spirite Let vs knowe that And on the contrarie parte when wee see the rebelliousnesse of the worlde and howe men doe rancle against the Gospell and are puffed vp with pride to aduaunce themselues against God let vs consider that they bee looking glasses which God setteth before vs for our instruction and that we also should be in the same taking if God had not pitied our frowardnesse to correct it Neuerthelesse let vs vnderstand that God dalyeth not with vs in sending vs his worde nowe adayes And why For it holdeth men so much the more conuicted inasmuch as they become worse than wilde beastes in that they woulde not by any meanes bee tamed for all his calling of them to him so familiarly by meanes whereof their shame is so much the more discouered so as the worlde knoweth what was hidden within them which coulde not haue bene perceiued otherwise Seeing then that we see this let vs learn to say euer that Gods worde is good and holy and that it shoulde bee the very foode of life if men turned it not to venim and poison through their owne naughtinesse their owne naughtinesse by reason whereof their fault is such as the blame thereof can in no wise be fathered vppon God Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better yea euen so farre as to bring vs to true repentance that being subdued by his corrections wee may learne to be sorie for our sinnes and for the imperfections y t are in vs vntill he haue throughly clensed vs of them and deliuered vs quite from all the temptations of the flesh and the world And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the vj. of May. 1555. The xiiij Sermon which is the fourth vpon the second Chapter 26.27.28.29 Then sent I messengers c. 30 But Sehon King of Hesebon would not let vs passe for the Lorde thy God had hardened his spirit and made his heart stubborne to the ende to deliuer him into thy hand as it appeareth at this day 31 And the Lorde saide vnto mee beholde I haue begunne to giue Sehon and his land before thee goe to take possession that thou mayest possesse his land 32 And Sehon came out again vs he and all his people to fight in Iasa 33 And the Lorde our God deliuered him before vs and wee smote him and his sonnes and all his people 34 And at the same time wee tooke all his Cities and destroyed the men women and children in them and we left him nothing remaining 35 Sauing the Cattell which we tooke to our selues and the spoyle of the Cities which we tooke 36 From Aroer which is vppon the banke of the Riuer Arnon and the Citie which is vppon the Riuer and vnto Galaad there was not any Citie that could defend it selfe from vs. For the Lord our God had giuen them all into our hands 37 Onely thou shalt not come neere the land of the children of Ammon nor vnto any place of the Riuer Iabok nor vnto the Cities on the hill nor vnto any of all those places which the Lord our God forbad vs. WEe haue seene heretofore howe God being determined to hardē Sehon letted not for all that to cause him to be summoned to the end he shold haue let the children of Israel passe without dooing them harme and without shewing himselfe to be their enemie And therewithall it hath bene shewed that GOD will sende message of peace vnto men yet notwithstanding knoweth that the same shall stand them in no stead but to make them vnexcusable After the same maner the Gospell is preached to a great nomber who notwithstanding doe but become the worse for it and God knoweth right well that no profite shall come thereof but that they shall bee rebellious still Why then doeth hee call them to him To bereaue them of all excuse and to lay open their malice and vngodlinesse For so long as men abide vndiscouered GOD seemeth after a sorte to doe them wrong But when he sendeth them his worde then bewray they themselues what they bee and their vnbeliefe is manifestly prooued And so let vs vnderstand that our Lorde knoweth well what the end of the preaching of his word shall be y ◠is to wit Cor. 2.16 that it shall become the sauour of death to a great sort but yet will he not ceasse to appoint his worde to bee preached still and that doeth he for good and iust cause namely to the ende that men should bee the more condemned But yet for all this it is the preachers duetie to offer peace vnto all men according also as our Lorde Iesus Christ saith to his Disciples 〈◊〉 10.5 wheresoeuer yee come offer peace and if they that heare you bee vnwoorthie thereof your peace shall returne to you againe As if he should say There shall be no losse at al you shall trie what is in men and the friendlye greeting which you shall beare vnto them shall be as a touchstone to the ende they may not be able to say that God hath not visited them nor had no care of them and so shall they be proued to haue reiected his grace And herewithall wee bee warned to seeke peace with all men as much as in vs lyeth accordingly as it is saide in the Psalme that wee must euen followe after it Psal. 34.15 1. Pet. 3.11 so as it is not ynough for vs to bee friendly and to indeuour to liue without anoying of any bodie and without vexing or troubling any of our neighbours but wee must labour yet further to seeke peace If wee see there bee any vnrulye folke wee must pacifye them as much as is possible If wee see that Satan procureth vs strife and contention wee must labour to remedie them as much as wee can accordingly as our Lorde Iesus Christ requireth of the faithfull not onely that they shoulde bee peaceable themselues but also that they shoulde indeuour to set peace euerywhere That then is one thing which wee ought to doe Rom. 12.18 And therewithall wee must bethinke our selues how S. Paul saieth that wee must seeke peace as much as in vs is And by that saying he comforteth vs. If it so happen that wee can not make men our friendes but y t although they haue no cause to complaine of vs nor can say that wee haue done them any harme or wrong yet they ceasse not to be malicious bitter towards vs we haue wherewith to comfort our selues in y t we haue done the best we can to seeke peace And therefore although wee bee faine to liue among such as seeke all the meanes they can to trouble and vexe vs yet must not wee followe their malice to be like vnto them but wee must alwayes doe our duetie to maintaine peace and friendship Pro 25.22 Ro. 12.20 And if men will not
bee wonne by vs then shall our mildenesse and gentlenesse turne to burning coales against them wherewith they shall bee consumed Besides this the Lorde will maintaine our innocencie and when he seeth that wee haue not assailed those at whose handes we demaund not any thing but rather haue laboured to ouercome euill with dooing good let vs not doubt but he will assist vs with his succour There is this further that Moses termeth it The word of peace when men abstaine from all euill dooing and offer all right and reason which wee ought to marke well for many will say that they desire nothing but peace howbeit that is but to their owne profite and to their neighbors losse and that is no meane of peace in deede Desire wee then to bee at peace Desire wee to haue agreement with them that dwell with vs Let vs on our side deale vprightly let vs abstaine from all wrong dooing let vs greeue no man let vs drawe no mans goods to our selues let vs yeeld euerie man that which is his due Lo what peace is And herein wee see that all the faire protestations which they make that are giuen to rauine and extorsion are but lyes For the holy Ghost hath tolde vs here that there is no word of peace but where vprightnesse and iust dealing is obserued so as no man is vexed in any wise And like as wee must indeuour to bee reasonable towardes our neighbours to maintaine friendship with them so if they offer vs reason wee must looke that we refuse it not For if wee bee vnmeasurably hard to bee contented the thing must needes be performed in vs which is written in the Psalme Psal. 109.17 that is to wit he refused blessednesse and it is farre off from him therefore shall cursednesse couer him as a cloake and it shall sticke fast to his flesh and to his skinne Would wee then that God should blesse vs and cause men also to beare vs fauour and friendship Let vs on our behalfe seeke blessednesse to the vttermost of our power and when wordes of peace are offered vs let vs not goe seeke occasions of controuersie to stirre vp strife and debate Thus ye see what wee haue to marke vpon that text Nowe let vs come to that which Moses addeth He saieth That Sehon King of Hesebon woulde not giue the children of Israel leaue to passe And why For the Lord saieth he had hardened his spirit and made his heart stubborne I haue told you alreadie that although God foresee that the message of peace shall not preuaile yet he ceasseth not to send it But here Moses expresseth yet a further matter that God hardeneth mens hartes And in the ende he addeth moreouer that he doeth it of purpose to ouerthrowe them and destroy them which is much more Nowe this is verie straunge geere at the first sight And that is the cause why men haue gone about to alter these textes but in so doing they haue marred them for it is all one when they would set such a glose as this vpon it that Gods hardening of Sehons heart was no more but his promising that hee should become hard hearted and that he letted not the hardnesse and stubbornnesse of his hart that is to say he did let Sehon alone when he shewed himselfe stubborn These are too feeble shiftes For when as the scripture saith expressely that GOD hardened it fathereth the verie worke it selfe vpon him Againe wee see how it saieth Thou Lord hast done it and that in mo places than onely in this Thinke wee that the holy Ghost wanted wordes wherewith to vtter his meaning when he saide I will harden Pharaos heart Exod. â— â— and beholde God hath hardened him And againe when he saieth in the Psalme that the Lord turned conuerted their heartes vnto stubbornnesse Psal. 105 when they rose vp so against Israel If men should flee alwayes to this glose God saieth that he will harden that is to say he will not hinder or impeache the hardening to what purpose were that Wee see it is a fond kinde of dealing and the word Turne sheweth it well Behold God turneth the heart Whereas mens heartes were plyable and disposed to courtesie God turneth them and maketh them to be inflamed with hatred so as they be the first that begin the warre And what meaneth that So then vnlesse wee meane to dally and mocke with the holy scripture we must not seeke such shifts but rather consider after what sort it is that God hardeneth mens heartes and yet notwithstanding is not guiltie of the hardnesse that is in meÌ„ nor can or ought to bee charged with the euill Wee must come to that point For let vs marke that although God harden mens heartes yet men faile not also to harden themselues And these two things may agree very well that is to wit that a man shoulde harden himselfe in his owne naughtinesse and yet not without Gods working in such wise as the euill proceedeth not of him ne ought to bee imputed to him as I said afore And to proue that men themselues ought to beare the blame and condemnation of their hard heartednesse there needeth no long discourse to bee made for euery man carieth his owne inditement readie framed in himselfe As howe Euen the wickedst sort doe giue euidence against themselues and although all the world would excuse them and that both great small did acquit them yet haue they a hartbiting within them which maketh them to perceiue that whensoeuer they offend or sinne they doe it willingly of their owne accorde of a certaine lewdnesse and with their owne wil. There is not that man which knoweth not this Euen the greatest despisers of God that are say I euen they that are become as brutish as is possible to bee haue the said brondingyron searing within them so as they knowe that their sinnes come of nothing else than their owne selfe mouing and of their owne cursed and wicked affection Seeing then that men doe feele themselues guiltie there needeth no more disputing vppon that poinâ— But now let vs come to the second point that is to wit how it is that God hardeneth men without being partaker of their sinnes Let vs marke that sometimes the causes shall be apparant And whensoeuer God punisheth men wee must needes confesse that hee doeth it iustly marke that for one poynt Now one of the meanes which he hath to punishe men with all is that hee blindeth them that hee hardeneth their hartes that hee sendeth them the spirit of giddinesse that hee deliuereth them vp to Satan These then are signes of Gods wrath and vengeance And therefore if there were any cause going before wee must glorify him And why for hee doeth the office of a iudge and for so doing there is no cause to carp and snap at him It is sayd that God will send the spirit of drowsinesse vppon men 〈◊〉 19.14 â—â—m 1.28 And why
although it be not spoken with the mouth yet let the heart say it for y t is the chiefe point True it is that if there be faith in the heart the mouth must needes agree vnto it also according to this saying of the Psalme Psal. 116.10 2. Cor. 4.13 I did beleeue and therfore will I speake which saying is alledged likewise by S. Paul to the Corinthians But my speaking at this time is of the ceremonie namely y t although wee haue not a mount Garizim a mount Heball among vs although we assemble not together into one cōpanie to seuer our selues into two hostes and although there be not a visible Arke among vs yet is Gods once declaring therof inough for vs his once setting downe of a memoriall thereof before vs is sufficient for vs to make vs know y t y e same belongeth to vs at this day y t the preaching of the Gospell vnto vs in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ is all one as if wee confirmed God to be our father by our saying Amen That is y e very meane wherby we be receiued to be his children wherby we be assured of the inheritance of the kingdom of heauen For otherwise how were it possible that we wretched creatures should attaine to such dignitie as y t God should vouchsafe to win vs by gentlenes vtter y e good loue that he beareth vs be willing to haue vs to be his to the ende y t he might be owner of vs Must it not needs be y t we be worse than froward if we benefit not ourselues by such grace Yes therfore let vs learn to answere Amen willingly when our Lord behighteth vs his blessinges For on the contrary part although wee harden our hearts shut our eyes yea grind our teeth at God as it were in rage dispite of him yet must there follow an Amen therupō which shall burn vs like a searingyron wherby God wil shew y t his word is as a burning fire to consume all thinges so as we must needs feele y e inward scalding therof when God vttereth y e power of his word by reason whereof we shal be in continuall vnquietnes torment for euer if he set himselfe against vs. Yet for all this y e faithfull must answere Amē as well to the blessings as the cursings Amen by imbracing y e grace y t God offereth vs. Doth God offer himselfe so vnto vs Cōmeth he to seeke vs out when we be vtterly lost forlorne Doth he come downe to these horrible miseries wherein we be plundged Well then it is our duetie to go vnto him and not to be so frowarde as to drawe back when he allureth vs so gently Thus ye see how we must answere Amen to the blessings by imbracing y e grace of the holy Ghost y t we may be guided gouerned by it made acceptable to our God by fashioning our life after the rule y e he hath giuen vs in resting vpon y e grace of our Lord Iesus Christ wherby he is reconciled vnto vs accepteth vs for righteous insomuch y t although we be sinners yet he receiueth vs for his sonnes sake couereth al our sins vices After that sort therfore must wee answere Amen that our Lorde may performe all the free promises which he hath made vnto vs. Also we must aunswere Amen to y e curses For why We haue such a number of contrarieties in vs as is pity to see Although God haue giuen vs a good desire to receiue his word y ◠we receiue it in deede yet do we it not to the full For wee drag our legges after vs there is alwayes some gainstriuing in vs we haue still some remnantes of our flesh besides that there is too too much stubornes in vs so as we be like asses y t haue need to be driuen forwarde by force And therefore I sayd y t we must answere Amen to y e curses When we see y t God will haue vs to passe through y e afflictions of this worlde through the cares y t are vpon earth Let thē prouoke vs to repaire vnto him and let vs assure ourselues y t oftentimes his causing of vs to feele his curse is for our benefit Moreouer let vs consider thus with ourselues Alas if God curse all such as transgresse his comādementes what shall become of me Now then let euerie of vs finde such fault with himselfe as we may patiently indure whatsoeuer it pleaseth God to lay vpon vs in this present life Thus our pronouncing of the curses must be to y e end that they light not vpō vs. 1. Cor. 11.38 For they y t quicken vp thēselues after y t maner shal be set free from the curses And let vs mark by the way y t when we shall not haue performed all y e cōmandements of the lawe we haue a remedie for it in our Lord Iesus Christ for otherwise we shold be accursed euerychone of vs according to this alegation of saint Pauls to the Galathians Gal. 3.10 Cursed are they y t performe not the whole Lawe to the full Whereupō he concludeth y t all men are cursed of God as in respect of their owne workes and y t if we will be iustified by our owne desertes we must go seeke our payment in hell For God hath shot out one thunderbolt against all mankinde Deut. 27.26 in saying cursed be all they y t perform not the whole Law But no man performeth it Euen y e holiest men in the world are indebted in y t behalfe So then S. Paul rightly concludeth y t we be all accursed in ourselues But yet he sendeth vs to our Lorde Iesus Christ telleth vs y t forasmuch as he is giuen vnto vs we be set free from y e rigor of the Law so y t whereas God as now doth teach vs his will telling vs what way we should walke setting before vs both his promises his threatnings although our liues be still vnperfect yet wil he not cease to accept vs so wee haue recourse to him which hath supplied our want For our Lord Iesus Christ hath made such satisfaction by y e sacrifice of his death y t God accepteth it in full paymēt to coueral our faults Therfore let vs repaire thither let vs so plundge ourselues in it as we may be clensed scoured frō al our spots Which thing will come to passe if we learne to walke in humilitie and feare before our God abuse not his goodnesse patience For y t is the meane to make vs acceptable vnto him so as his curses shal be turned frō our heads his grace blessing so increased after he hath once vttred the same as it shal growe cōtinually in vs vntil it be come to the full perfection Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with
beare to him Now he saith that mercie is more worth than all the sacrifices in the world Oâ—ee 6.6 Matt. 7.13 12.7 and therefore hee will haue vs to honour him y e way that is to say by pitying of our poore brethren by succouring them and by bearing with them when it lyeth in our power to trouble them assuring our selues that God accepteth the thinges that are so done to our neighbours for his sake And he will not onely shewe himselfe liberall towards vs by making vs to feele the fruite of our Almesdeeds but he will also continually increase his benefits vpon vs in such sort that by meanes thereof wee shall haue continuall cause to blesse him and to glorifie his holy name And now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgment of our faults praying him to vouchsafe to wipe theÌ„ out so as they may not hinder vs from being receiued at his hand and that if he make vs to feele his fauour euen in this corruptible life wee may much more bee inuironed rounde about with all his spirituall benefites that we may so grow in them more and more as wee may not bee helde backe by the brittle thinges of this world but rather so vse them as wee may keepe on our way still and communicate together after such a sort as it may be to the exercising of the faith which wee haue in God and in his pure doctrine and for the confirming of vs in the hope which we haue of the heritage of heauen so as wee may tende euer thitherwarde as wee bee dayly called thither by the preaching of his worde That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. On Saturday the xxvj of October 1555. The XCiiij Sermon which is the second vpon the fifteenth Chapter 7 If a brother of thine become poore within any of the gates in the Lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy brother that is poore 8 But thou shalt open thy hand bountifully and lend him sufficiently for his neede wherewith he is pinched 9 Beware that there be no point of peeuishnes in thy heart that thou say not the seuenth yeare which is the yeare of respiting is at hande and thereuppon thou haue a wicked eye against thy poore brother so as thou giue him nothing and then hee crie against thee to the Lorde thy GOD so as it become sinne vnto thee 10. Thou shalt giue him freely and let not thy heart repine at thy giuing vnto him for because of this the Lorde thy God will blesse thee in all thy woorkes and in all that euer thou puttest thy hande vnto HEre Moses goeth on with y e same matter that was ripped vp yesterday that is to wit that in the seuenth yeare dettes should be respited to the intent that the poore shoulde not bee sued nor molested And I told you that the meaning therof was not that they shoulde be quite and cleane forgiuen but that the poore shoulde be so much eased Now Moses addeth a larger declaration That the same ought not to hinder men from lending liberally when any bodie had neede And this is added because men doe alwayes goe about to defraude the Law Although equitie be shewed vs neuer so plainely and that the Lawes bee set neuer so well together yet are men so suttle in naughtinesse that they finde alwayes some startinghole to beare the worlde in hand that they haue not offended the Lawe and yet the intent of the Lawe maker is defrauded This is a thing too much accustomed and woulde God there were not too many examples of it in experience But what When men thinke themselues to haue set things in as good order as can be a thousand meanes are deuised to scape from them and thereof commeth so much brabling in Law For the end of good Lawes is to stop the way to all pratlers that there might bee no debate nor quarelling among men but that euery man might haue his owne right And inasmuch as Lawes doe shewe that whosoeuer offendeth must be punished is it not a mean to hold euerie man in awe But as I saide afore the Law serues vs but to deuise wicked shifts how to do hurt and harme vntill our hearts be reformed Neuerthelesse our Lords meaning in this text was to prouide that the Law which he had set downe shold be kept and that men shoulde not take occasion thereat to withholde themselues from succouring such as are in necessitie And yet notwithstanding that which is spoken here was not onely wrested to the defrauding of the Law but also applyed much worse For such as were too much wedded to their owne profite tooke occasion at Gods law to do lesse good and to shew lesse mercie to their neighbours than otherwise they woulde haue done For why Had it beene lawfull for them to haue sued men at all times so as they might haue required their right at all times without exception they woulde haue lent money in the sixth yeare as well as in the first and they woulde haue made no bones at all at it But nowe that a Lawe was set foorth that there shoulde bee a forbearing of it in the seuenth yeare if a poore man required succour euerie man thought thus with himselfe if I lende him money nowe it is layde a water I loose a whole yeares occupying of it and what a thing is that It were better that this good fellowe shoulde goe prouide himselfe where hee can for I intende not to hazarde myselfe in this wise for what can I tell what will befall within a yeare and a halfe There needeth but a little hinderance and beside hee may fall into further pouertie and then am I cut short of my money Thus ye see how euery man woulde shrinke away and vnder colour that God had commaunded men to vse gentlenesse towardes their neighbours in the seuenth yeare the poore were disappointed of help and reliefe and their throates were cut so as there was no way for them to ease themselues of their want And hereby we see yet better that men not onely be suttle in deuising new shiftes from time to time to couer their misdoings but also y t wheÌ„ they haue neuer so good and iust Lawes they turne them to the cleane contrarie And this commeth to passe not only in worldly gouernment but also euen in matter concerning God wherein we see y e horrible corruption of our nature And this is one point well worthy to be noted When such as are in authoritie ouer vs as Princes Magistrates and Iudges make Lawes statutes if wee breake them that disobedience of ours as Saint Paul sheweth toucheth God and therefore is not to be excused Rom. 13.2 But when as God commeth as it were in his owne person and telleth vs his will
them we behold our owne nature but yet for al that the housholdfolke of faith are linked to vs with a much neerer bonde in respect whereof it is good reason that wee shoulde loue them more specially as our brethren Thus yee see after what maner this text is to be vnderstoode where God saith If any of thy brethren that is to say of thine owne countrimen And hee dooth it for that they were linked together in a holie bande had the true Religion and were adopted to be the children of God in consideration whereof it behooued them to bethinke themselues to bee kinde hearted and pitifull one towardes another and yet ought they not to haue despised the rest of the worlde as they did And whereas it is saide within thy Gates it is to shew that the exercising of our charity ought to bee according to our knowledge of mens necessities For wee bee not able to iudge of all mens needes True it is that euen without seeing the extremities that are euery where wee ought to be touched with compassion When we heare of warres that one Countrie hath beene burned another spoyled and all thinges haue beene turned vpside downe it is not for vs to go to the place to see what hath beene done For if we be not too too blockish we may wel thinke that those thinges cannot bee doone without horrible confusion Therefore must we pray for those whome wee neuer sawe for they touch vs they bee men as well as wee they bee reasonable creatures shaped after the Image of GOD. And in that respect wee ought to pitie those that are nothing neere vnto vs. But as in respect of succouring euerie man must straine himselfe according to the neede that hee seeth for I cannot iudge of those that are far off from me But if I see a bodie in present necessitie then must I be moued to pitie and I must consider that God prouoketh and calleth me to the succoring of him that is in neede Thus yee see why Moses hath set it downe expresly that men shoulde haue a regarde of those that are within their gates The heathen coulde well skill to saye that although all mankinde bee alyed together yet notwithstanding the neighbours that are acquainted one with another ought to vse a speciall friendlinesse in succouring one another And in deede euen without anie reading of the holie scripture euerie man can well skill to saye in his owne behalfe when his neighbour faileth him Howe nowe what neybourhood is this And who teacheth them y e lesson Nature Here therefore our Lord telleth vs that if we perceiue any of our neighbors to be in necessitie it ought to stirre vs vp so as if wee bee not too vnnatural wee must needes be touched with it w tout any further putting of vs in mind therof For the thing it selfe speaketh when we see our neighbor so distressed Nowe he addeth further Thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hande Hee might well haue begunne at this point Thy hand shall not bee shut for that is the matter which hee tendeth to in effect But it is not for nought that he saith Thou shalt not shut vp thy heart For why his intent is to preuent the thing that hindereth our weldoing our succoring of our neighbours that are in distresse namely the hardnesse of our hearts For where pitie is that is to say if we be pitifull wee will indeuour to vtter it if we haue wherewith In deede a man shal see a number that can well skill to weepe but al that they can find in their hearts to do is but to shedde a fewe teares they cast forth such sighes that a man woulde thinke their heartes shoulde burst but to spare one penny out of their purse that is no part of their thought Many such hypocrites are to be seene But let vs haue the true kindheartednesse in vs and let vs not be hardhearted but let our hande euer followe our heart And that is the cause why our Lorde beganne at this point That men shoulde not harden their heartes As if hee should say will yee be good Almesmen Will ye be wel disposed to succour such as haue neede of your helpe Then let your heartes bee softened and not locked vp to holde fast to your selues but to thinke rather with your selues thus Behold God offereth mee here a man he is my neighbour and although hee bee neither â—ith nor kin to mee yet is hee a creature shaped after the image of God and therefore must I open my heart towardes him and haue some pitie vppon him As oft then as wee bee colde and negligent in succouring our neighbours let vs learne to enter into this consideration that is set downe heere and to say to our selues How nowe Wretched man if thou wart as hee is wouldest thou not be gladde that others should succour thee Yes and if they shoulde let thee alone thou couldest skill well ynough to say for thy selfe Alas men make no more account of a creature fashioned after the image of God than of a dog Thou couldest well skill to say so and yet for all that wilt thou thy selfe harden thy heart after the same fashion Thus yee see what wee haue in the first place to marke vppon this text And nowe for the seconde part let vs marke how our Lordes intent here is to shewe vs that almesdeedes please him not vnlesse they come from a willing and free disposed heart â— Cor. 3.7 And therfore let vs learne to order our succouring of our neighbours needes in such sort as we doe it not repyningly and vnwillingly so as when our hand is stretched out there be a wicked affection in vs which may hinder vs from offering vp vnto God that succour which we owe vnto our neighbours when we see them in necessitie And would God that this lesson were well put in vre and that euerie one of vs did beare it better in minde than we do For although we doe some Almesdeedes yet may the world see that our harts are straitened and that wee cannot come to this doctrine of Saint Paules that God loueth the liberall giuer and that hee will not haue men go to worke as it were by constraint and inforcement but of a free goodwill Howe many be there that put this lesson in vre Nay the giuer hath alwayes some hartgrudging in himselfe and would faine drawe his heade out of the coller if hee coulde and his doing of it is as if he were put to his task as they terme it or as though hee payed some tribute But our Lord calleth Almesdeeds Sacrifices to the ende wee should do them cheerefully And I pray you Hebr. 23.16 if wee will offer any thing vnto God shoulde it bee as the paying of a tribute or of some tallage or impost that is extorted Shoulde it bee as it were a ransome giuen to theeues or enemies Shoulde our honouring of our God by
doing him homage for the goods that wee haue receiued at his hande bee by such force and constreint Nowe wee see in effect what is imported in these two speeches namely that wee must not haue our hearts locked vp to hinder vs from well doing but that not onely our handes but also our heartes must bee open towards such as are distressed to haue pitie vppon them and to vse kindnesse to them Where this is not there must needes bee all manner of crueltie as wee commonly see that such as haue most to spare doe fall to repyning if a bodie go about to wring an almes from them and they make a grudging at it like a dog when one woulde take away a bone out of his mouth And if they happe to giue any thing bee it for shame or for any other cause it is a death to thē to part from it And surely it were better that such rakehelles were rooted out of the worlde than that they should liue among men For they bee monsters against kinde they bee foule churles that coulde finde in their hearts to deuour and swallowe downe all the worlde into their mawes Or rather they bee men full of vnbeliefe which haue no more trust in God than diuels bearing themselues in hande that the earth is not able to finde them By reason whereof if it come to the point that they must giue any thing it striketh them to the heart it killeth them insomuch that the asking of an Almes at their hande is as the drawing of a sworde to cut their throtes Therefore let vs looke to our selues and when we heare our Lord speake of the not hardening of our hearts let vs beginne at this point of kindnesse in hauing pitie and compassion vpon such as are in distresse And therewithall let our hande bee at libertie afterwarde in such sort as wee may protest that wee offer GOD a sacrifice with a free heart And nowe Moses addeth Beware that this wicked thought come not in thy heart to say Beholde the Seuenth yeare is at hande and if I lende my money must lie dead for the time He calleth it a wicked thought when we be helde backe by it too much to our owne profite and in the meane while forsake the partie that is in neede For were our thoughts well ruled surely wee should not bee so greatly wedded to our owne profite but that we would also thinke vpon those whom God commendeth vnto vs. 1. Cor. 13.15 It is saide that loue seeketh not his owne True it is that it cannot bee but that euerie man will bee mindfull of himselfe But Saint Paules meaning in saying so is that men must not bee caried away with the loue of their owne profite as who shoulde say they woulde haue no fellowshippe with their neighbours nor streine themselues to doe any thing for them Therefore as for those which say I must haue regarde of my selfe and therewithall doe despise others and passe not what they endure those seeke their owne gaine and in so doing shewe themselues to be vtterly voide of charitie Contrariwise if wee bee kindhearted although wee be mindfull of our selues yet are we not so caried away with it but that wee beare an euen hand and proceede to the louing of our neighbours as our selues Whereas our nature wholly draweth vs to our owne priuate profite let vs bethinke our selues thus What I cannot separate my selfe from those to whom God hath knit me for that were a wicked diuorce If I should holde my selfe alone and haue no regard but of mine owne aduantage It were a cutting of my selfe off from mankinde I were worthie to be cut from the rest of the world for it is against kinde So then it is not without cause that Moses saith that when a man is so mindful of his owne profite and seeketh it in such sort that he taketh it as an occasion to refuse to help his neighbors at all it is a wicked thought for thereby wee bee done to vnderstand that we must not iustifie our selues because that although men be not able to accuse vs so as we may condemned by mans Lawe yet doth it not followe therefore that wee be quit before God If a man come to borrowe mony of mee and I thinke thus with my selfe I cannot tell whether this man be able to pay me againe or no he is a poore man and when I haue taried a long time hee may chaunce to growe poorer and poorer and then is my money loste Nowe then if this poore man that was to be succoured abide still in distresse and in the end perish the other that woulde not lend him shall not be accused for it nor brought to answere for it before men And if men cast him in the teeth with it O will hee say It was for mee to seeke mine owne profite I listed not to hazarde my selfe after that fashion Well this excuse may serue afore men but in the meane while what saith the heauenly Iudge to it It is a wicked thought saieth hee and let men flatter themselues neuer so much they shall winne nothing by it Therefore let vs marke that wee must not wey our woorkes in our owne scales as who shoulde say wee shall goe scotfree because wee haue some startinghole For our Lorde telleth vs that the thing which beares a shewe to be excusable of it selfe is cursed in his sight that is to wit if wee succour not the partie that hath neede at leastwise according to our abilitie And it is the selfesame thing that our Lorde Iesus Christ putteth vs in minde of where hee saieth that wee must doe good to such as are not able to requite vs with the like Luke 6.35 and that wee must lende without looking for any gaine For neither in lending nor in giuing commonly is there any liberalitie among men but euerie man hath an eye to his owne gaine If a man giue it is to the ende to receiue giftes againe and if a man lende alwayes his respect is that such a one may doe him pleasure and recompence him with the like good turne againe It is no Liberalitie when wee doe good in hope to bee recompensed for it againe But if wee do good to a poore man at whose hande wee cannot by any meanes reape any profite that is a point of free goodnesse and God alloweth of it for it is an acceptable sacrifice vnto him And that is the cause why hee saieth that we should not giue to such as are able to requite vs but to such as are vtterly vnable and of whom wee haue no hope to recouer the principall for it is no Almesdeede that is to say no deede of mercie vnlesse there bee neede and where is neede but among such as are not able to recompence Yea and euen where our money may seeme to bee cast into the water insomuch that wee haue succoured such a man as it may bee saide Verily this is quite lost
and senses in awe that we wander not in the afflictions which God doth send vs. But to returne to the purpose of Moses let vs note well howe hee saith that the punishmentes which God sendeth vppon them that haue rebelled against him to the vttermost and woulde not be corrected shall be as tokens and wonders to them and to their posteritie that is to say he wil punish them after a straunge fashion and as hath not beene wonted amongest men so as they shal be compelled in spite of their teeth to say This is the verie hande of God And indeed can there be a more beastly contempt of God found than that which was in Pharao Hee was a man not onely drunken with pride but altogether senselesse he was a man that despised the maiestie of God and a man so rebellious as was not in any wise to be dealt withall When he heard Moses and Aaron speake he laughed them to skorn his feeling of the first strokes coulde not make him to yeelde And in the ende hee needed not a Prophet to admonish him for he himselfe could say 〈…〉 19. Surely this is the finger of God Wee see therefore howe God doeth oftentimes expresse his power in such wise that euen the most fierce are constrained to perceiue and to thinke that there is some maiestie in heauen which afore that time they had not accompted of and thereupon to enter into consideration of their sinnes and to confesse them and to be the more liuely touched therewith That is it which Moses meaneth here concerning signes and woonders This matter is worthie to be marked For as I haue saide if God beginne to punish men it is euermore saide to be fortune this is agreeable to our state say they we know that mans life is subiect to much wretchednes and in y e meane while the hand of God is not regarded And though he double it yet do men continue dull seeme as though they could euermore hide them scape away because they enter not into their consciences to searche out the sinnes that be there but are loath to knowe them as if a man should goe hide himselfe in a darke corner of set purpose to shun the brightnesse of the sun at noone days Euen so doe we in al the chastisements which God doth send vs to warne vs of our sins and to drawe vs to repentance But in the end God doth augment his punishments in such sort as they become miracles that is to say they exceede the common measure order and course of nature so as we might be rauished with astonishment and thereby perceiue that God doth then shewe himselfe as though his hand appeared vnto vs frō heauen And that is the thing which he declareth more fully in the xxvi Chapter of Leui. For after he hath pronoūced the sentence vpon them that reiect the doctrine of saluation he saith I will send vpon you seuentimes as much Leuit. 26.8 if I perceiue that nothing do preuaile with you If my punishing of you amend you not I will ad there to seuentimes as much And hee repeateth this sentence againe in the end saith If you will walke at al aduenture against men I will walke also at all aduenture against you Now this word Aduenture hath relation to the blockishnes that is in vs which we haue touched here before For we see very well the aduersities that doe befall vs in this worlde wading yet further we confesse that it is God that punisheth vs but to thinke thereon in good earnest and to iudge euerie man himselfe by calling our sinnes to remembrance so often as God giueth any incling of them it is the furthest part of our thought Let euery man looke to him selfe How many afflictions haue we in the yere which shold be testimonies vnto vs of y e wrath of God as it were summons of apparance before him warning vs to sue to him for pardon and to haue pitie vpon vs Scarsely doth any one day passe but that a man is warned fiue or sixe times as if God should say vnto him Wretched creature why hast thou no minde of thy soule Why hast thou no care to beseech me to receiue thee to mercie But scarse once in a moneth wil a mā enter into examination of his life to condemne himselfe and if we doe it it is but coldly But we ought to be so ashamed and so vexed at the feeling of Gods wrath as though we saw hell lie open before eyes But wee see that very few doe thinke thereon for euerie of vs forgetteth himselfe That is the thing which God meaneth by this worde of walking at all aduentures against vs. Yet doe wee follow on our course still as though no harme had touched vs we swallowe vp our afflictions They do indeede trouble vs when they pinch vs and yet do we nothing but shake our eares as they say and followe still our owne way Then goe wee at all aduentures yea euen with excessiue ouerweening when we acknowledge not the hande of God ne perceiue that hee is a iudge to the ende that we might misselike of our sinnes and euerie man labour and indeuour to withdrawe himselfe therefrom Our Lorde therefore saith I will come against you at all aduentures as if he should say I will crosse you and ouertwhart you thinke not to gaine anie thing either by your hardening of your heartes and by your kicking against me or by your dulnesse in that yee perceiue not howe it is my hande that must bring you againe No no saith hee I will bee as stout and headstrong as you yea and more stout and headstrong to For I will come at all aduentures I will let my plagues runne out at randon so as I will breake your neckes and beate you both backe and bellie and that without pitie Nowe we see howe much this word ought to wey with vs where Moses saith That the plagues shall bee for tokens and wonders to all skorners insomuch that when they haue bleared out their tongues at the threatenings of God and haue nodded their heade against the first corrections which he sendeth them haue bitten on the bridle he proceedeth on stil ceaseth not to wring them but driueth them in the end to come to a reckening do the worst they can to say openly It is the hand of God that presseth vs these are the miracles they be no ordinarie things nor according to the course of nature Now therfore let vs learn not to prouoke Gods wrath so far against vs but let vs suffer ourselues to be tamed by him and let vs yeelde our selues conformable gentle so soone as he hath summoned vs let vs yeeld ourselues guiltie without vsing any startingholes for we shall win nothing thereby There is nothing better than to enter into pure and free confession saying Lord what wilt thou do to these frail wretched creatures It is true y t we
wittes and that thereby wee may bee so humbled vnder the same that when wee haue worshipped him wee may so remaine vnder his hand as wee suffer our selues to bee gouerned by him to followe the rule that hee hath deliuered vnto vs. Nowe let vs fall downe before the Iudgement seate of our God acknowledging the infinite faultes whereof wee bee guiltie if hee listed to execute the office of a Iudge against vs and therewithall let vs pray him not to omit to bee our father for our Lord Iesus Christes sake And that forsomuch as wee bee guiltie of many offences wee may suffer our selues to be dayly cutte off from our sinnes so as nothing may hinder our comming to him to yeeld our selues in such sorte vnto him as wee may renounce all our wicked affections more and more vntil wee bee throughly ridde of them and bee clothed with his heauenly righteousnesse And so let vs all say Almighty GOD heauenly father c. On Fryday the xxvii of March 1556. The CLxii Sermon which is the tenth vpon the eight and twentith Chapter 59 Then will the Lorde make thy plagues marueilous and the plagues of thy seede greate plagues and sure euill and sure diseases 60 And hee shall turne vpon thee all the plagues of Egypt the presence whereof thou diddest feare and they shall cleaue vnto thee 61 Also all the diseases and all the plagues which be not written in the booke of this Lawe the Lorde will cause to come vpon thee vntil thou be destroyed 62 And where as thou wast in multitude as the starres of heauen thou shalt bee fewe in number because thou hast not obeyed the voyce of the Lorde thy God 63 And it shall come to passe that like as the Lorde thy God reioyced ouer thee to doe thee good and to multiplie thee euen so will the Lorde reioyce ouer you to destroy you and to bring you to nought and thou shalt bee rooted our of the land to the which thou goest to possesse it 64 And the Lorde will scatter thee among all people from the one ende of the earth to the other ende of the earth And there thou shalt serue other goddes which neither thou nor thy fathers haue knowen euen goddes of wood and of stone I Haue shewed here before how slowe men are to bee taught by the chastisementes which God doth send them For vntill they perceiue the hand of God and be driuen to vnderstand that it is hee with whome they haue to doe of themselues they waxe hardhearted and which worse is they labour to cloke that which they ought to feele and see as it were before the eye namely that they bee smitten for their sinnes Forasmuch therefore as men doe neuer willingly come to the knowledge of themselues GOD is faine to enforce them to it This is the cause why Moses ouer and besides that which hee repeateth afore doth adde That God will make the plagues of the despisers of his Lawe wonderfull That is to say they shall bee so notable that euen in spite of their teeth they shall be afraide of them as of thinges that were neuer knowen nor in vse For wee see that accustomed thinges are despised and euen so is it also with Gods benefites Forasmuch as the Sunne doth dayly rise to lighten vs who is hee that thinketh of the change and intercourse which GOD maketh betweene the night and the day according to the saying of the nineteenth psalme that it is as if God should waken vs vp euery morning 〈…〉 1. and tell vs with a lowde voyce how it is good reason that his infinite goodnes wisedome and power should bee knowen But wee haue no eares to heare What is the reason It is because the sunne appeareth euery day in lyke order by meanes whereof wee bee hardened with it and because it is ordinarie we make none account of it euen so is it concerning punishmentes For the more our Lorde prouoketh vs to come vnto him the more doe we take heart to become vnreformable And therefore it is needefull for vs that his plagues shoulde bee woonderfull vnto vs that wee may bee made afraide of them spite of our teeth And againe hee addeth That they shall bee great and certaine The last worde that Moses vseth dooth signify true or faithfull Whereby GOD dooth vs to vnderstand that his plagues shall holde on still lyke as hee sayd also that they shoulde cleaue vnto thē that were rebellious and could not bee wonne by gentlenesse these plagues must bee rooted in them and for that cause dooth hee terme them Certaine Here haue wee to consider our owne hardnesse that euery of vs may bee the more vigilant in looking to the hand of GOD and conceiue the better thereof Forasmuch as wee bee so dull of nature we must learne to stirre vp our selues And let vs feare least GOD should accomplish that which is pronounced in this text Namely that when his accustomed punishmēts profit vs not then hee must needes proceede against vs after such a straunge and horrible manner as shall make vs afraide and cause the hayre of all them to stand vp which doe but heare speake of it yea and as the Prophet Ieremy sayth to make mens eares tingle whē the reporte thereof commeth into foraine Countries Let vs bee afraide therefore least God doe worke after that manner when hee perceaueth such stubbornnesse in vs as hee cannot winne vs by measurable and tollerable corrections And therewithal let vs also take warning by this word Of sure plagues that when God hath followed vs to reduce vs to the way of saluatiō and we haue still fled from him the plagues must also continue to the vttermost both vpon vs and vpon all our lynage insomuch that when wee thinke to see an end therof we shal not haue yet begunne Let vs not therefore make account to escape when the plague hath lasted a while for accordingly as wee proceede on in our naughtinesse so must God proceede with his rigor and augment it more and more according as hee seeth vs to waxe worse and worse Then let vs not doe as we see most men doe which cry out and storme at it saying And when shall this haue an end How happeneth it that God taketh no pitie on mee to ease me of my paynes But in the meane while haue they any minde to reconcile themselues to God Do they cōfesse their faults and bewaile them Nay rather they be at the very poynt to defy him Yet doe they talke of their afflictions and make complaintes but in the meane while no man looketh to the ground of the mischief to amend it Therefore when we haue bin stubborne against our God let vs not thinke it straunge that he should pursue vs with such rigour but let vs acknowledge that it is expedient for vs. In the meane space let vs not forget this that is written here namely that God threatneth sinners to the ende to bring them backe
the time of the abominations of the Popedome so that to speake properly it should seeme that men become diuilles after their hearing of the Gospell What is it I pray you that a man shall see yea and that commonly That there is now no more loue of God no nor countenance of louing him that Religion is let alone colde and dead and that there is no more zeale in vs than in a timberlogge It is apparant then that Gods word is now adayes stained and defyled with our iniquities in so much that whereas wee should bee as burning Lampes to giue light to the sillie ignorant soules wee giue them occasion of stumbling Againe on the other side we see how the faithlesse doe fight against God seeking nothing else dayly but to ouerthrow his trueth and to cause it to be quenched out that it might neuer be spoken off more Seeing then that the whole world is so malicious and that as well the one sort as the other doe make open warre against God continuing still in their stubbornnesse which increaseth from day to day must not God after he hath waited for some conuersion and amendment execute his vengeance vppon vs as wee deserue Ye see then after what manner it behoueth vs to prepare our selues considering that wickednesse is so great nowe adayes and so farre past hope of recouerie But yet therewithall let vs comfort our selues and looke also that in punishing the offenders God will not fayle to keepe still some seed to himselfe so as he wil alwaies haue some little flock to cal vpon him and to worship him Let vs not doubt then but that our Lorde will alwayes maintaine his Churche to the intent to shewe himselfe sooth fast Although all thinges seeme forlorne and brought to confusion yet will God worke after such a fashion as wee shall see in the ende that he hath had a regard of his promise and that he will shew himselfe faithfull and prooue himselfe so in deede But let vs marke well that the Churche shall not alwayes be visible so as wee shall perceiue it It shall seeme nowe and then that all is come to nought Like as when God made the people to turne backe againe he said vnto them Get ye into the wildernesse towardes the red Sea as though they should haue returned againe into Egypt Here is such a great confusion as it might well seeme that he minded not any more that the land of Chanaan shoulde bee giuen for an heritage vnto those to whom it was promised Ye see then that for a time it seemed that God had falsified his promise and that there was not any more hope that the children of Abraham should haue entered into the place that was promised them Euen so shall it fall out with vs as in deede it is come to passe For when God withdraweth his light out of the worlde it will seeme that there is no more any Church at all If a man looke round about him he shall see that all is gone to hauocke And in good faith what desolation was there in the time of Poperie Yea and euen still at this day a man myght thinke that all shoulde goe to ruine and decaye But let vs marke that it is all one as if God shoulde cause those to goe backe againe which are not woorthie to goe forewarde and that yet notwithstanding he ceasseth not to holde on in such wise as his Churche shall still bee maintained and preserued Howbeit not that the same can bee discerned with the eye or perceiued by man but wee must shut our eyes vntill our Lord doe worke after his owne maner that is to say wonderfully beyond all our expectation and beyond all that we bee able to conceiue Thus you see howe wee may comfort our selues in this that although wee see it is not possible but y t God must not cast some horrible punishment in these dayes vppon mens wickednesse yet neuerthelesse hee will alwayes reserue some people to himselfe so as the thing that he speaketh by his Prophet Ioel shal be seene continually 〈◊〉 2.30 Though heauen and earth saith he do goe together though the sunne be darkened though the moone drop bloude though the starres lose their light and though the earth remoue yet for all that whosoeuer calleth vppon the name of the Lorde shal bee saued GOD will preserue them whom he hath chosen to call vppon him and albeit that their life bee hidde yet will not God faile to heare them in the end and to shewe them that hee neuer was vnmindefull of his promise but that he had a regarde of himselfe notwithstanding that men were not worthy to haue any one drop of goodnes and mercy offered vnto them This is the matter in effect which we haue to remember in this first place But herewithall we must marke the othe that God made against the Iewes Psal. 95.7 Heb. 3.7 4.7 as it is set downe in the Psalme and afterwarde applyed vnto vs by the Apostle saying To day if ye wil heare his voyce harden not your hearts as your fathers did in the wildernesse vnto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into y e land y t was my rest We see how it was y e wil of the holy Ghost that the Iewes should in al ages be mindful of this disobedience that had bin committed and that therevpon they should remember that for the same their fathers were bereft of the benefit that had beene promised them and shutte out from Gods rest For as I saide afore this serued not for the Iewes only but the Apostle applieth it also to our time God then directeth his speech to vs at this day Therefore wee must haue our eares open to hearken vnto him wee must not driue of from morrowe to morrowe wee must seeke no delay as soone as God speaketh wee must be readie to learne and not harden our heartes against him Whereby wee bee put in minde that there is nothing which hindereth our obedience vnto God but our own resisting of him through a certaine wilful frowardnes For he for his part applieth himselfe in such wise vnto vs as hee beareth with our rudenesse and infirmitie So then all they that are taught by the Gospell shall obey God without gainesaying if they poyson not themselues through a certaine wilful frowardnesse to withstande God and to driue backe his grace That is the cause why we be expresly warned not to harden our heartes Yea verily for wee must not think that God will suffer his grace to bee so scorned and dalyed with and set light by If he were inflamed with anger against the Iewes for refusing to enter into the Land of Chanaan if we nowadayes doe playe the restie iades and fall to kicking let vs not thinke that such vnthankefulnesse shall scape vnpunished And in good sooth if the Iewes were so punished at that time that all the sorte of them came to nought
wandering in the wildernesse by the space of fortie yeeres God shewed yet more harde and rigorous vengeance vppon them afterwarde in the thraldome of Babylon and other miseries that happened vnto them for the thraldome of Babylon lasted three score and ten yeares And at their returne although he shewed great and wonderfull power yet were they but a handfull which were saued according to this saying of the Prophet Esay Esa. 10.22 though thy people were as the sande of the sea yet shoulde but a small remnant of them be saued And in another place hee saith we had beene as Sodome and Gomorre Esa. 1.9 if God had not reserued a little seede yea euen a verie little one Wee see then that God increased his wrath against such as amended not at the example of their fathers And why Because they were the lesse to bee excused for they ought to haue taken warning by the punishmentes that were prepared for them Therefore did they double their offence And what thinke we of the desolation that hath happened since the first preaching of the Gospell for the refusall whereof the wretched world hath wandred so astray as all things haue bin corrupted in the Church so that in steede of Gods seruice there hath beene nothing but abhominations insteed of truth there hath beene nothing but diuelish lyes and errours and all thinges haue beene put out of order there and that the same confusion hath lasted nowe so long time All these thinges doe put vs in minde that Gods voyce ought to sounde shirler noweadayes in the Gospell than it did in the Lawe For as is saide by the Prophet Aggeus Agge 2.7 God maketh heauen and earth to quake nowadayes when the Gospel is preached And besides that wee haue all the thinges that befell to the people of olde time which serue vs as a liuely picture There must wee beholde Gods wrath to restrayne our selues from doing euil 1. Cor. 10.11 as Saint Paul sheweth vs in y e tenth of the first to the Corinthians But if wee make no reckening therof is it not reason that God shoulde punish vs sorer than hee did the Iewes Let vs learne then to hearken to Gods voyce while it soundeth in our eares and let vs beware that wee harden not our heartes least God sweare in his wrath For it is saide expresly that God sware And whie Because men thinke his threates to be vaine if hee make them not to perceiue that hee speaketh in good earnest And of a trueth we see dayly that when Gods threatnings are vttered vnto vs a great many of vs do but shake our eares at them and the number of those that are touched with them is verie smal Therefore the othe that GOD sweareth is no more than needeth euen in respect of the blockishnesse that is in men forasmuch as they bee so foolish as to make but a mocke of euerie thing that is tolde them And like as God to helpe the weakenesse of our faith vseth an othe when hee confirmeth his promises so on the contrarie part hee vseth to sweare when hee threatneth to punishe vs. And why To the ende that being afraide and abashed at it wee shoulde come to repentance For if wee bee not made to stoope that wee may take holde of Gods iustice our faultes will neuer mislike vs. Gods iustice then must become as a thunder or lightning and we must bee abashed before him that we may no more bee so drunken in our sins as wee were And therefore whensoeuer Gods threatnings do not dismay vs sufficiently let vs cal to minde the oth that Moses speakes of here and let vs assure our selues that it is we whom the same pointeth at according to that which I haue alledged alreadie both out of the Psalme and out of the record of the Apostle And therewithall let vs also marke well the words that are set downe heere by Moses None of this cursed and wicked generation saith hee shall see the good land that I haue promised Heere GOD maketh a comparison betweene lande and the people This lande then was a singular gift in token whereof hee calleth it his rest meaning thereby that he had chosen that lande to bee as a dwelling place and euerlasting inheritance for the people to rest in vnder his protection For there is no certaintie in this worlde and if wee bee lodged in any place wee may bee put out of our nest againe to day or to morrowe But God tolde them that hee had assigned the lande of Chanaan for an euerlasting possessiō to the children of Abraham to mainteine them and keepe them safe there so as no man shoulde trouble them nor euer driue them out againe Yee see then that the lande was not a common gift but a gift that deserued to bee esteemed as most excellent aboue al others But behold the people on the otherside are malicious and froward Therefore it is all one as if our Lorde shoulde say I see wel ynough howe the worlde goes I shall sooner make fire and water to agree than cause this people to like of my benefits For in my benefites there is nothing but meere goodnesse and in this people there is nothing but meere naughtinesse Let vs marke well then that to inioy Gods benefites wee must frame our selues to his will and righteousnesse for our naughtinesse and Gods goodnesse can neuer match together insomuch that if wee will needes followe our owne nature God must needes withdrawe his goodnesse away from vs. True it is that God looketh not for any worthinesse at our hands why hee shoulde doe vs good nay rather hee fighteth dayly against our sinnes and vseth mercie where as hee might lawfully vse rigour against vs. But yet for all that if hee see that we continue in our naughtinesse hee can no longer continue in doing vs good Yee see then that the doctrine which we haue to gather vppon this consideration is that there must bee as it were an accorde and melodie betweene God and vs and that when hee imparteth his benefites vnto vs we must make such estimation of them as wee indeuer to serue and honour him for them and consider that he calleth vs to him to plucke vs backe from our sinnes If wee doe so the good that he hath done vs shal be confirmed more more Otherwise it must needes bee that our naughtinesse shall cut off the course of his goodnesse Why so For as I haue said alreadie when God offreth men his benefits they refuse them of a wilfull frowardnesse it is as if fire and water should meete together But besides this wee must also marke Gods vpbrayding of the people with their saying that their yong children shoulde be a pray to their enemies They saith he shall possesse the lande yea euen to the intent that you may be proued lyers Heere it behoueth vs to marke well that when men will needes doubt of Gods trueth they must in the ende be
nay let euery of vs yeelde to receiue the rod patiently at Gods hād assuring our selues that hee chastiseth vs measurably as he knoweth to be for our profit Thus much concerning y e retyring y t is treated of here Furthermore if our Lord plucke vs backe and wheras thing were in good forewardnesse and there was good lykelyhoode that all should haue florished and bin in great prosperitie if we see a suddeine confusion and that the same continueth afterward and things goe on from worse to worse let vs vnderstand that it is for our sins sakes because wee haue peruerted the course of Gods goodnesse For he for his part neuer fayleth to goe foreward with the good that hee hath begunne to doe for vs but wee cannot abide that hee should continue it wee hinder him as much as in vs lyeth And therefore is he faine to handle vs as we deserue Besides this let vs assure our selues that when we obey God then hath he made his corrections auaileable in vs. True it is that a great nomber doe harden when God goeth about to subdue them yee shall see them growe wilfull and full of venim against him But God worketh after such a sorte in his chosen that when hee smiteth them with his hand he doth also touch thē inwardly with his holy spirit so as their harts become soft that they may obey by reason wherof the corrections doe them good Although then that the miseries which we indure are hard and contrary to our nature yet must wee thinke them good because God maketh them to serue for our welfare after that fashion Now Moses sayth expressely that after the people had fet a windlasse and trayled about the mountaine Seir they came to the north side euen as God had commaunded him Wherein wee see the thing more clearely which I haue touched that is to say that there is a pliablenesse in the people which was not in them before they bee now become tractable And although they wandered a long time so as they might haue bin out of patience euery day and haue taken occasion to murmure and to haue made sedition yet notwithstanding they went still foreward And why for the corrections which they had receiued had wrought a chaunge in them Wee see then that Gods reforming of men by punishing them for their sinnes 1. Pet. 1.7 is as a fornace to melt them and cast them newe againe in And therefore if God haue let vs alone here at out ease and wee fall to kicking against him let vs assure our selues it is more for our behoofe to bee corrected by some chastisement And therewithall let vs beware that we profite our selues by it and that wee become not worse than they were which are set forth to vs as an example of disobedience and stubbornnesse Harden not your hartes as your fathers did Psal. 95.8 Heb. 4.7 sayth the Lord. And yet notwithstanding wee see that this people how stubborne and froward soeuer they were missed not to goe about the mountaine a long tyme after God had so chastised them that is to say they were driuen to knowe that it was in vaine for them to resist the hand of God Howbeit we see yet some obedience in that it is said that they waited to haue a new commaundement so as they durst not remoue one step till they had it It might seeme that God mocked them to goe round about after that fashion They might haue sayd what shall become of this in the end If God will haue vs to tary why lets he vs not alone Or if he will haue vs to goe why sheweth hee vs not the way to say goe forewarde He holdes vs here lyke little children so as wee doe nothing but fetch a circuit without departing out of one place and when wee haue tyred our legges neuer so much wee are neuer the further onwarde on our way The people might haue descanted after that fashion But what They tary till God say to them Turne yee that way Wee see then yet still howe this chastisement had done them good in that behalfe And heereupon let vs marke what true repentaunce bringeth with it Where as wee were deafe when God spake to vs and gaue no eare to his voyce wee must holde our selues in awe vnder him and looke what hee sayth that must wee doe and no more That is the chiefe fruite of repentance And if it appeared vnto vs in this people which was so stubborne and vntamable what excuse will there be for vs if wee will not receiue the thinges that are spoken to vs in the name of God but rather will be still replying and haue not the witte and discretion to suffer our selues to be guided by him who onely can leade vs aright So much the more then ought wee to restraine our selues from attempting any thing vnlesse God commaund it Moreouer it is sayd that the people shall passe through the countrye of Edome without prouoking of the inhabitantes First of all it is sayd They bee your brethren the children of Esau. Wee knowe that Esau was the brother of Iacob who was the Patriarke and as yee would say the welspring from whence this people descended And for asmuch as Esau came of the line of Abraham a part of the land of promise had belonged vnto him but that hee was cut off from the inheriting thereof howbeit not by the pleasure of man but by the heauenly ordinaunce vttered by God yea euen while their mother Rebecca was with childe of them Gen. 25.23 Mal. 1.2 Rom. 9.13 inasmuch as hee sayd that the elder should serue the younger But yet for all this Esau ceased not to bee Iacobs brother still And their children ought to haue continued the same brotherhoode kinred betwixt them afterwarde Marke that for one poynt Another poynt is That God gaue mount Seir in possession to Esau it was his lot When he had excluded him out of the land of Chanaan hee gaue him the other countrye for himselfe and his successors Forasmuch then as it was assigned him of God it was not for men to attempt to depriue or bereaue him thereof Now as touching this brotherhood God will haue it to moue vs and to be as a certein bond to knit vs together so as nature may perswade vs to bee kindehearted one to another and restreyne vs from doing wrong or harme to any man True it is that there is not fleshly kinred betweene all men to make them so neere of bloud as they might call one another cousins and name themselues be any linage whereof either other were descended but yet is there a certain cōmon kinred in generall which is that all men ought to think how they be fashioned after Gods image and that there is one nature common among them al. Euen the heathen men knew that very wel So then whereas we haue some discretion to maintaine peace and concorde and to yeelde euery
according to their owne reason they shall finde thinges to grudge at euerie turning of a hande And that is the cause why venemous tongues rush out noweadayes and are not ashamed to blaspheme God When there is any talke of Gods secrete ordinaunce and of his disposing of thinges in this worlde after a manner vnknowen to vs so as we shall not comprehende it vntill wee bee ridde of this flesh of ours they storme at it and repyne against GOD. And why Because the same surmounteth their capacitie But if Gods iustice be too high for vs ought it to bee abased therefore If his ordinance bee aboue our vnderstanding shoulde it therefore bee hidden from himselfe and shoulde it haue no authoritie ouer vs Yes And this text is ynough to stoppe the mouthes of all such rascols For one of the common obiections that such beastes doe make is this Howe so If men had not free-will to take or refuse the thing that GOD sayeth to them and that the thing it selfe were not vndetermined it were in vaine to preach or to make exhortations or to profer the choyce of good and euill for the matter were dispatched aforehande Thus doeth it seeme in deede to these seelie fooles which attribute more to their owne braine than to Gods doctrine and which by reason of their slender exercise in the holy scripture are the more presumptuous to iudge at all aduenture of the thinges that they knowe not But let vs looke vppon that which Moses rehearseth here The message that hee sent to Sehon king of the Amorrhytes came of GOD and must not bee taken as the message of a mortall man as I haue declared before But yet is Sehon disposed to receiue the message Or is there any casuall vncertaintie in this behalfe so as a man might thinke it might as well not happen as happen Nay Moses was well assured that Sehon woulde not obey it and I enter not yet so farre as to discusse whereof that proceeded It shall bee declared in the nexte Lecture that God had hardened Sehons hart and that it was his will that it should be so Lykewise also it is sayd in the psalme Psal. â—â—â— that God turned away the hartes of such as otherwise had bin the peoples friends and that hee hardened them in such sort as they could not abide to spare them But I will not enter yet so farre I treate as now but vppon this poynt that GOD sendeth messages to men in his owne name and authoritie which notwithstanding shall not preuaile to reclaime them And why Because that those to whom hee speaketh are set vppon euill aforehande and there is none other thing to bee looked for but that they shall bee the more inflamed and waxe woorse at the hearing of Gods commaundement And therefore as I haue saide alreadie although it bee not seemely to our humaine reason yet must wee humble our selues and honour Gods secretes When wee finde thinges contrarie to our naturall reason is it meete that wee shoulde giue libertie to our owne witte to say Oho I take it to bee otherwise and therefore it must needes be so Noe Let GOD rather haue the maisterie and let vs become fooles that wee may bee wise in him For at that ende muste wee beginne if wee will profite well in GODS schoole Wee muste followe that which Saint Paul telleth vs 1. C 〈…〉 whiche is that wee must bee fooles in our selues that is to say wee must not couet the cursed wisedome where with men are puffed vp when they thinke themselues to bee sharpe witted and wise ynough to iudge of diuine matters Let vs beware of such imaginations and ridding our selues quite and cleane of all selfeweening let vs profite our selues by Gods shewing of the thinges vnto vs which he liketh and which are good in his sight Let vs then learne to frame our selues wholly to his good will for if wee be counted to be fooles and witlesse before men it shal be but of such as iudge after their owne mother wit Furthermore let vs marke that when wee haue searched things throughly wee shall finde that Gods sending of his worde dayly vnto such as receiue it not and are alreadie condemned afore him is not without cause Then is it vncertaine to vs that when Gods worde is preached it is to the ende to blinde the reprobates and such as are vncorrigible and yet for all that that it is Gods will to make them vnexcusable For commonly God reserueth that knowledge to himselfe and when we bee sent of him and doe preache in his name wee cannot tell whether our labour shall doe good or no. Hee then which is appointed to preache Gods word knoweth not when he hath done as hee was commanded whether his preaching shall turne to the saluation or damnation of his hearers But yet for all that let vs labour still and pray GOD to vouchsafe to giue effect to his word that it may so profite as the wretched worlde may bee plucked backe from the destruction whereunto it goeth That is the marke which wee must shoote at and the thing which wee haue to doe Neuerthelesse sometime GOD will shewe vs before our faces that his worde serueth to condemne the hearers and to bereaue them of all excuse Wee see it was once saide vnto Esay â—sa 6.9 Goe to this people And what to doe It was in deede to carie them the word of saluation But yet therewithal it is saide vnto him Goe to harden this peoples heartes goe to stoppe their eares goe to shut their eyes and to thicken their heartes to make them vtterly past recouerie for I will not haue them conuert Seeing then that the Prophet is sent with such commission as he knoweth well that those to whom he speaketh shall but waxe the worse for it in what case is he But what for that Yet must he execute his commission with all obedience It is not for men to enter into counsell and to take aduice in this behalfe according to their abilitie no but they must submit themselues to GOD as I saide afore Looke what was saide to the Prophet doeth shewe it selfe dayly in effect It might put vs oftentimes out of patience to see that the more that Gods worde is preached the more doeth the worlde rush foorth into all licentiousnesse For they that conspire among vs against GOD and his Gospell are in comparison farre worse than the Papistes The Papistes haue some deuotion with them and although they bee growen brutish yet neuerthelesse their chiefe intent is to serue GOD. But as for the other sort they bee starke Diuels and although they knowe and see it sufficiently prooued that they warre against God and not against mortall creatures yet doeth their furie carrie them away to proceede still Wee see it Wee see that whereas in the time of blindnesse there was some ciuill order and men were more bridled nowe it seemeth that all thinges are set at libertie This
Because they haue misused his goodnesse and the instruction that he gaue them When wee see that this cause went afore that is to wit that men did wilfully shut their eyes that they would not heare and that they would not receiue any instruction but rather labored to abolish Gods truth vtterly is it not reason that they should bee giuen vp to the spirit of giddinesse Nay moreouer they will needes be wittie to mocke God and we see a nomber of these skoffers which are alwayes frumping and to their seeming God is but a babe By reason hereof hee shaketh them vtterly of in such wise as they become brute beastes Now then when that cause goeth afore wee see that God executeth his Iustice and punisheth men in such sort as wee can not but glorifie him Marke that for one poynt True it is that sometime there shall be speciall causes Rom. 1.19 but the saying of Saint Paul in the first chapter to the Romans extendeth yet further For there wee see that God hath iust reason to blinde all the world and that if hee should doe so he should doe but the office of a iudge For why although the heathen had no doctrine preached vnto them yet doe the heauens and the earth speake sufficiently vnto them inasmuch as God doth shewe himselfe there But who are they that honor and serue God for all their inioying of the benefites which he bestoweth vpon them in this world All are vnthankefull all are malicious wee cobble vp Gods riches here and in the meane while regard not how much we be beholden to him at leastwise to doe him homage for them And therefore it is reason that he should giue vp men into a leude minde â—om 1.24 â—6 28 as sayth Sainte Paule and that hee should deliuer them into wicked lustes so as they should forget themselues and ouershoote themselues and giue ouer themselues to all vngratiousnesse and to all maner of shamefull and horrible dealings And why For they honoured not their creator that made them had shewed himselfe so bountifull and mercifull to them And therefore whensoeuer God hardeneth men wee must thinke he hath iust reason to doe so because our leawdnesse and vnthankfulnesse are to be found euery where But yet neuerthelesse if there appeare no apparant cause and that when we haue sought neuer so much why God hardeneth men wee finde no cause at all yet let vs not therefore cease to glorifie him though wee see not the reason of his doings As for example a man might aske why Sehon was hardened rather than the Moabites Edomites and Ammonites Ye see here foure nations betweene whom there was no oddes I meane as in respect of naughtinesse For if wee thinke that the Ammonites and Edomites were better than the Amorrhits it is but folly and a deceiuing of our selues Then were they all as infidelles and coulde haue found in their hartes that Gods people had bin vtterly sunk But God boweth the heartes of the Ammonites and such others to the end that they should not enter into warre Hee meckeneth and suppleth them as if a wilde beaste were tamed and in the meane while he hardeneth Sehons hart pricking him and inflaming him foreward to the ende he should come to giue battell Whence commeth such diuersitie Wee cannot alleadge any reason our wit is too rawe and weake thereto And againe God concealeth his purpose from vs in that behalfe What shall wee doe then although wee be at our wits end in this case let vs learne to doe God so much honor as to acknowledge that hee is iust and vpright in all his doinges And although the thing be straunge to our vnderstanding and it seeme to vs that wee might speake against it yet notwithstanding let vs forbeare to reply and let vs humble our selues vnder the maiestie of our God For truely the thing wherein he wil try mens humilitie is that wee should glorifie him in al his works yea euen though they agree not ne match not with our natural reasoÌ„ Rom. 1.5.16 26. There is not a truer obedience of faith than that And if they which babble so much nowadayes against Gods prouidence had learned but this one principle of honoring GOD by confessing that hee is righteous and measured not his Iustice or righteousnesse by their owne brayne there would be no more difficultie But what There are a sorte of proud beggers which set themselues against GOD and swelle at him lyke Toades Insomuch that if they haue once taken a toy in their head although GOD haue spoken the flat contrary they passe not for that neither will they surcease their rage for it But as for our part to the intent wee may be Gods true disciples let vs bridle our wittes and hold them as prisoners and captiues vnder the doctrine of the holy scripture which is that God holdeth mens hartes in his hand and turneth them to gentlenesse when hee listeth as we see he did in Egypt Exod. 11.3 12.36 Behold the Egyptians were ful of spite and crueltie so as they ment nothing else but to haue vtterly destroyed the people of Israel But yet in one minute of an houre and euen in the turning of a hand God wrought in such wise that they were chaunged They yeelded vp all their vessell of golde and siluer at the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of y e people To be short they did more for the children of Israel than the fathers would haue done for their owne children And whereof came this Euen of Gods changing of their hartes when hee thought good Also on the contrary part God holdeth mens hartes in his hand to harden them as he listeth And if this seeme straunge vnto vs let vs acknowledge the weakenesse of our vnderstanding and let vs alwayes first and formost confesse God to bee righteous and therewithall reuerence his high and deepe secretes sith wee cannot atteine vnto them Thus yee see what we haue to remember in the first place Also wee haue to note the ende for which this was done God sayth Moses was determined to destroy Sehon GOD had already assigned him his iudgement that was the cause why hee hardened him It is not in this text onely that the holy Ghost speaketh so But when God sendeth his Prophet Esay and telleth him that the people shal be hardened and blinded yea euen the more after their hearing of all the matters and warninges that should be giuen them he addeth I will haue this people blinded to the ende they conuert not and I should heale them As if he should say this people is not worthie to bee pitied at my hand or to haue any mercy shewed them and therefore they must dwell still in their destruction And that they may doe so I will harden their hartes stop their eares and blinde their eyes so as they shall be past all amendement Let vs vnderstand that in so doing God hath alwayes iust reason but yet is it not to be
said that therefore it is lawfull for vs alwayes to know it If the reason be apparant to vs it is well and let vs wey it throughly acknowledging as I tolde you before that God executeth his iust vengeance vppon the sinners that haue offended him too much and abused his patience and goodnesse But howsoeuer the case stand if wee see no reason at all let his onely will and ordinance suffice vs and let it content vs that he knoweth why hee dealeth so though it be not his will to reueile it vnto vs at leastwise till the day wherein the thinges that are now hidden from vs 1. Cor. 3.9 shal be discouered vnto vs. For as sayth Saint Paul as now wee see but in part and darkely And if wee knewe that namely that wee be here as in a darke prison so long as we be closed in with our mortall fleshe and againe that wee be earthly and must be faine to bee renewed ere wee can comprehend Gods secretes perfectly it were enough to allaye the cackeling of such as nowadayes blaspheme the doctrine of election so as they should humble themselues before God to imbrace with all reuerence whatsouer is conteined in the holy scripture But doe what we can yet must wee passe that way And therefore when wee heare that Gods will was to destroy Sehon and y t therefore he hardened him let vs assure our selues that when it pleaseth God to drawe men to saluation he turneth their hartes to make thē repent them of their sinnes that they may bee sory for them and seeke to obey him After that maner doth God alter the hartes of such as were malicious and froward and reformeth them to his obedience yea euen when he intendeth to saue them Lykewise on the contrary part when he hath vtterly appoynted them to destruction he hardeneth them so as there is no meane for them to admit any amendment or to come neere it but they repine against him and his doctrine whereof they make as it were a deadly poyson Lo after what sorte God worketh True it is that mans naturall reason can neuer well brooke his doctrine but wee must submit our selues with such humiltie in this behalfe 1. 〈…〉 as wee gainesay not the thinges which the holy scripture teacheth Againe whereas it is sayd that the children of Hely hauing bin warned receiued not correction at their fathers hand it followeth immediately because the Lord was purposed to slea them By the setting downe hereof wee see that God gaue them not the grace to conuert because he left them in the destruction wherein they were by nature And that he so purposed it was through his rightfull iustice Here is no talke of I wote not what permission or sufferance so as God should play the blinkard or shut his eyes as these fantasticall fellowes imagine which haue as much experience in the holy scripture as dogges but it is sayd that Gods will was to haue it so Wherefore let vs learne that when God hardeneth men it is a signe that hee hath deliuered them to Satan as past recouery True it is that on the one part God serueth his turne by Satan and by wicked men 1. 〈…〉 to deceiue the vnbeleeuers according as wee see that when it was sayd who will be my messenger to deceiue Achab the diuill offereth himselfe and God sendeth him Go sayth God and ouerrule thou all his false prophets and let them bee all there to blinde this wretch that hath bin so rebellious against me We see how God serueth his turne by Satan that all false prophets are sent by him But yet should not this preuaile for if men were well disposed Satan should win nothing by his illusions and al his wiles should be withstood 2. Thes. 〈…〉 But it is sayd that God giueth effectuall or workefull error it is euen Saint Paules owne maner of speach Now whereas he termeth it effectuall error it is as much to say as men shall be so sotted that they shall not be able to discerne any more nor to perceiue the deceites but shall become so brutish as they shall fling and cast themselues headlong into destruction and not iudge of any thing It is God that blindeth them so sayth Saint Paul And why Because he is minded to ouerthrowe them Now I haue tolde you already that sometimes the cause shall not be apparant as it is in that place of Saint Paul who auoucheth it concerning such as hauing heard the Gospell receiued it not ne became the better for it but reiected it as wee see these wretches doe nowadayes which trample the doctrine of saluation vnder their feete through their vngodlynesse And Saint Paul sayth it is good reason that God should so blinde them as darkenesse might reigne ouer them forasmuch as they listed not to receiue the light But sometimes the cause shall be incomprehensible wee shall not perceiue why God worketh so wee shall not discerne why hee will haue one to pearishe rather than another In that case let vs content our selues with his only goodnes and confesse that he is righteous howsoeuer the worlde goe Besides this let vs learne to call vpon God that it may please him to turne our hartes to good so as when hee sendeth vs the message of peace and offereth vs his fatherly goodnesse wee may not onely heare it as the voyce of a man but also be touched with it by him in our hartes And in so dooing let vs not doubt of his mercie for hee witnesseth thereby that he hath pitie vppon vs and prepareth vs and chaungeth our hartes ◠Pet. 1.2 to bowe them to his obedience Thus yee see what wee haue to remember as in respect of this sentence Now Moses sayth that Sehon came foorth to battell was ouercome both he and all his people because God had deliuered him to the children of Israel Here Moses sheweth that the victorie which the people had of Sehon and the Amorrhytes was of Gods meere grace And it was meete also that the people should bee put in mind thereof that they might perciue how God had gouerned thē And this rehearsall is made to keepe the people in awe and to make them vnderstand that if they did not serue and honor him all their lyfe long and teach their children to doe the lyke it were too wicked an vnthankefulnesse And here wee haue two poyntes to marke The one is generall that wee must learne to yeelde God the honor of all the victories that hee giueth vs against our enemies I meane not onely of Princes when they haue made warres or woonne a battell in the field but euen of our selues also when wee haue bin assayled by some peculiar person and be escaped from his handes When a man hath done vs any wrong or put vs to some trouble and wee bee deliuered from it Let vs assure our selues it is God that hath giuen vs that vpper hand to the end we should
Psalme where it is said To day if ye heare his voyce harden not your heartes as your fathers did in the wildernesse Psal. 95.7.8 This is spoken expressely of the temptation that Moses toucheth here See how the Prophet warneth the people yea and that desirously as if he should say very well if ye bee so teachable as to hearken to your God seeing he doeth now exhort you to come vnto him refuse it not for this benefite shal not last alwayes to them that make delay and are neuer mooued to obey him but driue of from day to day when he calleth them And therefore if ye heare his voyce sayeth he nowe when God calleth you He vseth there a vehemencie as though he could not finde words fit to exhort the people and sufficiently to prick them forwarde In that hee saieth Goe to my freindes bee well aduised that you harden not your heartes he sheweth what is the cause of al mischeife and why we profit no better by Gods teaching of vs. Namely that besides that we bee full of naughtinesse and so sinfull by nature that whereas our heartes ought to be susteined to receaue that which God sayeth it may seeme that wee intende of set purpose to harden them against him we doe moreouer fall to stomacking against him with a certaine spitefulnesse as if we would say what care I to obey God Shall I bee brideled of my will like a beast Beware of that sayeth he for ye knowe what happened to your Fathers The Prophet casteth them in the teeth with the thinges that had beene done by their forefathers in olde time to the intent they shoulde not boast of their descending from the holy Patriarkes Beholde saieth he your forefathers were rebels how thē haue you continued vnto this day Is it not through Gods mercie Yes for ye shoulde haue perished vtterly Againe seeing your God hath pitied you being Abraham his race thinke not that he will haue ye to runne backe again so as ye should bee alwayes newe to begin For when he hath borne with you a while he must bee faine to make you pay your arrerages all at once Thus ye see that the way for vs to put this sentence in practise is to vnderstand that when God shall haue pardoned our faultes oftentimes hee shall haue iust cause to punish vs the more grieuously if wee ceasse not to prouoke him still but will needes bee the boulder to doe euill vnder pretence that hee hath not vsed extremity towardes vs. If God see that in vs hee can well call vs to account for all the thinges that hee had pardoned before For his pardoning of vs is with condition that we should humble our selues and consider all our life after how much we be beholden vnto him If an offender haue obtained fauour and thereupon he fall to spyting of him to whom he is beholdē for his life within a day or twaine after doeth he not deserue to haue his former lewdnesse brought to remembrance againe and to be reckened withall frō point to point and to haue his vnthankfulnes laid afore him for his abusing of the fauour y t had bin shewed him Yes and thinke we that our Lord will haue lesse right than mortall men Thinke we then that his shewing of fauour vnto vs is to the intent to make vs bolder to doe euill No but rather his dooing of it is to the intent wee shoulde all our life after beare our offence in minde and bee sorie for it accordingly also as wee see howe the good king Ezechias speaketh of the bitternesse of his heart Esa 38.15 when he sayeth that he will bee mindefull of the euill and of the offence that he had committed Not but that he reioyced in Gods goodnesse but that yet neuerthelesse hee would beare it in remembrance to the intent he might not let himselfe slip any more nor be any more surprised by the wylinesse of Satan Now after that Moses hath spoken so he addeth Ye shall diligently keepe the commaundements Statutes and Lawes of your God which I set before you this day that you may enter into the land which he promised to your fathers with an othe and he driue ou◠all your enemies before you Here we bee put in minde of the thing that hath beene told vs before that is to wit that whereas Moses vseth many wordes to expresse the Lawe it is no superfluous speech but serueth to induce folke the better to profite in the doctrine that is giuē them As if he should say Giue good eare for behold your God taketh paines with you Like as a schoolemaister taketh paines to teach the children that are committed to his charge so doth God apply himselfe to you giuing you his Law orderly and distinctly to the end ye should not be greatly combered to vnderstand what he saieth concerning his will Here therfore are his Statutes Ordinances Iudgementes As if he shoulde say the doctrine is set foorth vnto you in good order so that if you can finde in your hearts to hearken to your God and to receiue y t which he shall say you need not dout but you shall be taught faithfully by his word haue knowledge of al things y t are good and conuenient for you The first thing then which Moses ment to expresse by these wordes Iudgementes statutes Ordinance◠is y t our Lord taketh paine to teach vs whatsoeuer is good for vs and y t he vseth such order as we cannot say that his word is too high and confused for vs. And therewithall his intent is also to hold mē wholly to the pure obedience of the lawe and to the simplicitie therein contained as if he should say My friends Gods meaning is not onely y t ye should be attentiue in hearing what he saith to you but also y t your only wisedome should be to obey him not to inuent any nouelties so as ye should think to serue him after your owne fansie according to the cōmon fashion of mē who haue alwayes some foolish desire to change Gods word No saieth he If ye can beare in minde the lessons of the Law ye shall haue statutes Iudgements and ordinances so as ye shal not want any thing whereby ye may be taught in all perfection This hath bin expoūded alreadie heretofore and therefore I stande not long vppon it Neuerthelesse the repeating of it here againe by the holy Ghost is not without cause and therefore I must needes put you briefly in rememberance thereof as oft as those wordes are set downe Now Moses saieth expressely That these Commaundements Ordinances and Lawes must be done kept As if he should say that God will not haue his word to fall to the ground His setting foorth of it is to the end that we on our side should bee attentiue to hearken what he saith to vs. And so let vs marke well that it is not ynough for vs to allowe Gods worde in speeche
hell in the person of his sonne Col. 1.13.14 Let vs vnderstand then that wee bee baptised with this condition to giue our selues wholy to our God lyke as when Saint Paule treateth thereof chiefely in the first to the Ephesians he sayth that God hauing chosen vs before the creation of the world to bee his children Eph. 1.5.6.12 hath also made vs partakers of the saluation that was purchased for vs by our Lord Iesus Christ to the end that wee shoulde glorifie him which hath shewed himselfe so bountifull towardes vs and vsed such mercie As often then as we remember Gods benefites and specially his voutsafing to call vs to the knowledge of his trueth Let vs ad this namely that it is to the end that our life should bee wholy dedicated to his honor and seruice or else we doe what wee can to ouerthrowe Gods adoption and wee labor to disanull it vtterly lyke as on the contrary part it is sayd that our calling is warranted by our walking in holynesse of lyfe for after that maner doth Saint Peter speake of it 2 Pet. 1.10 Finally Moses addeth It shall bee imputed to thee for righteousnesse afore God if thou keepe his commaundementes as hee hath appoynted thee In these wordes hee doth men to wit that if they bee desirous to bee allowed of God and that he should accept their seruice they must not bring any of their owne inuentions but bee contented to doe simply whatsoeuer Gods worde afordeth and whatsoeuer is conteined there That is the meaning of Moses And whereas he sayth that the keeping of the commandements which God hath ordeyned shall beee imputed to men for righteousnesse before God it is all one as if hee should say my friendes tell your children that if they swarue from Gods word conteined in his Lawe and turne away after their owne fancies to doe what seemeth good to themselues God will reiect it euery whit and it shal be but as dung before him For why Hee alloweth obedience aboue all thinges He intendeth not to giue mee leaue to deuise and inuent newe Lawes but hee will haue them to be contented with that pure rule of his Law in such sorte as hee hath giuen it Therefore looke not that God should accept you or allowe any of all your doinges for righteousnesse vnlesse it be conformable to his doctrine For although men would faine haue things to passe in account which they themselues like of yet wil God crosse them out euery one For why Their traueling is in vaine vnlesse they can say Lord we haue folowed the way wherin thou diddest set vs. For so sayeth he by his Prophet Esay Who hath required these thinges at your hand faith he When the Hypocrites make their brags and thinke themselues wel dischardged in being willing to serue God after their owne fancie there needeth no more but this answer to disproue all their doings who required these thinges a◠your hands As if he shoulde say let him that did set you a worke pay you for as for me I will none of you I disclaime ye ye haue nothing to doe with me seeing ye haue not serued me obediently which is the principal seruice y t I require And that is the cause also why S. Paul speaking of mens inuentions Col. ◠◠addeth no more but this that they be mennes doctrines True it is that they shall haue some faire colour and some likelihoode of religion yea and there will seeme to bee in them a perfection of all holynesse but what for that Seeing they proceed from 〈◊〉 they be no better than flat mockery And it is purposely said Thy righteousnesse before God Why so To the intent that menne should no more beguile themselues in their owne opinion as they be wont to do by hardning their harts when other men sooth them or by standing in their owne conceites For then they beare themselues on hand that God hath no more authoritie to condemne them but that the fond opinion which they haue conceiued shal be as a blocke to cast in his way To the intent therefore that men should not yeelde to their owne imaginations and to the thinges which they surmise to bee good Moses sayth here my friendes what shall yee winne by deeming it to bee righteousnesse to doe as the heathen doe and to intangle you selues in their superstitions For though the world lyke well of you for so doing yet must ye come to an after-reckoning before the heauenly Iudge for men bee not competent iudges to giue sentence of that matter And therefore to bee short yee had neede to looke about you how God will accept your doinges And hee telleth you that he wil not be subiect to mens willes nor be so plyable as to say shal this be accounted good Then must I agree to it No no hee will continue alwayes lyke himselfe 〈…〉 Therefore holde yee to that which hee commaundeth for his worde must bee your whole wisedome while the world foadeth it selfe with it owne inuentions Thus yee see what is meant by these wordes where Moses sayth it shall be counted to you for righteousnesse before God if yee keepe the commaundementes which hee hath appoynted But yet by the way here might bee made a question For it should seeme that God sendeth men to their owne deseruinges to bee iustified by them Rom. 3.27 And on the otherside S. Paul auoucheth that wee bee iustified by faith that is to say that wee bee accepted for righteous before GOD through his onely free goodnesse forasmuch as hee accepteth vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ. For it is written that Abraham beleeued God Gen. 15.6 Rom. 4.22 and it was reckoned to him for righteousnesse But here Moses sayth that the keeping of the Lawe is imputed for righteousnesse It seemeth then that men are able to purchase saluation by their owne workes and so by that meanes are not indaungered vnto God But wee haue two thinges to note here The first is that whereas it is sayd that the keeping of the Lawe is righteousnesse before GOD it is not meant thereby that men can become righteous by their owne workes for then must they fulfill the lawe throughout in all poyntes But now was there euer any creature found that discharged himself to God-ward No. Rom. 3.10 Yee see then that wee be all damned and so bee quite berest of the righteousnesse that was giuen by the Lawe Wherefore let vs learne that the Lawe could well iustify vs before God if wee could keepe it from poynt to poynt without any fayling Leuit. 18.5 Ezech. 20.11 Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 For it is written hee that doth these thinges shall liue in them If a man say I coulde so order his lyfe as hee might make his boast that hee had fully performed all that GOD hath commaunded him hee shoulde be righteous And why For God which cannot lye hath made vs a promise that hee
but there appeareth no such thing If hee rule the worlde and that his prouidence bee aboue all how is it that hee suffereth so long the wickednesse that is in this people After that maner doe the wicked alwayes take occasion to repine at GOD and to complaine of him and to finde fault with his doinges For if hee bee patient they say hee is carelesse to punish mens offences and sinnes And if hee vse rigor they say he exceedeth measure and that there is no reason in his doinges and that the same hastinesse of his bewrayeth well that there is no mercy nor pitie in him Lo how the wicked folke doe blaspheme God euery way But let vs on our side goe to worke with another maner of modestie And first of all wee must marke well this sentence as I sayd afore Beholde God telleth vs that although the Amorrhytes and their neighboures were giuen to all euill and were past amendement so as there was no more hope to bring them to anie good yet notwithstanding hee bare with them and made as though hee sawe them not Hee sawe that they despised him and were giuen to all idolatrie and therewithall made no conscience to steale and rob and to commit all maner of wickednesse and yet for all that hee sayd hee would not destroy them but beare with them yet further How long not for halfe a score yeeres or for twentie yeres or for a whole hundred but euen vntil foure hundred yeres were past run out Was noy y t a taryance long enough Now in the end of the terme when GOD had shewed that not onely hee himselfe knew but also it appeared openly by experience to the whole world that those nations were vtterly past hope of recouery and grew woorse and woorse vnder pretence that God handled them not according to their deserts was it not meete that at length horrible vengeance should light vpon them They had of all that long time heaped vp the treasure of Gods wrath vppon their heades by abusing his patience and therefore ought the rigor that he vsed against them to seeme too excessiue Can wee say that hee was moued with ouersuddeine choler Nay Then let vs learne to restraine our selues in this case and to keep our mouths shut that wee vtter not a worde against GOD but so bridle our mindes as we imagine not any thing of him but al Iustice and vprightnes confessing that whatsoeuer hee appoynteth to bee done cannot bee but rightful and that it becommeth vs to bee contented with his only will And let vs marke by the way that when men take vppon them to repine against God it is alwayes to their owne confusion It is true y t at the first sight their cause may seeme very fauorable for wee can so good skill to harpe vppon Gods mercie that the rigor of his Iustice is alwayes odious to vs. But yet for all that when men haue pleaded their discourse to the full is not God able to aunswere them in a word as I haue declared already What is y t I wil haue these people vtterly rooted out for they haue skorned mee I had giuen thē a good fruitefull land to dwell in they haue deuowred my benefites without any acknowledging from whence they came They haue spited me to the vttermost I sent thē some chastisementes to correct them but haue they amended for al that I haue set lookingglasses of my wrath before them but they stopped their eyes they hardened their heartes more more yet for all that I haue bin contented to delay the punishment of thē to the ende of foure hundred yeeres Behold foure ages are come gone and ought they not to haue amended in so long time Yes but they be still at one stay But yet must not this land bee alwayes infected with such filthinesse I haue dedicated it to mine own seruice I wil haue my name called vppon there and lintēd to plant my people there that there may be a pure holy religion should I leaue such rifferaffe among them If there were none other reason but that ought not Gods seruice to be more deare than the liues of all the men in y e world If we spare mans bloud say it is no smal thing that a whole nation shoulde bee so rooted out I graunt that But shall wee make so little account of Gods honor and of the religion whereby wee liue euerlastingly shall we say I haue it in so small estimation as to preferre mens lyues before it What a dealing were that Do we not bewray that there is no loue of God in vs Vnder color of gentlenesse and mercie we would pluck God out of his seate and that men should play mockeholyday with him so as there should bee no more reuerence nor humilitie yeelded to his seruice what a confusion were that Therefore the way for vs to put this text in vre is that when wee see that God is patient and falleth not vpon the wicked at the first dash nor powreth out his rigor vppon them to confound them wee must not thinke that hee hath forgotten his duetie and sitteth still in heauen but wee must rather consider that hee accomplisheth the saying which I alledged out of Genesis namely that the wickednesse of the parties is not yet come to full ripenesse Truely in our iudgement it were time that hee shoulde worke as soone as the wicked doe passe their boundes For wee see how impatient wee be and howe wee breake out into heates when thinges goe amisse in our owne opinion wee would thinke it good that GOD should thunder vppon them out of hand and to our seeming he is ouerflow Nay rather let vs looke vppon God who caryeth patiently as hee hath done at all times and is loth to execute his rigor vntill hee haue shewed that the wicked are vtterly past amendment True it is that sometime hee maketh no such tariance for it is not for him to deale alwayes after one sort neither is it for vs to bind him to any certeine Lawe hee hath libertie to hasten his iudgements when it pleaseth him But yet for all that hee doth commonly delay them and put them off and for the same cause is hee sayd to bee long suffering And wee must not thinke that GOD will not call them to account whome hee beareth withall but after as hee winketh at them so will hee dubble his vengeance vppon them if they bee not touched with heartie repentance when hee hath giuen them respit But on the contrary part when hee hath waited for the wicked a long time if hee shewe greater rigor than wee thought hee would haue done and punishe them with more extremitie because they haue so dalyed with him and despised his goodnesse yea and euen turned it into an occasion of greater awelesnesse I say if he be more wrathfull and sharpe than we thought he would haue bin Let vs not thinke him to be
And so let vs vnderstande that although wee haue Gods worde yet will God haue pitie on whome hee will haue pitie according to Saint Paules alledging of the same text to shewe that albeit the multitude of people to whome the Gospell is preached bee neuer so great yet God reserueth whome he listeth to himselfe and it is meete he shoulde so doe and yet notwithstanding we haue cause to glorifie him howsoeuer thinges goe without attempting in any wise to grudge at it But haue we knowē that Would we be assured of our saluation We must resort not only to Gods grace but also chiefely to y e promises wherby he vttereth his loue towardes vs as is said alreadie Yee see then that the cause why Moses doth in this place attribute the title of Faithful vnto God is to the end that when folke will be sure of their saluation they should not enter into foolish imaginations Ro. 5.10.18 Eph. 1.7 but looke vnto Gods woord which is before their eyes whereupon they may be bold to rest So then let it content vs that our Lorde allureth vs to him and that the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ together with his righteousnesse is set afore vs so as wee know that by that meanes we may bee reconciled vnto God to the end y t our sins be not imputed vnto vs but that we may be acceptable vnto him Seing that this is set down vnto vs let vs take hold of Gods faithfulnesse which Moses speaks of here and let vs not thinke that God offereth vs such a benefite to deceiue vs but that he doth it to the ende that we should glorifie him in the middes of our miseries and that although wee bee silie fraile creatures yet we may say that the life of Iesus Christ belongeth vnto vs and that we be already lifted vp to sit with him in the kingdome of heauen Eph. 2.6 Thus ye see what we haue to beare in mind concerning the woord Faithfull Now for a conclusion Moses addeth a threat saying that God also will requite like for like to suche as hate him yea euen to their faces that he wil not foreslow In this place there is some darksomnesse in the woordes of Moses for hee interchaungeth the number God saith hee will yeild recompence to such as hate him to his face or before his face Then doth he shift the number it seemeth that whereas he sayth they hate him to his face he ment to say that wee spyte God or hate God to his face when wee fall out into disorder and are so rebellious as it should seeme that we would run against him and defie him to be at open warre with him But for as much as that woord is repeted twice and in the end it appeareth that Moses spake of the faces of the transgressors no doubt but it is a chaunging of the number as the holy Scripture is commonly wont to doe Therefore the very meaning of it is that God will requite them to their faces by making the hatred to turne backe vppon themselues Othersome take it as though it were spoken of their lifetime that God will not only punish the wicked and the despisers of his Lawe after this present life but also execute his vengeance vppon them aforehande to the sight of mens eys so as we shal be prouoked to feare him by y e sight of y e punishments which he wil so execute vppon the disobedient Othersome take it that God will requite it to his face as though it were sayd y t wheras he spareth the wicked in this world it is to the ende to ouerthrowe them and destroy them vtterly afterward according as it is sayde by the prophet Ier. 12.3 that God pampereth those whom he punisheth not out of hand like as men doe fatte an Ox or a swine when they intend to kill him And the prophet vseth that similitude to the intent wee should not enuy the wicked when we see them prosper For is an Ox or a Swine to bee enuied which is fatted but to the slaughter and which shall haue his throte cut when he is once fatte Now then God handleth the wicked and the despisers of his maiestie after such a sort as he may seeme to loue them but it is to hasten them the sooner to their destruction And truly this is a good and profitable lesson but as touching the present place if wee read all the wordes of Moses throughout there is no darknesse at all in them For why he addeth God wil not foreslowe to requite them that hate him euery man in his face And so Moses ment in effect to shewe that men may be past shame in rebelling against God but yet in the end they shal find that they haue too rough an aduersarie and therefore God must be faine to pull them by the beardes to make them y e more ashamed It is true y t as now they vtter great brags and it shold seeme that they would make God ashamed and put him to the foyle but he can well skill to ouermatch them in such wise as they shal be faine to receiue their payment in their owne persons yea and euen in their faces according as it is sayd in the fifteeth psalme Psal. 50.16.21 I wil reproue thee to thy face And in that place God pleadeth expresly against hypocrites How now sayth hee Becommeth it thee to take my name in thy mouth Thou boastest thy selfe to bee myne and thou wilt needes play the preacher and defile my holy law with thy stinking mouth Now when thou doest me such iniurie as to take vpon thee to be a prophet and to speake in my name and in the meane while doest match and accōpany thy selfe with whoremongers quarelers and raylers what will come of it in the ende When I haue borne with thee a while I will reproue thee to thy teeth saieth he Hee vseth there the word Face as he doth here in this text but it is a common speeche in our language to say that it is spoken to a mans teeth face or heade That then is the naturall sense of Moses And heere we be warned to humble ourselues before God and to stoop in such wise as we prouoke him not to wrath through our hardnesse shamelesnesse so as he should shewe himselfe to be our aduersarie to requite vs to our face that is to say in our owne persons by being driuen to come before him to bee punished according to our desertes Then let vs not harden our hearts against our God but let vs learne to cast downe our eyes when he speaketh vnto vs. It is true indeed that wee ought to lift vp our heades when wee heare the promises of his goodnesse so as faith must make vs to stie aboue the cloudes But yet doth not this let vs that wee should not still bee ashamed in our selues and haue an eye to our owne wretchednesse and learne to bee
to put it in execution We crie out dayly to haue iustice executed but how do men discharge themselues therof Let their eares be neuer so much beaten it is to no purpose they passe not much for it but they be the more forgetfull from day to day Therefore doeth Moses put them in minde of the things that he had told them before to the intent that the people should in any wise refraine from seruing the idols of the heathen And he addeth a threate It would turne to thy decay In deede the Hebrew word which he vseth is commonly taken for cordes or lines but here by a similitude it is taken for snares or neâ—â— and for ruine decay downfal or stumbling Then if thou fall into idolatrie it will be a deadly fall to thee saith he Keepe thee from that Thus we see that when God punisheth y e wicked we must alwayes learne at their cost to liue in his feare For our condemning of other folkes wil not iustifie our selues if we follow them or become like them but rather they shal be witnesses against vs to bereaue vs of al excuse Therfore let vs thinke vpon that which is added here that when God had commanded his people to destroy the idolaters he addeth beware ye meddle not w t their superstitions for then shall ye bee ouerthrowen out of hand Yea we see also that God did not beare with the people of Israel any long time after they had offended For the heathen might yet haue some excuse bicause they had not had any teaching but the Israelites sinned wilfully their dooing was a manifest rebellion bicause they had bin sufficiently warned thereof before specially for as much as God had done them so great honor as to put the sword into their hand as if he should say Thou shalt punish the misdoings of others Seeing then y t God had so honored that people was it not an increasing of their euill much more wheÌ„ they happened to become like those whom they punished Yes for y e punishment which they had executed vpon others serued to bereaue theÌ„ of al colour of ignorance and to dubble their owne fault For after as God honoreth men they ought to take y e more heede to liue in all purenes before him That is the cause theÌ„ why those two things are matched togither And hereupon wee may gather that all such as haue the executing of Iustice must lay away their owne fleshly passions and looke that they be quite and cleare from all desire of reuenge hatred and rancor And this must be regarded of vs not onely in punishing of euill doers but also in the admonishments and warninges that wee giue For if we be too sharpe it is an ouershooting of our selues which proceedeth of our sinfulnesse by reason whereof although the correction which we minister be out of Gods word yet is it already steined and God alloweth it not Sometimes wee think our selues to bee excused if wee tell a man the truth Yea but wee would not tell it him if our oueruehement affection draue vs not to it For nowadaies vices are fostred among men and euery man is content to beare with his neighbour in his euill doeing but if there happen any variance or quarell then out flieth that which was coÌ„cealed before Therefore in rebuking men it is not enough for vs that wee can alleage that we haue told them the truth vnlesse we can also therewithall protest that we were not led with desire of reuenge or otherwise Let vs marke then that if it be but in warninges by word of mouth we must not be passionate nor desirous of reuenge but simply do it of zeale to Godward Now then it is much more reason that when a iudge holdeth the sword in his hand and is to proceede further to the executing of Iustice with rigour hee should then lay aside all euill affections That is the cause why God hath expresly shewed his people the end of the law which he had giuen them to the intent they shoulde bee the better taught to walke in the pure religion and not follow the superstitions which they should punish in the Heathen That is the thing which we haue to note in effect Now Moses addeth immediatly If thou say in thine heart Alas these Nations are moe in nuÌ„ber than I how is it possible that I should discomfite them Remember what thy God did in the land of Egypt how he handled Pharao at his people what proofe of his power he gaue thee there For euen so will hee doe to all the Nations whom thou art afraid of Heere Moses intendeth to harten the people to the intent they should not bee daunted with fearefulnesse For the thing that doeth commonly hinder men in doing their duetie is a certaine fearfulnesse which they conceiue O say they this is hard to be done and againe if I doe it I shall stirre vp many mens displeasure against mee and such a harme may come to me by it Thus in stead of walking as God commaundeth vs we bowe with euery blast and in the end turn quite away Wee be but ouer bould and hardie in following our owne passions and wee be so blinded with them that although there bee daunger in them yet wee think not vppon it and although it come to our mind yet doe our affections so ouermaister vs that we ceasse not to goe on still We see that if a man be in a rage although death be before his eyes yet hee goeth through with it like a mad man or like a beast that is caried away with furiousnesse After that maner doe we deale And that is the cause why I sayd that we be but too bold in executing our owne wicked and excessiue moode But if God commaund vs any thing we make such nysenesse at it as is pitifull to see And then come all these doubtes in our head How is it possible that I should holde out if I should followe my vocation faithfully For beholde there is such a blocke in my way I shall haue such a man mine enemie such a thing may befall mee such a man will bee against me All these forecastes say I will come to our mind And therefore let vs marke that God doth not without cause say thus to his people heere doe these thinges not respecting thine owne power and abilitie but respecting and knowing my strength for that is inuincible If thou haue mee on thy side feare not but I will make thee ouercome all thine incomberaunces and all the euill incounters that thou canst meete with Thus ye see in effect what wee haue to mark vpon this text Howbeit forasmuch as the vice that is spoken of heere is common among vs and all of vs are as yee would say attainted with it wee haue so much the more neede to bee earnest in putting this lesson in vre We see that if men be against vs by and by we ouershoote our selues
then should I looke for the blessing that God hath promised Wee must not thinke to binde him when wee fall to spiting of him so wilfully nor to haue his blessing light vpon vs when we fall to straying out of the right way shaking off his yoke bridle froÌ„ our necke but we must coÌ„trarywise looke y t he should curse vs that his wrath shold light vpoÌ„ vs not only vpoÌ„ our selues but also vpon our childreÌ„ And so we see what instructioÌ„ we ought to gather vpoÌ„ this place Namely y t euery of vs ought to look to himself y t if we purpose to haue God to keepe vs through his fauor goodnesse our howses must not be defiled with robberie deceit neither must our hands be imbrued with stealing filching but to be short we must be cleane from all spottes Yea we must beware that we keepe y e order which our Lord hath commaunded vs Matt. 6.33 which is y t he which is desirous to bee blessed in his owne person in his houshold must looke wel to it y t god be serued honored in his house that there be no filthinesse lurking any where y t there be no whordom no swearing nor no other disorder y t there be not any thing against God nor any euil bolstered or borne out If we doe so then shall wee prosper better than wee doe and although things fal not out as we would wishe to the worldward yet will God graunt vs the grace to bee contented with his only blessing which wil satisfy vs more than if we had all y e heapes of golde siluer that were possible to be imagined But on y e contrary part if a man haue not a care to keepe his house pure and cleane as a teÌ„ple of God y e thing y t Moses speaketh here must needs be performed y t is to wit Gods curse must come into it accordingly as it is sayd in y e prophet Zacharie Zach. 5.3.4 that this same curse possessed al y e houses of that time because iniquitie reigned in theÌ„ and departed not from them Will wee then haue God to shed out his blessing vppon vs Let vs be sure that we clense both our selues our houses from all filthinesse and then will the curse depart from thence out of hand But if wee cease not to prouoke Gods wrath by abusing his patience too long hee will kindle a fire that shall neuer be quenched and if wee fall still asleepe hee will wake vs to our cost and when we think our selues to be escaped then shall wee be new to begin And therefore let vs be circumspect to preuent the mischiefe specially sith wee be warned yea warned by our God himself Wherein hee sheweth vs what a care he hath both of our worldly welfare and of our saluation Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God w t acknowledgement of our faults praying him to voutsafe to make vs feele theÌ„ better than wee haue done so as it may make vs to resort vnto him to be sorie for our sinnes and to condemne them that we be not so froward as to spite him to harden our selues but that we may haue a meeke plyable heart to receiue al his warninges correctioÌ„s in such wise as we may haue the skill to fare y e better by them And so let vs say Almighty God heauenly father c. On Thursday the fifteenth of August 1555. The Lviij Sermon which is the first vppon the eight Chapter Keepe al the commaundementes which I haue commaunded you this day to do them that yee may liue and encrease and go in and possesse the land by right of inheritance which the Lord swore to your fathers 2 And be mindfull of al the way wherethrough the Lord thy GOD hath made thee to walk these fortie yeares in the wildernesse to the intent to afflict and try thee that hee might knowe what is in thine hart and see whether thou wouldest keepe his commaundements or no. 3 Hee afflicted thee and made thee to endure hunger and fedde thee with Manna which neither thou nor thy fathers knew to make thee to know that man lyueth not onely by bread but that man lyueth by all that euer commeth out of the mouth of the Lord. 4 Thy rayment hath not worne vpon thee neyther hath thy foote beene swolne all these fortie yeares HEre againe Moses sheweth y e people y t God gaue not his law in vain but that his will is to haue it kept and that is the way for vs also to fare y e better by it True it is that whensoeuer any man speaketh to vs in Gods name we must haue our eares open to heare what is tolde vs for by that meane doth faith come Rom. 10.17 But yet must we bring our handes and feete with vs also to offer them obediently vnto God Rom. 12.1 to imploy all the power that hee hath giuen vs in his seruice Therefore let vs not come hither onely to haue our eares beaten with the thinges that are preached vnto vs but let vs also apply them to our vse Instruction must be matched with practise or else we shall neuer knowe what hath bin shewed vs and taught vs. And so we see what we haue to beare in minde Moreouer let vs marke that Moses thinketh it not enough to haue sayd these things at once and away but he repeteth them againe for a larger confirmation Looke sayth he that thou keepe the commaundements which I inioyne thee not to the end thou maist knowe them at thy singers endes or bee able to vtter them with thy mouth that is not enough But thou must put thâ—â— in execution And to confirme this matter the better hee addeth a promise saying That thou mayst liue and increase and go into the land which the Lord thy God did sweare vnto thy Father This hath beene expounded alreadie heretofore and there remaineth no more to doe but onely to renewe the remembrance thereof according also as we see that y t was intent of Moses or rather of y e holy Ghost Now theÌ„ our Lord altâ—reth vs to him by promises of purpose to giue vs y e better corage to serue him he doth it of his own free goodnesse without being bound thereto For he needed no more but to say the word he hath authoritie to commaund vs what hee listeth and it is our part to obey him Why then doth he ad his promises but to win vs by louingnesse lyke a father who though he haue al soueraigntie ouer his childe doeth neuerthelesse vse gentlenes in promising to y e inteÌ„t his child shold serue him with the cherefuller heart True it is that the child is bound therto aforehand by nature but yet when hee seeth his father so vpright towardes him as to offer him more than his duetie it moueth him the more if he be not
a father towardes vs his shewing of himselfe to be such a one should mooue vs and make vs the willinger to honour him to loue him so much the more and that seeing he handleth vs so geÌ„tly wee also shoulde acknowledge it and glorifie him for it al our life long and that as he is a father towards vs so we should bee as children towardes him That say I is the ende that wee must begin at But on the contrarie part forasmuch as we be wilde headed children of nature froward vnruly leawd God is faine to scourge vs and to chastisse vs and tame vs with beating Sith it is so let vs learne that if God shewe vs an angry looke frowne vpon vs or lift to deale roughly with vs because hee seeth vs abuse his benefites and that we haue not honored him as wee ought to doe wee must not harden our heartes against him nor take occasion to withdrawe our selues from his obedience neither must wee play these vnthriftes that forsake their fathers houses and run gadding abrode at randon as though they liked better of the galowes than of their inheritance Let vs refraine from misbehauing our selues after y t fashion against our God and let vs learne to submit our selues mieldly vnder his hand assuring our selues that if he afflict vs he hath good reason to do it And although we perceiue not y e cause why he doth it let vs do him the honour to submit our selues to him and to shut our owne eyes that he may dispose of vs according to his own wisedom which is vnknowen to vs. After this manner must wee come from the acknowledgment of Gods benefites to the subiection which we ought to yeelde vnto him to humble our selues vnder his mightie hand whensoeuer he listeth to chastise vs or to tame vs for our stubbornesse and to clense vs of our vices and wicked lustes and of the infirmities which he knoweth to be in vs. And now proceeding with that which I haue touched alreadie let vs marke that it is not ynough for vs to pray vnto God with our mouths onely but it must bee as a helpe to conuey vs further namely to the dedicating of our whole lyfe vnto him accordingly as Moses sheweth here adding Thou shalt not forget the Lord thy God to despise his Commandements statutes Lawes which I inioyne thee this day Hereby he sheweth vs that to yeeld thankes vnto God is a good holy exercise but yet it is not all y t we haue to doe our life must be answerable to our tongue and as we haue protested our selues to bee beholden vnto God so must we shew it by our deedes That is y e cause why it is expresly said beware thou forget notthy God by foreslowing to keepe al his commandements and Lawes Now first of all Moses sheweth here whence this vnthankfulnes of meÌ„ springeth y t they acknowledge not y e party which hath done them so much good but forget him vtterly And may y t excuse vs Nay it rather maketh our fault the heynouser when we think not vpon God seeing he setteth his goodnes before our eyes so as wee may beholde him therein we haue as faire presidents of him there as if he were liuely painted before vs in a table yet we looke not vpon him If God withheld himself from vs so as we found no fauour at his hand and he suffered vs to linger in all maner of miserie without giuing vs any succour when wee called vppon him yet were that no sufficient excuse that wee shoulde not seeke him For it is the meane whereby hee quickeneth vs vp to call vpon him the more earnestly Neuerthelesse wee might haue some colour to say Alas I woâ—e not what to doe for God seemeth to be gone quite and cleane from me it is no maruell though I set not my minde vppon him for I haue no meane to allure mee thereto But nowe contrariwise seeing hee offereth himselfe to vs and maketh vs to perceyue his goodnesse so as we might euen feele him by groping though we were blind must it not needs bee that we be worse than froward if we thinke not vpon him Yes and yet we see this naughtinesse to bee ordinarie among men For why When wee bee once full wee beare our selues on hand that wee haue no more neede of Gods helpe If necessitie pinch vs then we come running to him But if he send vs the worlde at will wee become as it were drunken in our delights all our seeking is to wade deeper and deeper and to bee short wee neuer come to God but by constraint Wherein we see that all the prayers which wee make vnto him when hee afflicteth vs are but fained and vntrue For then wee will confesse well ynough that wee be miserable creatures if he pitie vs not But what As soone as he hath withdrawen his hand we neuer think vpon him more Therefore it is a token that all was but hypocrisie in vs before that we were not rightly and syncerely minded Now then we shall not faile to be y e grieuouslier condemned if we forget our God when he draweth neere to vs. For the moe good turnes that he doeth vs the moe signes and recordes haue we that he is willing to be our father and to take vs for his children and that hee sheweth himselfe in such sort vnto vs as we cannot but know him If this will not moue vs our cursednesse is double And therefore let vs learne that when our God hath made vs wealthie we must not play the beastly folke which despise God when they haue the world at wil as who should say they had ynough of their owne to content themselues with all but wee must bethinke vs of two things First as I saide that if our Lord be liberall to vs his comming to vs and his shewing of himself so familiar friendly towardes vs is to the end we shoulde know him y e better That is for y e first point And again for the second let vs vnderstand that if we haue abundance to day we may bee bereft of it in a minute of an houre so as y e man that thinks himselfe well stored shall finde himselfe naked bare and poore in lesse than the turning of a hande Why so Because God auengeth himselfe of the saide vnthankfulnessse And it is good reason also that hee shoulde not suffer men to forget him when hee hath shewed himselfe after that fashion vnto them Wherefore let vs vnderstande that when we be in prosperitie wee haue the iuster cause to call vppon God not onely to shewe that wee bee bounde vnto him for the good that he hath done vs alreadie but also to shewe that the goods which we possesse were nothing if he should not continue them and maintaine vs in them These are the things which wee must beare in minde And therefore let vs marke that the more God powreth out his benefits
belong alonely vnto God as he will expresse yet better in y e end but all cannot be spoken at once Then if God haue done vs any good no doubt but it will inforce vs to graunte in wordes that it is so indeede but yet for all that wee will not fayle to father all thinges either vppon our owne wisedome or vppon our good fortune or vpon one thing or other And therefore no maruell though we bee so besotted therwithal that we thinke no more vpon God For why Is there any greater or horribler blindnes than for men to bee so proude as to set vp their bristles and to knowe themselues no more but contrariwise to imagine themselues to bee that which they be not Nowe then when men are caried away with this false opinion of selfestimation they bee so ouerblinded as they haue neither reason nor wit insomuch that tell them what a man can they passe not for it but continue still in their wilfulnesse Therefore let vs beware of this Highmindednesse which Moses speaketh of here And that we may be the warer to keepe our selues from it let vs assure our selues that euery one of vs haue as it were a roote of it in vs vntill God haue rid vs of it In deede there are some to bee seene which are modest so as if God aduance them to honour or wealth yee shall not perceiue any pride or chaunge at all in them If they become great wheras they were little before ye shall see them holde an euen hande and continue still gentle But wheresoeuer wee see that let vs note that God hath wrought there or else it were vnpossible For not without cause are Lowelinesse and meekenes fathered vpon his holy spirit When the holy scripture speaketh of those vertues 〈◊〉 2. exhorting men to be mielde ◠〈◊〉 18 not to grow proud but rather to liue quietly with their inferiors it saith that they be singular gifts of y e holy ghost Againe we see they be verie rare gifts For howe do most men behaue themselues when they bee aduaunced Mâ—â—ldly Nay contrariwise we see they be intollerable as who shoulde saye they came out of the cloudes But let them beware that they tumble not downe for there is no loftines so high which God cannot cast downe if men stande in their owne conceites and forget themselues Neuerthelesse the worlde sees that this is too common and there is a double vnthankfulnes in it For first they consider not that the wealth which they haue coÌ„meth from aboue but their hearts are hardened in that behalfe And secondly they fall not to consider with themselues afterwarde that they bee not worthy of it to the end they might huÌ„ble themselues thank God for it But contrariwise they be so malicious as they could find in their harts that all the grace of God in the world were suppressed Wee see this apparantly in those which cannot abide to offer God the sacrifice of praise that Moses speaks of here that is to wit to giue ouer themselues vnto him with all humilitie not to challendge any vertue at all to theÌ„selues Now that we may so do let vs ad that which hath bin touched that is to wit y t as God chastised his people in the wildernes so was he also their guide and leader So then let vs marke well that after he hath rebuked the pride that is in vs and told vs that if God reach out his hand to aduaunce vs our heart must not be puffed vp therefore but we must walk on stil in mieldnesse and awfulnes towards God yea and be gentle louing and courteous towards our neighbours he bringeth vs backe to consider what we were when God vouchsafed to aduaunce vs to worship riches and such other like thinges Nowe if we could take hold of this surely whereas we set vp our bristles we would all of vs cast downe our eyes continually True it is that when God hath deliuered vs from our miseries we must put theÌ„ quite out of our minde euen of purpose to bee no more disquieted with the griefe that we haue indured after that God hath once asswaged it after that fashion but yet is it not ment that we shoulde neuer thinke vpon it more For why It must alwayes bee as a lookingglasse for vs to holde vs in awe that we play not the loose colts Then if a man bee rich and God haue increased him let him bethinke himselfe from whence comes this to me Indeede if a man bee rich by inheritance he is the more bounde vnto God so as hee ought to acknowledge thus beholde what a number of goods God hath prouided for me euen before I was borne so as I haue wherewith to content me and although I bee not one pennie increased yet haue I alreadie more than I need Such acknowledgement ought they to yeld say I which are welthy by successioÌ„ or inheritance And when a mans goods are of his owne gathering let him alwayes haue this regard I was once poore and howe am I come to the state wherein I see my selfe as now It is not meete I should cast a scarce before mine eyes in this case to forget God but it behoueth mee to acknowledge his liberalitie towardes mee and that I am beholden to his free mercie for all that euer I haue After this manner ought hee that is growen rich to bethinke him of his former pouertie For it will serue to bridle him that he shall not be so misaduised as to wax stout against God or to deale cruelly with his neighbours by oppressing or reiecting theÌ„ that seeme to bee his inferiours but rather practise this warning of S. Pauls of applying our selues to the meanest sort 1. Cor. 9 22â— 1. Tim. 6.17 that is to say that although there seeme to bee some cause that we shoulde exalt our selues yet we must yeelde vnto them and stoope to our God Let him that is aduanced in degree think thus Alas am I worthy of it Hath God brought me to this for my faire eyes sakes No but forasmuch as it hath pleased him to exalt me it becommeth me to acknowledge what I was before For had not God looked mercifully vppon me I should not onely haue continued in my former state but also gone to decay yea and vtterly come to nought Nowe if a man bethinke himself after this fashion surely he wil behaue himselfe mieldly and not bee so lustie as to holde scorne of others And wee haue the more neede to marke wel this doctrine forasmuch as wee see that the haultinesse of heart which Moses speakes of here is not a single or dubble mischiefe but such a one as draweth a long tayle of manie inconueniences after it What is this aduauncing of our selues whereas wee shoulde humble our selues Is it not as yee woulde say a defying of God and a proclayming of open warre against him Yes but and serue them and bow down before them I
somewhat to the pure worde of God haue made a Lawe that it shoulde not bee lawfull for a man to eate cheese made of Goates milke after he had eaten kiddes flesh vntill he had first well scoured and washed his teeth for to their seeming that woulde haue bin a defiling of the man But when al things are wel considered the meaning of this text is y t men shoulde not rost a kid as soone as he were new yeaned but y t they should let it sucke for a time y t it might be flesh meete to bee eaten And this was doone to the ende that folke should not inure themselues so much to the following of their owne appetites as to fall into any beastly crueltie for from the one men come to the other Let vs alwayes beare in minde howe it was declared yesterday that GOD was well willing to giue his people leaue to eate of all maner of good conuenient meates sauing that he meant to holde them in awe for the trial of their obedience and yet notwithstanding ment not onely to set them downe some order of diet or fare like a Phisition For it were too grosse an imagination to thinke that God prouided but onely for the diseases of his people as though all his Ceremonies had tended but to the feeding of their bodyes For the putting hereof among the olde figures and shadowes was not for nought Then let vs conclude that God had a further regarde when he forbad the eating of a kidde in his dammes milke And in deede we see how in another place hee forbiddeth men to catch an olde birde sitting vpon her yong ones Deut. 12.6 for it is a kind of crueltie If a man finde a nest of Partridges or other birdes and catch the dam sitting vpon the yong God condemneth it that is to say he condemned it in olde tyme in the Lawe among the Ceremonies And why so Bycause it is against nature For wee see howe the seely birdes are so carefull for their young that the damme will rather starue than forsake them Whereby wee bee put in minde to doe the like Seeing then that the seelie birds to discharge their naturall duetie doe forget themselues so farre that they passe not what miserie they indure no◠what care they take for the cheerishing of their yong ones in so much as they suffer themselues to bee taken with hand and yeeld themselues as it were into bondage for them were it not an acte of extreme crueltie for a man to goe kill them Good cause therefore had God to forbid it to shewe that men ought not to passe their bounds and take leaue to doe what they list but to restraine themselues to some kind of humanitie And so whereas in this text God forbiddeth men to eate a kid in his dams milke it is as much to say as men ought not to deuour a yong beast as soone as it is come into y e world vntill it haue sucked a time neither can the flesh of it be kindly and good to eate Nay moreouer it importeth a kind of barbarous ouerfiercenes when mē are so greedie y t they will needs take the beastes at the first fal of them and not tarie till they may come to their full season to be eaten as some haue bin seene to be so beastly y t they haue ripped y e dame bellyes to take out the yong ones It hath beene seen that a glutton hath not bin contented with the creatures which God hath brought forth into the world but he must also go rip vp a Hinde to haue the Calfe for the satisfying of his appetite It is sayde that the earth is full of infinite riches Psal. 15.5 and y t god hath powred out such treasures as are able to amase vs yet for al y t ye see how some man wil play the detestable monster Whē he hath pāpered his belly with ordinarie foode he fals to deuising I wote not what in so much y t if it were possible he wold create a new world to feede his paunch w tal And although he be not able to make a flie yet falleth he to imagining I wil go slit a Hinde or a Doe and take out y e vntimely fruit out of her belly to feed vpon And is not y t too great a wickednesse No doubt but that such desires haue beene in all ages but behold God telleth vs that wee must vse such temperance and sobernesse in our dyet as wee may alwayes haue a regard to the mainteining of humanitie Wee must prescribe a rule our selues and our eating and drinking must not bee so barbarous that it should be a meane to harden our hartes make vs to forgo all humanitie which is a thing diuers times quite forgotten but that we should liue together in good quietnes abstaine from all iniurie and euill dealing And as touching the Ceremony wherof I am to speake which the Iewes obserue and whereof they haue made a very solemne law we see therby how the world will needes pay God alwayes with petie trifles And y t is it from whence such superstition is come It is all one with that which we haue seene heeretofore where God forbad his people to disfigure themselues at the death of any of their friendes But the Iewes considering not to what end such prohibition was set downe obserued it according to the letter Well then they must not disfigure themselues but yet they had not an eye to gods meaning which is y t men ouershoot themselues too far in making too much sorrowe at y e deceassse of their friends tormenting themselues w tout measure blaspheming the name of God and fretting inwardly And therfore God intended to represse such corruption Yea and as though mens sins prouoked not Gods wrath sufficiently of themselues they thinke it not ynough to be impatient but they do also prouoke themselues to it still more more For we see there is no measure in mens sorrowing but they inforce themselues to weepe and doe many other thinges to increase their greefe and heauinesse kindling the fire still more and more which is great ynough already of it selfe After the same maner deale they in all other thinges But what doe the Iewes still in this behalfe They may not disfigure themselues but in the meane while they rend their garmentes And so the meaning of the Lawmaker which was simple is disfeated For to their seeming when a friend of theirs is dead they must not be without sorrowe for him for that were a dishonouring of him and therefore they must rend their garmentes for him And besides that they must make such Countenances and such Ceremonies so as they must not eate that day in their owne houses but spend that day abrode in mourning and in doeing this and that When they haue finished a hundred pelting toyes they beare themselues in hand that they haue wel pacified God and yet notwithstanding that they
as it were with his own mouth if we then dally with him and shroud ourselues by shifts and suttleties as though hee were not able to see vs is not that a diuilish malapeartnes But there is yet a farre greater and more outragious extremity as I said afore God goeth about to rule our life aright he seeth vs pitifully wandering in our own affections he setteth vs down an order what to doe and his will ought to bee as a definitiue sentence for vs to stande vnto so as wee ought to inquire no further for we know that whatsoeuer God alloweth is perfect righteousnesse Nowe when hee hath beene so gracious to vs as to teach vs What doe we We not onely fall to dissemble in his Lawe but also turne al order vpsidedowne and transgresse the verie Lawes themselues which hee giueth vs to direct vs by Sith wee see such frowardnesse wee haue good cause to mislike of our selues and to condemne our selues vtterly And therefore seeing wee be of malicious and froward nature let vs learne to suspect our selues and to yeeld to Gods good will that when he hath giuen vs his Lawe he may also giue vs the grace to receiue it with all singlenesse of heart so as it may bee to our benefite and that we may not turne life into death nor light into darkenesse Thus yee see what we haue to remember in the first place Secondly it behoueth vs to marke here that the keeping of the outwarde forme of the Lawe is not all that we haue to doe but that wee must specially obserue the substance of the Lawe Wil wee proue our obedience towardes God The way to do it is not by Ceremonies but to seeke out the certaintie of his meaning and to submit our selues thereunto For men will take good heede to the worldewarde that they offende not in such wise as they may bee punished and if a man can finde some pretie shift to excuse himselfe withall when hee commeth before the iudge hee thinkes all his doings to bee iustifiable ynough A man then will make no conscience to offende so he haue wherewith to hide himselfe when he is reproued and that hee can say as for mee I vnderstoode it not so the Law saith not so He findeth out some little worde that carieth a shewe of contrarietie to the true meaning of the Lawe and setteth a counterfait construction vppon it and so beares himselfe in hande that hee hath well ridded his handes of the matter and that by that meanes he is cleare of it And therfore let vs learn that it is nothing worth to haue obserued the Lawe as in respect of the outwarde forme of it that is to say in such wise as men can finde no fault with vs but that the chiefe point is to liue soundly roundly accordingly as wee see here that it was Gods will that in the seuenth yeare there should bee a respit that is to wit that men shoulde not sue for their dettes but suffer it to bee a resting-time as I declared yesterday True it is that the Iewes woulde not vtterly transgresse this order but yet they thought it ynough for them to discharge themselues of the Ceremonie and they bare themselues in hand that God might well holde himselfe contented with such disguisings when in the meane while the chiefe thing was left vndone For the poore were not pitied to their reliefe but rather men tooke occasion to leaue them vtterly destitute Insomuch that howe great so euer their neede was they were neuer the more releeued and all vnder colour that men could not recouer that which they had lent Wee see then how men woulde alwayes appease God with ceremonies But let vs beare in minde howe hee saieth by his Prophet Ier. 5.3 that he hath an eye to the soundnesse of the heart Therefore let vs deale faithfully with our neighbours if wee will haue God to accept the seruice which we yeeld vnto him And nowe let vs come to that which is set downe here If any of thy brethren saieth hee bee falne behinde hand as leastwise of such as dwell within thy gates looke that thou harden not thy heart nâ— shut thy hande against him His speaking peculiarly of the Israelites themselues was not to giue the Iewes leaue to deuour the goods of the heathen nor to deale cruelly with them but his meaning was that there shoulde bee the more friendlinesse vsed among themselues because that besides the kinred that was among them there was also an vnion of faith For GOD had shouled out the lynage of Abraham from the rest of the worlde and had knitte them together into one bodie whereof hee himselfe vouchsafed to bee the head and therefore it was good reason that they shoulde maintaine one another and be the more inclined one to succor another But hereof the Iewes tooke occasion to holde fast all that euer they coulde catch for they constrewed all the promises of the holy scripture to their owne aduantage as though God had laide the bridle on their necks and had no more care of the Gentyles than of brute beastes As for example whereas it is said Yee shall reigne ouer many Nations therupon they concluded Then is it lawfull for vs to execute all maner of Tyrannie vppon the Gentiles and to eate them vp for they be vncircumcysed and vncleane and belong not vnto God at al therfore let vs sucke what wee can possiblie out of them and not spare them Yea and they stretched the worde Lenide verie farre for they sticked not a whit to ouerlode the straungers with vsurie to the vttermost that they coulde beare without any regarde of vprightnesse Thus yee see howe the Iewes did alwayes restreine the right of Gods promises bearing themselues in hande that it behoued them to be a little friendlyer to their neighbours that is to say to those that were of their owne kinred And yet euen in y t behalfe also they were counted as rauening Wolues as the Prophet Ieremie vpbraideth them Ier. 5.26 Mic. 3.1.2.3 and as shal be declared in due place But let vs nowe come backe againe to that which is saide here to applie it to our instruction If the Iewes vsed this hypocrisie of couering their couetousnesse with a pretence that they might well pill and poll the heathen and Infidels let vs see if wee our selues doe not the like at this day True it is that our Lord commendeth vnto vs the housholde folke of faith aboue all others Gal. 6.10 and yet is it not ment that he giueth vs leaue to fleece such as haue not the knowledge of his worde For hee hath knitte vs generally altogether in that hee hath saide by his Prophet Esay Esa. 58.7 Thou shalt not despise thine owne flesh in which saying hee comprehendeth all men without exception Therefore must we behaue our selues vprightly and indifferently towardes all men and likewise wee must haue pitie and compassion vpon al For â—n
for aught that I can see Yea verily as to the worldwarde But our Lorde saieth Mat. â—â—â— I receiue it yee thinke yee put your almes into a mortall mans hande but it is I that become detter for it Although all thinges bee his yet bindeth he himself in the person of the poore and shoulde then any nigardlynesse stay vs from succoring those whom God offereth vnto vs seeing he setteth them as in his owne steede and auoweth all to be done to himselfe which is done to them Moreouer let vs marke that Moses speaketh here of such as are in neede For God ment not to maintaine wicked folke in ydlenes naughtinesse The man that seeketh to wast away other mens goods and to defraude his Creditors is not commended vnto vs heere of God but hee speaketh directly of mercy And that is the cause why he saieth Thou shalt not harden thy heart For if wee haue not that discretion doe what Almesdeedes we will and yet shall none of them be acceptable Wherfore let vs marke that here God speaketh not in fauour of all men but onely setteth before vs such as are in neede wote not what to doe and shoulde perish in distresse if they were not relieued Those are they which are to be helped according to our abilitie True it is that to make a Lawe of it it is not possible God hath set this order among his people that the poore shoulde be succoured But he hath not tolde with what suÌ„me nor how oftentimes hee hath not made a tax of it to say that euery man should beare thus much Only we must resort to this which S. Paul saith â— Coâ— 3 5â— Let euery man doe that which he doth with a free hart and not lay a tribute vpon meÌ„ as though they shold pay as much as they were sessed at but let euery maÌ„ sesse him self of his own good wil think thus although I streined my self a hundred times more yet could I not discharge my self to my godward Howbeit forasmuch as he sheweth me this fauor to accept it as an offring of my hand although I do not so much as I ought to doe nothing neere yet doth it please him to receiue y t which I giue him so it be done w t a free hart Sith we know this albeit that we cannot make a grounded Lawe of it to say how farre we shall go in succoring our neighbors yet let euery of vs streine himselfe and alwayes be doing with the foresayd free heart And it is sayd Thou shalt not thinke with thy self the yeere of respit is at hand and therefore I will not lend Hereby it is shewed vs as I haue touched afore that if a poore man require help although he be not able to pay the thing againe out of hand which he borroweth yet must not wee be cold for all that For we must thinke if I helpe this poore man at this time he is a faithful man and my succoring and releeuing of him shall set him halfe vp againe but howsoeuer the worlde go he may be able to mainteine his trade and at length he may pay mee all that hee borroweth But if I vtterly faile him at this time he is quite sunck he is brought vnder foote for euer and hee hath no meanes to get vp againe and I am too blame if I see him perish so Had we this coÌ„sideratioÌ„ with vs we should not haue the nigardlines that Moses mentioneth and condemneth here And how so Let vs knowe that where need requireth we must not haue such respect to our owne profite as to let the poore perish in their distresse without lending them our helping haÌ„d Again Let vs wey wel this saying which Moses setteth downe here namely that wee must open our handes Hee repeteth it twise or thrice and that is to shewe vs that there is nothing but hypocrisie in vs when we pretend to haue compassion yet our hand is alwayes shut and nothing can be wrong out of vs. I haue told you already y t a number of folke wil not passe greatly to say Alas when they see poore people but they beare themselues in hand y t it is enough to haue pretended a countenance But here God reproueth mens dissimulation if they haue not their handes open for it is a tokeÌ„ that their hart is hardened so as there is nothing but beastly churlishnesse in them and when their handes be not opened it must needes bee a record of it Againe he setteth downe that the poore is to be succored according to his neede and that a gage is to be taken of him if there be a gage to be had for it may also full well be vnderstood of the taking of gages And hereby we see yet better that our Lordes meaning was not to haue dettes vtterly released by the respit that was giuen in the seuenth yeere but onely to haue a time of rest giuen for the respectes and considerations which I haue treated of before Furthermore it is tolde vs here that we must relieue our neighbors wants for our Lord speaketh heere of the lendinges that are doone of almes And in deede it is oftentimes a greater almesdeede to lend some coÌ„peteÌ„t suÌ„me than to giue a very little For it may be y t the giuing of a little will doe a man no ease at all but the lending of as much as neede requireth releeueth him very wel he may in time content his creditor again That then is the thing whereunto our Lord appointeth vs. And therefore let vs marke the thing which I haue touched already that is to wit that although a man cannot set downe a Lawe certeine in this behalfe yet must euery man be a rule to himself to doe according to his own abilitie and according to y e need that he seeth in his neighbors Now here is added yet further That God will blesse such as doe so according as hee had begun yesterday to promise his blessing to all such as were so liberally minded towardes the succoring of the poore And this serueth still to correct the cursed vnbeleefe y t holdeth our heartes locked vp so as no man mindeth aught else than himself and his own profite For it seemeth to vs y t if we forgo neuer so little of y t which we haue we be in y e way to be vndone by it That is y e cause why euery man holdes fast neuer thinkes hee hath enough O say we it is true y t we may doe so and so but thereby I should be impayred I cannot tell what may befall to my selfe We cast so many doubtes y t we can neuer finde occasion to giue any thing And why so Forsooth because I might want it my selfe But y t is a cursed distrust such a one as prouoketh Gods wrath For wee ought rather to hope well at his hand y t as he hath not failed vs heretofore so he will continue to doe vs
lande of Chanaan which was giuen them to inherite then might they sitte at rest and they might not make any inuasion vppon their neighbours vnlesse they were troubled by them as in deede it fell out afterwarde yet is it true that the people of Israell neuer possessed the whole Lande that was giuen them And that was through their owne faulte and vnthankfulnesse so as they were euer in trouble and vexation vnto the time of Dauid Did Dauid subdue all his enemies 2. Sam. 7.10 Did he set the people in full possession of the heritage that had beene promised them If hee had done so then was he to make warre by and by vpon his neighbours howebeit not by picking any quarels to them nor to seeke to inlarge his kingdome by conquest But he was prouoked vnto it and therefore hee was to maintaine the state of his owne people And so let vs marke that this text treateth of such warres as GOD alloweth as when a Prince is vniustly assayled then may hee withstande his enemie by force For why The man that enterpriseth to trouble an other bodies possession or the territorie of a Citie or the prouinces of a countrie is no better than a robber True it is that men indeede call them Kinges and Princes but yet are they but honourable theeues in deede which doe so abuse the power that GOD hath giuen them and are not contented with their owne bounds but will needes inlarge them without iust cause or title Such then are but Robbers And as a Iudge ought to punishe a theese or a robber so likewise they that haue the power ordeyned of God may enter into armes against all such as fall to troubling and vexing of their subiectes and such manner of warres are not onely lawfull but also of necessitie to bee vndertaken by them It is not without cause then that God doeth incourage his people saying that they must not bee faint hearted and cowardly when they goe to warre against their enemies That is the thing which wee haue to marke first of all least wee might surmise that Gods will is to helpe such as maintaine an euil cause for then shoulde he renounce himselfe And therefore whensoeuer he promiseth to bee with his people his meaning is that their quarel must be iust and reasonable And hereupon wee may gather by the way that it is lawefull to make warre vppon necessitie conditionally that the war be to none other end than to procure peace to obtain it There are some fantastical persons which imagine that this serues but for the olde testament and that the case standeth not alike in these dayes But we must make this a general rule that whereas God graunteth to succour his people against their enemies his promising to do so is not for once only but for euer Indeed it is promised that vnder the reigne of our lord Iesus Christ Mich. 4.3 swordes and speares shall be turned into Plowshares and Coulters and that there shall be no more anoyance nor violence That is verie true as in respect of such as shall be truely conuerted and reformed by the spirit of God For if we will be Christians we must become as Lambs Esa. 11.6 Insomuch as it is said expresly that the Beare and the Lion shall dwell together that a litle babe shall rule them both This must bee vnderstoode of such as God shall haue chaunged and renewed by his holy spirit But we see that so farre off is it that the worlde is conuerted to God when the gospell is preached or that all of them chaunge their maners that many of thē become worse and worse and othersome more and more inuenimed hauing heard Gods word and therefore worthie are they to bee deliuered vp to Satan through a reprobate sense because they haue hardened their hartes against God haue manifestly despised him by refusing the grace that is offred them Is it not reason y e premisses considered that God also shoulde turne away from them and y t Satan should drawe them and carie them away into all euill Marke I pray you how a number of people become worse and worse after they haue heard the preaching of y e Gospel All then are not so conuerted as to become Lambes but rather their rage is inflamed more more And therefore forasmuchas there are wicked men continually in this world yea the Princes themselues are so caried away by their own ambition couetousnes and other wicked lustes that they keepe no measure in their doings but wil needs turn al things vpside down and make hauocke of all for y e satisfying of their owne wicked wils God hath left the vse of the sword to men of authoritie ordeyned y t they should bee stronghanded as S. Paul declareth Whereupon it is to be concluded Rom. 13.4 that if a war be lawfull this promise of Gods standeth in force stil. For otherwise what a thing were it True it is that we ought to possesse our soules in patience as our Lord Iesus Christ saith but yet doth it not follow y t therefore the office of the magistrates should cease that his arming of them is to no purpose that they should be but as idols Nay rather they ought to hazard their liues so far as God inableth them whensoeuer their subiectes are assaulted tormented And for this cause I haue stood the longer vpon this text to the end we might know that faithful Princes haue Gods promise stil at this day that he wil be their guide in the time of war and take their part when they be to fight with their enemies giue thē victory to the intent they should assure thēselues of his helpe and alwaies flee to him for refuge And so ye see how that is one point which wee haue to marke vpon this text Neuerthelater we must vnderstand also that there is no war iust vnlesse God be the author of it For if we intend to be armed with y t strength of his hand we must also aske counsel at his mouth his spirit must be the ouerruler of the aduise which we haue taken for we see that al interprises are accursed which men do take in hand vpō their owne head without inquiring of his wil. As for example when the Iewes made leagues with the Realme of Egypt or entered anie other familiaritie with them Esa. 30.1 Cursed be those saith he which weaue a webbe but not by mine aduise And by and by hee addeth the exposition yea saith hee for yee determine vppon matters without taking counsell at my mouth that is to say without considering by my worde whether the thing be lawfull or no. Ye will not hold your selues to my will nor suffer my spirit to be your gouernour or to haue the ouerruling of you Wo to you therefore saith he And the Realme of Egypt shall be as a Reed y t wil breake vnder you if yee leane vnto it
libertie mē take When they haue any worldly prosperitie then their lustes increase and boyle more and more so as they cannot easily be quieted When men haue taken a Citie or made any conquest they cannot stay thēselues frō taking too much scope If the Iewes had taryed quietly at home in their owne houses and euery man followed Gods ordinance in taking a wife of his owne kinred not the brother the Sister for that was forbidden by the Lawe but I mean of the lyne of Abraham which was the lynage that God had chosen out of the whole worlde they had bin preserued from defiling themselues with the Infidels For it was a kind of defilement whē a Iewe maried a Heathenwoman which had bin nusseled in superstition all her life long They should not then haue ranged abroade But had they once any warre and y t God gaue them the victorie ouer any people then their licentiousnes brast out beyond his bounds Wherby we see howe it is not alwayes for our profite that our Lord should giue vs too much aduantage For if we growe too strong our headines becommeth vntollerable If wee think ourselues able to make our part good by and by we set vp our bristles our combes as the common saying is and it is seene by experience Therfore if God deale not with vs after our owne lyking let vs assure our selues that his humbling of vs is for our benefit to the end we should alwayes continue in some sobrietie and mildenesse Yea and euen when he increaseth vs we must learne to hūble ourselues willingly For whēsoeuer we aduaunce our selues our pride shal euer be punished beaten down And if we be stifnecked God must needes strike vpon vs with main blowes Such as submit thēselues of their own good will and passe not their boundes are comforted of God But as for those which wil needs win him by stoutnes they must needs feele his hand the sorer and heauier vpon their heades The thing then which we haue to note in the first place is y e men abuse Gods blessinges gratious giftes Insomuch y t if he send them worldly prosperitie they take occasion to glory too much therein hardening their hearts and following their lustes so licētiously as though to their seeming all thinges were lawful for them We see it too much so that if men haue obteined a victorie they beare thēselues in hand y t they may vse all maner of pillage rauishing so as nothing is spared When we haue any superioritie aboue others at what point be we We could finde in our hearts to make thē our vnderlinges to set our feete vpon their throtes Sith we see it is so let vs vnderstād y t our Lord hath good cause to hold vs at a low stay to the end he may y e better weald vs and make vs to beare his yoke quietly And therefore let such as haue any worldly prosperitie looke wel to thēselues y t they be not puffed vp with too much pride knowing for a certeintie y t our nature is disposed thereunto and that it swayeth too much that way Wherfore let euery man suspect himself in the time of prosperitie and be wel aduised to hold himselfe within the boundes of modestie And now we haue to treate of mariage to shew why our Lord did so straitly will and commaund y e Iewes y t they should not marry with y e heathen infidels Deut. 17.17 2. Cor. 6.14 S. Paul not w tout cause lykeneth our matches in marriage to yokes For like as when a cupple of Oxen are yoked together if y e one goe y e other must needes follow if the one draw awry y e other cānot but sway aside too euen so fareth it in y e familiaritie betweene man man True it is y t we may be cōuersant among y e heathen w tout matching with thē for else as saith S. Paul we should be faine to get vs out of y e world 1. Cor. 5.10 if we would come in cōpanie of none but good men Gods childrē But there are meanes to trafique man with man yet y t must be done but in maner of wayfaring He y t buieth of a mā would not inquire of his good behauiour except he feared y t he should be deceiued by him Only he buieth his ware goes his way yet for all y t he is not in any couenant w t him with whome he bargained But if he once enter into familiar cōuersation and fall to eating and drinking with him and there groweth such acquaintance betwixt them that they liue commonly together then becommeth it a yoke saith S. Paul Now we knowe that mariage is the holyest kind of companie in all the world insomuch that a man shal leaue both father and mother to keepe companie with his wife Gen. 2.21 Matt. 19.5 Therefore it is vnpossible for a man to contract mariage without coupling himselfe with his wife so as eache bee made priuie to others minde will and purpose in all things For we see what hath happened how the parties that haue giuen themselues ouer in that wise haue in the end bin vtterly mard God did as it were cut thē off from his people so as they became as rottē members Numb 25.1 31.15 and all through the counsell of Balaam For whē he sawe that God opened not his mouth to curse the Israelites but rather that when as hee had conspired to vtter curses hee was inforced to speake the cleane contrarie for his last shift hee gaue counsell that they shoulde let the Iewes enter communication with the heathen women that they might deceiue the Iewes hearts corrupt them with Idolatrie whereby they should prouoke Gods vengeance against them that should turn to their confusion Nay if there were no mo but Salomon 1. Kings 11. his example were enough to make their hayre stand vp vpon their heades which did well consider whereinto he fell Surely he was an excellent man It was Gods wil to set him forth as a lookingglasse or as a peereles pearle he was indued w t so excellent wisedome that all men wondered at him yea he was euen a Prophet of God Yet for all this the heathen women deceiued his hart insomuch that hee suffered idolatrie to haue full scope to reigne in the countrie which GOD had reserued dedicated to himselfe so that he builded Temples vnto idols When we see that such a man who was an Angel of heauen did fall downe to hell that God gaue him ouer to a wicked minde by meanes whereof he became so beastly that he ouerthrew y e seruice religion of God how shal they doe which are far off from profiting so much as he So then we see it is not without cause that God so streitely forbade the Iewes to take wyues of forraine nations specially of the countrie of Chanaan But
escape his hand Nowe after the threatenings which we haue seene heere before hee presently addeth that they which so resist God shal bee afflicted and tormented so as men shall spoyle them and they shal bee layde open to all vyolence for euer and no man shall deliuer them Wee see heere that God serueth his owne turne by the wicked and that although their intent bee nothing so yet doeth hee apply them to a good vse when hee listeth to punish vs. Whereas there bee theeues and robbers albeeit that they bee giuen ouer to Sathan yet fayle they not to serue Gods purpose yea truely for wee see in this text that our Lorde leaueth them not at randon to robbe and to spoyle whether hee will or no but hee threateneth his people saying They that disobey mee shal bee vexed and robbed And whence proceedeth that It must needes come from him Nowe albeit that God suffereth oppressions robberies and violence to bee done hee can very well condemne them according as hee is righteous and must needes hate Iniustice yet notwithstanding by his wonderfull wisedome which to vs is incomprehensible hee turneth those things to his owne seruice so that when wee haue offended him he must needs punishe vs by the hand of the most wicked which is the more to our reproche For if he himselfe shoulde haue punished vs and we sawe before our eyes y t he reuengeth him of our iniquities wel would wee say seeing that wee haue offended him it is good reason that wee should come to account for it But when hee sturreth vppe leawd folke and despisers of his maiestie and such as are giuen to all naughtinesse and maketh them our Iudges it is to make vs so much the more ashamed Let vs therefore consider that whencesoeuer the euill commeth wee haue euermore to deale with GOD and wee must thinke that there is nothing done in this worlde but by his direction And thereupon let vs enter into the examination of our faults For it is not ynough to know that God ruleth al things but euery one of vs must also make his owne inditement and consider that all afflictions and aduersities are tokens of Gods wrath Nowe when wee speake of his wrath wee must in like wise remember his iustice and thereuppon conclude that wee verie well deserue to bee punished But yet he threateneth vs before hee strike to the ende that wee shoulde not stand gaping til the things were come to passe but rather preuent them aforehande 1. Cor. 11.31 as Saynt Paul also doeth admonish vs. Whilest God spareth vs let vs bee aduised so to walke in his feare that wee prouoke him not to stirre vp theeues to torment and vexâ— vs but that rather if men attempt such iniuries against vs wee may stande in his protection according as hee promiseth to vpholde all them that walke in his obedience Then let vs see that wee doe so and let vs remember that which is spoken by the Prophet Esaye to wit that they which haue robbed must bee serued with the same sawce Esa. 33.1 And that is the cause why violences and extortions doe so continue in the worlde Men wonder to see that the mischiefe growes woorse and woorse but they shoulde note the cause thereof For they that beare chiefe sway and preheminence doe let themselues loose seeking nothing but to enriche themselues an to swallowe vp other mennes substance But haue they robbed God must sende a reuolution so as other robbers shall come and bereaue these of their booties and afterwarde a thirde sorte must step vp to spoile them againe And so there is neuer any ende And why Because the worlde neuer ceasseth to prouoke the wrath of God And for so much as wee bee headstrong it is reason that our Lorde shoulde continue to shewe himselfe our Iudge But as I sayde euen nowe let vs bee well ware to walke in such wise as innocent bloud crye not out for vengeance against vs. Let vs not doe iniurie or outrage to any person that our Lorde may blesse vs for so dooing and not pay vs with like measure according as wee see howe our Lorde Iesus Christ sayeth Matt. 7.2 that it shall come so to passe Let euery of vs therefore brydle him selfe in such wise as this curse come not vppon vs to bee robbed for vsing of robberie and extortion against the innocentes But for as much as men imagine that their aduersitie shal bee short and that they shal bee soone ridde of it Moses addeth That it shal bee for euer and that when the hande of God is against vs no man shal bee able to saue vs. It is certayne that like as God is slowe to anger so is hee soone pacified Psal. 103.8 Psal. 18.27 but that is but towardes the faithfull As for the wicked hee must holde on with them and they must feele their burden euery day heauyer than other And wherefore According as they harden their heartes against God they must in like wise feele him the harder against them And albeeit that this is not alwayes yet doe wee see it often come to passe God will at some times withdrawe his hande after hee hath menaced the wicked or else when hee hath giuen them some strypes with his rodde hee will let them goe againe and that is as it were a respyte that they may haue leasure to turne to repentance Notwithstanding because hee knoweth them to bee vnrefourmable that dealing of his must of necessitie bee turned to their sorer condemnation If GOD then do spare the despisers of his lawe and them that bee obstinate in malice it doeth not therefore followe that they shall bee saued but it is to the ende that the plague shall come double vppon their heades for their abusing of his patience after that manner For when hee hath waited for them and they proceede still from euill to woorse hee must needes put to his hande at the last Howsoeuer the case standeth it is not in vayne that Moses telleth vs heere that when GOD is our enemie our life shall not bee miserable only for a day or yet for a little while wee must not limit our selues any terme in that case but we must looke for one mischieefe to drawe another and that there shall bee none ende vntill hee hath layde vs quyte vnder foote vnlesse wee turne to him to obtayne mercie Wherefore let vs weye well this woorde which Moses addeth where hee sayeth that if GOD doe beginne to smyte vs for despysing of his iustice it shall not continue for a little whyle but wee must bee miserable for euer And why For in as much as the maiestie of God is euerlasting he must needes take endelesse vengeaunce of them that despise his iustice Therefore so soone as wee see the blowes come neere vs let vs bee afrayde and let euery of vs make haste to returne vnto him whome wee haue offended to wit our GOD to obtayne forgiuenesse of our
haue a hundred folde deserued to be suncken but yet for all that wee flee vnto thy mercy wherefore haue pitie vpon vs. When we haue thus condemned our selues it is a meane to pacifiâ— the anger of God which thing will not be done by hardening of our hearts For then he will euer more proceede farther vntill hee haue brought vs to these signes and wonders that be here mentioned Again God must needs do the like also in respect of mens slouthfulnes negligence or rather vtter senselesnes If wee could be subdued at y e first blow God would take no pleasure in laying plague vpon plague But when he seeth that there is such a kinde of stoutnes and such a presumption in vs that we wil not stoope nor bow our necks he must needs hold on vntil he make vs to feel in very deed after a strange maner that it is he before whom we must yeeld our account Let vs therfore marke well how the obstinate malice of the worlde is the cause why God sendeth so strange corrections to put vs in feare And if we considered well the state of the world at this day it would make y e haires of our head to stand vpright Certainely they doe all sigh at the feeling of the stripes and they complain howbeit not to any amendmeÌ„t but rather they bite on y e bridle Insomuch that when those which be not altogether blockish do make comparison of the present state with that which we haue seene before the wrath of God was on this wise prouoked they see it as it were a seagulfe that ought to make vs afraid And so let vs come backe againe to that which Moses declareth to wit that God must needs haue found the world very rebellious hardhearted when he augmeÌ„teth his punishments in such sort for it shoulde neuer come to that passe were it not that men were otherwise vnreformable Let vs not accuse God of crueltie when we see his rigor to exceed in punishing vs but let vs acknowledge that our stubbornnesse is so great that our Lorde must needes handle vs after that fashion for otherwise he should neuer ouermaster vs. That is the thing which we haue to beare in mind Howbeit that is not al for we must alwaies feare that which is to come And sith we saw that God hath thus increased his punishmentes not vpon one man only but vpon the whole world let vs bethinke vs to call our selues home again before he fal to striking of vs with maine blowes to our confusion and vtter vndoing without giuing vs any more respit to come to the acknowledgement of our sins For it is the sorest point of Gods wrath when sinners be taken after such a sort out of this world y t they cannot haue remeÌ„brance of their sins nor take breath to resort vnto God or to aske him forgiuenes Let vs beware least Gods vengeance proceede so farre And for asmuch as we see y t the aduersities of these daies be verie great let vs acknowledge that we haue prouoked God verie much that it is not for vs to abuse his patience any longer Thus ye see in effect what we haue to beare away specialy wheÌ„ we see y t sin doth ouerflow so as all the world is infected with corruption Although a man doe good yet neuerthelesse forasmuch as it is euermore mixed w t sin he shal be chastised howbeit not at the first dash for as I haue said afore God doeth spare the wicked and tarrie for them and in the meane while punish the good that seek to walke a right but yet in the end he alwayes plagueth the dispisers of his law maiestie And as touching the good he will make theÌ„ to feele his grace to their ioy so that although hee exercise theÌ„ with manie chastisements aduersities yet notwithstanding they shal not faile to know him to be their God father stil to rest vpon him As for the wicked they be not disposed to tast or to feele the loue goodnes of God but are rather wood against him But when iniquitie is become as a maine sea al men are corrupted theÌ„ the vengeance of God must also ouerflow so as none may be free from it We haue seen already y e threatning y t was made here before Deut. 28 3â—â— namely y t y e people should be led into captiuitie with their king When this came to passe were none caried away into captiuitie but the wicked and such as stroue against the Prophetes and such as despised the good doctrine and such also as were headstrong against God like wilde beastes Yes there was Ieremie himselfe who had called vppon the people fiftie yeeres together and neuer ceassed to crie What do ye ye wretched people Yet notwithstanding wee see that while others sported them he wept and wailed and not contented with that saide Who can turne my heade into teares so as my braine may bee as a fountaine gushing out continually that I may bewayle the sinnes and calamities of my people See how the holy Prophet after that he had laboured in the seruice of God and fought against al the wicked and made warre against all maner of iniquitie and stubbornnesse is faine to be led away captiue aswell as the rest and to be put to reproch not of being caried to Babilon for that had beene the best that could haue bin wished at that time but God gaue him not the fauour to be brought thither but he was faine to be harried into Egypt yet had hee sayde Cursed bee they that goe into Egypt goe ye into Babylon and serue the king of Babylon be quiet and obedient there 〈…〉 15. and beare patiently this punishment of God and in the ende he will take pitie on you The holy Prophet had not the same libertie So then wee see that when calamities come for the generall corruption of all men the good are wrapped vp amongst the euill And why is that Bycause it is not almost possible to walke amongst such infections and not to bee somewhat spotted therewith Albeit that Ieremie resisted the euill as much as he coulde yet sauored hee of the publique corruptions of the people and therefore behoued him to be punished with the rest howbeit God did not execute such vengeance vpon him as he did vppon the despisers of his lawe no not by a great deale For Ieremie had alwayes a good testimonie that God did guide him and when he was in Egypt he was by a speciall priuiledge free from y e curse that hee had pronounced vppon all them that would goe into Egypt for they drewe him thyther by force Ye see therefore howe God wrappeth vp his people amongst the rebels but yet he saueth them after a maruailous maner which giueth them continuall cause of comfort in him As much is to be sayd of Daniel Daniel is set forth vnto vs as a myrror of integritie
God whether wee haue meekely imbraced all that he hath commaunded vs for if any of vs doe finde himselfe to haue made warre and to haue set vs himselfe against God it is not to be wondered at if God pay him with the like againe on the behalfe of men But wee shall neuer be perswaded of this doctrine vnlesse we vnderstande that God holdeth the hearts of men in his hand to soften them when it pleaseth him be they neuer so hard hearted and on the contrarie part to harden them though they bore vs neuer so much good will before Let vs not therfore trust to y e loue of men vnlesse we walke in the feare of God For it lieth in him so to change their hearts as they shal beare rancor toward vs be quite cleane w tdrawen frō vs for lesse than nothing in so much as the worlde shall see y t they which were most foreward to helpe vs shall become most against vs. And on y e otherside let vs vnderstand y t our Lord can well qualifie al malice yea though they be as fierce as a Lion he will make them mylde friendly towardes vs. There was neuer nation so proude cruell as y e Egyptians and in special how spiteful were they against the children of Israel It seemed y t this poore people should neuer haue founde any mercy And yet God wrought in such wise y t the Egyptians gaue them all their treasures all that euer was excellent in their houses there was neither siluer nor gold spared And whereof came that Before y t time they had held the Iewes in bondage they had vexed them out of all measure they wold haue plucked y e bread out of their mouths yea haue cut y e throtes of thē all A litle afore they had killed their children as soone as they came out of their mothers wombs of purpose to haue destroyed y e whole stock of them wherof then came this soudaine myldnes y t euery man brought them y e things y t were most precious in his house 〈◊〉 11.2 It was god y t cōuerted their harts And likewise on y e cōtrary side 〈◊〉 11.10 it is said y t he hardned the hearts of kings when y e people were to enter into y e land of Canaan whereas they shold haue bin suffered to passe there were may gainesayers y t resisted them Whence came that Euen of this y t they had resisted their God Let vs therefore learne as I haue saide heretofore so to behaue our selues in obedience towardes God y t men also for their partes may be friendly vnto vs For there is none so great nor so mightie but he shal finde some miserie to rise vp against him when he wil needes play the stout fellow in striuing against God And we haue seene that they which are drunken w t their owne greatnes must in y e end bee punished not by such as are in any authoritie or by such as are of estimation in this world but by rascals naughtipacks such folke must euen spit in their faces And such examples are to be seen euen in princes men of greatest state For when they yeelde not themselues to be gouerned of God he is faine to stirre vp gouernours to y e contrary to shame such as wil not be obedient vnto him Yet notw tstanding when men yeeld not thēselues tractable then must we vnderstand y t god manageth the matter by a secret meane and that he doth it to make vs to stoope Therefore let vs not deceiue our selues in the creatures saying What fortune is this In deede we may say so but wee must go yet one step farther we must vnderstand y t it commeth not to passe without y e direction of God And thereupon wee must repaire to y e remedie that is to wit wee must stoope vnder the word hand of God and consider y t if it please him he can turne y e minds of men y t were so spitefull against vs make thē to become friendly to vs. And y t is a thing more than necessarie For when wee haue to doe with them y t be rough intractable we be by and by out of heart would if we could possibly ridde our selues of all troubles and be set free from thē at the first dash But we should rather returne vnto God acknowledging y t those things proceede from his hand And so when men shew thēselues so vnfaithful and cruell towarde vs handling vs scornefully opprobriously so as we cānot get one whit of right or reason at their hands but we see how their whole seeking is to set their feete on our throtes they haue such a beastly shamelesnes as it is said here y t they be not ashamed of any thing y t is said vnto them but they take y e bridle in their teeth play the wilde beastes so as there is neither grace nor honestie in them when wee see such barbarous beastlinesse let vs learne to resort vnto our God to acknowledge y t we deserue to be so tamed by him Moreouer y e onely meane to appease such furie to asswage those which are so hot and hastie is to call vpon our God and to pray him to touche those inwardly with his holy spirite which are so cruell and cannot yeelde to doe vs good bycause wee haue set vp our selues against our God That is the thing whereof we are admonished in this Text. Nowe Moses repeateth that which hath beene touched heeretofore namely That God will bring vs enemyes from a farre Countrie and that they shall flie as Eagles to the intent wee shoulde not thinke that GOD needeth to make any preparation long aforehand As if a man should threaten vs we would looke whether he had a sword in his hand and whether he be in readines to execute y t which he hath said But if God doe but whistle as he often speaketh by his Prophets by and by hee hath his men of warre in readines Esa. 5.26 he needeth not to make musters or to inrolle them or to sounde the drum he needeth none of al this onely at his whistle for he vseth that similitude all the whole earth must needes bee moued Therefore let vs not looke whether things be in a readines nor whether any hurt or harme be done vs. Let vs not looke whether any worldly meanes bee prepared thereunto but let vs vnderstand that ere we can conceiue what euill may happen vnto vs we shall be presently ouerthrowne And wherefore Bycause it is God that speaketh which maketh men to flye as birds euen from y e one end of the earth to the other There is neither sea nor mountains able to saue vs from the experience of y t which we neuer beleeued Howbeit God hath so disposed things yea euen amongst the heathen is oftentimes seene incredible speedines when God is disposed to
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
they see it armed against them and when it toucheth their persōs but they ought to vse the opportunitie in reforming thēselues euen when God is so good vnto them as to punish the reprobates rebels before their eyes Let vs therfore be afraid when God punisheth the wicked and let vs be aduised to acknowledge him for our Iudge aforehand and that we haue wel deserued to be handled as seuerely as they were it not that he of his goodnes forbeareth vs. Let this touch vs to the quick that we may be brought to repentance Thus shoulde we yet further put this saying of Moses in practise Nowe hee addeth that God ouer beside all this which he hath declared will sende yet other aduersities and afflictions vpon the Iewes In deede Moses did recken vp many sortes of plagues heretofore and hee thought it not ynough to haue saide at once God will chastise thee after such and such manner but he redoubled it because he sawe men so grosse and heauy that they bee not so moued at the first as were to be wished But our Lordes intent heere is to declare that hee hath meanes of vengeance incomprehensible and moe than can bee vttered by wordes insomuch that if a man should make a Roll of them and rehearse a whole million of seuerall sorts of them yet shoulde he not comprise them al for God hath other hidden means vnknowen to men wherewith to punish them that doe still rancle in malice against him And that is according as wee shall see in the two and thirtith chapter in the solemne song that Moses maketh there These thinges are laide vp in my Treasurie saith the Lord so as I haue my whole Chestes full of horrible plagues 〈◊〉 32.34 such as neuer were imagined nor vnderstood by men As much is saide in this text And so let vs remember two thinges to wit when wee haue had experience of the power of God by his doings or reade the threatenings that he hath made against the transgressours of his lawe and doe beholde the practise and execution thereof let vs bee amased thereat and say How now What a thing is it to prouoke the Lorde For if hee spare vs on the one side hee can well assaile vs on the other and when wee bee deliuered from one hundred of afflictions he hath three hundred others readie for vs and when wee haue escaped all those yet haue wee gotten nothing Let vs therefore thinke vpon these thinges Nowe let vs looke what a sort of threatenings there are in the holy Scripture howe many sortes of deathes there bee that God hath denounced against the despisers of his maiestie and against all them that despise and set light by his worde it woulde wearie vs to recite them And in reading the hystories wee see the examples that God hath giuen vs of his wrath and that not in one sort wee shoulde needes bee at our wittes ende if wee shoulde thinke but vppon the tenth part of them And if wee shoulde set our mindes to marke and to note them all what a thing were it The first thing therefore which wee haue to doe is to be diligent to cal to rememberance all the threatnings whereby God woulde tame our wicked affections and holde vs enbridled and therewithall to compare the thinges that are set downe vnto vs howe that God hath not threatened in vaine but hath accomplished whatsoeuer hee hath saide Let vs thinke on that And moreouer let vs vnderstand that besides the meanes which are contained in the holy scripture God hath yet a great many of other meanes to punish men and we see how he doeth dayly bring vp newe If we had eyes or rather woulde open them wee might well see that God doeth daily sende newe kindes of his wrath and that is to the end which I haue touched heretofore namely to make his plagues wonderful that men may be inforced to thinke vppon them because they see that God worketh not after the ordinary course of nature but after a sort that hath not bin earst knowen When euery of vs hath well studied all the lessons that be declared vnto vs in the holy Scripture and made our cōmoditie of the examples punishments y t bee there mentioned let vs conclude y t God hath yet a great many mo meanes than be expressed which men neuer thought vpō And y t thing he hath made manifest euer since y t the law was written and he doth not yet ceasse to do the same still that al maner of excuse may be taken from vs. If a man looke vpon the diseases that bee at this day in the worlde hee shall see that there be many which were not expressed in the law of Moses or in y e dayes of our fathers Howe hath whoredome bin punished by diseases that be come vppe of late Who knewe the pocks a hundred yeres ago That is one horrible plague which God hath sent vpon y e worlde And it is asmuch as if hee had stretched his arme out of heauen and sayde No they knowe mee no more to be their Iudge they harden their harts against al the plagues y t men did know receiue afore time they make but a figge at it but now I will make them to vnderstand that in my Coffers and in my storehouses there are yet other roddes that be incomprehensible to them God sheweth this and wee perceiue that wee cannot take a better course to profite by this doctrine than to feare the rods and punishments which be not written in the booke of the lawe otherwise it is meete that we vnderstand that GOD is stil our Iudge howesoeuer the world goe Now he addeth That albeit they were as many in number as the stars of heauen God would wast them in such wise as there should but a handfull of them remaine Here must we remember that which was spoken of herebefore For whereas God vseth this similitude of the starres of heauen he hath respect to the promise which he had made to his seruant Abraham namely y t his seede should be in number like the starres of heauen So God spake But now to the end y t the Iewes should not presume to thinke y t God was alwayes bound to multiply them he sayth No I wil consume you whatsoeuer come of it and you shal bee but a handfull of people It seemeth at the first sight that here is contrarietie For where as God promised so great a seed vnto his seruant Abrahā it was not grounded vpon the mirites of men And why For seeing that the promise dependeth vpon the free goodnesse of God must it not be kept albeit that men be wicked Yes in deede But we haue to consider that God doeth not alwayes accomplish his promises after our fashion nor according to our carnall capacitie he hath means incredible to vs which we vnderstand not vntill they appeare by effect Whereas he promiseth to multiply his Church that is to
say to make it to prosper if he see that vnder colour thereof the hypocrits take libertie to doe euil he withdraweth his hand Let vs therefore consider wel that forasmuch as the Iewes were puft vp w t a foolish presumption and thought it impossible for God to diminish them seeing he had spoken the worde that he woulde increase them forasmuch I say as they abused the goodnes of GOD and falsified his promise through their hypocrisie hee consumed them and brought them to a small number Neuerthelesse of that small number there came a great ofspring againe yea and so great a one that men might so much the better perceiue his trueth and mercie howbeit after an other maner Therefore saieth hee by his Prophet Esay in the tenth Chapter Esa. 10.22 Although you were as the sande of the sea for he did alwayes send them backe to the promise made to Abraham although thy seede as I saide be as the sande of the sea yet shall but a small remnant bee saued But when ye are altogether consumed yet shall that little remnant bee dispersed ouer all the earth as if out of a little fountaine shoulde issue forth a greate riuer or a great lake wherewith verie many lands shold be watered So shal it be Nowe then wee perceiue that although GOD punish the hypocrites which abuse his promises yet faileth hee not to performe his sayings still howbeit by an extraordinary meane as we haue seene it in the Popedome and as is to bee seene yet stil. For the Papists haue ouerflowed the whole worlde with superstition and ydolatrie and all manner of euill yea and moreouer thy harden their heartes in pride and scoffe at God with open mouth Howe nowe say they Are not we the church Is it not said that Iesus Christ shal be with vs vnto the end of the worlde Matt. 28.20 Can he forsake his Church Yet do they continually crucifie him as much as in them lieth they spit in his face and doe him all the reproch in the worlde they make him as if hee were a prisoner or a bondslaue amongst them and they consider not that such a horrible destruction happeneth throughout y e whole worlde through Gods iust vengeance for the shamelesse hypocrisie which hath beene in them that haue rebelled against the Gospel yet notwithstanding GOD hath not omitted to saue his people as it were vnder the earth And in our dayes he hath raised his Church as if y e bones of rotten bodies shold recouer flesh and strength againe For what were we through our vnbeliefe Yee see howe it is a meruailous resurrection that God hath wrought in that behalfe Marke well therefore that when our Lorde promiseth to maintaine his Church and to preserue it the same belongeth nothing to them that abuse his name falsely nor to them that come to despise him vnder colour that hee is gentle and mercifull For they shall euermore be disappointed of that fauour which God hath so reserued vnto his people for they bereaue themselues thereof through their owne malice and vnthankfulnesse Yet notwithstanding howsoeuer the case stande God is euer faithful and wil find incomprehensible meanes to giue place to his trueth by fighting against the malice of men That is the thing which we haue to remeÌ„ber concerning this text where he saith That he will wast the Iewes though they were as the starres in the skie And in verie deede the same appeared euen in Iesus Christ the head of the church And therfore we ought not to thinke it straunge that that the members of the bodâ—e should be fashioned like vnto him Whence came Iesus Christ when God his father sent him to be the Redeemer The Prophet Esay saieth that hee shoulde spring from a stocke Esa. 11 2â— as if a tree were hewen downe and there remained but the stub within the grounde in such sort as men might tread vpon it It is not saide that hee should come out of house of Dauid but out of the house of Iessee who was a Neateheard and a man despised The same was I say the father of Dauid a man of no estimation Albeit that Dauid was so excellent a king that he was chosen of God to be magnified to the skies yet the Prophet sheweth that when Iesus Christ shoulde come into the worlde it should not bee with any shewe of that royal maiestie that was in Dauid but he should come out of the house of Isay as if he should come out of a heard And that euen then also hee should not come of a tree but of a stocke that were cut off And in what manner And after what fashion As a little braunch saith he Nowe seeing that God did thus to the head of the church we must vnderstande that all the bodie must be sutelike but this maketh not that the hypocrites shall be partakers of that which God reserueth to his elect and whom he hath chosen and indeed doe shewe themselues to be his children and bee obedient vnto him as to their father which also come not alonely with all confidence but also are drawen with a right affection to honor him And wheras we perceiue y t God doth at this day sende horrible destructions into the worlde let vs vnderstande that he practiseth that which is heere declared yet let vs not doubt but that he doth euermore preseâ—ue his Church let vs not doubt but he doth vpholde vs as oft as wee haue our recourse to him according to this saying that whosoeuer calleth vppon the name of the Lord shal be saued Ioel. 2.32 yea euen amiddest the greatest troubles thay may be Though heauen and earth should run together yet are wee sure that by calling vppon the name of God we shall bee preserued But let vs take heede that wee abuse not his name to make thereof a fained cloake for he can wast vs well ynough And if we boast that wee bee of his Church when he hath cut vs off he can quickely rayse him a new people and augment them in such wise as his trueth shall not be defaced and yet we shall perish After that Moses hath thus spoken he addeth That like as God had taken pleasure in dooing good to the Iewes euen so he woulde take pleasure in persecuting them vntill he had consumed them and vtterly rooted them out Heere Moses doeth first of all shewe what affection GOD beareth towardes these whome hee hath chosen out for himselfe and meaneth to take for his flock It is certaine that God is not subiect to any humane passions yet can not he sufficiently manifest either the goodnesse or the loue that he hath towards vs but by transfiguring himself as if he were a mortall man saying that he woulde take pleasure in doing vs good Let vs vnderstand therefore that God holdeth vs so deere as if a father shoulde shoulde delight and reioyce to doe good to his children When hee seeth them according to his minde
to doe their duetie and haue a good intent as they terme it what shall become of such as weetingly prouoke the wrath of God They knowe well it is nought and that it shall not scape vnpunished and yet neuerthelesse they cease not to harden their heartes And wherefore For their lust doeth driue them thereto which boyleth so in them as they must needes accomplish that which they haue imagined Now when men do thus harden themselues against God notwithstanding that their conscience doeth reproue them and they knowe that they doe yll what is to bee saide to it Let vs learne therefore to behaue our selues well in these two pointes and generally let vs not fight against GOD but when our heart draweth vs eyther one way or other let vs vnderstand that all that euer proceedeth from our selues is contrarie to the rule that our Lord hath deliuered vs and let vs knowe that there is none other meane to discerne what is good and what is euill but by submitting our selues to the doctrine by the which our Lord holdeth all our senses thoughtes and affections captiue That is the effect of the matter which we haue to beare away in this place Nowe Moses addeth another similitude saying That such folke doe mingle drunkennesse and wickednesse together The wordes import as much as if it were sayd that they do mingle drunkennes and thirst together but wee will take it as it is here set downe In deede this place hath bin expounded diuerse wayes in so much that some to play the fine headed fellowes haue said that by the phrase which hath y e word Thirst or Thirstie Moses meant that part of the soule which yeeldeth it selfe to be gouerned by reason for as much as it is desirous of knowledge and seeketh after it and yet neuerthelesse doeth intermeddle with the other which maketh hir drunken with hir owne voluptuousnes and delightes and hath neither measure nor stay of it selfe But these be vaine speculations which we must let alone neither had I spoken of them but to y e ende y t none shold deceiue themselues w t them Let vs come to the playne meaning of Moses We haue seene heere afore the matter which he treateth of in this place and no doubt but this serueth as an exposition for the better declaring and confirming of that which we haue seene alreadie By the Thirstie therefore or by Thirst hee meaneth the appetite of man which is alwayes hungrie and I meane not the appetite of eating and drinking but the appetite of all our lustes Yee see then howe man in his owne nature is as it were thirstie so as wee bee alwayes sharpe set and can not bee satisfied by any maner of meanes for as soone as we haue beene tempted with one wishe by and by wee come to another and there is no man but he is vexed with diuerse chaunges and sortes of thirstinesse For albeâ—t that vices raigne more in some than in other some yet notwithstanding the man that is giuen to couetousnesse misseth not to haue other lustes in so much that couetousnes is not without cause counted the roote of all mischief â— Tim. 6.10 Likewise a whoremonger is caried away by his affections and wicked lustes and yet hath he other vices also therewithall When we haue well examined the nature of man it will bee founde that Moses could not better compare them than to such as bee thirstie And why so For they are neuer at rest they bee neuer contented they are alwayes sharpe set and they bee euermore eagre of their desires Hee speaketh it expresly in the Feminine gender and sayeth Shee that is thirstie bycause the present case concerneth the lust of man Hee putteth it in the person of a woman but yet neuerthelesse we see what hee meaneth And wherefore doeth hee put in Drunkennesse Bycause men be so farre out of order that they seeme to haue no discretion at all and when they bee once a little disguised anon they become starke drunken in so much that they seeke prouocations to drinke still and to guzzle wine and to swill it in more and more Ye see that when a man is once out of the way he layeth on drinke still and the more he drinketh y e more he may as they say and experience sheweth it Now then when man is accustomed and throughly nusled in drunkennesse hee becommeth a winesacke so that although hee powre in neuer so much wyne yet is he neuer filled but doeth still gulp it vp without ende of drinking Wee see these great drunkardes how all men woonder at them and it is a maruailous matter where they bestowe the drinke which they take in It seemeth vnpossible that any stomacke should holde it Againe wee see that they are past all shame and at all their venting places doe cast out the wyne which they had taken in And be they once emptie they be as readie to drinke againe as euer they were and when they sauour not the wine then must they haue new deuises to procure appetite If y e wyne mislike them though they be ready to burst yet must they eate some straunge meate as either a Carbonado or the verie snuffe of a Candle or a pickled hering and I wote not what else so that to all seeming they meane rather to murther themselues than to haue any honestie in them Nowe let vs looke to the course of the Text and wee shall finde that this similitude is so fit that Moses coulde not haue set foorth the lustes of men better than by comparing them to men ouersurfeited with drinke for it is certaine that wee shall neuer bee so well stayed in our affections but that we finde this in them I meane vntill God hath reformed vs by his holy spirit In deede we see some haue more honestie in them and which leade not a dissolute life neither in whoredome nor in drunkennesse nor in swearing nor in theft nor in any hurtfull thing Well then in these there is some shewe of vertue but yet it is impossible that a man should not be vncleane in his heart vntill God doe gouerne him for our nature must needes bee euermore sinnefull Gen. 6.5 and that which is sayde in Genesis must needes be accomplished in vs namely that all that euer the heart of man doeth imagine is froward and wicked Now seeing it is so Moses telleth vs heere that it is ouer much for vs to haue this cursed inclination by nature and therefore wee must fight against our lustes like as when a sicke man sees himselfe out of temper he must thinke that if he fulfill his owne fantasie he shall bring himselfe to a hotte and continuall ague and so kill himselfe Hee must therefore restraine himselfe And why For his desire as disorderly Euen so it is with vs and so must wee fight against our lustes and affections and it is a difficult combat Let vs labour therein by all the meanes wee can and yet
to doe vs good and continue the increase of his grace and benefites more more towardes vs. But nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him not to lay them to our charge but to drawe vs to him continually as long as wee bee in this worlde correcting our vyces and infirmities and ridding vs from all the corruptnes of our flesh and stil bearing with vs till hee haue fully reformed vs according to his righteousnes and taken vs quyte cleane out of this corruptible life And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the iiij of Iune 1556. The CLXXXIII Sermon which is the sixt vpon the two thirtith Chaper 20 So he sayd I will hyde my face from them and see what shall befall them For they bee a fickle generation children in whome there is no stedfastnes 21 They haue mooued mee to ielouzie by the thing that is not god and they haue prouoked mee to displeasure with their vanities And I likewise will moue them to ielouzie by them which are no people and by a foolish nation will I prouoke them to indignation 22 For the fire is kindled in my wrath and shal burne to the verie bottome of the pitte and deuowre the lande with the fruite thereof and burne vp the foundations of the mountaines WE sawe yesterday how God is more grieuously displeased when such as ought to honour and serue him do forsake him than when it is done by silly ignorant vnbeleeuers And not without cause For God adopteth vs with this condition that his glorie should shyne forth in vs and therefore must it not needes be a dubbling of the offence when wee be a reproche to him If a father bee despysed in his owne house euen by those whome he hath begotten will it not grieue him much woorse than if some one of his neighbours shoulde misuse him Seeing then that God hath vouchsafed to choose vs to be his children and hath done vs the honour whereof wee were not worthie let vs beware that our conuersation bee such as our faultes and misdeedes may not prouoke him nor the thing befall vs which Moses addeth here namely that he will hyde away his face Nowe by this saying the Scripture meaneth that when GOD hath vsed patience in bearing long with men winking at their vyces and ceassing not to doe them good and yet seeth that they bee altogether set vppon stubbornesse and vnreformable hee giueth them ouer for such as they bee Nowe all our welfare and happinesse lyeth in Gods defending of vs and in his caring for vs. For if hee forget vs and vouchsafe not to succour vs and to bee our defence in what taking are wee It were better for vs to bee destroyed out of hande than to linger beeing out of the protection of our God Therefore heere is a horrible threat and such a one as ought to make vs to quake when as it is sayde that when GOD hath tarryed a long tyme hee will withdrawe himselfe for our vtter alienating of him away from vs. Wee haue seene heere afore howe GOD vsed long sufferance and gaue not ouer his people at the first dash but yet that at length hee was fayne to shewe that hee will not that his goodnesse shoulde bee abused after that fashion nor that men shoulde harden their heartes by flattering themselues when hee punisheth them not out of hande Therefore let vs looke to ourselues For if wee haue offended God although hee lift not vppe his hande to punishe vs for it at the first instant yet must not that make vs to fall asleepe Let vs I say preuent the vengeaunce of our God for if hee be patient and beare with vs it is to winne vs by his gratious goodnesse and gentlenesse 〈…〉 .4 as S. Paul declareth in the second to the Romanes The more then that God spareth vs the more let vs take warning to turne againe vnto him and let it make vs ashamed that we hauing so good a father haue beene so stubborne against him And if wee will needes still welter in our owne filthinesse and heape naughtinesse vpon naughtinesse so as there is no ende nor measure of our transgressions then must GOD be faine to execute the thing which he speaketh heere by Moses namely Hyde a way his face that is to say that after hee hath hadde a care of our welfare and continued in dooing vs good he will at length giue vs ouer and shew that he is no longer bounde vnto vs and that although hee spared vs for a time it is not his intent to bolster vs continually in our euill dooinges Wherefore let vs bee afrayde of this threate and so long as GOD maketh vs to perceiue that he beholdeth vs with pitie let vs walke as before his eyes as though he were euer present with vs and in all our thoughtes wordes and deedes let vs haue our eyes still vpon him But by the way we haue to marke that God hydeth not his eyes in such sort but that hee seeth and marketh all mens dooings and dealinges But it is so sayde because God seemeth to shrinke away and to haue no more care of vs when he succoureth vs not at our neede For if aduersitie and afflictions oppresse vs and wee flee vnto God and yet finde no ease but pine away still continually it can not be but that according to our vnderstanding we must needes imagine that GOD hath quite forgotten vs and that he regardeth vs not any more After this maner doeth Moses tell vs heere that God hydeth away his face Furthermore we must vnderstande that when GOD hath once forsaken vs there neuer happeneth any euill vnto vs but it commeth from him that is to say all the afflictions which wee feele are punishmentes from his hande We must not then thinke that GOD letteth men alone at all aduenture when he punisheth them for their offences but rather that hee is then neere them to make them feele his power shewing himselfe a Iudge of their wicked deedes But as for to holde them in his tuition or to defende them in that behalfe he threatneth himselfe to be absent that is to say that they shall not perceiue any more that he broodeth them vnder his winges 〈◊〉 2.12 according to the similitude which he had vsed afore And it is sayde expressely That hee will see what their ende will be Heere GOD speakes after the manner of men for hee knewe all thinges aforehande euen before the creating of the worlde and he needeth not to be taught by time as mortall wightes doe But forasmuch as we can not attayne to the heigth of Gods maiestie hee is faine to make himselfe like vnto vs and all for our instruction and edification It is all one therefore as if he should say to such as despised him Goe too yee make no account for me I behaued my selfe familiarly towardes you
soone as he speaketh let vs quake at it let vs not tarry till hee smite vppon our heades with main blowes but let vs go vnto him obediently and let vs pray him to haue pitie vpon vs. For if we goe about to winne him by stoutnesse surely we shall finde howe it is not sayde without cause that Gods wrath is a burning fire to consume all thinges and wee shall feele that although we be neuer so stubborne and that our heartes to our owne seeming bee as whot as fire through ouerweening whereof wee haue made our selues as it were foretresses towers and bulwarkes for our great safetie yet notwithstanding God will so vndermine vs that we shall find howe there is nothing in vs wherewith to make resistaunce and that we haue no more power to stande before his wrath and vengeaunce than stubble or hay which is consumed out of hande by fire nay we shall be no better than towe Thus ye see howe wee may benefite ourselues by this doctrine if wee will not haue the sentence that God pronounceth executed vppon vs. That is to wit that forasmuch as his wrath burneth so whot and is able to consume all wee must turne vnto him as soone as he threatneth vs yea and so returne as he finde vs not to be foolishe and wilde headed folke as in whom there is nothing but lightnes and vnconstancie Nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to open our eyes more and more that we may see our owne wretchednesse and vpon the knowing thereof bee also so touched by his holy spirite that our heartes may stoope and hauing felt what wee haue deserued we may steppe to him aforehande to obtaine fauour and mercie of him and so continue therein that all our life long our whole seeking may be to increase and to be settled in his feare and loue that taking him for our father and reposing ourselues wholly vpon him and his goodnesse we may neuerthelesse yeelde him such reuerence as to quake at his threatninges and yet assure ourselues that hee will be so good a protector and defender of vs that we shal be safe from all daungers when he hath once taken vs into his protection and safekeeping 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 Fryday the v. of Iune 1556. The CLXXXIIII Sermon which is the seuenth vpon the two thirtith Chapter 23 I will heape euilles vppon them and I will bestowe mine arrowes vppon them 24 They shal be burnt with hunger and consumed with heate and with bitter destruction Also I will sende them the teeth of beastes with the venime of Serpentes that traile in the dust 25 The sword shal rob them of their children without and in their chambers shal be fearefulnesse vpon the young woman and the mayde the sucking child and the man with the hore head 26 I haue saide I will scatter them abroade and make the remembraunce of them to cease from among men 27 Were it not that I feared the disdayne of the enemie least peraduenture their aduersaries should wax straunge and say Our hande is high and it is not the Lorde that hath done all this thing WE sawe yesterday howe Moses hauing spoken of Gods vengeaunce to the people of Israel shewed how dreadful the same is because men are not so moued at y e first as were requisite at leastwise to consider their own naughtines to be displeased at it y t they might humble themselues be ashamed thereof before God For inasmuch as men are slowe vnto that our Lorde sheweth y t his threatning of them is not in sport and therefore that it is not for theÌ„ to fall asleepe at it and to take their ease but rather to treÌ„ble and quake Now pursuing the same matter Moses addeth That he will sende vpon that people all the euilles that can bee deuised that hee will let fly his arrowes at them to the vtter consuming of them that he wil arme the wilde beastes against them that hee will sende venemous serpentes among them which though they glyde in the dust shall neuerthelesse without fayle fasten vpon theÌ„ with their teeth that they shal be starued for hunger that he will sende them burning diseases enemyes without doores and feare within doores and that he will not spare their babes nor their olde men nor any thing else It might seeme at the first sight that GOD were ouerrigorous For seeing that God had chosen the ofspring of Abraham from among the whole world and his adopting of them was not grounded vppon any desert or worthinesse but vppon the freegoodnes of Gods owne will shoulde he haue vsed so great sternnesse against those wretched creatures though they had right greeuously offended him Why did hee not rather spare them and make the grace auailable which he had bestowed vpon them afore Nay we haue seene already the long sufferaunce which God had vsed towards them And when men doe heape vp hoords of wrath a long time together after that fashioÌ„ by their abusing of Gods goodnesse as who shoulde say they were minded to spite God wilfullie and to defie him to see the worst that hee can doe vnto them it is good reason that for their wilfull and stubborne hardening of their heartes God should make them to feele that hee will not haue his gentlenesse so scorned and finally turned cleane contrarie to his intent Againe after as God vttereth his fauour towardes vs so must it bee the deerelyer solde vnto vs if wee abuse it Nowe he calleth the Church his house 〈◊〉 3.15 and he taketh and admitteth vs for his children Therefore if hee be dishonoured among vs ought it not to greeue him worse as I haue declared afore than if those which belong not vnto him in comparison at all had offended him a thousand times Then let vs vnderstande that God did iustlie shewe himselfe so rigorous against the children of Israell and let vs applie this doctrine to our selues because wee be succeeded in their roome We haue seene alreadie heretofore howe God hath cut them off and graffed vs in in their steade to the intent wee shoulde bee partakers of the adoption that belonged vnto them Nowe if God haue not pardoned them what will hee doe to vs 〈◊〉 11. â—1 For we be not of more worthinesse than they neither is our state more excellent than theirs Therefore let vs see that we liue warely and that we make the grace effectuall which we haue receiued at Gods hand so as he may bee glorifyed thereby and our saluation more and more furthered and confirmed by meane thereof Thus ye see in effect what wee haue to gather vpon this text And whereas it is saide that God will heape euill vpon them and shoote out all his arrowes against them let vs marke y t here Moses meant to
set our mindes vpon the end which God hath promised vs. And therwithall let vs also haue an eye to his threatenings and let them hold vs in awe And although the wicked prouoke God and are not rebuked for it at the first bycause God seeth that they be not worthy to be chastised by his hand yet notwithstanding let not vs bee astonished therat but let vs vnderstand that Gods threatening of the transgressors of his Law after that fashion is not in vaine And therefore let vs frame our owne inditement that we may preuent the condemnation which otherwise taryeth for vs. That I say is the thing which wee haue to remember vpon the word End wherof Moses hath spoken heere And therwithall we see the goodnesse of God heere expressed after a wonderful maner in that he entereth into a complaning and sorrowing as if he were a man that could suffer O that this people saith he had bin weladuised True it is that our Lord is not subiect to our passions but he vseth such form of speech to shew that the loue which he beareth vs surmounteth the loue of all earthly fathers And therefore it serueth in effect to doe vs to vnderstand that when we goe wilfully into destruction and reiect the grace which was offered vs to our saluation then doe we grieue the spirite of God as is said in the Prophet Esay and it is al one as if we strake God with a dagger as he complayneth also by his Prophet Zachary That is one thing in effect which we haue to remember vpon this place And were all this well grauen in our heartes I pray you woulde it not make vs to abhorre all our sinnes When a man is tempted by Sathan to offend his God if hee would bethinke himselfe of this point and say How now Thou grieuest thy God thou giuest him cause to enter into complaint and sorrowe like a father that conceiueth griefe and anguish of mind when hee sees his children vnruly and vnreformable It is a wounding of him at the heart and so likewise God telleth vs y t we grieue his spirite If a man I say would bethinke himselfe throughly of these things although he had a heart of stone yet would they breake it and soften it And this is the cause why that throughout all the holy Scripture hee complaineth of this that we greatly grieue him whē we are so wicked vnruly Therefore let vs aduise ourselues wel for as much as hee is desirous to be our father let vs bee to him as children For it must needes be that Sathan hath more than bewitched vs that hee rageth most terribly in vs if we be not moued at such kind of dealing And it behoueth vs so much the more to marke well this text bycause our Lord condemneth men for that they are too senselesse and brutish and telleth them that they be too too blockish in that they haue not eye to their ende but specially for that hee proceedeth so farre as to cloth himselfe with our humane passions and lamenteth to see vs perish wilfully and that we cannot abyde that hee should deale like a father with vs. That is one thing more which we haue to marke vpon this text Now if any man alleage that God seeing men so destitute could wel giue them vnderstanding as we haue seene heeretofore where it is sayde God hath not yet giuen thee a minde and heart to vnderstand Deut. 29.4 We must mark that God hath his secret purpose which he reserueth to himselfe For he sheweth fauour to whom he listeth Exo. 33.19 Ro. 9.15 and he hath pitie on whome he hath pitie and it is not for vs to enter thereinto but rather to doe him the honour to confesse that he is the fountaine of al goodnes of al power of al wisedome and of all Iustice and vprightnesse Yet notwithstanding we must make hast when hee calleth incorageth vs by his word For if we come not ne hearken to the things that are set forth to vs in his name to receiue them obediētly by faith we shal be condemned as persons that haue grieued his holy spirite by rebelling against him and shewed our selues to be vnreformable children that haue disdayned our father and made our selues straungers to him and to his house That is the thing which is set forth vnto vs in this text Therefore whereas God vpbraideth vs with our grieuing of him let vs beware that wee enter not into these needeles curiosities but rather let it suffice vs to behold him in his word where he sheweth himself and where he sheweth himselfe in such wise as we shall finde that all they which frame themselues thereafter shall haue a happy end that is to wit that for as much as they bee adopted of God afore they cannot perish and on the coutrary parte that they which turne their backe to God when he sheweth them his face and which kick and spurne against him shall for their sturdinesse reape nothing but confusion That is the thing in effect which we haue to gather vpon this place Now Moses addeth consequētly Were it possible for one man to chase a thousand or that two should put ten thousand to flight vnlesse the Lord had inclosed thē and that their mightie one did hold thē captiue Here he sheweth by effect y t God had sufficiently warned his people if they had but one spark of reason in them And thereupō it is to be concluded y t there was no more excuse of ignoraunce for y t people but y t they were conuicted ouermuch to haue hardened their hearts euen of wilfull malice so to haue withstoode God to haue letted him y t he should not bring thē backe into the right way That was y e meaning of Moses Now let vs mark y t when God vouchsafed to shew his fauour towardes the people of Israel then was his promise performed y t is to wit y t as soone as the people did but as ye would say remoue thēselues by by their enemyes were ouercome We knowe what ouerthrowes they gaue and by what meanes y e same came to passe For we heare how it is said by y e Prophet Esay Esa. 9.4 y t whensoeuer God listeth to succour his people to vtter his power in their defence it shall fall out w t them as it did in the voyage against Madian Iudges 7. for at y t time Gedeon gate not the victorie by mans policie neither by vailancie or strength of hand but it was the sword of God of Gedeon that did the deede And yet it was so done as it might seeme to be a play of young children But our Lord saith y t he will maintaine his people after y t fashion Againe in other texts he declareth that his sauing of his people shall be neither by sword nor by speare Osee. 1.7 but by his owne only hand Ye see then how God
mightie hande and what wee haue to learne thereby 394. a 20.30.40 Moseses meaning by these words Gods saints are in his Hand 1188. b 30.40.50.60 c. 1189. a 10.20.30.40 Hands Howe the hearts of kings are in the Hands of God reade notable doctrine 477. b 10 Laying on of Hands a signe vsed in all solemne blessings 1244. a 30 Hang. Christ did Hang vpon the tree to be accursed and how 765. b 60 Lawes touching the bodie of an offender and howe long the same should Hang on the tree 761. a 30.762 b 10 The deuises of some countries for the burying of their bodies that did Hang on a gibbet c. 762. b 10 Of two things that are seene when the bodie of a man doth Hang vpon the gallowes 762 b 50 Howe Christ did Hang vpon a tree and that his so hanging happened not by haphazard 763. a 20. b 40.50 The manner howe the Iewes did Hang offenders and that they were first stoned 763. a 20.30 Hanging That God knewe of his sonnes Hanging vpon the crosse that he ordeined it and why 765. b 40.940 a 40.50 That our life is Hanging by a threade and howe that is meant 1009. b 60.1010 a 10.20 What we ought to know and consider when we beholde Christ Hanging on the tree 764. a 30.40.50 Looke Crosse. Happie Of leading a Happie life in this worlde as God promiseth how that may be or is meant 950. a 10. Looke Blessed Happinesse Where we must seeke our Happinesse and of such as seeke for it heere on earth 1148. b 10.20.30.1149 a 10.20.30.40 What wee must doe to haue a true and continuall Happinesse 1025. b 30.40.50.60.1026 a 10 Of certaine wicked persons and in what respects they thinke themselues to haue obtained Happinesse 924. b 30.40.50 Wherein all our Happinesse lieth and who be right happie and the way to be so 937. a 10.1147 b 30 Of the Happinesse which Adam enioyed before his fall 992. b all The Happinesse of this life what it is and wherin it consisteth 951. a 10.20 Looke Blessednesse and Felicitie Harden Sometimes the cause why God dooth blinde and Harden shal not be apparent 82. b 30.40.50.60 and 83. a 10 Notable doctrine vppon these wordes Harden not your neckes any more 442. b 60. 443. a b all Of what thing it is a signe when GOD doth Harden men 82. b 30 The intent of the scripture when it saith expresly that God dooth Harden 80. a 10 A glosse vpon this text that God did Harden Schons heart misliked 80. a 60. b 10.20 Though God Harden mens hearts yet men faile not to harden themselues 80. b 30 God dooth Harden mens hearts and why 80. a 50.81 a 10.60 The rewarde of such as will needs Harden themselues in naughtinesse 444. a 10 How we Harden our heart against our poore neighbour and the meanes to cut off that vice 581. a all Meanes which God vseth to Harden the vnbeleeuers as they deserue 535 a 30 Hardhearted The 156.157.158.159 sermons tende to this purpose that wee tempt not God nor continue Hardhearted at his threatening Looke also page 984 b 30 A cause alledged by Salomon why men become Hardhearted 987. a 60.988 a 10 The Hardhearted shall neuer be forgiuen as God himselfe sweareth 1037. a 20.30.40 Hardheartednesse A proofe that men ought to beare the blame condemnation of their own Hardheartednesse 80. b 40 How diuorsements were permitted to y e Iewes because of their Hardheartednesse and howe that is to be vnderstoode and meant 838. all Our Hardheartednes much more than that of the Iewes 2. b 60.278 b 30.1019 a 10.60 The Hardheartednesse of men noted Gods curses plagues notwithstanding 154. b 60. 155. a 10 Hardie What it is that maketh vs rightly Hardie in all things 86. b 40 How ouer bold and Hardy we be in following our owne passions reade the place 331. a 50.60 What way we might take to the Hardie 37. a 10.20 How we shal be Hardie ynough to obey Gods commaundemenes 74. b 40 Hardinesse The true Hardinesse which God alloweth of what it is 37. a 20.30 b 10.20 In what respects our Hardinesse will be turned to presumption 56. b 60. 57. a 10 Hardinesse were an excellent vertue if it were well taken 37. a 10 True Hardinesse iudged to be wilfulnes in Gods seruants 57. a 10.20 and how it must be grounded 56. b 60 From whence the Israelits might haue had such Hardinesse as to encounter their enimies 86. a 40 What our Hardinesse ought to be when the case standeth vpon aduenturing 74. a 40.50 Hardnesse What kinde of Hardnesse wee haue in vs. 132. a 40 The Hardnes of our hearts is the thing that hindereth charitie 581. a 10. Looke Hardheartednesse Harlot What a heinous fault it is for a man to couple and deale with an Harlot 788 b 10. Looke Whoore. Harlots Against priuie or close Harlots that wil seeme and bee taken for honest women 787. a 30.40 Idolaters and Harlots aptly compared by the Prophet Osee. 1164. a 30.40.50 Looke Whoores Heart Wee come short of louing God with all our Heart Reade why 273. a 40.50.60 The Heart of Sehon hardened reade how the doctrine is notable 80. a 50.60 b 10 How this worde Heart is taken in scripture and what it signifieth 243. a 60.272 b 60 Why the Heart and the thoughts are matched together 273. a 10 Hearts With what kinde of tooles wee must smooth and plaine our Hearts 423. a 10 Of seruing God with all our Heartes where much is spoken of our hearts of and on 911. b 50.60 912. a all 1173. all What wee haue to marke by this that God holdeth mens Heartes in his hande 75. b 20.30 and a 10.74 b 60 Haruest Lawes concerning Haruest and gleaning of corne and what was commaunded to bee doone to the poore 865. a 40.50.60.833 all 832. a 60 Hate Wee cannot bee Christes disciples except we Hate father and mother and how that hate is meant 1203. a all b 10 It cannot bee well perceiued in this worlde whom God dooth Hate and why 987. b 60.988 a all Howe and after what sort wee must Hate such as despise GOD. 731. b 10 Because we Hate God therefore we disobey him 192. a 40 It is a vice blameworthie to Hate one that hath slaine my brother vnwillingly and why 174. b 10 When and howe we are saide to Hate or spite God to his face 319. a 30.191 b all 192. a 50.60 Howe it is meant that God will requite such as Hate him euen to their faces 319. a 30.40.50.60 b 10.60.320 a 10 Hatred In whom the hatred of God is apparent ynough 191. b 40.50 Of Hatred borne specially to ones wife and consequently to others 751 a 50.60 b all Hatred or malice is the welspring of murther 689. a 40.60.516 b 20 Of Hatred against our neighbours Reade the place 173. a 50.60 and b 10 Of condemning Hatred in our selues and howe it is doone