeares of discretion whereby begin we to shew our selues to haue some witte but by choosing the euill as though wee ment to spite God wittingly And againe beside this when our Lord teacheth vs and reformeth vs by his worde so as he ceaseth not to shewe vs our faultes to the intent to tame vs and to daunt vs and to drawe vs to repentaunce howe dull are we vppon the spurre After what fashion deale we Are wee not so spytefull and stubborne as a man can not by any meanes win vs yes and therefore he is faine to sende vs many chastisements to make this present life to be as a wildernes to vs to wander vp and downe in with y e feeling of his wrath For all the miseries wherewith wee be hemmed in are remembrancers to make vs hang downe our heades and to make vs perceiue that we be wretched sinners that we be worthy not onely of temporall correction but also to be sunke downe into hell Yet notwithstanding this serueth not to driue vs to dispaire for we may well assure our selues y t God will receiue vs to mercy so we flee to our Lord Iesus Christ. For if Moses were heard who was a wretched sinner Rom. 5.17 Col. 1.20 what shall he be who hath all righteousnesse perfectly in him and to whoÌ„ authoritie is giuen to make full attonement betweene God and man Nowe theÌ„ seeing that our Lord Iesus Christ is appointed to be our mediator let vs not doubt but that although God holde vs in this worlde as poore banished wretches and withdrawe himselfe from vs and shrinke aside to outwarde appearaunce yet we be not bereft of the inheritaunce which he hath promised vs and purchased for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ. But howsoeuer wee fare let vs not tempt him nor abuse his patieÌ„ce but let vs wey wel this speech where Moses saith that he was hearde for that time also For it serueth to holde vs in awe that wee flatter not our selues when God beareth with vs but that we shoulde looke about vs to amende our faults and to bridle our wicked lustes that we giue not ourselues ouer vnto euill but hate it and abhorre it so as God may goe on with the thing that hee hath begunne in vs vntill he haue ridde vs quite and cleane of all worldly lettes and put vs in possession of the euerlasting life If wee doe so wee may boldely protest that we haue praysed God and that we haue giuen him such glorie as hee deserueth and wee haue cause to reioyce in that we were able to ouercome all the temptations and distrustes that coulde happen vnto vs and therefore wee shall not neede to doubt but that our good God is and will be mercifull to vs though we be not worthy of it Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to vouchsafe to make vs so to feele them as it may serue to mortifie vs daily more more that when we perceiue his displeasure we may flee to his goodnesse and mercy to obtaine fauour at his hande that beeing rid quite and cleane of our vices and spoâ—â—es we may bee so gouerned by the power of his holy spirite as we may become true sacrifices vnto him by dedicating our selues wholly to his glory through newnesse of life And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the xij of September 1555. The Lxxj. Sermon which is the third vpon the tenth Chapter 12 And nowe O Israell what doth the Lord thy GOD require of thee but that thou shouldest feare the Lord thy GOD and walke in all his wayes and that thou shouldest loue him and serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soule 13 And that thou shouldest keepe the commaundementes of the Lorde and his ordinaunces which I commaunde thee this day to the ende it may goe well with thee 14 Beholde the heauens and the heauens of heauens are the Lord thy Gods and likewise the earth and all that is therein HEre Moses proceedeth with the matter that we haue hard these dayes past that is to witte that God had vsed marueilous fauor towards his people in forgiuing them so many and so greeuous offences It was verie much that they were receiued to mercy so as they were not dispossessed of y e heritage that God had promised them Now Moses addeth here an other respect which serueth to make Gods great and infinite goodnes yet better knowen to giue it the greater beauty which is that he not onely forgaue the people the faults that they had done but also receiued them againe with so gentle and friendly coÌ„ditions as might set al meÌ„ in a wonder to thinke vpon it If a Citie or a countrie haue rebelled against their prince so as they haue broken their allegeance although he list not to vse extreeme rigor by putting all to fire and sworde but be coÌ„tented to graunt them their liues yet will he bereaue them of all their priuileges he wil lay fines and exactions vpon them he will perchance depriue them of their ancient liberties so as the wretched soules shall grone vnder the burden haue cause to remember their offence a hundred yeres after But Moses sheweth here that God dealt not so with the Iewes For when he had once pardoned their offence he delt with them as if they had neuer done amisse their state was as pleasant amiable as if they had obeied him in all points as became them And so ye see the intent of Moses in this place He had reported heretofore how he had bin heard nowe he addeth here What is it that the Lord requireth of thee He chargeth thee not with any amerciaments he layeth no punishment vppon thee he layeth no burden vpoÌ„ thee to beare thee down w t his only desire is y t thou shouldest loue him that thou shouldest honor him y t thou shouldest keepe his commandements And is this any profit to himselfe No. Euerywhit of it redoundeth to thine own benefite Was it not ynough to make this peoples heart to melt though they had bin the wickeddest in y e world when they might say wheras we had forsaken y e Lord broken the couenant that he had made with vs choseÌ„ an ydol in stead of him he hath not only forgiuen y t so hainous cryme bin coÌ„tented to take vs stil for his children to leaue vs the inheritance y t he had promised vs but also he gouerneth vs after such a fashion as it might seeme we had deserued al y e
terrible things for their sakes For this cause he saith first of all that God is their praise And by that speech hee meaneth that when wee once know God and he hath shewed himself to vs by his word his will is that wee should glorifie him Marke that for one point Secondly he putteth y e people in remembrāce of the great miracles that had bin done for thē in their going out of the land of Egypt For they were as marks or tokens of Gods goodnes so as y e people could not but be conuicted of vnthankfulnesse forasmuch as God had vttered himselfe as familiarly as was possible to shewe himselfe fauorable to Abrahams posteritie To be short we see how God not onely vseth his dominion right of soueraintie which hee hath ouer vs to make vs subiect to his lawe and commaundementes but also commeth to vs as a father and vttereth as mield and gracious louingnesse towardes vs as can be and all to the end to breake the hardnesse of our harts Insomuch that if wee bee not moued at his maiestie or if we yeelde him not such reuerence as we ought to doe in respect of his souereintie ouer vs at least wise yet ought we to be meekened seeing he stoopeth to vs cōmeth downe frō his seate vnto vs as if he should say Wel sirs assure yourselues I am your father and therefore I pray you consider well the good that I haue done you and whereby I haue witnessed my fauour towardes you and let it moue you at lestwis◠to loue and serue me That is the very principall meaning of Moses But yet by the way let vs marke also that God is neuer duely honored at our hands vnles we lay all our glorie vpon him For wheras he is termed our prayse by y t word he bereaueth vs of al glorie sheweth vs y t there is not any thing in vs whereof we ought to be proude Therefore let a man set as much store by himselfe as he listeth yet in the end he shal come to shame so as he shall perceiue there is not one drop of goodnesse in himselfe What is to be done then Let vs resort right forth to our God to seeke al goodnes in him let vs glorifie him for shewing him selfe so liberall towards vs y t wee may also make our boast thereof according as it is saide by Ieremie that the rich man must forget his riches Ier. 9.23 and the strong man his strength the wise man his wisdome and all that euer is of man must be beaten downe that wee may fetch our glory at Gods hand knowing that it is he that executeth righteousnes iudgement and mercie Thus yee see what wee haue to remember in this worde where Moses saith that God is the praise of his people And if we be not moued by that which is tolde vs in the holy scripture at least wise yet let vs open our eyes and let the often experience of Gods benefits frame vs to such humility as wee may not presume to commend ourselues any more but onely haue our mouthes open to praise and magnifie the thinges that wee shall haue receiued at Gods hand For sith he sheweth vs so many waies that all our welfare consisteth in him and that it commeth only of him if we wil shut our eyes at it like a sort of blocke-heads and vouchsafe not ne list not to hold our selues to the thing that is throughly knowen and apparāt surely we shal be conuicted of bereauing God of his praise of bringing him to nothing as much as in vs lieth for his benefits are infinit towards vs. And therfore let vs learn by this lessō to acknowledge the benefits throughly which God hath bestowed vpon vs for they be a sufficient busines to keepe vs occupied If we gather our wits about vs to consider Gods goodnes towards vs we shal find that we ought to seeke our whole praise no where els than only in him And for that cause doth Moses adde It is he that hath done the great and terrible things which your eyes haue seene As if he shold say God needeth not to seek here there for record or for iudges to arreigne you for spite of your teeth it shal be proued to your faces that your God is great mightie and terrible For you were y e miserablest creatures in the world you were in bondage like bruit beasts and your God loued you so deerely that he hath stretched out his arme against the Realme of Egypt that stately excellent Realme y t realme so renoumed wherein all the wisedome of the world was inclosed insomuch y t hee hath made more account of your welfare than of y t Realme Sith it is so know ye that it is not for you to glory any more of your selues but to glorie onely of him Assure your selues y t looke howe manie benefits you haue receiued at his hand so many records haue you to be wray your lewdnes and vnthankfulnes if ye acknowledge them not vnto him And so by the example that is set vs downe here let vs learne to acknowledge gods gratious goodnes to lay it vp in minde and to make a good memorial thereof to call it often to remembrance that wee may be prouoked thereby to yeld al glory vnto God to confesse that for our parts we be sillie and wretched creatures in whom there is nothing but condemnation and therefore there belongeth nothing to vs but wrath it is only God to whom all the glory praise of our welfare perteyneth Wherefore let it suffice vs that he is ours and that hauing giuen himself vnto vs he vouchsafeth also to make his benefits common vnto vs. Rom. 8.30 Nowe let vs fall downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs to perceiue them throughly and that therwithal we may so know the greatnes of his maiestie as it may moue vs to submit our selues to the obeying of him and draw vs to such subiection as we may frame our selues to his wil and bee no more intangled and wrapped in worldly things but that we may bee so rid of them as all our seeking may be to dedicate our selues wholy vnto him y t he may acknowledge accept vs for his people haue his hād alwayes stretched out to succor vs at our neede And that in the meane while we may patiently beare al the aduersities that he shall sende vs for the tryal of our obedience so apply our selues thereunto as wee may not fayle to take comfort in his goodnes and to rest vppon the same til he haue made vs to feele y e things perfectly whereof hee hath giuen vs a tast alreadie in this transitorie life That it may please him to grant this grace not onely to vs but also to al people nations of the earth c. THE 74. SERMON OF IOHN CALVIN On Wednesday the xviij
him my image shyneth most perfectly in him which is shewed soorth in his Gospell and therfore they that are members of his bodie are made partakers of all the benefites which hee hath in him That is the way for the promises to haue their effect and force in vs and not to looke simply to the doctrine of the lawe For when God sayd I will giue you the lande to whome spake he To all the people But yet with condition if yee keepe my commandements And that was made voide As howe Because the people were disobedient and kept not couenant with God And so ye see that the whole couenant was broken so as God was set free againe and no longer bounde vnto them because it was tyed to a condition What doeth he then He sends vs a king to whome he sayeth I will giue thee the lande for thine inheritance Hee vseth the selfe same wordes that are set downe here by Moses I will giue thee the lande saith hee for thine inheritance from the wildernesse vnto mount Libanus from the riuer Euphrates to y e great sea And to whome doth God giue it To Dauid Salomon True it is that he had giuen the same land afore to all the people but the people were banished from it through their own fault And was it then but for one onely person was it the worthines of Dauid or Salomon that made God willing to giue them the thing which hee had promised to al the ofspring of Abraham No but it was because they were a figure of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And in verie deede when the Prophets intended to assure the people of the quiet state that was promised to thē and of the inioying of the land they saide I will raise you vp a Dauid Now then Gods offering to lay foorth his riches to al men without exceptiō in his law to maintaine them withall in this present life is as if he should say whatsoeuer I haue promised to giue to the fathers of olde time belongeth to you also at leastwise if ye obey my law throughly in all points not by pieces starts But wee be so farre vnable to discharge our selues of that duetie that we fall to despising of God so as hee is faine to shewe himselfe an enemie vnto vs. That is al that we be able to win by our keeping of the lawe if we wil needes stick simply to it as I sayd afore Neuerthelesse there is this other remedie for it Whē our Lord Iesus Christ cōmeth forth reacheth vs his hande to pull vs to him then we find that he is not without cause termed the vniuersal heire of all the goods which God his father hath And his possessing of them is not for himself 〈◊〉 1. ◠17 for he is one selfesame essence w t God the father he hath bin the God of glory at all times 1. Cor. 2.8 Matt. 28.18 Phil. 2.7.9 But in this flesh of ours in our humaine nature wherewith he was clothed he was ordeyned chiefe king and the dominion of the worlde was giuen vnto him euen as wel in heauen as in earth Now then if we be once graffed into his bodie and perfectly made one with him then shall wee recouer that thing in him which we cannot obteine by our deedes deserts And then shal we see that Iesus Christ beeing raised againe vnto glorie wil of his goodnes drawe vs after him to make vs partakers of all things that he hath Furthermore the telling of this thing vnto vs is not to giue men scope to do euil but wee must marke that when God reserueth vs to himselfe to put vs in possession of his goods he doth also reforme vs by his holy spirite Yet notwithstanding all that euer we can do albeit that wee bee gouerned by God haue a good will to serue him is of no value at all if it bee esteemed of it selfe but yet for Iesus Christes sake God will accept vs and our workes and the inheritance shal abyde sure stedfast vnto vs for wee must not be afraide but that we shal attaine vnto it It is not giuen vs for our own sakes but because wee be partakers of our Lord Iesus Christ receiue the grace that he hath purchased vs so as we bee reconciled to God by his death passion in respect whereof he is mercifull to vs we be sure of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes because all our spots are washed scoured cleane away Although there bee sinnes imperfections in vs which might make vs blamable before God yet are we iustified and brought into his fauour againe when hee hath once renewed vs by his holy spirite Therfore if we go that way to work let vs not dout but the promise shal stand fast so as we shal feele the effect force of it to our saluation But in the meane while let vs not glorie in our selues for there is no matter nor cause why we should do so Now let vs fall downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better yea and so to feele them as that misliking and condemning our selues for them we may submit our selues to our Lord Iesus Christ beseeching him so to reform vs by his holy spirit as Gods image may shine forth in vs and wee not faile to continue in the possession of the heritage which hee hath promised vs because it is not grounded vpon our owne workes deedes but vppon his freebestowed goodnes And moreouer let vs pray our Lord to be so gracious to vs as to giue vs such strength while wee passe through this world wherin wee haue a great sort of enemies to fight against that we may get the vpper hand of them be alwayes certified more and more y t he is neere at hand to such as call vpon him submit themselues vnto him that by y e meanes he may continually be glorified at our hands that it may appeare howe hee will alwayes vphold vs if wee fight vnder his standarde That it may please him to graunt this grace not only to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Fryday the xxvij of September 1555. The Lxxix Sermon which is the sixth vpon the eleuenth Chapter 26 Behold I set before you this day a blessing a curse 27 A blessing if ye obey the commandements of the Lord your God which I commaund you this day 28 And likewise a curse if ye obey not the commandements of the Lorde your God but turne out of the way which I cōmaunde you this day to go after strange gods which ye know not 29 And when the Lord your God shal haue brought you into the land which thou goest vnto to possesse it then shalt thou set the blessing vpon mount Garizim the curse vpon mount Eball 30 Are they not on the other side of Iordan on
Lord haue giuen vs experience of aduersity we must be the readier to succour the distressed not play the proud fooles which cannot abide to heare their former state spoken of when they haue beene in pouertie but are more scornefull and disdainfull than such as haue liued continually at their ease Nay if our Lorde haue suffered vs to bee pinched and to stande in neede of otherfolks seruice let vs print it throughly in our mindes let it bee as a spurre to quicken vs vp that whensoeuer we see any folke in necessitie it may alwayes runne in our mindes Alas when I was in their case what desired I I could haue founde in my heart that all men should haue opened their heartes and their bowels towardes mee and shall I nowe shut vp mine Lo what the declaration that is set down here importeth And it is not in this place onely that Moses vseth to say so For there is not any thing more rife in all his bookes insomuch that euer after the peoples deliuerance out of the lande of Egypt Remember sayeth hee from time to time that thou thy selfe hast beene in bondage Therefore let vs marke that looke what experience euery of vs hath had in his life Gods will is that the same shoulde serue vs for an instruction and that wee shoulde beare it continually in minde As for example when a man hath beene a traueller of countryes he ought to consider into what distresses a man might fall and hee shal bee the more inclyned to succour others whome he seeth in like daunger Againe when a man hath beene pinched for a time with pouertie and afterwarde commeth to wealth his former pouertie ought to bee a teacher to him for euer after to bee the forewarder to put foorth himselfe where neede requireth True it is that although a man had liued all the dayes of his life in ease and neuer wist what neede or want meant yet shal hee not therefore be helde excused before God But yet forasmuch as wee bee so slacke and slowe to doe good wee had neede to take to vs the helpes that may serue to quicken vs vp withall And so let euery of vs for his owne parte cheere vp himselfe to do good As for the riche which neuer haue tasted any want of the goods of this worlde if they looke into them selues they shall finde that God hath visited them some way or other so as they haue had neede of other folkes helpe And if they be not starke churles the same must needes bee as a stroke with a spurre to thrust them forwarde to weldoing To conclude in fewe wordes the principall purpose of this place is that besides the vprightnesse which is of nature our Lord wil haue euery man to bee inclined to mercie to do good to such as haue neede But put the case there were none other respect why wee shoulde succour our neighbours but onely this that wee be men is not that respect great ynough Yes for vnder this worde Man wee comprehend many miseries When I see a man in distresse I finde in my selfe that I shoulde bee subiect to the like thinges if God had not a speciall regard of mee There is neither sickenesse pouertie nor any other like thing in any body but that wee our selues are subiect to the same miseries And what is the cause that wee bee cleare from them The goodnesse of our God And the cause why hee spareth vs and beareth with vs is to the ende that wee shoulde bee mindfull of such as haue need For it is a very great proofe of Gods goodnesse towardes mee that hee not onely exempteth mee from the aduersities which I see in my neyghbours but also giueth mee wherewith to remedie theirs And therefore it ought to be a sufficient prouocation for mee that they bee of mine owne flesh and of mine owne nature so as there is no difference betwixt vs but that God hath aduaunced the one of vs and put the other backe For wee be all of one lumpe and it is not for any man to glorie as though hee had his riches of him selfe If a man bee not so miserable as a number of others are hee ought not to bee proude of it but rather to consider that he is so much the more bounde vnto God Accordingly therefore as God bestoweth his benefites vppon vs let vs beware that wee acknowledge it towardes him by doing good to our neighbors whome he offereth vnto vs so as wee neither exempt our selues from their want not seclude them from our aboundance but gently make them partakers with vs as folke that are linked togither in an vnseparable bond And nowe let vs fall down in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs so to feele them as we may returne to him with true repentance and misliking our former life craue forgiuenes and mercie at his hande and bee alwayes ready hereafter to yeeld our selues to his obedience so as our whole seeking may be to glorifie him in all cases after such a sort as our whole life may shewe that wee haue well profited in his holy worde And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the iiij of Nouember 1555. The XCvj Sermon which is the fourth vpon the fifteenth Chapter 16 And if hee happen to say to thee I will not depart from thee because I loue thee and thy house by reason that he findeth himselfe well with thee 17 Then shalt thou take an Aule and bore him through the eare to the doore and hee shal bee thy bondman for euer And likewise shalt thou do to thy womanseruaunt 18 Let it not grieue thee to let him go free from thee for he hath serued thee sixe yeares as a hyreling of double wages And the Lorde thy God will blesse thee in all thy dooings 19 All the first borne males that breede of thy cattell and of thy flockes thou shalt sanctifie to the Lord thy God Thou shalt not labour with the first borne of thy kyne nor shere the first borne of thy sheepe 20 But thou shalt eate them thou and thy houshold from yere to yere in the presence of the Lord thy God in the place which the Lorde will choose 21 But if there be any blemish in it so as it be lame or blinde or haue any euill fault in it thou shalt not offer it to the Lorde thy God 22 But shalt eate it within thy gates as well the vncleane as the cleane both alike as the fallow deere and the Red deere 23 Only thou shalt not eat the bloud of it but shalt powre it vpon the ground as water WEe haue seene already the lawe which God placed among the Iewes whereby bondage was not to continue for euer but y t the person which had bin solde should serue sixe yeres and afterward be set at libertie And I told you that although the like law be not among
of thinges that are so shameful that we may be ashamed euen to name them And what then Had not God a regard thereunto Yes that had hee but he knew that the heart of man is a dreadful dungeon and that we must be restrayned as it were by force or else he should neuer be able to compasse vs. Nowe then let this prouoke vs the more to looke neerly to our selues that we ouershoot not our selues one way nor other but that wee bee vigilaunt to dedicate our selues to the seruice of God with al purenesse as I saide afore And moreouer let vs vnderstand that lecherie in it self is so loathsome a thing before God that although men make no great account of y e punishing thereof yet shall wee not therefore make the better market at leastwise when wee come before the heauenly throne For it is no small thing y t god banisheth all whooremongers and lechours out of his kingdome as is sayde thereof both in the first Epistle of Saint Paule to the Corinthians 1. Cor 6.9 Heb. 13.4 as we haue seene not long since and also in the Epistle to the Hebrewes That is the thing in effect which wee haue to beare in minde namely that God will not haue men to exceede in their fleshly lustes by companying together like brute beastes but that euerie man should liue chastly in marriage and haue such regard of honestie in that behalfe as nature be not forgotten by the companying of the sonne in lawe with his stepmother or of the father with his owne daughter or w t his daughter in lawe or by the marrying of the brother with his owne sister but that those degrees bee obserued For without such order what woulde come of it Wherein shoulde wee differ from Bulles and Asses Thus yee see what wee haue to gather vppon the first poynt in that our Lorde hath heere condemned all maner of vnchast dealings and wil not haue men to behaue theÌ„selues as lawlesse in those cases but to dedicate themselues vnto him consider that their bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and members of our Lorde Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 6.15.19 and therefore that they must represse their wicked affections Marke that for one point Secondly as I haue noted already God hath set downe such examples heere before our eyes as ought to make vs afraide in that he speaketh of such as against nature doe so company with their owne mothers their stepmothers or their Sisters Hee speaketh of them expresly to the intent that from the one we should come to the other as we see hee doeth in all his Lawe And this hath beene declared more at length heeretofore When hee will condemne hatred hee speaketh of murder And why If a man tell vs that no man ought to hate his brother wee easily graunt it to be sinne but yet wee make no conscience to doe it But when God sayeth that hee which hateth his brother is a murtherer 1. Iohn 3.15 then are wee the more abashed and restrained Likewise in this text for as much as y e skorners doe but iest at whoredome they doe also beare themselues in hand that God ought not to call them to account for it And this vice is not of this daies or of yesterdayes breeding we see it hath beene in all ages as Moses reporteth heere And therefore God nameth the detestablest kindes of lecherie to the intent that thereupon wee should conclude thus that if wee liue not chastly wee shall fall from one euill to another vntill we bee fallen into such a bottomlesse gulfe as shall bee horrible to thinke on That is the thing which wee haue to remember vpon this text But wee ought to make our benefite of this warning considering the blockishnesse that is in vs. Wee thinke our selues to bee very sharpe witted and apt to conceiue and yet wee vnderstande not any thing in the doctrine of God wee bee so dulheadded that hee is fayne to chawe thinges aforehande to vs or else wee woulde not bee mooued with them To bee shorte wee haue lesse witte and reason than young babes haue Let men commend themselues as much as they lift and let them glory vppon opinion that they bee very able yet are they so dulheaded that wee should play the very bruit beastes if our Lorde did not chawe thinges rudely vnto vs. And what is the cause thereof Forsooth that wee bee forepossessed with our fleshly affections and none is so deafe as hee that will not heare as they say Sith wee see this let vs bethinke our selues the better and when men chawe thinges grossely vnto vs let vs not thinke they doe vs wrong as some doe who bee so nice that if a man vse a rough style to them Oh say they I vnderstoode all this by a woord or twaine by like I am a little babe To bee shorte they be weary if a man bring them not matter of great sharpenesse for they fondly presume in their owne imagination that euen at the first dashe they knowe all that is necessarie But beholde God speaketh heere in another style and language Why doth he so He seeth there is need So theÌ„ let vs suffer our selues to be taught according to our capacity seeing we be slowed if our Lorde waken vs let vs receiue it meekely and learne to doe our selues good by it And so yee see what wee haue to gather vpon all these textes Now whereas heere is mention made of striking or smyting ones neyghbour secretly it is spoken against all hatred and rancour and serueth for a conclusion A man myght demaunde heere howe it comes to passe that GOD doeth here curse those whose offence is in thinges whereof no mention is made in his Lawe for I haue tolde you heeretofore that it is ynough for a man to haue obserued the thinges that are contayned in the ten commaundementes and also that the full perfection of our lyfe is set down there But no mention is made there concerning the blind And how happeneth it then that God doeth heere denounce vengeaunce against the thing â—hat is not forbidden in his Lawe Verily heerein wee see as it hath beene expounded alreadie that our Lorde in his Lawe requireth all thinges that concerne charitie as that wee should succour one another and that there should bee such a common league among vs as that euery man should spend himselfe in helping his neighbour Whatsoeuer is contrary to this is forbidden and condemned by the law of God And therefore it is sayde heere now Cursed shall he be which smiteth his neighbour secretly Vnder this saying our Lord hath comprehended all the misusages that wee can offer to our neighbour insomuch that if we giue him but a phillip it is as a kinde of murthering before him And we see howe that the man which doeth but grinde his teeth at his brother Matt. 5. is condemned to hel fire what shal then become of him which shal
is nigh vnto vs to succour vs let vs bee well resolued in this Moreouer Moses addeth Other people shall see that the name of the Lorde thy GOD is called vppon ouer thee and they shall be afraide It is certaine that the Idolaters can vaunt themselues enough of the name of God and we see howe they pretend it euen in their fighting against him when they cast off all doctrine Insomuch that being as fierce as wilde beastes yet they looke to bee counted of the Church But Moses dooth here take the worde call vppon for naming or calling vpon yea and that in trueth meaning that the people were truely and in deed called after God his name or named his People If wee walke in the feare of our God and frame our life after his calling then shall it be seene how it is not in vaine that hee calleth himselfe our God auoweth vs to be his people Now it is certain that this word dooth presuppose that wee haue our recourse to God as being vnder his protection For it is sayd that a man is called vppon or named after the name of a prince when hee is become his subiect and is vnder his tuition Euen so it is sayd that the faithfull haue GOD his name called vppon ouer them in protesting that they bee his and that there they bee all safe vâ—der his winges And this cannot bee vnlesse we call vppon GOD and haue our refuge vnto him in all our necessities But whence commeth such boldnesse that wee glory in this that wee belong vnto God more than any other For wee know that the state of men is alyke by nature Wherefore then be we preferred before them that are descended of the self same race It commeth through Gods election It may not begin of vs. For what is he y t can aduaunce himself to come nigher vnto God thaÌ„ others come What desert can any man bring w t him None at all TheÌ„ must God make choice of vs through his own meere goodnes wheÌ„ he hath declared himselfe to be our God then may wee also of our parte bee bolde in all assurance and without doubt to call vppon his name Nowe wee see what is the effect of this sentence And Moses meaneth to declare what preheminence GOD giueth vnto those whome hee hath adopted for his children to wit that albeit they be mingled amongest men and encompassed with many miseries yet be they preserued as being vnder his hand and protection euen because hee doth holde and auowe them to bee of his houshold not for any other cause than onely his own good pleasure Let vs therfore courageously defie Sathan when wee see that hee practiseth all that hee possibly can against vs and let vs count our selues assured against all the dangers of this world seeing that God hath done vs such fauor as not to leaue vs to fortune as the vnbeleeuers doe imagine And why For wee bee vnto him a holy people And from whence shall wee fetche this preeminence Wee haue it because hee hath testified vnto vs that hee is our GOD. If wee had not gotten this worde of him we should bee alwayes in perplexitie wee shoulde still doubt through questioning of this and that and our lyfe should hang as it were by a threed as wee shall see in this Chapter But seeing that God hath vttered his fatherly loue vnto vs and it hath pleased him to open his mouth to make vs to vnderstand that hee hath giuen vs familiar accesse vnto him seeing I say that wee haue such assurance let vs call vppon him that is to say let vs not doubt to glorie in this that hee is our Sauiour and that seeing we are his wee cannot perish Howebeit let vs beware that wee call not vppon the name of God falsly as all they doe which abuse it and yet in the meane while doe make a mocke of him and are despisers of his maiestie If wee clayme the name of God let it bee because we be grounded vppon his promises and haue receiued them through faith and then let vs call vppon him let him bee our refuge and let vs not giue our selues to fond bragging as they doe which thinke it enough for them to beare the bare name of Christians Nay let vs followe the call of our GOD as Moses sheweth here saying If thou wilt keepe the commaundementes of thy GOD as I dâ—e set them afore thee this day For it is good reason that seeing God hath so bound himselfe vnto vs wee in lykewise for our parte should yeelde our selues to his direction And that wee should not onely professe with our mouthes that wee bee his people but also shewe it by framing our whole lyfe agreeable to the same and by keeping his commaundementes make it apparant that we haue receiued the grace which hee offered vs For that is the true proofe thereof Now hee sayth moreouer That other people shall see how the name of God is called vppon ouer vs and that they shall feare vs. It is not enough for vs that GOD doe promise vs to make vs to feele that wee bee in his keeping but he saith that euen the Paynims our mortall enemies and the despisers of his maiestie shall bee made to know the same Now it is certaine that the Infidels knowe not the arme of GOD in such wise as it ought to bee knowen vnto vs they come far short of it For in seeing they see not a whit and how then should it be possible that they should perceiue that GOD hath blessed vs that we liue of his fauor and that we be nourished at his cost For they bee blockish and thinke not that any thing coÌ„meth vnto them from the hand of God Wee see well how the Infidels be fedde and cloathed they enioy the light of the Sunne yea and they haue aboundance of goods But as for the worshipping and seeking of God there is no tidinges at all among them thereof And if besides their despising of the benefites of their God they haue no vnderstanding whence they come vnto them howe should they then knowe that the name of God is called vppon ouer vs Their knowing of it is not through any perswasion of minde or through any such true vnderstanding of it as we ought to haue but Moses sayth that they shall haue it proued to their faces as for example wee see the wicked grinde their teeth when they behold the faithfull to prosper and see that God vpholdeth and keepeth them And whence commeth that Truely they shall be astonished at it and they shal not be able to think otherwise but that God fauoreth the contrarie parte not that they doe settle vppon it or bee rightly resolued thereof in their heartes but for that they be confounded in their owne selues Hee sayth that they shall perceaue that Gods name is claymed or called vppon ouer vs and that it shall put them in feare For albeit that they feare not God yet
against GOD when he hath patiently tarryed for them and giuen them so many playne and apparant tokens of his wrath for their conuersion and yet neuerthelesse they make a mocke of him and still continue obstinate in their rebellion When a wretched ill doer is condemned by men hee is ashamed of it and cast downe in himselfe and acknowledgeth and bewayleth his sinnes This condeÌ„nation then which he beareth in his body albeit that it is an execution of that which is heere spoken by Moses doeth serue to his saluation and therefore let vs beare away these thinges Moreouer when the faithfull euen the very martyrs bee burned and their bodyes consumed to ashes so as they haue not y t which should bee common to all mankinde let vs vnderstande that GOD conuerteth the same to their welfare and that their glorie is thereby doubled As howe It is certaine that this is a threatning of God as be also all diseases But when our Lorde saveth so hee meaneth that they be the ordinarie meanes which hee vseth to correct our sinnes but yet neuerthelesse hee fayleth not to chastise those so with his owne hande which haue not offended him or at leastwise whome hee meaneth not to pursue with rigour This is in summe that which we haue to beare in minde concerning this Text. Nowe let vs come to that which Moses sayth farther He sayeth that GOD will strike the despisers of his lawe with many diseases He hath spoken heeretofore of feuers and of the whotte disease and of the yelowe iaundis and of such others nowe hee speaketh of the Itch and canker and of other wormes and scabbes Where also mention is made of the Emorodes as some doe expounde them all these foresayde thinges be the weapons of GOD to punish the offenders of the Lawe To be short they be his men of warre to incounter with vs when he seeth that we take heart of grasse against him And truely when we fauour our owne lustes to violate his righteousnesse and to breake the order which he hath established among vs and when hee seeth our lustes to bee so inordinate which are theeues and robbers he armeth his people and substitutes which bee the diseases that are heere spoken of and other sortes Lette vs therefore learneâ— that whatsoeuer diseases we suffer in our bodyes the same be all messages of GOD to make vs to feele his wrath because wee haue offended him but specially the extraordinarie diseases as when GOD sendeth vppon vs the sickenesses that are not vsuall amongst men for the curing whereof they can hardely finde any meane or else it is altogether impossible to doe it by reason of the straungenesse of the thinges then meaneth GOD to make vs to feele his anger towarde vs double and to shewe vs that wee haue prouoked him too too much But we thinke verie slenderly of this For contrariwise concerning the common diseases the ordinarie hauing of them maketh vs to thinke that they proceede not from God They saye there is a man that hath a feuer and there is an other that hath the murre the poze or some such other disease Wel these be thinges wherein we be hardened As howe By custome And must God in the mean while leese the possession of his right If he doe still shewe himselfe a Iudge towards vs in chastising vs is that a reason why wee should forget him and haue no regarde of his hande But howsoeuer the case standeth such is our blockishnesse I woulde God that the examples therof were not so notorious as they be But let euery one looke to himselfe and see if the customablenesse of sickenesses cause vs not to turne our backe vpon God to haue the lesse regarde of his iudgements and of our owne sins so as none of vs findeth any fault with himselfe Thus much touching the coÌ„mon and vsual sicknesses And as for the extraordinary diseases we see howe men are hardened by them also I pray you haue we not seene that God within these fiftie yeares hath brought vp new diseases against whoredome Whence commeth the pockes and all these other filthy diseases which are not to be reckened vp at this time Whence come all these thinges but from GOD who vttereth such vengeaunce as earst was neuer knowen The worlde wondered at it and for a time men were greatly afrayde of it but yet of all this whyle they haue hadde no consideration of the hande of God And at this day it is become so ordinarie a matter that the despisers of GOD I meane the lecherous sort and the whore hunters which giue ouer themselues to all leaudenesse doe but wring their groines at it Though GOD smyte them with that kinde of leprosie for it is a kinde of leprosie in very deede so as they be eaten with the fretting thereof and with other filthynesse yet they cease not to folowe their trade still and to mocke at it and truely it seemeth a verie straunge case that such a punishment of GOD shoulde be so turned to a scoffe What a iesting make they nowadayes of their baudry when they bee thus punished at the hande of God How commeth it to passe that they themselues doe make a iesting and scoffing at it as it were in spite of God and that whereas hee calleth them to humble themselues in sackecloth and ashes they doe but blurt out their tongues at him and are so farre from being ashamed of their dooings that euen as it were in spite they make a sporte of their owne filthinesse and miseries Wee see then howe frowarde men be seeing that they can profite no better in Gods schoole I meane not in the schoole of his doctrine where hee speaketh vnto them but when hee smyteth with heauy strokes and also raiseth vppe warres and troubles which ought to make menne besides themselues for feare but yet in the meane whyle this is not written in vaine Let vs therefore be better aduised and when GOD sendeth vs any straunge diseases lette vs vnderstande that our sinnes be multiplyed and that GOD must therefore be more moued than euer he was Wherefore let the same bring vs to repentaunce and let vs not double our iniquities for in the ende wee shall finde the thing by experience which we sawe euen nowe namely that when the euill shall sticke vnto vs yea euen in our marrowe and in our bones vntill we be vtterly consumed Besides this God hath other manner of meanes to punish vs and when he perceiueth that the vsuall meanes preuaile not then hath he other roddes layde vp in his storehouses as it is saâ—d in the Canticle Yea and we shall see what it is to walke at all aduentures against him namely that in the ende hee will ouertake those folke ouerthwartely with a crooked measure which playe the ignoraunt fooles after that fashion and doe nothing but scoffe and shake their eares when he hath punished them one way or other Lette vs not tarry therefore till GOD vse
reason Howbeit there is so great infirmitie I meane euen in them which bee gouerned by the holy Ghost and which streine themselues to bee obedient vnto him that they faile in many respectes but yet howsoeuer the world goe sinne ouermaistereth them not they striue not of set purpose to transgresse the Lawe but they proceede and go foreward stil and albeit that they do it limpingly yet doe they hold on still toward God As touching these they bee borne withall True is that GOD will chastise them and in what maner Euen in forgiuing them according to this saying of his â—word4 7. â—4 If thy children transgresse my commaundementes I will visite their iniquities but it shall bee with the rodde of men and not with extremitie I will not deale with them as with enemies I will not take away my mercie from them albeit that I doe correct them Thus doth God deale in that behalfe But if our hearts bee vtterly hardened then will hee warre vpon vs and destroy vs without sparing although hee beare with vs yet shall all turne to our confusion That is one thing that wee haue to remember concerning this Text. Also it is a notable poynt to bee obserued where Moses speaketh of the yoke of yron For hee saith That the Lorde will lay a yoke of yron vpon the neck of all misbeleeuers vntill they bee altogether consumed And that is to the ende wee shoulde learne to receiue the correctioÌ„s which we heare of and not kicke against them For wee see what befell to Ananias 〈…〉 16. when hee mocked at the threatninges of Ieremy and came to breake the yoke which hee had vppon his necke which was a yoke of wood and of cordes The Prophet did weare that yoke to moue the people to consider that they shoulde all become captiues and so to beholde their owne state in the person of the Prophet Now this wicked one that was possessed of the diuel to make the worde of God to bee naught set by came to breake the bandes of Ieremy and sayd euen thus wil God breake the yoke of Nabuchodonoser and albeit y t he besiege you and doe what hee can to cary you away captiues into a straunge land yet shal you bee preserued by the grace of your God God threatned and this fellowe mocked all his threatninges and thereto tooke the shadowe of the name of God to abuse the people Well then what wanne hee by such rebellion It was sayd to the Prophet Ier. 28.14 Take a yoke of yron for whereas the bondage shoulde haue bin gentle and tollerable it must how be so cruel as they shal not be able to endure any more See here how hee dealeth with all such as harden their heartes against GOD and will not abide to bee meekened by his hand Then let vs bee afraid of this yoke of yron First of all wee know that Gods yoke is amiable vnto all such as willingly yeelde themselues vnto it and suffer theÌ„selues to bee gouerned by the hand of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Wee haue the testimony of the sonne of GOD Matt. 11.30 My yoke sayth hee is easie and my burden is light Come to me and learne that I am lowly and meeke Seeing that our Lord Iesus declareth that they which be teachable and obedient shall perceiue that there is neither burthen nor weight nor griefe in his yoke to ouerpresse them withall it ought to moue vs to yeeld our necks vnto it and to pray God to put vs vnder it and also to suffer him to chastice vs wheÌ„ we haue offended him In deed the strokes wil be greeuous vnto vs as y e Apostle sayth Heb. 12.11 and we shall neuer finde the corrections pleasant during the time y t God stryketh vs. We bee lyke little children when they bee corrected wee feele it greeuous because our nature doth repugne against it But howsoeuer wee lyke of it yet God will vse that fatherly meane and by little and little teach vs to returne vnto him But if wee will needes tempt his patience to the vttermost hee must then vse the yron rodde to breake our heades withall as it is sayd in the Psalme Psal. 2.9 Wee shall bee driuen to feele the yron which shall serue not to reclayme vs withall but to breake vs in peeces and to consume vs vtterly And iustly For wee doe heare what is sayd here If thou wilt not feare the glorious dreadfull name of the eternall thy God Whence come the despising and contempt of good doctrine and the boldnesse that wee take to sinne but of this that wee are deafe to all admonitions In deede if wee could yeelde our selues obedient to our God with a good heart and with a good affection and abide at that point continually wee should no sooner heare these threatnings but wee should consider thus Alas haue wee not deserued a greeuous curse at Gods hand seeing wee haue thus striuen against him We see then that all the euill deedes and disobedience which is committed doe spring of ignorance and of the contempt of GOD for that wee haue not regarded his maiestie Certainely this kinde of stubornenesse is not alwayes directly of set purpose and foredetermined malice but yet is there such rudenesse in vs that wee yeelde not such a reuerence to God as is requisite nor the obedience whereby wee should indeuour to submit our selues to his worde And because wee bee so dulheaded that nothing can quicken vs vp when wee bee called vppon to submit our selues vnto GOD Moses sayth expresly This dread full name this glorious name to wit The eternall thy God Whereas he sayth The eternall or Euerlasting that woorde importeth all glorie and Maiestie and therefore ought to rauish vs with astonishment yea truely for wee shoulde not haue this name of GOD alonely to vse it coldely for to say GOD GOD as they doe which haue it continually in their lippes and afterward doe let it vanish as though it were a thing of nothing but wee must ioyne both twaine together thus GOD euen the same that created vs the same that holdeth all thinges in his hand the same that is honored of the Angels the same that is of glory infinite the very same whome all the principalities of heauen cannot abide at the sight of whome all manner of creatures must be faine to cast downe their eyes euen the same which with one onely worde can make all the earth to tremble the same that can remoue mountaines with his only blaste that same that giueth being to all maner of creatures finally the same that maintaineth and gouerneth all thinges and ordereth all thinges wel righteously and with wisedome the same is hee that speaketh vnto vs. And so yee see after what manner we vse the wordes of Moses where hee saith The eternall thy God this is hee that speaketh nowe vnto thee Let vs therefore heare him speake in such sorte as his maiestie may possesse all our
then that the case standeth so let vs learne to walke in such obedience to our God as hee may make the redemption auailable which is wrought by our Lorde Iesus Christ and let vs serue him in all holinesse and righteousnesse that wee bee not bereft of the fauour which hee hath purchased for vs as wee see this people were who after they had beene setled in the lande of Chanaan were put out againe for their vnthankfulnesse Therefore let vs bee well ware that God dispossesse vs not of the grace which he hath bestowed on vs but let vs learne to take such profite thereby as all the whole may yeelde fruite to his glory to the intent he may make vs to vnderstand that as well in life as in death hee is euermore our Sauiour and our redeemer and y t we may make our boast that he hath not redeemed vs in vaine but with condition that we shoulde henceforth liue in libertie in despite of the diuell and of death according as wee haue example thereof in Sainct Paul Nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes beseeching him to touch vs more and more to the quicke that being striken with such a feare as may make vs to see that of our selues we bee deade and forlorne we may yet for all y t not faile to flee for refuge to his mercie Let vs therfore seeke the way thither which is that we acknowledge ourselues to be recōciled by Iesus Christ and that hee is our peace vnto the ende according as he doeth continually declare and testifie vnto vs by the doctrine of his Gospell Eph. 2.14 And that in the meane while it may please our good God to giue vs the spirite of mieldnesse and meekenesse to the ende wee rebell not against him any more nor haue our affections any more striuing and rebelling against his Lawe but rather that wee may commit ouer our selues to his guiding and bee confirmed in the assurance which hee hath giuen vs that hee holdeth vs for his people so as he may shew by effect that hee watcheth ouer vs and that hee will continue with vs to the ende to preserue vs both in life and in death 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 Munday the vj. of Aprill 1556. The CLXIIII Sermon which is the first vppon the nine twentith Chapter THese bee the wordes of the couenant which the Lorde God commaunded Moses to enter into with the children of Israel in the lande of Moab ouer and besides the couenant which he had made with them in Horeb. 2 And Moses called all Israel and saide vnto them you haue seene all that the Lorde hath done before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharao and to all his seruants and to all his Countrie 3 The great trials which thine eyes haue seene and the great signes and wonders 4 And yet the Lord hath not giuen you a heart to vnderstand eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this present day WHen GOD hath once shewed his wil vnto mē it ought to suffice for euer For what would wee more when wee vnderstand y t we ought to walke in the obedience of our God euen of him who hath formed and created vs to whome wee belong and who hath so dearely bought vs Needs then must men be wonderfully vnthankful whē they can forget that which God hath taught them And that is the cause why it is so often times tolde vs that wee must not turne away from the trueth when it is once knowen vnto vs. But we see howe God was faine to ratifie his Law againe the second time to the end it might be receiued yea euen of that verie people whom he had chosen and yet we see that at that time the Iewes ought to haue beene sufficiently reclaimed to obey God for hee had brought them lowe with long affliction and surely it is a thing that ought to make men y e more pliable to learn when they haue bin beaten with the scourges of God and their pride bin long punished in them so as they haue beene driuen to flie vnto God to pray him to take compassion of their miseries It may well seeme that this should make them as gentle and meeke as lambes The people of Israel were in that case but they did foorthwith forget the miseries which they had suffered they kicked against their God and they coulde not finde in their harts to receiue the yoke that was laide vpon their necke Therefore we haue here a faire lookingglasse of the naughtinesse and frowardnes of our nature for this is not written to this ende onely that we should blame the Iewes but much rather that wee shoulde consider that we our selues doe nothing differ from them vntill God haue reformed vs by his holy spirite Here then in y e person of the Iewes God sheweth vs what we are of purpose to humble vs. Therefore he saith that God commaunded Moses to make a couenant the seconde time with the children of Israel in the Land of Moab yea ouer besides that couenaunt which hee made in Horeb where the law was first deliuered It is certaine y t Gods declaring of his law was to the intent that euerie man shoulde remember this lesson both night and day and for that cause was the law set downe in writing For it is not ynough for vs to haue had God speake once but the fathers must also teach their children and euerie man must exercise himselfe in that which he hath heard y t he may frame himselfe thereafter frō day to day bee the better edified Gods intent then was y t this people shoulde bee dayly furthered and for that purpose also were the Priests ordained For I haue tolde you for what purpose our Lord had chosen them from among the people It was not for the ceremonies of the Temple onely but as it is touched in the Prophet Malachy it was to sowe good and profitable doctrine throughout all the whole lande Mal. 2.7 and to that ende also were they dispersed euerie where that the people might be retayned in the purity of Religion and in obedience to the lawe But the question here concerneth the solemne couenant When God published his law in Horeb we vnderstand that the lightnings did flie foorth Exod. 19.16 Exod. 20.18 that there was a sounde of trumpets that the heauen moued that the mountaine flamed that mens minds were afraide and to bee short that God there shewed his presence with such maiestie as all men must needes know that obedience was due vnto him Marke heere the solemnitie that was kept to make the Lawe autenticall I haue saide that this ought to suffice vs to the ende of the worlde Shoulde wee then looke to haue him to doe it againe the seconde time Seeing that God hath
wee be taught at the mouth of a mortall man For lyke as the sunne yeeldeth light and yet the blinde see neuer the more for it Euen so the worde of God is preached vnto vs without edifying vnlesse our Lord giue vs eyes wherewith to behold his countenance as it shineth forth in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ. So much for that poynt Now as concerning the workes of God it is a like We doe continually eate the bread which hee giueth vs wee take our fill of his benefites but yet for all that wee resorte not vnto him neither doe wee any way thinke to come neere him vntill hee haue giuen vs wisedome and discretion that so being nourished by his goodnesse wee may yeelde him thankes for that hee hath a fatherly care ouer vs. Lykewise wee see the punishmentes and corrections which hee sendeth vppon the wicked wee be blockish and passe them ouer vntill hee haue wakened vs and made vs to vnderstand that it is for our sinnes that hee hath his hand so stretched out To bee shorte whether GOD speake gently to drawe vs vnto him or whether hee correct vs and shewe vs some token of roughnesse to make vs to stoope yet all this serueth to no purpose vntil God giue vs eyes to see eares to heare and heart to vnderstand Are wee thus reproued Let vs learne to mislyke of our selues and let vs not counterfeite those that kicke against God as if their sinnes should serue them for a buckler let vs beware of such blasphemies For wel may wee reply and say I cannot tell what to doe my nature is so corrupted in Adam and I am thereby disfurnished of all manner of power to attaine vnto goodnesse but when wee haue well debated our cause it is certaine that wee shall continue still in our condemnation And why For the euill commeth of vs. Is it not enough for a man that hee may bee his owne witnesse and needeth not to haue any inditement preferred against him by otherfolkes nor any information against him If a man enter into himselfe although he bee a slaue vnto sinne and be altogether compacted of naughtinesse and is not any way able to attaine vnto goodnesse yet is it so that of his owne proper motion and of his owne free will as they terme it hee is alwayes drawen vnto euill howbeit hee is not forced thereunto It is certaine that it is not possible for him to doe good and yet neuerthelesse the sinne which hee committeth proceedeth not from any where else than of his owne inclination his will is so Now seeing it is proued that we sinne not otherwise than of our own freewill is not that enough to stop our mouthes To what purpose serueth it vs to spurne against God seeing that wee must needes come to this condemnation Therefore on the one side let vs learne to magnifie the grace of GOD towarde vs and therewithall cast downe our eyes for that wee can doe nothing else but sinne against him Sith wee see such dulnesse in vs that the workes of God doe passe before our eyes and wee perceiue them not let vs sigh and say Alas must it not needs be that we bee very frowarde seeing that God sheweth vs here howe familiarly he offereth himselfe and that his power is open vnto vs and yet notwithstanding we remaine worse than wilde beastes After that manner ought wee to lament and seeing that God doeth vs to vnderstand as I haue sayd afore that the punishementes which he sendeth vs be for our warning if we profite not our selues thereby let vs impute it to our owne hardheartednesse say needs must I be too too wicked seeing that God calleth me to his schole driueth me thither w t his rod yet his word profiteth me nothing but I continue still in my wilfulnesse what a dealing is y t. Although then y t weâ—e both deaf blinde yet let vs learn always to giue glory to God by condemning our selues willingly for y t werefort not vnto him and for y t we vse not the meanes better which he profereth vnto vs to bring vs backe againe into the way of saluation Thus much for one poynt Nowe on the other parte when God hath shewed vs the fauor to make vs see his works to our benefite let vs also looke vppon his very face in the doctrine of the Gospell that we may bee transfigured into the same and let vs magnifie such goodnesse assuring our selues that wee attaine not vnto faith by our owne power or policie as who shoulde say we were able men and had well marked Gods woorkes and well considered of them Nay let vs acknowledge that all this commeth of him and that otherwise wee should haue remained still in our beastly ignoraunce as we see many doe There is yet more for when we see that God worketh in vs and that in the meane while hee suffereth a great many others to remaine deaf blinde y t same ought to leade vs to a far greater consideration of his goodnes to y e end wee may perceiue ourselues to be so much y e more beholding bound vnto him Dauid did acknowledge y t wheÌ„ he was wel tamed through Gods chastisements it was a special gift likewise when God did reforme him by his holy spirit And when he speaketh of the vnderstanding that he hath of the secretes of God and of all the doctrine of saluation hee attributeth the same to the holy Ghost shewing that it behoued him to proceed alwayes in profiting more and more And therefore he hath his recourse to the heauenly grace confessing that there is not so much as one drop of knowledge in him but by the gift of God And when he is to treate of his obedience towardes God he sayth that it is the worke of God to opeÌ„ his eares 〈…〉 7. and to subdue him throughly vnto him We see then by this how he by his owne example teacheth vs to doe our homage vnto God for all manner of wisedome and discretion for all the light of faith which he hath giuen vs and for all the good affection and desire that we haue to worship him But as I haue sayd heretofore when God dealeth not alike with all men but whilest he draweth vs vnto him he leaueth others in their vnbeleefe therein hee magnifyeth his goodnesse yet the more And when we say that God giueth not men the hart to vnderstand or that he doth giue it them our meaning is that he draweth some letteth othersome alone according to his owne choosing of them Act. 13.45 as it is sayd in S. Luke Yee see how S. Paul preached and yet all beleeued not his doctrine neither were they wonne to the knowledge of Iesus Christ. And what is the cause thereof whence commeth this diuersitie Euen of this that God calleth and draweth those vnto him whome hee hath chosen as S. Paul treateth as well in the viii Cap. to the
is tolde them y t God sheweth himselfe in Baptisme and in the supper also they make Idols of those visible signes thinke that God is inclosed in them Therefore it is sayde that he is in heauen But yet we must not imagine it to be in power onely but wee comprehende him not in our vnderstanding And that is the cause why the holy scripture stammereth and stutteth after our rude maner saith that God commeth downe as I haue say dee not for y t he shifteth places touching himselfe but it is sayd in respect of vs. Wherfore let vs learne to conuert to our profit all the signes y t God hath giuen vs of his prâ—sence in such sort as we may therby honor him as in his glory celestiall by lifting vp our mindes aboue all the world That is the thing which we haue to gather Now let vs come to y t which is here recited Behold thy dayes are come that thou shalt dy sayth God to Moses thou shalt goe sleepe with thy fathers this people shal arise saith he go a whoring after straÌ„ge Gods or else the Gods of the strangers When God told Moses in this wise that he must die we perceiue thereby that he strengthened him and that this tidinges of death was not to make him afrayd And in deede if we be not alwaies ready to depart the world when it shall please God to fetch vs what profit receiue we of all y e doctrine that is preached vnto vs What doth God purpose when we be taught in his word but to giue vs to vnderstand y t he placeth vs in this world as in a passage y t we must be strangers heere that our inheritance is aboue and y t we must be new-shapen from day to day by putting away froÌ„ vs all our affections whatsoeuer else is of the old man to the end we may come vnto him vntill y t he hath clothed vs w t his heauenly glorie Thus ye see how it is the purpose of God to draw people from the world to bring theÌ„ vnto himself But now if we be so giuen to this present life that God must plucke vs away from hence as it were by force and y t when his will is that we shall die we be full of spite rage and torment ourselues thereat we shewe well that we vnderstande not what the word of God meaneth and that we neuer had such tast thereof as was requisite Let vs therefore by the example of Moses be so disposed to dye that whensoeuer it shall please our Lorde to take vs away from hence we may be readie to goe and to depart out of this prison of our bodie If it be alleadged that wee haue not so much profited as Moses and that wee bee not so farre forewarde as hee it is out of doubt that God bestowed on him a special grace which was not coÌ„mon to all is very rare to be found For it is no smal matter when it is sayde y t there neuer rose vp a Prophet in Israell Deut. 34 1â— so great nor so excellent as he But yet notwithstanding we haue the Gospell which Moses hadde not Albeit that God gaue him largely of his spirite more than wee haue yet had not he the doctrine of the Gospell but in shadowe and figure because Iesus Christ was not yet manifested hee had the sacrifices of the lawe as well as the rest of the people And whereas our Lorde Iesus is come to bee our life we know that he is now ascended vp to heaueÌ„ we know that first he was beneath in the deepe that is to say that he satisfied the wrath of God to the ende to redeeme vs from eternall death Seeing wee haue such an aduauntage what excuse is there if we bee afrayde when death is talked of vnto vs and thinke that all is lost for our part So then let vs marke that to bee well learned in the gospell it behoueth vs to knowe aswell what it is to diâ— as what it is to liue And howe We must noâ— be tyed vnto this present worlde nor make account to dwell heere for euer but wee must haue the one foote vp as they say as folke ready to goe Also wee must consider howe fraile our life is and euen in our full health wee must alwaies haue death before our eyes For the performaunce whereof let vs looke vp to the heauenly life y â— is promised vnto vs whereof also we haue so good a pawn in our Lord Iesus Christ. That is the way for vs not to be afraid whensoeuer God shal make vs to vnderstand y t our end is nigh and shew vs that he wil take vs vnto him I say it shall neither abash vs nor make vs afrayde but we shal be determined to go vnto him with a good will as no doubt but Moses receiued that tydinges with great ioy as if hee should haue sayde Wel Lorde I haue finished my course I haue trauailed in y e world so long as I had power and strength and now beholde I am old drooping but yet shall I be restored in thy saluation Seeing then y t it is thy will to sequester me from all the troubles of this world behold I am nowe readie like as I haue continued in the world so long as it was thy wil euen so doe I nowe desire nothing but to yeeld my selfe vnto thee And for the same cause S. Paul sayeth that the Christians turne all thinges to their owne benefite 〈◊〉 1. â—1 aswell death as life For if we liue in this worlde though it be in miserie wretchednes so as we be afflicted and despised and tormented and seeme to be as people cast away yet doth y e same turne to our profite and aduantage And why For all our afflictions be blessed in our Lorde Iesus Christ because God maketh them auailable to our saluation according as it is sayde in the eight to the Romanes 〈◊〉 1.2 that the thinges which seeme to hinder our felicitie are in deede giuen vs of GOD as helpes and furtheraunces thereof When it commeth to death we know that Christ Iesus had victorie thereof and y t seeing he is rysen we be assured y t forasmuch as we be his members and haue one common life together with him therefore wee shall not perishe Thus doth death turne to our gaine and profite and we haue cause to reioyce in all respectes Moreouer where it is sayd That after the death of Moses the people will rise there is no doubt but y t this greeued Moses For he bare such a feruent zeale to the welfare of the people that he forgot himselfe and said 〈◊〉 32.32 Race me out of the booke of life and let the people bee saued See heere howe Moses was content to bee cuâ—te off yea and euen to be damned so that God would saue the people not because that that was possible but he was so
meeken our heartes and let vs vnderstande y t vntill he be appeased our sorowes must needes increase euen to the vtter ouerwhelming of vs. That is the thing which Moses ment in saying that they which despise God and his word shall feele that there is neither ende nor measure of their calamities and that they shal be cōstrained to say These plagues are come vpon vs because God is not among vs. And heerewithall we must also marke the experience which the people had For as the cōmon prouerbe sayth experience is the mistres of fooles The people had then already of long time knowen what it was to haue God dwelling amongst them and y t it brought all maner of ioy all maner of rest and all maner of happines And when y t God was turned from thē they were driuen to consider to their cost what an vnhappinesse it was to haue him a stranger to thē To be short heere Moses sheweth the diuersitie y t is to be seene when God doth for a time blesse a people make them to prosper and contrariwise when for the misusing of his grace he turneth away and sheweth himselfe an enemie and aduersarie against them Nowe therefore while we inioy the tokens and Testimonies of Gods loue let vs learne to serue and feare him that y e possession therof may continue with vs for euer If we be so wicked and froward as to skorn God when he vseth such goodnesse towarde vs. and forbeareth vs with patience let vs assure ourselues that he will giue such glorie to his benefits as that the extreme miseries which he will make vs to feele shall force vs to say Where is the Lorde that dwelled with vs aforetime Howsoeuer the case stand Gods will was that the song which was deliuered to Moses should be a witnesse to aunswere against the people He sayth yet againe that hee will hide his face and that by reason thereof the people shall be a pray and vtterly deuoured and that there shal be nothing but tokens of horrible cōfusion in all their state The people then is sufficiently warned and certified of Gods wrath but yet God addeth this song more to the ende that on the one side the people perceiuing their state so wretched shold say God punisheth me and that iustly And on the other side that in this similitude they might behold themselues as in a glasse and that by the hauing of this song they might bee put in minde of their misdeedes and transgressions and made to consider that God doth the office of a Iudge and thereby be the more moued to thinke vpon their faultes and to humble themselues Now we see heere first of all what dulnesse there is in men for God giueth vs no superfluous thing nay there neuer departeth word frō his mouth which is not profitable for vs and which ought not to serue vs for instruction Wherefore is it then that God giueth this song to the people of Israell It is because it should serue them for a Testimonie At what time Euen at such time as they should be afflicted to the vttermost that they might be holden as it were on the torture and be constrained to confesse the faultes and iniquities which they had committed And how then Could not the plagues which they endured suffice to bring them to reason and to cause them to turne againe vnto God whom they had forsaken Yes in deede were it not that men be so hard hearted that in seeing they perceiue not a whit and that their wittes be as it were dulled and dead We see by this then that although our Lorde chastise men euen with such extremitie as they must needes confesse that it is he to whom they be to aunswere and to yeelde account and that it is his hande that pursueth them and that he is their enemie yet they be so foolish that they settle thēselues in their owne imaginations and although they knowe it yet they bee not throughly perswaded of it in their heartes but let it escape them and by and by forget it vnlesse God doe put to his worde and tell them It is to me that you must haue an eye for I do summō you before my iudgement seate When I do thus scourge you I set your faults before you I do heere make out your processe for you If God spake not when he striketh with his hande the stripes would bee vnprofitable to vs. Now we perceiue the hardheartednes that is in vs. For although it be heere spoken of the children of Israel yet doth the holy Ghost vnder the example of them tell vs what we be Therefore let vs learne to know our selues better and consider that although it bee needefull for vs to receiue instructiō concerning Gods punishments least we should become vnreformable yet notwithstanding it would profit vs nothing vnlesse we had the word of God whereby he draweth vs to repentance and by the which he doeth vs to vnderstande that the thinges which we suffer must not be imputed to hap hazard but we must vnderstand y t they come frō him And thus must we resort to the holy scripture so often as wee be afflicted For on y e one side when men are scourged they chafe vppon the bridle and become as doted as if they were astonished with the stroke of a hammer they thinke not of God True it is that when they feele thēselues pinched with aduersities they crye alas but they doe neuer the more lift vp their eyes to y e hand of God to vnderstande him to be their Iudge Therefore we must proceed thus far that is we must haue recourse vnto Gods word and when God smiteth vs on this maner let vs take warning to submit ourselues vnto him not keepe vs aloofe as we are wont Now y e same word not only will shewe vs y t it is Gods hande that smiteth vs but it will also bring vs to examine our life It is not said in the scripture y t God punisheth men not knowing wherefore or y t he taketh pleasure in tormenting them but it is sayd that he punisheth them for their faultes so as we must alwaies needes acknowledge his iustice insomuch y t if men coulde skill to profit themselues by the afflictions y t are sent them they be all of them as medicines and Gods intent is to shew himselfe a father by warning them after y t maner Moreouer they serue to make men inexcusable insomuch y t all the afflictions which they suffer in this world shal be an augmentation of the last vengeance because they would not stoope vnder the hande of God while he nurtured thē for their welfare Thus ye see y t when we be scourged we must resort to the holy scripture first of all to vnderstand y t it commeth not by aduenture but that our Lord doth thereby shew vnto vs y t we haue offended him that he meaneth thereby to make vs to feele our sinnes
all his creatures wee must not imagine aught of him after our owne fancie nor compare him to mortall men for in so doing wee shall diminish his glory too much But now Moses addeth that the children of Israel had corrupted themselues towards him Nowe if we ioyne these two sayings together to wit That God is true iust and vpright so as his workes are perfect and also that the people of Israel were marde out of hande thereby wee shall the better see howe detestable that people was for their vnthankfulnesse For Gods trueth and righteousnesse shine forth the brighter in that they could not holde themselues to him Beholde God chose the children of Abraham But let vs see what he was To bee short had the children of Israel sticked to him and continued in the vnion which hee hadde appointed and called them vnto it had beene to their highest welfare yea and their whole happinesse and glorie But they turned from God and fell away from him and therfore must it not needs be that they were mad and caryed away with a diuelish rage accordingly as he saith in Ieremy Ier. 2.13 They haue forsakeÌ„ me euen me who am the fountaine of liuing water Nowe then wee see better the meaning of Moses for hee shewed heretofore the goodnesse iustice and righteousnesse of God to the ende that the people shoulde haue the lesse excuse and their sin be knowen to be the more heynous in that they coulde not abide that God shoulde holde them still for his inheritance But as I haue said alreadie if we be separated from God we bee as it were in the bottome of the dungeon of all mischiefe whereas if we be knit vnto him wee can want nothing Seeing then that the case standeth so with men when they cut themselues off yea banish themselues out of Gods kingdome after he hath gathered them to him and shewed himself willing to take them to be of his housholde worthily bee they to be condemned for folk voide of wit and reason and their vnthankfulnes is too too detestable And that is the cause why Moses speaketh so roughly saying They haue marred themselues towards him yea but they were such as be no more his children It is certaine that God had chosen Abrahams linage with condition to bee father to them all And therefore hee saieth by his Prophet Ezechiel Ezec. 16.20 that the children which came of them were begotten vnto him True it is that all men in generall are called Gods children but yet that title belongeth alonely by priuiledge to those that be of his church Let vs marke well then that in respect of adoption the children of Israel ought to haue been held and auowed for the children of God But it is saide here that they were not so for they were growen out of kinde accordingly also as God complaineth by his Prophet that their fathers dealt vnfaithfully with him for they had begotten strange children y t is to say they had so corrupted themselues y t there was no more soundnesse in them neither belonged they at all to the house of Abraham but had so wrapped themselues in the wickednesse of their forefathers that God sawe not any thing in them belonging vnto him Nowe then we see to what purpose Moses saide that they had marred themselues meaning those that are not Gods children whom he blameth for their depriuing and disappointing of themselues through their own malice of the inestimable benefite and honour which God had bestowed vppon them For what a thing is it that wee may bee so bolde as to call vppon God as our Father and resort vnto him familiarly and to be receiued as his children And euen so was it with the lynage of Abraham but they continued not in the possession thereof Who was to bee blamed for that It was because they yeelded not to God the honor due to their father as he himselfe complaineth by his Prophet Malachie Mal. 1.6 saying If I be your father where is the honour which yee owe vnto me But all their seeking was to hold themselues aloofe from God Ye see then how they renounced that manner of kinred which God had set among them and therefore it is not without cause that Moses vpbraideth them that they were become straungers True it is that they vaunt themselues to be Gods children but by what right Only by stablishing y e fleshly kinred Esa. 53.7 And we see also how the Prophet Ezechiel saith vnto them What Are you of the linage of Israel Ezech. 36.3 Hence yee harlots birds Was not your father a Chananite and your mother a Iebusite Nowe it is certaine that as touching the fleshe they came not of y e people of Chanaan nor yet of the Iebusites but the Prophet doeth them to vnderstande that they had no more to doe with the holy linage but had cut themselues off from it as rotten members Nowe let vs nowadayes bee well aduised and seeing that God hauing called vs to him hath giuen vs the marke of his free bestowed adoption that is to say baptisme wherby he doth vs to wit that wee bee reckened for members of Iesus Christ and be as it were graffed into his bodie let vs bee well aduised I say that wee boast not thereof in vaine For if wee despise God in liuing vndiscreetely and falsifie the faith that we haue plighted vnto him let vs not thinke that he is so bounde vnto vs but that hee may forsake vs and that for al our boasting of our selues to be his children he will tell vs plainely as wee heare in this place that wee belong not vnto him at all but that wee bee vtter straungers vnto him For as saieth Sainct Paul all that come of Abrahams linage are not accounted his seede Rom. 9.7 â—â— that is to say they bee not spirituall children To be short will we haue God to auowe vs for his children Let vs beware that wee walke in his feare and loue At a worde let vs take him for our father and shewe it by our deedes and then shall wee be acknowledged to bee his children But if hee see vs growe out of kinde hee must needes tell vs that seeing wee haue not kept our faith and troath towardes him hee will haue no company with vs. For what a bondage were it if God shoulde take vs for his children and in the meane while be scorned misused among vs so as his grace shoulde bee troden vnder foote and his holy name defiled Should God then mingle himselfe with our filth and vncleanesse when wee be so full of vnbeliefe No For then should hee renounce his owne nature which is vnpossible Now it is sayd here They marred themselues towardes him The worde that Moses vseth betokeneth to destroy corrupt or marre And some expounde it that the children of Israel did not any harme vnto God in their turning away vnto wickednesse as in very deede hee shoulde receiue no
winges So then let vs marke first of all that here we be reproued of the ouergreat blockishnes which is in vs in that we consider not Gods benefites That is the cause why God vseth such comparisons And yet is not that any derogation at all to his glory or highnes For his goodnes his power are thinges y t agree wel together they be no such thinges as cannot abide to match one with another God is mightie God is dreadfull in his maiestie all y t is true but yet is his goodnes as infinite as his power And what importeth his goodnes That hee should be as a Hen. And therefore let vs marke that this dealing of God must not diminishe his glory so as we should not worship him with all humilitie reuerence but rather touch vs to the quick that when God hauing bestowed so many benefites vpon vs we thinke not vpon them but doe bury his goodnes in forgetfulnes vpbraideth vs y t he hath played y e Clockhen towardes vs and we could not abide it we may learn to apply all our wittes to consider how good gratious God is towardes vs that knowing him to be so wee may also assure ourselues that hee ought to bee worshipped in his glory maiestie to the ende we may be subiect to him and come shrowd our selues vnder his winges to be defended by him But this shal be layd forth more at large to morrowe if God will Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better yea in such sort as wee may returne to him with true repentance acknowledging the transgressions and iniquities which we haue committed not only to obteine forgiuenesse of them but also to be maintained by him all the time of our lyfe and that in the meane while it would please him to keepe vs to himself and correct all things that are contrary to his righteousnes and doe hinder vs from giuing our selues wholy to him as we ought to doe 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 Tewsday the ij of Iune 1556. The CLXXXI Sermon which is the fourth vpon the two and thirtith Chapter 11 As the Eagle stirreth vp c. 12 So the Lord alone did leade him and there was no straunge god with him 13 He caryed him vp to the high places of the earth and made him to eate of the fruits of the fieldes and he made him to sucke Honnie out of the Rocke and Oyle out of the hard stone 14 He fed him with butter of kyne and milke of sheepe with fatte of Lambes and of sheepe fed in Bashan and Heegoates and with the fatte of wheate and made thee to drinke the iuice of the most excellent grape 15 But he which ought to haue beene vpright became fatte and fell to kicking Thou art become fatte lustie and thicke And so hee forsooke God his maker and regarded not the strong God of his welfare YEsterday we sawe the similitude which Moses brought in to expresse what goodnes and gentlenes God vsed towardes the children of Israell for he dealt with them as when a hen gathereth her chickens vnder her winges We see thē howe God dooth in such wise vtter and make knowen his infinite power to his children in the preseruing of them that hee stoopeth to them beareth with them in respect of their frailetie and at a word maketh himselfe lyke a Clockhen Now it remaineth on our side y t we knowing our owne feeblenesse should flee vnto God and hide our selues vnder his winges that wee may there be defended and kept safe And wee must not bee afraid to peace vnto him for his maiestie ought not to be terrible to vs any more sith we see he hath made himselfe familiar with vs draweth vs to him by gentlenes And surely it must needes bee that we be destitute of wit and reason if we goe not to seeke him for howe shall the little chicken doe if he be not vnder his dammes wing Much lesse can wee continue without the protection of our God than little chickens can doe if they run not vnder y e wings of their dam which leadeth them But in the meane while we fare little the better by this lesson For although we bee warned sufficiently of our infirmities yet doe we not cease for all that to be blinded with presumption insomuch as euery of vs thinketh to maintaine himself well enough And by y t meanes we hold skorn of y e help of our God Or else we be so full of distrust y t although he call vs to him with all the gentlenes that can be deuised yet we cannot finde in our heartes to come to him but doe alwayes stand in doubt of him And that is the cause why our Lord Iesus Christ findeth fault with the citie of Ierusalem Matt. 23.37 that when as hee would haue gathered her chickens together she would not Hee maketh euen a complaint of it in way of lamentation saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thy childrē together as y e Hen stretcheth out her wings to gather her yong chickens to her thou hast despised that great benefite thou hast not voutsafed to shroud thy selfe vnder me I haue bin desirous to make thee to feele my power to y e maintaining of thee in thine estate But what Thou hast bin faine to feele heeretofore many chastisementes because of thine vnthankfulnes but the time will come y t thou shalt bee vtterly destroyed Let vs beware that God haue not lyke cause to finde fault with vs nowadayes and to powre out his vengeance vpon vs after he shal haue borne with vs a long time For the foresaid threatning which our Lord Iesus Christ made befel not out of hād God had many ways assayed to gather the citie of Ierusalem vnto his obedience and when he saw them so stubborne y t they were past amendment he punished them according to their desert Therfore let vs not tempt y e patience of our God but when we see him spread out his wings to gather vs to him let vs runne to him let necessitie driue vs thereto For what shall we◠doe if our Lord keepe vs not Againe Let not fearefulnes or douting keepe vs back from him For what can he do more than abace himselfe after the maner of a clockhen to the intent that his maiestie shoulde not bee terrible to vs and scarre vs away Let vs marke further y t God playeth the part of a Clockhen in all pointes to gather vs vnder his winges For on the one side he calleth vs vnto his tuition by y e preaching of the Gospel promising vs y t the power of his holy spirit shall not faile vs but y t it shall defend vs against all the assaultes of Satan according as it is
yea euen perfectly and in verie substaunce without any manner of shadowes or figures Seeing then that GOD hath fully reueiled himselfe to vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ and will haue his face to bee seene there surely we can not boast that we haue the true God vnlesse our Lorde Iesus Christ reigne among vs and be so honoured of vs that wee sticke throughly to him and rest wholely vppon him Nowe the Iewes denyed him and vtterly disclaymed him by meane whereof they prouoked GOD to iealozie and there remayneth nothing with them but folly and false imagination whereby they haue deceiued and beguiled themselues And therefore not without cause doeth Saint Paule alleadge this Text Rom. 10.19 saying Seeing that the Iewes haue prouoked Gods wrath by refusing to imbrace his onely sonne therefore hath he raysed vppe a people which was nothing afore And heere we see yet much better the thing which I tolde you afore namely that GOD vsed long sufferaunce towardes such as were worthy to haue beene thundered vpon out of hande for betweene the Lawe and our Lorde Iesus Christ there were about two thousande yeares And if wee recken the yeeres the Iewes began to meddle with the infections filthinesse of the heathen by setting vp of ydols by and by after y e death of Iosua Ye see then how God suffered aboue eighteene hundred yeeres to passe wayting still for some amendement Not that he dissembled with them for he chastised them to put them in minde of their faults And they returned vnto him But yet by and by after they fell away newe againe Insomuch that when they had acknowledged that those harmes befell them for their sinnes sakes and had giuen some token of repentaunce by and by or within a while after they fell to their olde byasse againe and God likewise fell to punishing them newe againe At the last came the captiuitie of Babylon which is described to haue beene so horrible and vnhappie that it banished them out of the Lande which hee had promised them for their inheritaunce and they were driuen out of their owne houses Neuerthelesse in the ende GOD pitied them and brought them home againe Notwithstanding they were no sooner come home into their natiue countrey and restored to libertie but by and by they became againe worse than before Therefore was GOD also faine to punish them with punishment vppon punishment euen to the vttermost Then came our Lorde Iesus Christ to remedie all their diseases in respect whereof he is iustly called euen the resurrection of the dead Iohn 11.25 For although the Iewes had then beene all scattered abroade yet would God haue gathered them home againe to him by the hande of his sonne if they hadde knowen the day of their visitation But they well bewray that they be wilfully bent against GOD and that there is nothing but bitternesse and venime yea and diuelish rage in them For it sufficed them not to haue skorned the grace which was offered vnto them and the redemption which they had pretended to haue longed for so greatly but they did also crucifie the Redeemer which was sent vnto them Forasmuch therefore as the Iewes did vtterly refuse all the grace of God the Gospell was published through the whole worlde But as I sayde we must marke well the long suffering which GOD vsed towardes them that it may keepe vs from sleeping in our sinnes For if wee abuse the goodnesse of our GOD when hee spareth vs and vseth not such vengeaunce as we haue deserued we shall be driuen to pay the arrearages Therefore let vs returne to him when hee threatneth vs. For it had beene much better for the Iewes to haue suffered temporall punishmentes than to haue beene so borne with and in the ende to haue had so horrible vengeaunce layde vppon them as we see befell to the Citie of Ierusalem For if we looke vpon the aduersities that fell vppon it wee shall not finde the like examples at any time since the beginning of the worlde that the men of that countrey and all other inhabiters were so afflicted They played the madde men one against another for their vittelles and the veryest cutthroates bare the chiefe sway They durst not go out of their citie to ease themselues because they were inclosed on euerie side and yet they were more cruelly handled within by theeues and rakehelles The ruffians were readie to cutte the throats of them that came once out of their doores Thinges were so farre out of order and so horribly put to hauocke that women were faine to kill their owne children for hunger and to eate them and it spited the father to see the mother steale her owne children to deuoure them into her owne bowelles Therefore let vs bethinke ourselues and when thinges are so farre out of square and wee perceiue it to be our Lordes will to giue vs such examples to the intent we should liue in awe and feare and yet notwithstanding that he giueth vs leasure to returne vnto him let vs goe vnto him yea and that with speede let vs not driue off frō day to day for feare least the gate be shut against vs. That is the thing which wee haue to beare in minde Nowe let vs proceede to that which Moses addeth namely That GOD did then rayse vppe a people which was no people and a Nation which was no Nation By these words we be doone to vnderstande that vntill such time as GOD hath chosen vs and drawen vs to the knowledge of his trueth it is all one as if we were not at all True it is that Gods setting of vs in this worlde is not a benefite to be despised neither doeth he set vs heere as Asses Oxen and Dogges but as reasonable creatures and he putteth his image into vs. Inestimable is the benefit which he doeth vs therein but yet for all that forasmuch as we be corrupted in Adam and all of vs are accursed insomuch that sinne doeth so reigne in vs that the Image of GOD is wiped out and the vnderstanding which we weene our selues to haue is but brutishnesse and our hearts are turned vpside downe so as there is nothing but rebelliousnesse in vs therefore it is sayde that wee bee not worthy to bee counted a people that is to say it were better for vs that wee were not at all Not that GOD is not glorified continually in his creatures but this is spoken in respect of vs. For we will needes glorifie ourselues and seeme great men for wee see howe men beleeue wonders of themselues and they be so blinde that they surmise this and that of themselues But let the children of this worlde esteeme of themselues what they lyst and aduaunce their owne glorie as much as they list yet doth GOD in one worde heere cut their combes saying that their beeing is as though they were not at all And it is not heere onely that the scripture vseth such speech for Saint Paul
sayeth generally that GOD calleth the thinges which are not Rom. 4.17 1. Cor. 1.28 as though they were Ye see then howe our first being is when GOD calleth vs to the knowledge of his trueth according whereunto Saint Paul sayth in an other place 1. Cor. 1.30 y t our being is of God in Iesus Christ insomuch that we haue nothing at all before that time because there is nothing in vs but corruption Seeing the case standeth so men can not looke for any thing but eternal death vntil God haue reached them his hand and gathered thē home to himselfe That is the thing which we haue to remember in this text where it is sayde that God would prouoke the Iewes to ielozie by a people which were no people Furthermore let vs marke that whereas we haue beeing at this day that is to say whereas God hath aduaunced vs according also as hee sayth by his prophet Esay I haue brought vppe children and aduaunced them forasmuch as God dealeth so graciously with vs as to put vs in the place of them that were his naturall children euen vs which were as children borne out of time let vs assure our selues that if wee prouoke God to wrath and make him as it were iealous he will surely rayse vp other Nations in our steede according to this saying of our Lord Iesus Christ to the Iewes The kingdome of God shall be taken from you This threat is spoken to vs nowadays For as sayth saint Paul if God haue not spared the naturall braunches of the oliue but haue cut them quite and cleane off and cast them into the fire how shall hee spare the wilde ones What shoulde wee haue who were barreine by nature Could wee say we were the children of Abraham and that God had adopted vs at the first No. For as long as the doctrine of saluation was among the Iewes our forefathers were as rotten members they had no hope of saluation they were without GOD in this worlde as sayeth Saint Paul But nowe wee bee come to the heauenly kingdome Because the Iewes are departed from it through their owne vnthankefulnesse and fallen from the degree wherein they were GOD hath aduaunced vs to it euen against nature And thinke wee then that if wee become like those which were our superiours in dignitie GOD will not in the ende powre out the like vengeaunce vpon vs as wee haue seene vppon them Yes and therefore let the Iewes bee a lookingglasse for vs to make vs behaue ourselues humbly that we abuse not the grace of GOD. True it is that wee must be assured that GOD will holde out to the ende in the thinges which he hath begonne for our welfare specially if we on our side be not so malicious as to disappoint his grace But if we followe those which haue gone before vs let vs not thinke to speede better than they haue done Thus yee see what wee haue to beare away in this Text where it is sayde that God will prouoke his people to iealozie by such as were not a people aforetimes And Moses sayeth That they shall be a foolishe Nation And it behoueth vs yet againe to marke this well For we imagine ourselues to be verie wise and that is the thing which plucketh vs backe from submitting ourselues obediently vnto GOD and disappointeth vs of the modestie to embrace by faith whatsoeuer is propounded to vs in his name But heere the holy Ghost bewrayeth vs what we be to witte that there is nothing in vs but starke folly vntill GOD haue inlightened vs. What must bee our wisedome then Euen that which we learne in Gods schoole Heereby all selfe weening is beaten downe that menne should not imagine themselues to be of sufficient abilitie to gouerne themselues nor despise the doctrine of GOD but yeelde themselues teachable thereunto And herewithall let vs marke also that generally God ment to bereaue men of all glorie in that he sayth that they be not at all and that they be but fooles that is to say that there is nothing in thē but reprochfulnesse And hee addeth foorthwith that his wrath shall be kindled and that it shall enter vnto the bottomlesse pittes and consume the Lande with her fruites yea euen to rootes of the Mountaines Heere Moses ment breefly to touch those yet better and neerer to the quicke which were so bedoted that they could not come to the knowledge of their sinnes And he not onely spake to y t people whom he knewe to be stubborne and stiffenecked Exod. 34.9 but also through the power of Gods spirite he prophecied of those that were to come As for Moses he knewe them not to outwarde appearance but GOD who knoweth what men are gaue his sentence vppon them aforehande And forasmuch as hee seeth them so blockish he handleth them in their kinde saying Goe too I see you be not greatly moued at my threatning and that ye proceede from euill to worse but I tell you that my wrath will bee no light fardle to beare as though I gaue you but a yerke with my rodde by the way What then It is a fire that burneth vp all afore it as we haue seene heeretofore in the fourth chapter Deut. 4.24 where it is sayde Knowe thou O Israel that thy God is a consuming fire This was expresly spoken for the hardenesse of the peoples hearts For it is certeine that God is desirous to shewe himselfe louing towardes vs conditionally that we come vnto him with all meekenesse and be readie to followe his voyce taking him for our sheepehearde and behauing ourselues towardes him as his sheepe If wee doe so then will not God fray vs nor shewe himselfe terrible to vs. But if he see vs play the wilde beastes so as wee can not by any meanes be tamed then is hee faine to vse rigour according to this saying of his in the eighteenth Psalme Psal. 18.17 that hee will bee harde to such as are harde and that if men shew themselues vnreformable hee also will come roughly against them and they shall finde nothing in him but vtter terrour and dreadfulnesse After the same manner is it in this text where he sayeth My wrath shal be as a burning fire Yea and thinke not sayth he that I will burne but the chaffe and the strawe for I will burne vp the verie grounde there is not so hard a mountaine but it shall melt before me yea euen to the verie bottome and there shall not be so deepe a pitte but I will go to the verie bottome thereof Now we see what the purpose or intent of Moses was in this place And heereby let vs take warning not to tempt God accordingly as the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes applyeth the forealleaged text to the same purpose My friends sayeth he knowe ye that God is a consuming fire Hebr. 12.18 and therefore let vs liue in his feare not tempt him as
saide in Iob Iob. 9.10 that we see the brimmes of Gods workes but we can neuer attaine to the bottome of theÌ„ Therefore whereas the scripture speaketh nowe and then of some executions which God doeth although the same may seeme to vs ouerrigorous yet must wee bridle our selues and imprison our wits to honour God with such reuerence as he deserueth Let that serue for one poynt Furthermore as concerning that which is said here of Babes let vs marke that if God listed to rende vp the whole worlde by the rootes hee coulde doe it yea and that right iustlie For euen from our verie birth we bring nothing but wrath and cursednesse If God take young babes out of the worlde yea and damne them yet is there no rigour in so doing for wee be all forlorne afore hande by nature In this case therefore it behooueth vs to cast downe our heades and our eyes and not presume to stande in contention with God by reasoning the matter with him nor to control him as though he did wrong or iniurie to little infantes in taking them out of the worlde For as I saide hee may not onely smite them with death but also sende them to euerlasting damnation because wee bee all cursed in Adam Now then when he hath withdrawen his grace from a whole Nation and all of them are become reprobates then must his wrath needes extende as well to the young infantes as to their fathers according to this saying that God casteth backe the wickednesse of the fathers Ier. 32.18 into the bosomes and lappes of their children Not that the children be punished being guiltlesse for God knoweth that they bee not so Yea but we perceiue not that they haue offended As who woulde say that wee were able to perceiue as much as God knoweth Haue wee as sharpe a sight as hee No. So then although wee take little babes to bee faultlesse yet notwithstanding there is a naughtinesse inclosed in them and the seede of sinne is sufficient to condemne them before God Wherefore let vs marke that although hee root out young babes yet in so doing he cannot be blamed of crueltie but he executeth a iudgement which surmounteth the capacitie and measure of mans wit whereat wee may well wonder but yet must wee confesse it to bee rightfull as it is indeede Wee see howe it fell out both in Sodome and in other places where it was his will to haue all destroyed Gen. 19.24 When anie such thing happeneth let vs vnderstande that GODS intent is to make vs to cast downe our eyes For if it befall so to the greene tree Luk. 23.31 what shall be doone to the drie Behold the litle Infants whom we imagine to bee innocent and faultlesse and yet wee see that Gods vengeaunce wrappeth them in with the elder sorte and with those that haue greatlie offended Righteous is GOD in so doing What shall wee say to it but onelie that wee ought to quake at it For there is none of vs all which hath not deserued a hundred times as much If GOD spare vs are we not the more bounde to his goodnesse And againe if it pleased him to deale with vs according to our misdeedes shoulde wee not be afraide that we shal bee much more roughlie handled than wee see little babes are Yes surelie So then insteede of contending as manie doe and of entering into curious questions euen with diuelishe malapeartnesse to controll GOD as I haue saide afore let vs learne to be lowlie in such wise that hauing giuen glorie vnto GOD by confessing that he is euer righteous and soothfast and let vs also haue an eye to that wee haue seene that so we may impute it to his free mercifulnesse that hee beareth with vs and also bee the more incouraged to returne to him so as wee may no more abuse the long time of his patience Thus yee see what wee haue to remember vppon this text where GOD saith that hee will destroy euen the little sucking babes Nowe hee addeth yet further I had saide or determined to roote out this people but that I feared the prouoking of the enemie least the Aduersarie might haue beene estraunged and haue said Our hand is high and it is not the Lorde that hath doone all this In this text our Lorde sheweth that hee is so farre off from vsing any vnmeasurable rigour against his people that hee hath rather yet another respect not to roote them vtterly out namelie least the Infidels should haue occasion to blaspheme him That is the meaning of Moses They will complaine and say that GOD ought not to handle his people after that fashion but that hee ought to vse greater kindnesse and gentlenesse towardes them Yea saith hee pleade on your case but yet shal yee winne nothing by it For if God had respected no further matter than you hee had rooted you long agoe out of the worlde and the remembrance of you had beene quite and cleane abolished long ere this What letted him then Not that you were not worthie to haue perished for you haue not ceased to prouoke his wrath by dooing euill but for that hee had a respect to your enemies that is to say to the Infidels And why For if God shoulde haue rooted out that people whom he had choosen forasmuch as the renowne thereof was spread ouer all the worlde and the deliuering of them out of Egypt was as a woonderfull miracle and the Israelites themselues professed themselues continually to bee the worshippers of the God which had taken them out of the deepe gulfe shoulde not his destroying of them haue opened the mouthes of the wicked to skoffe at the Religion which was held in Iurie and to haue saide Where is nowe the God which maintained them so long time as they themselues haue reported Either hee is falne asleepe or else he hath lost his wittes for he succoureth them not any more After that manner woulde the Infidels haue rayled at God if hee had not euer reserued and kept still some seede of that people to shewe that his couenaunt was not quite and cleane disanulled but that it stoode still in full force That is the verie meaning of this saying where wee reade I had determined to root them yea and to scatter theÌ„ abroade eueriwhere For the worde betokeneth such a scattering or rending asunder as if one shoulde dismember a mans bodie and cast the peeces thereof abroade here and there so as nothing were left whole Therefore I had rooted them out saith hee yea and that in such wise as they shoulde neuer haue beene spoken of anie more among men but that I feared the prouocation of the enemie Nowe the thing that is rehearsed here is read of in Exodus Exod. 32 9.10.11.12.1â—â— 14. And so it shoulde seeme that God was restrayned by Moses from doing the thing which hee speaketh of here For hee giueth the sentence and addeth Let me doe it as though Moses
the ende euen in the middes of Babylon euen in that gulfe he reserued a remnāt of Beniamin which returned home with the tribe of Iuda They that were much more excellent in dignitie became as banished folk and God forsooke them as rotten members so as they returned not any more into the inheritance of y e land of Chanaan the resting place which god had foreappointed to their fathers Ye see then how God continued still his grace towardes the tribe of Beniamin not that they had not horrible punishments as it fell out afterwardes but that God by his infinite goodnes ouercame the naughtinesse of men To bee short let vs note that when God giueth vs his promises after that maner they shal seeme to be disappointed of their effect and performāce through the vnthankfulnes of y e world for y t there are a great many which refuse Gods goodnes shut the gate against him so as they be not partakers thereof That is the cause why God sheweth not himself liberal towards vs any more For if we could skill to inioy his goodnes surely he would alwayes outgo our expectation all our wishes But what We will haue him to content vs and to please vs in all cases and in the meane while it should seeme that wee haue conspired against him to keepe him back from doing vs good Therefore let vs not thinke it strange if God perform not his promises which he hath made vnto vs with his owne mouth for we our selues be y e cause thereof Neuerthelater although the world be so malicious and froward that to all seeming men woulde wilfully disappoint all Gods gratious dealings yet notwithstanding let vs not doubt but that there shall euer be some smal number whom God wil maintaine Onely let vs indeuour to liue vnder Gods wings that we may be preserued by him suffer him to dwell betweene our shoulders Wee heare what warning S. Paul giueth vs thereof 〈◊〉 6.9 〈◊〉 7.34 how he saith y t we must beare the Lorde both in our bodies in our soules True it is that there is not now any material tēple builded any where wherein to do sacrifice but euery of vs is y e temple of God and that is with condition that wee shoulde beare him according to S. Paul◠saying who vseth the same word And how do we beare him In knowing that it belongeth to him to be the soueraine to raigne ouer vs and to haue al preheminence that it behooueth vs to bow downe our neckes to receiue his yoke and to obey him in al respects And if we do so let vs not doubt but that God watcheth for vs cōtinually so as all the assaultes and temptations of the world shall not preuaile any thing at all against vs. Insomuch that although we be like to perish a hundred times yea and to bee ouerwhelmed yet will he vtter forth his power to preserue vs and we shal be saued in the mids of death so as we may keepe on our course stil. When thunder seemeth to come downe from aboue nothing is to bee seene vpon earth but confusion euerywhere then let vs not doubt but God giueth vs incomprehensible safetie Thus much concerning the tribe of Beniamin Now commeth Moses to the tribe of Ioseph and saith That his lande shal be blessed of God with the delectable fruites of the Sunne with the fruites of the Moone with the pleasures of the Deaw from aboue and of the depths from beneath that is to say of fountaines and watersprings which giue moisture and nourishment to the earth That his honour should be as the firstborne of a bull that he shall haue excellent hornes wherewith to push against his enemies that hee shall haue the olde mountaines and the pleasant hilles where shal be nothing but sweetenes And afterward in the end it is saide That all these things shall come vpon the heade of Ioseph vppon the Crowne of the heade of the Nazarite of his brothers Here we may see how the intent of Moses was to cofirme the things that Iacob had spoken afore for he vseth many of the same words which are in the nine and fortith Chapter of Genesis Gen. 49. Partly then Moses doeth but make a rehearsall of the things which had beene written in the person of Iacob and that is not superfluous but God reneweth and ratifreth his promises to the ende they should be the more assured And such confirmation also was needfull to the intent that the other tribes shoulde not grudge against the tribes of Ioseph Wee knowe that the people of Israel were verie full of quareling and rebellion and that it was a verie harde matter to holde them in awe Nowe Iacob had giuen dubble portion to his sonne Ioseph because hee had two children Ephraim and Manasses Hee had saide that Ioseph shoulde represent two heades in the house Nomb. 18.20.21 because the tribe of Leuie was excluded and had no portion in the Lande but onely tooke the tenthes and Offerings Their successours therefore might haue saide In deede it was the will of our father Iacob to giue this aduantage to his sonne Ioseph howbeit that was vppon ouer earnest affection because Ioseph had succoured him in his neede and fedde our fathers in the time of famine But what Shoulde they therefore haue two heads here and we bee so much abated Because the people might still haue pleaded for the partition which had bin assigned and haue striuen when they had bin come into the Land of Chanaan Moses confirmeth the thing which had beene declared afore that is to wit that Ioseph should hold still the portion y t had bin giuen vnto him represent two chiefe houses in y e linage of Iacob that there should be ten thousands of Ephraim thousāds of Manasses We see now to what purpose Moses rehersed y e words of Iacob And let vs marke also that whereas he saith that he is the Nazarite among his brethren the word which he vseth may bee taken for a Crowne as if he shoulde say Hee shall be the glorie of his brethren True it is that this continued not for euer it was but a temporall dignitie because that in the end it behooued the tribe of Iuda to attaine to the royall scepter and to haue the soueraintie ouer all the whole bodie And then was Ioseph also brought vnder obedience But yet for a time hee was the crowne of his brethren Yet notwithstanding he setteth downe the worde of Separation So then he was separated from among his brethen not in that hee was solde into Egypt as some haue expounded it for that is cleane contrarie But rather hee is termed a Nazarite in way of honour for that God had chosen him and shouled him out by himselfe so as hee was not of the common sort but had as it were a first begottenship in respect whereof he tooke double portion of inheritance That is
or vppon his credit and authoritie And by these meanes God is robbed of his glory On the other side if wee perceiue any danger which of vs trusteth and resteth vpon God◠which of vs setteth his heart vpon him Nay we be vtterly dismayed And what else betokeneth this but that after wee haue declared with our mouth that God is almightie that he gouerneth the world that nothing can let him to perfourme what he listeth we shewe by our doings that wee beleeue none of all those things or else that wee be not fully throughly persuaded of them And therfore it is not for nought that the scripture doeth so magnifie God vnto vs declaring vnto vs that wee cannot sufficiently consider his infinite highnesse and power which is in him to doe whatsoeuer hee hath ordayned And that is the thing whereunto Moses had an eye in this text where he sayd There is none like vnto God ô right This worde is taken for Israel or for the Church as wee haue seene heretofore Deut. 33.5 Now at the first blush a man would thinke that this doctrine were superfluous specially being directed to such as euen from their childhood were trayned vp in the lawe and had the doctrine preached vnto them A man woulde thinke I say that it were needlesse to tel them that there is none like vnto God For who denyeth it But as I haue sayd alreadie it costeth nothing to say so but yet for all that wee be so forepossessed with the leasings and darknesse of our vnbeleefe that wee cannot glorifie God in such sort as to rest vppon him to call vppon him and to holde our selues persuaded and resolued that all shall go well with vs so God doe pitie vs. Let vs marke then that in this place Moses speaketh not to the vnbeleeuers such as neuer wist what the maiestie of God is but to such as had heard the lawe to such as had had their eares beaten with teaching And wherefore doeth hee it I haue tolde you alreadie that wee be so inclyned to distrust that euery little temptation will ouerthrowe vs out of hande Nowe wee ought to rest vppon the promise that is giuen vs namely that God will guyde vs defende vs so as wee shall not be ouercome But wee see howe wee be dismayed euery minute of an houre and wee haue neede to haue Gods power shewed vnto vs to confirme vs and to knowe that which is saide heere that is to wit that there is not any like vnto God And therefore when wee see the worlde set it selfe against vs and Satan still practising one thing or other let vs alwayes resort to this conclusion that if God be on our side Rom. 8.19 who shall then be against vs Not that we shall not haue many enemies or that as in respect of our selues wee shall not haue much adoo to resist them but that yet notwithstanding God will win the vpper hand of them The way then for vs to put this lesson in vre is that when wee see all the force of the world bent against vs wee consider with our selues that all is but smoke in comparison of the inestimable power of our God who wil alwayes be in a readinesse to succour vs. Nowe hereunto Moses addeth that God rydeth vppon the heauens for our ayde and that his maiestie is vppon the clowdes This serueth to confirm the doctrine which wee haue heard afore And although it be sufficiently expressed alreadie in one worde that God hath not his like and that hee deserueth to bee so exalted aboue all the worlde that when hee is spoken of all things ought to stoope according as it is sayde in the Prophets that as soone as his maiestie appeareth the Sunne must lose his light Esai 13.10 y e Moone must bee darkened Yet I say Howsoeuer the case standeth forasmuch as wee conceiue not his infinite glorie and power therefore it is sayd that God rydeth vppon the heauens and that his maiestie is aboue the clowdes As if it were told vs that all creatures are vnder his feete that they bee subiect vnto him and that hee can wealde them as hee listeth For if God were mingled with the worldly things there would be a combate betwixt them there woulde bee many incounters and there woulde needes be rushing against him When one man commeth against another it must needes bee knowen which of them is the stronger to driue backe his enemie If God then were in equall and like degree with his creatures what woulde come of it But whereas it is sayde that he rydeth vppon the heauens and that hee surmounteth all things thereby it is done vs to vnderstande that hee hath subdued to him selfe and to his dominion whatsoeuer things may make vs afrayde For although Satan bee called the prince of this worlde although it bee sayd that hee fighteth against vs from the aire Iohn 12.31 Ephes. 6.12 and that hee is aboue ouer our heades Yet notwithstanding hee commeth not at all at God hee is fayne to stoope vnder him So then in this text wee see our vnbeliefe For when we haue gotten the knowledge of all thinges if wee knowe not God what is there in vs but vtter ignorance and beastlinesse For is it not the chiefe poynt of our wisedome to bee so grounded in our God that wee can call vppon him and flee vnto him for refuge in all our needes That wee dout not of the assurednesse of our saluation so hee kept vs If wee haue not that all our life is but wretchednes And by the way we haue to note that where as the holy Ghost taketh so greate paynes to perswade vs what manner of one God is and that his power is infinite it is because wee bee alwayes doubtfull and wauering so as there is no stayednesse in vs. In so much that although wee haue heard that God gouerneth all things and that hee hath soueraigne dominion and although men assure vs thereof and it be tolde vs neuer so often times yet ceasse wee not to haue still some fancies or others which darken our vnderstanding wee enter into I wote not what speculations and therewithall wee bee tossed and turmoyled with a great sorte of troubles that come vppon vs And beeing so ouerraught by our owne fantastical imaginations wee knowe what it is for vs to trust in God and to leane vnto his power Let vs vnderstande I saye that in this text the holy Ghost meant to put vs in mynde of the beastlinesse that is in vs to the ende to waken vs that wee may learne to magnifie the glorie of our God better than we haue done specially considering that all the things which are wont to make vs afrayde are nothing in respect of him For he is able to subdue both Satan the worlde and whatsoeuer else is against our saluation yea euen all those things must yeld themselues to his seruice whensoeuer he listeth But let vs also marke well
to himselfe sheweth that hee should bee susteined by trusting in God although hee wanted bread In deede I can not dispatch this matter at this present but yet must wee beare somewhat of it away to the end that the rest may be y e better set forth to morrowe See then how our Lorde Iesus Christ expounded the wordes of Moses He was tēpted by Satan to turne stones into bread And with what intent Verily as though he could not haue liued without bread But hee sheweth that although he wanted bread yet hee should not faile to bee susteined by the power of GOD his father For why It is not by bread saith hee that man doth liue that is to say God is not bound by any necessitie to vse bread whē he will susteine vs. If an earthly father will susteine his children hee must needes haue bread and if hee haue none he will weepe and say alas my children I can not but bee in great griefe of minde to see you in this necessitie if I coulde feede you with mine owne bloud I would doe it So then a father shall not alwayes haue wherewith to mainteine his children but it is not so with God for he is not bound to any necessitie Now then doth bread faile through the whole world Is there such drought as the earth can yeelde no substance Yet doth not God faile to bee almightie still and to haue wherewith to maintaine those that are his Thus yee see how Iesus Christ did beate backe the diuels temptation by telling him that wee must not imagine Gods power to be shut vp within his creatures but that we must learne to trust in him not douting but that he can finde meanes well enough to maintaine vs yea euen though all things faile vs. If he giue vs bread let vs eate of it for wee must not tempt him But if all meane helps faile let vs betake our selues to him that is almightie and to his onely power which shall alwayes haue his course though there be no meane help at all Yee see then howe Moseses meaning is that euen in respect of this transitorie lyfe wee must not be so beastly as to hang our groynes vppon the bread and meate as though our life lay hidden there But when we haue wherewith to feede our selues let vs lift our eyes vpward to acknowledge that it is God which hath set that order in nature And againe if wee haue little let vs bee contented with it and pray God to make it effectuall as though it were Manna frō heauen so as one morsel may feede vs and make vs as lustie as if we had all the abundance of the world And if we bee driuen to pouertie let vs proceede yet further and pray God to supply out want and let vs put this sentence in practise that man liueth not onely by bread that is to say he is not susteined alonely by these ordinary meanes but although he were at vtter necessitie and wanted all thinges yet would not God faile to succor him And therefore let vs resorte vnto him and to the secrete power whereby we bee susteined that wee may bee so mainteined by the same as we may liue in him and by him and al through his onely meere goodnesse Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to vouchsafe to pitie vs that seeing wee be so wretched creatures that although he haue a care to bring vs back againe to him yet notwithstanding wee would faine striue against him it may please him so to purge vs from all stubbornesse as our whole seeking may bee to submit our selues to his wil and that hee suffer vs not to bee giuen still to our owne wicked affections and to the lustes of our flesh but rather that hee correct them yea and that in such sorte as we may seeke to mount vpward and to passe in such wise through this world as wee may alwayes remember that it is but a wayfaring to the intent wee may keepe on still to the marke whereunto our Lord calleth vs. That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Fryday the xvj of August 1555. The Lix Sermon which is the second vpon the eight Chapter 3.4 He afflicted thee c. 5 Knowe thou therfore in thyne hart that the Lord thy God nurtured thee as a man nurtureth hys owne child 6 Therefore keepe thou the commaundementes of the Lord thy God by walking in his wayes and by fearing him 7 For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land a land wherein are riuers of water fountaines and springes which come out of the valleys and hilles 8 A land of wheate and barely of Vines figtrees and Poungarnets a lande wherein are Oiuetrees Oyle and honnie 9 A lande wherein thou shalt eate bread without scarcetie so as thou shalt not want any thing in it a Lande whose stones are iron and out of whose hils thou shalt digge brasse YEsterday wee sawe first of all how the myracle that GOD wrought in feeding his people with Manna by the space of fortie yeeres togither in the wildernesse ought to serue for euer And therewithall was shewed the ende thereof that is to wit that the Iewes ought to haue considered that it is not the bread y t maintaineth a man neither is the power of our lyfe shut vp within it but rather it is God y t breatheth liuelinesse into vs and which giueth the breade that nature wherby it is able to sustaine vs. And so we see y t the matter here concerneth not the life of our soules but that God sheweth vs howe this flightfull and transitorie life is maintayned by his onely power so that whether wee haue meate and drinke or whether we suffer hunger wee must alwayes haue recourse to Gods goodnesse assuring our selues that he is our foster father and that our life is in his hand and that it is his office to preserue it in good plight That is the summe of the things which wee haue to remember here And ye haue seene also howe ou◠Lord Iesus vsed the same text Matt. 4.4 as was declared in fewe wordes but yet must we lay forth the residue of the things a little more at length Now then wee haue to marke that if GOD giue vs abundance our minds must not be wedded to it for can the bread quicken vs seeing it is a dead thing Although God vse it as an instrument it is not to deface his owne commendation no more than when he giueth vs light by the Sunne For we knowe that in the creation of the world light was made before the Sunne was created And why To the intent we should not conuey the honour of God vnto creatures Therefore let vs so vse the light of the Sunne as wee acknowledge therewithall that there is but onely one God
to whom the glorie of that benefite ought to bee yeelded And when wee haue bread to eate it is not the bread that sustaineth vs but it is God who powreth out his goodnesse continually vpon vs. Although he apply those meanes to our vse yet is it he himselfe that worketh it is he that is the author of them And in that respect is it that hee saith hee will breake the staffe of breade 〈◊〉 4.16 â—â— 16 〈◊〉 28.23 〈◊〉 2.21.22 True it is that hee threatneth to shut vp the heauen as if it were iron and to make the earth to bee of brasse so that when the earth crieth out to the heauen the heauen shall not heare it God then when he intendeth to send barrennesse vppon a land vseth such meanes as he thinketh good by reason whereof wee haue not wherewith to sustaine our selues in so much that when the grounde hath borne a haruest good and great ynough yet wil God wel ynough diminish it and make it to moulder away yea and when the corne is caried to the mill it shall consume in the grinding and when it is brought from the mill to the ouen if it bee measured or weied againe Leui. 26.26 it shall not hold full weight and measure Howbeit we must come to this point that the strength which bread hath is not of y e bread it selfe but of Gods breathing of this woord into it whereof Moses speaketh here that is to wit that when God will haue vs to bee nourished and susteined by the bread he vttereth his goodnesse towards vs by making vs to feele his blessing which sheadeth it selfe into it after a secret fashion Albeit that we behold it not with our eyesight yet must wee be throughly perswaded of it by faith Then let vs marke well that when wee haue whereof to feede we must not be so doultish as to think that the power is inclosed in the breade or in any other vittles or drinkes but that therein God vttereth his goodnesse towardes vs and sheadeth it into vs as we see the raine come from heauen which moisteneth y e earth and giueth it strength On the other side if wee haue want let vs vnderstand that God can sustaine vs by turning bread into Manna that is to say if all ordinarie meanes fayle vs God will prouide for vs after another fashion as wee see hee remedied the necessitie of his people when they were in the wildernes Matt. 4.4 And for y e same cause did our Lord Iesus Christ answere Satan it is written that man liueth not by bread only but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of God For Sathan tempted him to distrust vnder colour that in the wildernesse God sent him not the thinges that were expedient to liue withall He had not any foode there and yet in the meane while he was pinched with hunger as a mortall man for he vouchsafed to become subiect to our passions or sufferinges Now heere vpon Sathan taketh occasion to enter vppon him saying Seeing thou art the sonne of God shouldest thou want any thing Is it not reason that all creatures should serue thee yes for thou art the heire of the world Thou hast no bread and therefore thou must be faine to try the power of God that these stones may bee turned into bread or else thou seest how thy God forsaketh thee for if he had a care of thee thou shouldest perceiue his blessing and fauour so as thou shouldest haue heere wherwith to susteine thee Now theÌ„ seeing thou wantest such helpes it is a signe that God hath no regard of thee But Iesus Christ aunswereth hereunto I shal be susteined well enough though bread faile mee And why For the life of man dependeth not vpon these meanes And surely God were of very small and weake force if hee could not helpe a man but by breade he should be no better than an earthly man A riche man can doe welinough if hee haue wherewith but if he fall into pouerty he must be faine to begge a good heart to call vpon God and commit our selues vnto him assuring our selues that he will neuer faile vs. That is the care which God willeth vs to haue Neuerthelesse wee must also put the thing in practise that is spoken here that is to wit that God will giue vs sufficient to serue our turne so as if we want cote or shooes he will either prouide vs of them or else make one paire of soles to doe vs more seruice than a doosen when it pleaseth him And we may see this with our eyes For they that are warmest clad fayle not for all that to bee as it were halfe dead thorowe colde and on the other side whereas it seemeth that poore folke should starue and bee frosen with yee a hundred times ere the yeere goe about God warmeth them yea and they bee so preserued as though he kept them in a stooue or as though some PhisitioÌ„ were alwaies at hand with them ministring good remedies to them to saue them from the colde After that maner doeth God worke And that is the cause why that in the time of the Law God commanded that all newe things should be blessed Leui. 23.10.14.19 23. Num. 15.20 to the ende that men should thinke vpon him consider thus with themselues Go to I haue a newe garment and I must looke that I thanke him for it which gaue it mee For seeing it pleaseth my God to clothe mee thus and to giue me this apparell to vse it as mine owne it becommeth me to acknowledge that it is of his goodnesse and mercie that I am so prouided for Yee see then that the intent why he caused all things to bee dedicated vnto him which men should occupie was that they should acknowledge the giuor of them and that if he blessed not the helps which he had giuen them all was nothing and noughtwoorth And as for now adayes although wee haue not the like Ceremonie yet must we hold still the truth thereof Nowe for a conclusion Moses addeth Knowe thou in thy Heart that as a father nurtureth his owne childe so hath thy God nurtured thee In deede the hebrew woord that Moses vseth in this place signifieth sometimes to Chastise and therefore it might be taken as if he sayd thus Know thou that the intent of thy God in all the afflictions which thou hast indured hath beene to correct thy faultes that like as a man intending to reforme his child when he hath doone a misse taketh the rod by and by in his hande so likewise thy God hath chastised thee not suffering thee to become an vnruly and froward child but holding thee alwaies vnder awe And this doctrine were very good but the same woord doth by a similitude betoken likewise all instruction and good gouernment No doubt but the intent of Moses in this place was to make a generall conclusion of the matters that hee had treated