hereafter Neither was that doone bicause GOD coulde not haue spoken otherwise but bicause it was best for our commoditie and instruction For we know that although men couet to seeme suttle and sharpe-witted yet they cease not to shroud themselues vnder the couert of ignorance when they see that Gods lawe presseth them for then wee woulde faine haue some excuse to exempt vs from the subiection thereof Now if Gods Lawe were not meete to teach the rude vnlearned Psal. 19.8 many would alledge that they be no clarkes and that they neuer went to schoole and so they woulde beare themselues in hande that Gods Lawe bounde them not But in asmuch as we see that God hath stooped to our rudenesse and spoken grosly according to our vnderstanding it bereaueth vs of all excuse and cutteth off all occasion of quarelling so as euery of vs must be faâ—â—e to submit our selues and to acknowledge that there is none other impediment but that wee be stubborne against God and loth to beare his yoke Thus ye see that Gods comprehending of all vnder one particular was to traine vs on as little children which are not of full capacitie to bee taught throughly and perfectly Neuerthelesse that is the true and natural sense of the text as we shall see hereafter For like as God gaue the tenne Sentences as hee termeth them so added he an exposition of them to the ende that nothing shoulde bee darke nor men call the thinges in question and disputation which they had hearde Wee see then that God hath opened himselfe more fullie and shewed howe his will is that not onely fathers and mothers but also all superiours without exception shoulde be obeyed Besides this let vs marke that God speaketh here of the honouring of fathers and mothers of purpose to drawe vs by meanes most conuenient and agreeable to our nature Wee knowe there is such pride in men as they bee loth to sloope one to another and euerie man thinkes hee ought to bee a master And surely it is harde for men to yeelde and come downe so lowe as simply to obey those that are in any authoritie ouer them vntill GOD haue reclaymed them GOD therefore perceiuing subiection to bee a thing so sore against our nature hath set vs downe the termes of Father and Mother to drawe vs to it by a more louing manner Nowe it is an owgly and vnnaturall thing that the childe shoulde not know those by whom he came into the world and by whom he was nourished and brought vp Therefore if the childe disdaine his father or his mother he is a monster euerie man wil abhorre him And why For without Gods speaking without hauing any holye scripture without much preaching vnto vs nature it selfe sheweth vs that the duetie which the childe oweth to his father and mother is such a one as cannot bee broken off Wee see then that the intent of our God is to winne vs to himselfe by setting downe the termes of father and mother to the end we should not be stubborn but come meekly to receiue the subiection that he layeth vpon vs. 〈◊〉 13.1 And because all the authoritie which men haue proceedeth from him he speaketh according to the Lawe of ciuill order meaning tâ—â—t we shoulde be diligent in doing him his due honour and euery of vs on his owne behalfe obey those that haue superioritie ouer vs Ep 6.1 â— Col. â—0 22 1. Pet. 2.18 and euerie man haue an eye to his owne state and calling so as the children honour their fathers and mothers the people the Magistrates and seruants likewise their masters and to be short that there be a good harmonie of concorde among vs according to the order that our Lorde hath set which ought to be inuiolable Furthermore whereas here is mention made of honour it is not ment that children shoulde but onely speake fayre to their father and mother or put off their Cappes or bow their knees to them for God staieth not vpon such things but Honouring importeth much more that is to wit that the children should follow their fathers and mothers counsell that they shoulde suffer themselues to bee ruled by them that they shoulde straine themselues to doe their duetie to them and to bee short that they shoulde knowe that they be not at their owne libertie so long as they haue father and mother That is in effect the thing that God ment by the worde Honour And that it is so we cannot haue a better or faithfuller interpreter of this law than the holy Ghost which spake by the mouth of Moses and of all the Prophets and also of S. Paul For we shall see hereafter Deut. 21.18.20 that God expoundeth the effect of this sentence that is to witte that it is not ynough for children to shewe some reuerence with the heade or with the knee to their parentes but that they must bee subiect to them and imploy themselues in their seruice to the vttermost of their power Eph 6.1 Col. 3.20 And Saint Paules auoching thereof is not to exhort vs to obserue some ceremonie but his meaning is that children shoulde bee subiecte to their Fathers and mothers He setteth downe expresly the worde Subiection So then we see now what this importeth and what the natural meaning of this place is Nowe let vs returne to the thing that I touched briefely before that wee may profite by it by gathering some profitable lesson of it First and formost let children vnderstande that seeing GOD hath giuen them fathers and mothers it is good reason that they shoulde obey them or else they shewe themselues to bee despisers of God and the stubbornenesse which they vse to their superiors concerneth not men nor mortall creatures but is all one as if Gods maiestie and glorie were troden vnder foote Matt. 23.9 It is saide that to speake properly wee haue but one father which is in heauen and that is ment not onely in respect of our soules but also in respect of our bodies Nowe then this honor of bearing the name of Father belongeth peculiarly to GOD alone and cannot agree to men furtherforth than it pleaseth him to make them partakers thereof Seing then that the title of father is as a marke which God hath set vpon men wee see that when children make no account of their fathers and mothers they doe wrong vnto God As much is to bee saide of all â—ch as disobey their princes magistrates â—â—d likewise of seruants that would haue all degrees confounded and raigne without order And for the same cause also did the Heathen meÌ„ apply this worde Godlinesse to that honour that wee giue to fathers and mothers and to all such as are in authoritie ouer vs. Godlinesse to speak properly is the reuerence that wee owe vnto God and yet the heathen notwithstanding that they were blinde wretches knew that God will bee serued not onely in his owne maiestie but also by our obeying
knowe it is able to burne vp a forest a citie or a whole countrie and therefore wee ought not to dout but that God is strong ynough for our enemies seeing hee is a consuming fire So likewise when Dauid intendeth to comfort himselfe in the middest of his greatest troubles so as hee seemeth to be hemmed in on all sydes and readie to be swallowed vp into the gulfes of hel we heare how he oftentimes sayeth that God is a consuming fire Psal. 〈…〉 assureth himselfe that all they which set themselues after that fashion against him shal be consumed thereof and they that conspire his death shal be deuowred of that fire which consumeth all things After this maner must we put this saying of Moses in practise And from hence hath Dauid drawen his saide doctrine as from the fountaine that serued all the other Prophets to gather right comfort of wherewith to resist and ouercome all the troubles that coulde befall them and the same also is the cause why Moses declareth that God is a consuming fire to dispatche all the enimies of his people Also Dauid fleeth therunto for refuge whensoeuer hee seeth great armies imbattled against him so as he is as a man past hope of victorie and is as good as banished out of his owne countrie yea and moreouer there are so manie that practise his destruction that he is vexed out of all measure Yee see then that he is as a wretched man in vtter extremitie and as a silie creature past hope of recouerie and yet for all that hee ceasseth not to make his boast that hee will neuer bee afrayd as long as hee hath God on his side And after the same manner doeth Sainct Paul conclude If God bee on our side Rom. 8.29 who shal be against vs Not that wee shall not haue store of enimies but that they shall not bee able to preuayle against vs. They shall make their triumphes aforehande but the victorie shall goe with vs if wee haue God for our defence Nowe wee see the reason of this similitude In the fourth Chapter of this booke Moses vsed the like saying but it was to another purpose For there his meaning was to stirre vp the people to feare and warinesse Deut. 4.24 And in deede wee haue neede to knowe that God is a consuming fire two wayes The one is the same that wee haue seene in the fourth chapiter which is also alleaged by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes who expoundeth this text faithfully Hebr. 12.29 saying My friendes it is a dreadfull thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God let vs beware howe wee dally with such a Lorde and let vs receiue his worde with all reuerence or else wee shall finde therein that God is a fire to consume vs. In deed when God commeth to vs and calleth vs vnto him hee allureth vs graciously and hee sheweth vs all manner of gentlenesse and fatherly louing kindnesse But yet howsoeuer he deale his meaning is not that men should abuse his goodnesse as we see these scorners do of whoÌ„ there is euer too great store We see a nuÌ„ber of scorners in these days which skoffe at Gods worde bearing themselues on hande that he which reigneth in heauen hath no authoritie ouer them They ouershoote them selues with desperate malapertnesse and bewray themselues to haue no more religion than dogs yet they perswade themselues that they may mocke with God after that fashion in al matters yet notwithstanding that they shall skape vnpunished Now forasmuch as men are so thanklesse do set vp their hellish bristles against god to despise his goodnes it is saide that they shall feele him to be a consuming fire Although hee shewe himselfe a father auowe vs to be as his children so as he will hold vs nourish vs in his lappe of purpose that we should behaue our selues mildly towardes him yeld him his due honor and loue yet if we abuse his gracious fauour so as we yeeld him no reuerence nor subiection then in steed of feeling his fatherly louing kindnesse wee shall finde him a consuming fire to deuour vs. Thus yee see howe wee must first of all take holde of that which Moses sayeth here to the intent wee may liue in awe feare and humilitie and alwayes holde our selues vnder the yoke and obedience of him that hath adopted vs and be true children towardes him as he is a father towardes vs. Howbeit let vs marke herewithall that he is a consuming fire to deuour our enemies When wee see our enemies threaten vs and that they become proude and stately against vs so as it may seeme that they shoulde destroy vs with their onely lookes let vs take holde of Gods power to comfort vs in all our afflictions and let vs consider that it is ynough for vs that God is a consuming fire Thus ye see howe we must apply this doctrine to double vse first that it may bee as a brydle to holde vs in awe and subiection vnder our God and secondly that it may bee as a bulwarke to outstande all temptations When wee bee striken in feare because wee heare that our enemies doe practise all that euer they can against vs and that it is in their hande to ouerthrowe vs and destroy vs yet let vs come still backe to this point and say Well then and what shall our God doe Thinke wee that he â—itteth ydle in heauen In deede it may well bee that for a time hee will suffer vs to bee vexed and to haue our neckes vnder the sworde and to bee as silly sheepe led to the slaughter but yet for all that our life is precious in his sight because hee hath chosen vs to bee his heritage And although hee suffer vs to bee troubled for a time yet in the ende hee will make vs to perceiue that hee was alwayes at hande with vs so as wee shall haue continuall cause to glorifie him specially when wee shall see that hee shall haue ouerthrowen all those which now haue their whole swindge against vs in comparison of whom wee be nothing at all Thus much concerning the saying wherein God is called a consuming fire Now Moses commeth to the seconde matter which wee haue touched which ought to be wel marked namely that when God hath helped succoured vs and done more for vs than wee looked for or than our witte could conceiue we must yeeld him his deserued glorie so as wee be not sotted with pride and ouerweening to challengde that to our selues which belongeth alonly vnto God let vs beware of such vnthankfulnesse Againe let vs not imagine that God serueth his turne by vs in respect of any worthinesse of ours but let vs vnderstand that his choosing of vs is onely in respect of his owne good will Wee shall not finde any deseruing at all in our selues in this behalfe but it is of his onely free mercie which hee will
their children will not be reclaymed at the first choppe that for very spyte they let them alone and so their children fall into all excesse But they ought not to deale so Howe then Vntill they finde by experience that their childe is out of measure stubborne and sheweth himselfe to bee of so frowarde and ildisposed nature that hee can not be reclaimed the father and the mother ought to proceede still with that nurturing of him which God commaundeth heere And parentes ought to bee patient in this case for mieldenesse is a vertue right requisite in this behalfe because that if a father trust to his owne courage he shall marre his children if he finde any hardnesse in the teaching of them forasmuch as it is alwayes a painefull thing and yet GOD will haue men to occupie themselues in nurturing of their children notwithstanding the painefulnesse thereof And if they can not frame their children according to their desire but that they will needes take the brydle in their teeth truely it can not but turne to the great griefe of the parentes What say they Ought not one worde to serue to the childe Ought he not to be ashamed if there were any droppe of honestie in him After that manner might a father speake But howsoeuer the worlde go yet must not the creature be left at randon without regarde of winning him to God Wee must rather vse patience still as Saint Paul counselleth vs in speaking of corrections In deede hee telleth vs that we must vse sharpnesse and rigour to moue such as be ouermuch hardened in their naughtinesse but yet hee woulde haue it matched with meekenesse and patience Nowe then what ought fathers to doe Should they bee so far out of patience as to giue ouer the correction of their children No. And therefore let vs learne that in this text fathers for their parte are warned to haue a stay of themselues when they see their children giuen to lightnesse vnconstancie and to misbehaue themselues and that although they cannot winne them at the first nor bring them to such meekenesse as to make them take y e right way of their owne good will yet they must consider with them selues howe it is Gods will to keepe them occupied in that kynde of paines taking and to trye their patience after that manner Thus yee see one other poynt more which wee haue to marke in this text where mention is made of such vnreformable stoutnesse and stubbornesse as fathers and mothers doe finde to bee past remedie in respect of themselues and therefore are faine to resort to the Iudge Nowe let vs come to the euidence that is to be giuen by the father and the mother It is said that they shall come to the gate for that was the place of iustice in olde time So then they shall repaire to the seate of iustice and there say This sonne of ours is stubborne against vs froward wee haue assayed to reforme him cannot preuaile with him He is a riotour a drunkarde and therfore wee put him now into your handes Gods will is that vppon this euidence the chyld shall bee stoned to death And it is not without cause y ◠he giueth such authoritie to fathers and mothers For it is not likely that men wil be so cruell as to spill their own bloud that were vtterly against nature Therfore it is good reason that y e father mother should bee beleeued without further scanning or sifting of the matter seeing the case concerneth their own children For it were a shaming of the father mother to driue them to bring witnesses against their own children their dealing by ordinarie maner of inditement should be a derogation to the degree wherein God hath placed them And seeing such prerogatiue is giuen to men they ought to haue the more regard of their duetie But Gods will is that the father and the mother should be beleeued And why Because hee hath printed ingrauen such an affection naturally in their hearts towardes their children as that they had leuer to dye than to do them wrong Nowe if a man bee so wicked and beastly as to practise any thing falsly against his owne childe and to shewe himselfe voyde of the louing kindnes which our Lorde hath printed in mankind and whereof some footesteppes and sparkes are to be seene euen in the brute beastes what a thing is it that a man should so farre ouershoote himselfe And therefore parentes see here what honour God doth them in making them to be beleeued against their children which thing ought to make them to inforce themselues the more to loue them and to bring them vp with al gentlenes yea and euen in their chasticing of thē to vse the rule that Saint Paul giueth vs Eph. 6.4 which is that parents shoulde not put their children out of heart by their ouergreat rigour For dyuers tymes it falleth out that a chyld is put out of heart because he sees his father vse no mieldnesse towardes him nor any reason or loue in his doings Therefore must discretion be vsed in this case And to bee short let vs note that the more honour GOD doeth vs the more are wee bounde to doe our dueties As for example such as are aduaunced to any degree or state of honour ought to consider that GOD hath bounde them exceedingly and that they ought to strayne themselues the more to doe their duetie and this belongeth generally to al states But it is sayde here expressely concerning fathers and mothers And therefore such as haue children must looke that they loue them after such a sorte as they may well keepe themselues from abusing the power and authoritie which they haue of God for it is not committed to them to that end Also it is declared heere further that the father and the mother may not accuse their children iudicially vnlesse they finde them vnreformable I haue tolde you alreadie that this place speaketh of punishment by death For if fathers and mothers fall to putting of their children to death before they haue vouchsafed to take paynes with them to see them well instructed ought they not to bee coupled with them as causers of their destruction A father perchaunce will say I haue not consented to my sonnes lewdnesse I haue let him alone Yea but shouldest thou haue falne asleepe when as God appoynted thee to keepe watch Thou shouldest haue guyded thy childe so as hee shoulde not haue stepped one pace but thou shouldest haue beene at hande to direct him Thou wouldest haue guyded a brute beast and hast thou made no reckening of thine owne seede Thou lettest the creature alone which is formed after the image of God whereof notwithstanding thou wast appointed to bee the keeper and thinkest thou to scape by so try fling an excuse Then if fathers and mothers come to this plunge of shewing their children to haue beene sturdie and vnreformable if they can not first protest
all for the child to stoope to him though the father doe him wrong or reuile him saying thou villaine thou stretchehalter thou gracelesse knaue what wilt thou doe When thou hast killed me with greife and sorrow of mind thou must needes cal down Gods vengeance vpon thee When the father vseth such roughnesse towardes his chylde and the chyld humbleth himselfe vnto him and becommeth as it were dumme without replying at all against him it shal bee a great honour to him to haue receiued correction at his fathers hande and to haue beene touched by him after that fashion Now then sith wee see that this superioritie which God hath giuen to fathers mothers is a thing which wee ought euen naturally to haue in estimation if a chyld nod his head at all the warninges that are giuen him shewing himselfe brazen faced and vtterly past shame so as hee regardeth not what his father and mother say vnto him but wrings his groyn at them for their putting of him in mynde of his faultes is he not quyte cleane past grace What can a man say more or hope for at his hande Now then let children haue regarde hereof and let them note also that the honouring of their father and mother is the first commaundement that is giuen in the seconde table and the onely commaundement of the law that hath any promise 〈◊〉 6.2 I meane speciall promise as S. Paul declareth And hereby wee bee put in mynd that such as holde scorne to honor their fathers and mothers doe not only despise God but also shewe their vnbeleefe in mocking at all his promises and in refusing and casting away of all his blessings wilfully as if they should say I passe not for prospering by Gods grace I will none of that meane And for proofe that it is so God hauing sayde that we must honour our father and mother addeth To the ende thou mayst liue long in the lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee 〈◊〉 10.12 as if hee shoulde say Looke not that I shoulde prosper you or blesse you but vppon this condition that yee obey your fathers and mothers Nowe then as for those that harden themselues do they not shewe that all is one to them whether they bee depriued of Gods grace and blessing or no And that is an intolerable vnthankfulnes Moreouer let vs mark also that wheras God speaketh of the honouring of our fathers mothers hee meaneth not of ceremoniousnes but that children shoulde thinke thus with themselues God hath giuen mee a father and a mother to the intent I shoulde bee ruled by their hande and liue vnder their direction The honour then which a chylde oweth to his father mother consisteth not in pretending some ceremonious and counterfet humilitie but in behauing himselfe meekely in suffering them to haue the gouernement of him and in beeing tractable to bee refourmed when his parentes tell him of his faults Those bee the things that children ought to regarde but specially religion For often times fathers and mothers deserue well to bee disobeyed at their childrens hands And in deede they can no skill of seruing God otherwise than by disobeying their fathers and mothers If there bee any man so wicked that hee woulde haue his sonne giuen to craftinesse to leaudnesse to vnthankfulnesse to periurie and to trecherie what a thing were that And yet we see a number of fathers which haue beene despysers of God all their life long and all their seeking is to bring vp their children in their owne schoole A father will say to his sonne I renounce thee if thou bee not like me Such cursed wordes shall we heare men speake In so much that hee which hath beene a whoremonger and infected a whole countrye with his filthinesse all the time of his life or a blasphemer or a drunkarde will needes haue his sonne to bee like himselfe Nowe in such cases children must disobey their parents for otherwise they cannot obey God And therefore S. Paul speaking of the honor and obedience that children should yeeld to their parentes addeth this exception or afterspeeche Eph. 6.1 in the Lorde For God must euer haue the vpper hande And for the same cause also did I say crewhyles that the honour which is required in this commaundement of the lawe ought then cheefely to be put in practice when fathers and mothers doe their indeuour to trayne vp their children well and to correct their vyces Then must the children in any wise obey assuring themselues that if they admit not both the warnings and the chasticements of their parents and reforme themselues thereafter when they heare their vices so condemned they shewe themselues to be disobedient both to God and to the order of nature Notwithstanding to the intent that children excuse not themselues and beare themselues in hande that it is a light fault to disobey their parentes heere God condemneth such disobedience to death It is God that giueth this sentence and not man And hee sayeth that it is an vnpardonable fault when a childe is so hard-hearted that his fathers and mothers correction̄ cannot preuaile with him For why wee must euer come backe to this point that such a one is as a monster and whatsoeuer is against nature wee ought to lothe abhorre it And no dout but Gods curse vengeance would bee kindled against vs if we should suffer the thing that is against nature Nowe if a child wil not heare his father and his mother when God vouchsafeth to giue him gouernours at home to tell him his faults his despysing of them is a manifest despysing of God For why God hath printed his marke vppon the father and mother insomuch that if there bee any religion the same must bee acknowledged in the person of the father and of the mother Euen the very Heathen had a cōmon saying concerning the obedience which they yeelded to God and to their parents As if they should say as nature had taught them that fathers mothers beare the image of God in this world y t he which hath any religion in him acknowledgeth any soueraine maiestie submitteth himself therto must also needs obey his father mother The verie heathen spake after y t maner it was their common style Nowe then if we receiue not this instruction must it not needes follow y t wee be too destitute of wit Greatly ought we to be ashamed to be taught in the schoole of the Heathen to knowe our dutie Therefore as I saide afore let children knowe that it is no light fault nor easie to be pardoned when they bee disobedient to their fathers and mothers For why They had the instinct of nature which they ought to haue followed And therefore it is an vnpardonable cryme to disobey a mans father mother according whereunto it is sayde in another place He that smyteth his father or his mother Exod. 21.15 shall dye y e death without fauour
Patriarke And soothly it is a great honor that a detestable villaine hauing broken the whole order of nature yea and committed aduowtrie with his own fathers wife did yet for all y t liue still vpon the earth But God maketh him a Patriark in his Church he wil haue his name holy his posteritie holy Lo here a wōderful mercifulnes of God Yet must he be faine to humble himselfe haue his fault knowen y t hee may no more flatter himselfe That is the cause why Iacob speaketh so roughly and as ye would say thundereth against him being his eldest sonne as I sayd afore Now the comfort which Moses setteth downe here may seeme straunge as why he should say Let Ruben liue and not dye It was to the end that the tribe of Rubē that is to say the people which came of him for there were at that time a great number of heades of howses as it were about a fiftie thowsand men should thinke with thēselues we bee after a sort cut off frō gods house For inasmuch as our father was after a sort banished bereft of his byrthright and wee be succeeded in his place what is our inheritance now but vtter infamie Thus ye see how y e Rubenites that is to say the people y t came of Rubens line might haue bin ashamed if they had not bin vpheld by putting their trust in God to serue him with a pure and freehearted affection or if their heartes had failed them so as they had not still imbraced the promise of saluation which had bin made vnto them and knowen themselues to be the children of Abraham a linage which God had accepted and separated from the rest of the world It behoued the Rubenites to haue that And for that cause it is sayd Let Rubē liue not dye as if Moses had sayd true it is y t Rubē deserued to haue his lyfe thrust downe to the bottom of hell but yet shall he liue for his fault is forgiuen and God hath giuen him lyfe that not such a common lyfe as all the sonnes of Adam haue but Ruben shal liue in the Church of God he shall haue place among the Patriarkes the people which shall come of him shall be a member of Gods Church and of the number of those people whom he hath chosen and sanctifyed Thus then wee see now the meaning of Moses And here we be taught that it ought to suffice vs when our Lord taketh vs to mercie to reserue vs to be of his people When we haue offended him so as we deserue to be cast off to be vtterly disclaymed at his hand it ought well to suffice vs if wee may but haue a place still in his Church be taken admitted for his childrē Moreouer if we be chastized for our faults let vs take it in good worth beare it patiently let vs not doe as they doe which grudge grinde their teeth when God chastizeth thē think they haue great wrong if they be not dādled when they haue more neede to be handled roughly Let vs then beare all y e temporal correctiōs which God sendeth vs with such mildnes meeknes as it may suffise vs to be cōforted in y t he dooth not rase vs out of the register of lyfe but are accounted still among his childrē Doth God then smite some with sicknesse some with pouertie and some after some other sortes so as they pine away in this world wote not where to become Well let all this bee easie for vs to beare so long as we haue stil wherwith to sweeten our sorrowe that is when God sheweth vs y t notwithstanding our imperfections miseries yet he ceaseth not to be our father still So long as we haue that let vs ouergoe all the temptations in the world Well I must bee heare as a wretched creature skorned an outcast of the world shamed despised I shall see no end nor measure of miseries but what for all this Yet is it enough for me so I bee auowed for the childe of God Thus ye see what we haue to gather vppon this place when God doth continually put vs in minde of our desertes and toucheth vs with thē maketh vs to feele them by proofe and experience For whereas he sayth Let Ruben liue and not dye it is to shewe them what he were worthie of that it was needefull in deede that God should haue pitie vppon him insomuch y t if he had listed to haue vsed rigor hee deserued to haue bin vtterly rooted out That then is the first poynt which wee haue to remember vppon this place Moses addeth let his people be fewe in nūber In deede a man might here repeate the former saying thus let him not dy let not his people be few in number But that were constrained forced The naturall sense then is that the Rubenites should be small in number not that they shoulde not be a great multitude of folke for as I tolde you afore they were fiue and fortie Thowsand men besides women children and that is an incredible multitude to come of oneman alone But Moses meaneth small in number because Ruben all his ofpring which ought to haue had preheminence ouer all the children of Abraham was basely slenderly esteemed and placed in a very lowe degree Therefore it is all one as if he had sayd Although Ruben be not restored to his honor but dooth still beare the marke of his reproch and is faine to holde himselfe among the common aray of the children of Israel and to be subiect to his brother Iuda to yeelde reuerence to him as to his superior yet notwithstanding let him liue To be shorte Moses confirmeth that which I haue declared already that is to wit that although Rubē was put from his byrthright because of his wicked doinges and so became vnworthy of the honor which had bin done vnto him yet notwithstanding his linage ought not therefore to bee dismaid but rather take comfort in that God held them still in the number of his people And although they be not Capteines ne haue y e kingdome in their trybe yet ought they not therefore to fret repine but rather to abide in their degree to be glad that they haue God still to their father to set their whole felicitie joy there in the meane season to beare the correction patiently which God sendeth them as a medicine and to make their benefite thereof And moreouer they ought not to bee out of hope as though God had disclaymed them but assure themselues that they were still reteyned for the linage of Abraham which was blessed had the promise of euerlasting saluation Immediatly after hee setteth downe concerning Iuda Let it be thus vnto Iuda saith he And he saith Lord heare the voyce of Iuda Moses magnifieth not the tribe of Iuda so greatly heere as he did in
monster c. 213. a 50 Children Whereof Gods esteeming of vs as his Children doth proceed 337. a 30.40 Children that smite their parents iudged to dye the death without fauour 760. a 10.20 That we Christians are in the same degree of honour that the Children of Abraham were in 847. a 10 A lawe made that Children should not dye for their fathers sins 861. a 20.30 We ought not to hate the Children for their fathers sakes 861. a 50.60 Disobedient Children curssed and stoned to death Read that place aduisedly 929. a 40.50.60 Touching the good education bringing vp of Children Read page 745 a 60. b 10. c. 20.30.40 How heynously such Children as despise their parents do offend 759. a all Euidence giuen by the parents against their Children 757. a 40.50.60 b 10 The charge dutie of such as haue Children 754. a 60 With what condition Children are giuen vnto vs. 755. a 10 Of stubborne and disobedient Children and their punishment by Gods lawe 756. b all In what cases Children must disobey their parents 759. b 10.20.30 Wherein the honor that Children owe to their parents consisteth 759. a 60. b 10 Children must not refuse correction at their parents hands 758. b all 759 a 10.20 c. What things Children should consider with themselues touching their parents 758. b 10.20.30 c. The duetie of Children towardes their fathers mothers purposely set downe 758. b 10.20.30 c. That Children must be guided and gouerned by counsell c. Euen when they be come to yeares of libertie 775. b 50.60 Of the Iewes being the Children of Abraham and why the Prophets called thē bastards worse 797. b al. How wee being no Iewes borne are become the true Children of Abraham 798. a 1020 That all men in general are called gods children and to whome the same doeth properly belong 1110. a 40.50 60. b all Against such as neglect y e care good training vp of their Childrē 755. a al God calleth Angels kings princes Magistrates his Children 1113. a 40 We be Gods Children euen by nature because we beare his image 1113. a 10.20 Of carnall Children and spirituall children Read Page 1110. b all Howe we shew our selues to be none of Gods Children and what wee must doe if we will haue God auow vs for his Children 1110. b 50 Children comprehended and receiued into the number of Gods people 1027. b 40.50 The heathen vsed to burne their Children to their Gods Looke well on y t place 523. a 60. b 10. c. Whether God punisheth the Childrē for the fathers offences 189. b 10.20.30 c. 190. all What is the chiefe exercise and studie of Gods Children 97. b 50 Notable doctrine vpon these wordes All were put to the sword euen litle children and all 83. b 50.60 What is required in vs or else wee can not bee the Children of God 62. b 10 The Children that come of Christians are alreadie chosen of God to be his flocke c. 9. b 60 Why the diuelish geerishnesse which the wicked vse to ouerthrowe Gods Children with all c. shoulde not put vs out of hart 75. b 10.20 What be the blessinges of God on the Children of the faithfull 190. b 10.20.30 We be of Gods Church and therefore are his Children 62. a 50.60 The diuels were sometimes as y e Children of God Read the place 170. b 10 The verie cause why God commaundeth fathers to teach their Childrē 129. a 40 Howe we ought to traine vp our Children in the doctrine of the trueth 129. b 30.40.50 What Parentes should doe if they see their Children despisers of God c. 297. b 60. 298. a 10 How Fathers would haue their Childrē resemble them 215. b 50.60 An exhortation to Children touching their duetie of obedience to their parentes 216. b 10 The behauiour y t. Children are bounde by Gods lawe to doe to their Parentes 213. b 10.20.30 Wherein Children doe wrong vnto God in disobeying their fathers and Mothers 213. b 50.60 Children must not misbehaue thēselues when their parentes are too sharpe vnto them 216. b 40.50 Most excellent doctrine vppon these wordes It is not spoken to your Childen c. 456. a b al. 457. a 10 How far the duetie of Children to their parentes should extend 218. a 50.60 The wel bringing vp of Children complained of 474. b 20 An exhortation to such as haue Children to see to their good bringing vp 474. b 40 It is no small honour that God doth to men and women in giuing thē Children Read that place aduisedlie 474. a 50 How disorderedlie fathers do bring vp their Children in these dayes 326. b 10.20 The wicked trade of Fathers trayning vp of their Children 215. b 50 60 Whereby God will haue his Children knowen in this worlde 327. a 30 Choose Notable doctrine vpon these words In y e which place thy God shal Choose 496. a 40.50.60 and b all 497. a 10 Why God saith he will choose a speciall place to put his name in 509. b 20.30 No worthinesse at all in the Iewes why God should choose them to bee his people c. 407. b 30.40.50.60 and b 10 Why God among all nations of the world did choose the ofspring of Abraham 420. a 60. b 10 The cause why God did choose the Iewes to bee his people and no other nation as well as them where two pointes worth the noting are inferred 437. a all Chosen Most pithie doctrine vpon these words Therefore hath hee chosen c. 165. b 40.50.60 and 166. a 10.20.30.40.50.60 Howe tenderlie God loueth such as he hath chosen and meaneth to take for his flocke 1004. b 50.60.1005 a 10 What will become of vs if we imagine God to bee bounde to vs because he hath once Chosen vs. 148. b 10 It is not enough for vs to knowe that God hath Chosen vs to himselfe 166 b 10 What wee ought to doe seeing GOD hath Chosen vs to be his 170. b 20.30 The end whereto God hath Chosen vs. 171. b 50 The end why the Iewes were Chosen to be Gods people 910. a 30. Looke Elect and Faithfull Choosing From whence the cause of Gods Choosing of vs doeth come 420. a 50 Of Gods Choosing of our forefathers and the cause thereof 168. b 40 The Preaching of the Gospell is a kinde of Choosing 166. a 40.50 What we haue to learne by this that the place where God would be worshipped belonged to his own Choosing 509. a 60. b 10 Of a second Choosing that God vseth what it is and howe 166. b 40 A notable Choosing of vs by the Gospell and the Sacraments that God vseth 166. b 20 Faith whereby we tast the worde is a seconde sort of Choosing 166. a 60 Looke Election Christ. To what ende the comming of Christ from the bosome of his father serued 1247. b 20 Christ is the perfection and life of the law 405. a all How the
dayes A great number of Holie dayes among the heathen and of holie dayes reteined at this day 495. a 10.20 Holinesse What the worde Holinesse importeth 955. a 50 The Holinesse of the Scribes and Pharises and the holinesse of Monkes Friers compared 784. a 40.50 b 10.518 b 40.50.60.519 a 10 Our calling is warranted by our walking in Holinesse of life 300. a 50.203 a 40.50 Holie water Of the washings of the heathen and the Holie water of the papists 495. a 40.50 The Papists Holy water a kind of clensing of their owne deuising 668. a 20. and that it is but a charme 908. a 20 and of whom they borrowed it 766. b 40.50 Looke Baptisme Homage Of the Homage that we owe vnto God and how we should performe y e same 1067. a all 585. a 60. b 10.518 a 30. c. b 10. Looke Dutie and Seruice Honestie Of Honestie sobrietie or stayednesse and in what points the same consisteth 224. a 50.225 a 10.20 What regarde we ought to haue to the Honesty good name of our neighbour reade page 235. a 60. c. the whole sermon ouer Lawes concerning the Honesty chastitie of women both married vnmarried with diuerse circumstaÌ„ces read sermon 128. beginning at page 785. a 20.883 a 60. b all The impudence of some that will iustifie their Honestie though they be manifest naughtipacks 786. a 30.40 A lesson which the heatheÌ„ haue taught vs concerning Honestie 773. b 30 What is ment by Honestie in apparell 774. a 10 Honour What the greatest Honor is that we caÌ„ do vnto God 496. a 50.328 b 60.329 a all The Honour of God and our saluation matched together 536. b 50 How they that are aduanced to Honor do beare themselues in hand 21. a 60 What Honor we ought to do vnto God in all our worldly affaires 55. a 40 They whom God hath set in Honor preeminence haue neede to be told of their dutie 18. a 20 What the word Honour due to parents and superiours importeth 213. b 10 20.30 God cannot abide to be robbed of his Honour and howe that is done 38. a 10.214 b 10 What the states of Honour and all the dignities of the world are â—2 a 10 In what sort manner we ought to Honour God 342. b 10.20.794 a all b 10.539 a 10.20 Men oftentimes come to Honor in the world by plain theeuerie 231. b 10.20 What regard we ought to haue of gods Honour is shewed by the care that we haue of our owne and our friends 540. a 10.20.30 By what meanes men may Honor God purely 20. a 20.215 a 30 God requireth no Honour at our hands for that hee hath neede thereof c. 212. a 10.20 The greatest Honour that a man can take to himselfe what it is 166. b 10 The Honour of God excelleth all things that concerne man 212. a 10.547 a 20 God neglecteth not his Honor though he seemeth to vs so to do 188. b 20 Howe Gods Honour is defaced in bearing witnesse 236. b 30.40.50.542 a 10 20 Wherein the Honor that children owe to their parents consisteth 759. a 60. b 10 Why a childe ought to Honour his father whatsoeuer father he be 214. b 60 215. a 10 How farre this saying of God I will not giue mine Honour to another doth reach â—97 a 20.30 The high Honour that God doth vnto men in choosing them to represent his person 184. a 40 Now we be affected in the maintaining of our own Honour bow in Gods 188. b 30.40 The meaning of these wordes Honour thy father and mother c. 212. b 10.20 c. Men imagine an idle Honour and what insueth vpon that fansie 13. b 40 God setteth more store by his own Honour than by the saluation of our soules 484. a â—0 30 What kinde of Honour God requireth of vs to his law 262. a 10.20 Howe heinous a crime it is to rob God of his Honour 251. b 50.60 A true proofe that we be willing to Honour God 381. a 20 What is the cheefest Honour that God requireth at our hands 374. a 10 Two wayes noted whereby we rob God of his Honour 372. a 40.50.60 and b 40.50.368 a 20 The common and ordinarie meanes of men in defeating God of his Honor. 368. a 10.20 Hope A vaine Hope of Gods helpe in them y t trust to their imaginations 55. a 10.20 The force of the Hope which wee shall haue of feeling Gods goodnesse 25. a 50 We are made partakers of immortall glorie aforehand by Hope 35. a 40 What we must do if we will haue an infallible Hope of the heauenly life 9. a 20.519 b 20.30 Moses confirmeth the Iewes in Hope of the Lords fauour 1074. b 10 Howe far our Hope must extend 171. a 20 What maner of Hope we ought to haue in God is shewed by comparison of an anchor 374. a 10.20 Looke Trust. Horeb. Why the mount Horeb ought to haue bin sanctified 387. b 10.20 Look Hil. Hosts For what cause God is called the Lorde of Hosts 969. a 10.476 b 50 House The meaning of these words IudgemeÌ„t shall beginne at Gods owne House meaning his people 1159. b 50.60.1160 a all Who is saide to bring bloud vppon his House 777. a 40.50.60.778 a all How euery man should think with himselfe when he hath a House to dwell or to be dwelt in 719. a 60. b 10 Houses Such as had built newe Houses and had not dwelt in them exempted from going to warre and why 718. b 50.60 Of the dedicating of Houses Reade at large in page 719. a all Of building great large Houses how vaine they be which is our chiefe house 616. a 10.20.30.40.50 In what order such as keepe Houses and haue a charge should rule them 507. b 40.50.617 a 10 The benefite of Houses and to what vses they serue 614. b 60 A law for building Houses with battlements and rayles and why 776. b 40 50.60.777 al. Houshold How a man should prosper in himselfe and his Houshold 952. b 50.60.953 a 10.20 Housholds Why it is said by Moses then meÌ„ should make merrie with their Housholds before God 568. a 10.20.30.40 Housholder God compared to a Housholder looke into the comparison 467. b 50 The duty of an Housholder this would be wel looked vpon 507. b 50.60.492 b 30.40.50 Humanitie The 141 and 142. sermons tend wholly to the doctrine of Humanitie to bee vsed among men Humilitie A pretended Humilitie of the Papistes noted 389. b 10 A definition or description of Humility 376. a 40 Gods chastisements tend to bring vs to repentance and humilitie 50. b 50.216 b 60 An exhortation to Humilitie by the example of Christ. 675. a 40 Of a certaine Humilitie required in vs and whereto the same must lead vs. 314. a 10.20.30 What will insue if with Humilitie wee seeke to knowe the thinges that are auailable to our saluation 298. a 50 A triall that God vseth to prooue our Humilitie
rest vpon it Had this bin well obserued in the world there should not be so great troubles variances at this day as there are Whence come the variances that are betwixt vs the papists but of y t men haue not reserued vnto god y e thing that belongeth vnto him but haue framed articles of faith lawes and ordinances at their owne pleasure in the ende are come to this horrible confusion of mingling the inuentions of mens braines with the purenes of the holy scripture so as they haue marred all things And wherof else commeth it that euen at this day the papistes fight still for the maintenance of that tyrannie that a man might not knowe God from his Apostles as they themselues say by which common prouerbe of theirs they condemne themselues and cut their owne throtes Wherefore let vs marke well this lesson wherein it is saide that the iudgement is Gods that is to say that the superioritie which men haue in what degree so euer it bee is not to diminish Gods preheminence but rather to maintaine it What then are the states of honour and all the dignities of the worlde They are all meanes to bring to passe that God may reigne ouer vs and to make all men to stoope to him and to knowe him and obey him in all cases So then what ought kings Emperours and Magistrates to doe They ought to see that God be exalted and magnified as he is worthie and that all their subiectes doe him homage and they themselues must shewe them the way Againe what ought schoolemasters and fathers to doe and all such as haue anie householde or seruauntes Euerie of them ought to consider on his owne behalfe howe greatly God hath inhonored him He that hath children ought to consider thou holdest Gods place in this roome of a father but yet hath not GOD stripped himselfe to clothe thee with his honour What then He is the father still both of mee and of my children therefore must I indeuer that he may be obeyed The master must thinke thus Is the mastershippe mine No but it is Gods who hath graunted mee that prerogatiue vndeserued on my parte It hath pleased him to put this householde vnder my gouernement but yet for all that it is he that must rule me yea both me and all that are vnder my subiection After this manner ought wee to put this doctrine in vre And when wee haue passed through all the states of the worlde wee must also come to the spirituall gouernement of the Church Therefore let such as are ordeined to preach Gods worde vnderstande that God hath not appointed them to set foorth their owne dotages and to speake what they list but to thinke vppon Gods superiorite specially seeing that our Lord Iesus Christ is nowe declared to bee the heade of his Church Ephe. 1.22 according to the euerlasting mastership which God gaue him ouer vs in saying Heare ye him Mat. 17.5 Luke 9.35 Seeing it is so let such as haue the charge of teaching in the Church and are shepherdes and ministers vnderstande that they must not seeke to aduance themselues nor to be heard nor to bring the people in a mase with their owne inuentions but they must indeuer that God may alwayes haue the ouerhand and be obeyed and his worde bee receiued purely and simplie without any mingling or adding to it And like as they that are in that vocation and office ought to haue mildnesse and lowlinesse that they vsurpe not the authoritie which God hath reserued to himselfe yea and giuen to his onely sonne so all Christians ought to thinke thus with themselues Wherefore come wee to Sermons Wherefore is there order in the Church It is to the ende that GOD shoulde gouerne vs and that wee shoulde haue our Lorde Iesus Christ to bee as our soueraine teacher and that wee shoulde be his flocke to bee led by him Nowe this cannot bee done vnlesse we hearken to his voyce and discerne it from the voyces of straungers so as wee be not caried too and fro like wauering Reedes with euerie winde but stande fast setled vppon the purenesse of the holy Scripture and that our faith be so grounded therevppon as the diuell may neuer shake it downe Loe say I howe we ought to applie this doctrine to our vse namely that the iudgement and authoritie is Gods For if wee doe so wee may well see many contrarieties in this world men may assayle vs with many troubles they may well set themselues against vs and they may well speake against vs but yet shal we stil keepe on our pace And why for GOD is not variable Although the diuell keepe neuer so great a stirre here beneath yet is Gods purpose alwayes vnchaungeable And so is ment by this that is saide of the truth Psal. 117. â— that it dureth for euer It is not such a trueth as is hidden our shutte vp in heauen but it is saide expresly that it is the same truth which God vttereth to vs by his worde as he witnesseth dayly Sith it is so let vs looke vp to GOD and yeelde him the gouernement that is due vnto him that hee may reigne ouer vs and then shal our faith bee vnuariable though the diuell trouble and turmoyle all thinges vpsidedowne and stirre vp neuer so much strife and contention Thus you see howe we must put the doctrine in vre that is conteined heere Nowe furthermore Moses saith expreslie that if there were any harde case it should be brought vnto him And afterwarde hee addeth for a conclusion that hee had commaunded them all the things which they ought to doe As touching the harde cases Moseses reseruing of them to himselfe was neither for desire of praise nor for pride but because they belonged to his vocation hee knewe that God had ordeined him to the same purpose And therefore let vs not bee afraide to keepe still that which God hath giuen vs if wee execute the charge that hee hath committed vnto vs. For why like as a man must not esteeme of himselfe so must hee not surmise oh this is hatefull it may be ill taken it is subiect to slaunder but wee must followe that which God commaundeth vs. And therefore let vs not take any thing vppon vs of our owne heade that is to say let vs not bee rashe to say this belongeth to mee for ambition tickleth vs continually and euerie of vs would haue I wote not what a priuiledge wherefore let vs beware of such folly Yet notwithstanding like as there shoulde no such boldnesse reigne in vs as to vsurpe or take any thing vppon vs so on the contrarie part when GOD will haue any office or charge laide vppon vs it becommeth vs to take it True it is that men may chaunce to speake euill of vs for it but wee must ouerpasse that and keepe on our pace still That is the thing which Moses hath shewed vs heere by his owne
also c. On Wednesday the xxiiij of Aprill 1555. The tenth Sermon vpon the first Chapter 42 And the Lord c. 43 I tolde you of it but you woulde not heare mee but rebelled against the commaundement of the Lord and were presumptuous and went vp into the hill 44 Then the Amorrhyte which dwelt in that hill came out against you and chased you as bees doe and smote you in Seir euen vnto Horma 45 And when ye were come backe againe ye wept before the Lorde but the Lord heard not your voyce ne inclined his eares vnto you 46 So you abode a long time at Cades barne as the dayes doe shewe which you haue taryed there WE sawe yesterday howe it is not lawfull for vs to put foorth our selues except GOD call vs and shewe vs the way and that although the thing which wee take in hande bee neuer so allowable in respect of men yet is it nothing woorth vnlesse God bee our guide and that wee bee sure that wee aduenture vppon nothing but by his will Therewithall wee sawe also that we haue too ticklish a nature insomuch that when any thing is to be done that lyketh our selues wee bee but too forewarde and wee cannot tarie till GOD shewe vs his will And that on the contrarie part wee see what vnlustinesse is in vs when God commaundeth vs any thing for then wee bee so lasie as is pitie to see it seemeth that our legges are broken and to bee short wee bee starke lame Nay which worse is when wee weene to doe well wee marre all by our rashnesse And this is confirmed yet better by that which Moses addeth For he rehearseth what GOD had inioyned him Thou shalt say vnto them Goe not vp we fight not for I am not with you sayeth the Lorde and therefore ye shall bee ouercome In this sentence wee see how it belongeth to God to say Goe and likewise to bidde vs tarrie when he thinketh good And if wee haue not that voyce to guide vs we may well seeke all manner of furniture and wee may be well ynough armed to the sight of the world but yet shall there bee nothing but confusion in our case Then like as wee must simply obey the thing that GOD commaundeth and hast foreward with all speede when wee see it is his pleasure that wee should goe so on the contrarie part when he will haue vs to sit still let his forbidding suffice vs assuring our selues that he will turne all thinges vpside downe if wee thinke to further y e matter by thrusting our selues foreward To be short we must yeeld God no lesse honour reuerence in for bearing to do things when he forbiddeth them than in dooing and executing the things that he liketh And he sheweth expressely that it shall not boote vs to do any thing vnlesse God command it according as it hath bene declared heretofore how it belongeth to him to fight True it is that he will haue the faithfull to inforce themselues but yet in so dooing wee must attribute all vnto him Therefore if he be on our side we shall bee sure of the victorie but if he shrinke from vs we shall haue the foyle though all the world helped vs. Then is there but this one onely respect that may giue vs courage which is that God bee at hand with vs to succour vs so as wee bee sure of his assistance and rest wholly thereupon Neuerthelesse it is not for men to beare themselues in hand that God will aide them further than he hath assured vs by his promise But it is certeine that God makes no promise to any but to such as walke in obedience Whosoeuer then flingeth ouer the fieldes that is to say whosoeuer gaddeth here and there resteth not simply vpon Gods word doeth vtterly refuse the benefite that God had promised him bereaueth himselfe thereof wilfully For the receiuing of Gods word to the end we may know what to do and be ruled by his mouth and to trust in him so as we be grounded vpon his grace and resort to him for succour at our neede are things inseparable He therefore that will needes dally vpon his owne head and trust to his owne foolish imaginations without submitting himself to God may well say I hope God will helpe me but his hope hath no resemblance to the hope of y e faithfull So then seeing we perceiue what our owne imaginations are let vs looke what things God giueth vs leaue to do and what is lawfull for vs to do by his word And therewithall let vs be foreward in doing y t which he biddeth vs waiting for his blessing wherby he will make all to prosper For although we see the contrarie to our vnderstanding yet shall we ouercome all impediments by his helpe But howsoeuer the case stande let vs beare this lesson in minde that GOD if wee desire to bee his doeth binde vs by his infinite goodnesse to be guided by him and that as we would bee shielded by his mightie power so likewise wee must quietly suffer him to rule vs as his lambes and sheepe and not followe euery man his owne fansie And if this ought to bee obserued in the thinges that concerne this present life howe much more ought it to be so in going to the kingdome of heauen I say that euen in all our worldly affayres we ought to doe God so much honour as not to take too much vpon vs nor to raunge here and there without hauing first asked counsell at his mouth as he saieth by his Prophet Esay 〈◊〉 30.2 and vntill he haue ordered al our deuises by his holy spirite When we haue any businesse to doe although it bee not of any great importaunce yet ought wee to call vpon God with all lowelinesse and not to do any thing till our conscience bee throughly settled and resolued that he alloweth our doings Now if God looke to be obeyed in small things which are as good as nothing what will he doe when the matter concerneth his seruice and when y e case concerneth so excellent a thing as is the saluation of our soules Therefore we see herein howe sore the wretched world is blinded seeing they giue themselues to their owne follies to mens traditions and thinke not at all vpon the things that God hath ordained No that shall be the last thing y t they will doe And therefore it standeth vs so much the more on hand to studie well this lesson of Moses That God will not bee with vs except we come neere vnto him and be diligent to hearken what he will say vnto vs followe it when we haue done without adding any thing to it or diminishing any thing from it And thus ye see in effect what we haue to gather vpon this streine Now herewithall Moses threateneth them That they shall bee ouercome of their enemies and fall before them Whereby we be done to vnderstand that if God bee
worse than beastes if yet for all this wee will not bee kinde hearted one to another to bee as brethren and to abstaine from all anoyance and extorsion And herewithall let vs marke also that the neerer God bringeth men together and maketh any neighbourhood between them the more readie ought they to be to doe seruice one to another and that if they doe it not it is as a defying of God and nature But nowe let vs see what kinred there was betweene the children of Israel and the Moabites and Ammonites Truly the original of these two peoples was of incest so as they could not boast of their Pedegree And in deede the verye names of them were euerlasting marks of their shame For what is Moab to say Of my father What that the daughter had conceiued childe by her owne father Yea and that ye see was a beastly and cursed deede And againe what is meant by Ammon It is as much to say as Of myne owne people that is to saye of mine owne bloud for he also was borne of the other daughter who had made her father drunken as her sister had done and so conceiued by him likewise and all this was against nature Ye see then that these nations are no better worthie than to bee counted Harlottes birdes borne in a brothelhouse but that they were yet in more horrible plight because their begetting was against all order and humane honestie And yet notwithstanding God will haue the children of Israel to acknowledge their kinred w t them not for any honor or worthinesse sake but onely bicause of Lot For although he were so beastly drūken as to be bereft of discretiō yet did God cōtinue his goodnes towardes him and therefore vouchsafed he to fauour his linage the childrē that came of his race And therein we see y t God had not an eye to the excellencie of those nations to whom he shewed himselfe so beneficiall but y t he did all of his owne free mercie Likewise also as touching the children of Israel if God had looked for noblenesse to moue him to shew himselfe so gratious towards them and to deale so friendly with them what would haue come of it For y e chiefe stocke among them was y e tribe of Iuda Ge. 38. ◠And whence came Phares and his brother Zare Euen of incest too For Iuda thinking to haue medled with a harlot as common as a Colmanhedge had to do with his owne daughter in lawe played the beast as dogs and buls doe Ye see then it was so great a villanie y t euen the Heathen men would haue bene ashamed of it They that neuer knewe of God nor of Religion could not haue done worse To bee short it was ynough to haue made al his ofspring to haue bin quite rooted out And yet nowithstāding we see that Dauid came of the same race and that it was Gods will to stablish the seate of a kingdome in his tribe yea that not of an earthly transitorie kingdome onely but of such a one as should bee a figure of the euerlasting kingdome that bringeth vs to heauen insomuch that euen our Lord Iesus Christ came of the same stocke And so wee see as I said afore that God sought not any worthines in this behalfe as who should say that this people was of more dignitie and noblenesse than all the rest of the worlde and therefore he would make much of them No no but he powred out the infinite treasures of his goodnesse vppon them Yea and the basenesse of the children of Israel caused Gods inestimable goodnesse to bee perceiued the better and gaue the greater glosse vnto it Then let vs consider that whereas here is mention made of the Moabites and Ammonites GOD alledgeth them not as in waye of exalting the thing that is in man or to put in ballaunce their desertes their qualities or any renowne of theirs which they haue gotten by their owne trauell He meaneth no such thing But forasmuch as it pleased him to loue Lot and to continue his mercie towardes him his linage notwithstanding the foule and outragious fault that he had committed Therefore is it his will that y e Moabites and Ammonites shall still inioy the landes that he had giuen them And let vs note further that although God bestowed his blessinges so largely vppon those two Nations yet they were neuer the better for it but became so much y e more vnexcusable in the ende For surely their vnthankefulnesse shewed it selfe in that they knewe not that God spared them Let vs marke well then that Gods preseruing of vs in this worlde and his defending of vs with his hande and his making of vs to scape our enemies handes and his susteining of vs through his fauour is not all that wee ought to desire For the hauing of all this will boote vs nothing at all if wee want the principall which is that God bee mercifull to vs that wee call vppon him that wee referre our selues wholly vnto him and that we knowe him to bee our father not to maintaine vs heere for a two or three dayes onely for this life is but a little shadowe that glideth away out of hand but to bee our euerlasting Sauiour and that wee walke in such wise vnder his awe as wee not only look to be guided by him for a little while but also that hee should gather vs to him in the ende so as when hee hath made vs to passe through this worlde at the last wee shall haue a much better inheritance which is prepared for vs in heauen When wee once knowe this wee haue all And that will make vs to inioy these earthly blessings to our welfare Otherwise they shall bee turned into a curse Insomuch that they to whome GOD hath done most good shal be founde most blameworthie before him And why Because they haue abused them For wee doe wickedly corrupt all Gods benefites when wee bee not ledde and prouoked by them to honour him for them and to put our selues wholly into his handes to flee to him for refuge Let vs then put this doctrine in vre and while wee passe through this worlde let vs not deuour the benefites that God sendeth vs to become brute beastes here pooring with our muzzels vppon the grounde but rather let vs lift vp our heades to heauenwarde and consider that God calleth vs to him and that it is to no purpose to haue had some earthly prosperitie except wee goe further that is to witte vnto our GOD to bee knitte vnto him for euer Thus yee see what we haue to beare in minde Yea and let vs marke also that the two nations which are spoken of heere shewed themselues too too vnkinde in yeelding farre other rewarde to the children of Israel than was to be looked for Wee see that the children of Israel passed by them quietly paying readie monie for all thinges yea euen for the water
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
thinke they feare God well wheÌ„ they haue some fond deuotion towardes him as wee see in Poperie where euerie man sayes that his intent is to serue God but after what fashion Euen euerie man after his owne fansie But y e obedience which God requireth at our hands in yeelding our selues wholly to his worde and the reuerence which wee owe him as to our Father and King are things vnseparable Wherefore let vs marke well that if we be minded and desirous to come together as wee ought to doe Gods worde must haue all authoritie ouer vs so as our receiuing thereof bee not onely to confes it with our mouth but also to frame our liues wholly thereafter For if wee will needes liue after our owne swindge and euerie of vs doe what seemeth good to himselfe God holdeth scorne of vs and disclaimeth vs though wee protest to feare him and serue him neuer so much For it is no reason but that he should be heard specially seeing he taketh paine to teach vs. That therfore is the first point Againe let vs vnderstand that our keeping of Gods Lawe Psal. â—6 â— and our walking according to his will doe not aduauntage him at all for what can he receiue at our hands But it is to the end that the world may know that we feare him that is to say that wee take him for our maister that we would faine be wholly his and that he should gouerne vs. That is the effect of the matter that Moses sheweth here Howbeit forasmuch as Churches are oftentimes defiled with hypocrits and wicked folke which crowde in couertly who notwithstanding are worthie to bee euen thrust out of the world Psa. 5â— â— Let vs marke what is saide in the fiftieth Psalme where God declareth that he separateth his true seruantes from such as falsely abuse his name so as his voyce thundereth to summon those that feare him aright and haue not couenanted with him vnfeynedly nor serue him onely with Ceremonies but also in very deede them will he assemble together And on the contrarie part hee vpbraydeth those that take his name in their mouth and yet notwithstanding doe take part with robbers murderers theeues and traytours Therefore when men will needes match GOD and the diuel together after that fashion as it appeareth that most men doe God complaineth of it and protesteth that it shall not scape vnpunished Now if he shewe such a separation aforehand Let vs bee well assured Matt. 25.33 that when the day commeth wherein the Goates shal be put asunder from the Lambes the shame of such as haue preaced after that sorte into Gods Church shall then bee discouered and they shal be abhorred of all creatures as they deserue But in the meane while let vs see that wee separate our selues from them as neere as we can and when we see such vncleannesse at leastwise let vs beware that wee mislike them and let vs pray God to rid and cleanse his Church of such infections Howsoeuer the case stand let vs be mindeful of the thing that Moses speaketh in this text whensoeuer we intende to meete together in the name of God Afterward hee addeth that when wee our selues haue walked in the feare of God euery of vs must teach his children to do the lyke Wherein we see that it is not enough for euery man to discharge his duty in liuing orderly himselfe but that we must to y e vttermost of our power procure the coÌ„tinuance of Gods honor and seruice after our deceases And in good fayth is it reason that Gods name should be buryed with our death We know how flightfull our lyfe is but Gods glory must indure for euer without decaying Esa. 40.6 1. Pet. 1.24 Iude. 25. Therfore let vs learn our owne duetie that is to walke righteously all y e time of our lyfe and to indeuer to traine vp our children aright so as religion may florish and prosper when wee be dead and God be alwayes honored in the world that his name may be called vppon purely And that is the very cause also why God commaundeth fathers so straightly to teach their children For the coulde well send his creatures into the worlde though no man had any speciall care of them but hee chargeth fathers to bring vp their children And why To the ende they should knowe that they must yeelde an account of them And for the same cause also doth he communicate his name vnto them Mal. 2.10 For the title of father belongeth to himselfe alone but yet hee honoreth men so much as to grant them the name of fathers And to what ende Matt. 23.9 That they should be the earnester and carefuller in teaching their children their dueties So then let vs doe our indeuour that there may remaine a good afterspring after our decease so as Gods Church may florishe still and his name be worshipped from age to age And wee ought to labour so much the more in that behalfe because wee see how the diuil practiseth to ouerthrow all that euer is builded in the name of God So farre of is it that the fruite which ought to come of the Gospel doth ripen that men doe labor to plucke it vp or else to marre it and to turne it out of the owne kinde Sith wee see this ought we not to bee the more prouoked to doe the duetie that is commaunded vs here Without going any further what is to be seene heere among vs The Gospell hath bin preached to vs now a long time and yet for al that what maner of ones are they which haue bin borne of all this time to whome God hath grauÌ„ted the grace to be suckled with Gods word euen from the teate and to bee brought vp in it lykewise so as they being then but little babes did neuer see any of the diuelish abhominations of poperie and therefore ought to bee euen throughly soked in the doctrine of saluation what maner of ones are they doth it not appeare that most part of them are so frowarde as if they were the brood of Serpents The world may see that they despise God openly and commit such wickednesse and lewdenesse that there is much more honestie and more shewe of Religion among the Papistes than there is among these Seeing then that thinges are so farre out of order and the diuill indeuoreth to put all to hauocke ought we not to be the more inflamed to doe our indeuer that there may remaine at leastwise some little seede after our decease so as the remembraunce of the Gospell be not vtterly abolished nor the thing that hath bin set vp so happily in the name of GOD and by his wonderfull power be decayed and pulled downe againe by the enemies Now then seeing that God hath graunted vs the grace and priuiledge to bee called to the hearing of his worde and to haue it set forth in the pure simplicitie among vs let vs vnderstand that we be the more
shall see a number that are negligent all their lifetime and yet they thinke that if they do but once exalt God and make a faire protestation at their liues end it is ynough But Moses delt not so For hee neuer forgate the commission that was giuen him but continued throughout in preaching to the people Neuerthelesse whatsoeuer he did all his life long yet when he sawe his death at hande hee inforced himselfe the more and burned the whotter in earnestnesse of zeale because of the vrgent necessitie aforesaide Wherefore let those whom God hath ordeined to preach his worde looke well that they discharge their duetie al their life long And that when they shall haue done their indeuer to stablish the true religion and brought to passe that God is honoured and that they haue builded Gods Church as much as they coulde and taught those to walke in the feare of God which were committed to their charge let them indeuer to seale vp al the same doctrine to cause it to continue after their decease This thē is another thing which we haue to remēber Also let vs marke further that seeing Moses was so carefull for the people of Israel wee also haue neede to bee vpon our watches Do we see that God taketh away a man that hath serued faithfully in his time Then let vs bee sure that anon after the diuell will indeuour to marre al and that he will soone make some breach to enter vpon vs if we be not lustily vpholden kept And there is not a more profitable lesson than this same For wee knowe not how great a good turne God doth vs when he giueth vs such men as seeke nothing else but to hold vs in aw of him and to bring to passe that hee may reigne ouer vs and we liue vnder his obeysance On the contrarie part when our Lord taketh such out of the worlde as are able to builde his Church wee bee carelesse of it and this carelesnesse is the cause that the diuell findeth a gappe open amongst vs that so hee may vtterly make hauocke of vs. So much the more therefore doth it stande vs in hand to be watchful in this case to know that wee bee well fenced when God giueth vs men to guide vs in his feare Contrariwise if he leaue vs destitute of such it is as if a man were without munition in a towne wheras were no power nor meane of defence Ye see then how it standeth vs in hande to bethinke our selues and to pray god that when it pleaseth him to take away those that haue taught vs faithfully that then the doctrine which wee shall haue receiued by them may not die anon after them but liue stil continue alwayes fast setled in our hearts and that it may haue full force and strength and we be fenced by it against al Satans temptations neuer to turne away from it but euermore to remember what we haue learned always to set our minds vpon it that it may serue vs for a shield to warde all Satans blowes withal 1. Pet. 5.9 Eph. 6.13 and that wee may be so armed with it from top to toe as they say that Gods worde may bee a sworde to vs our hope a helmet our faith a buckler so as the diuel may not bee able to foile vs in any wise whatsoeuer that when the meanes shal be taken away wherwith Gods will was to haue vs edified yet neuerthelesse he may stil continue with vs and we likewise keepe on our way to him Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgemēt of our sins praying him to make vs perceiue them better than wee haue done heretofore so as we may learne to mislike more and more of our selues for them And that in acknowledging the great benefits which hee bestoweth vpon vs wee may call vpon him as our father seeking nothing else but to giue our selues wholly vnto him to be gouerned by his holy spirite as his teachable and meeke children seing that he doth vs this honor to take vs for his heritage to giue himselfe to vs that we may also remember sith he taketh delight in vs to be vnto him such a possession as may serue to his glorie that hee would neuer cut vs of although we wel deserue it That it may please him to grant this grace not only to vs but also to al people and nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the xxix of May. 1555. The xxv Sermon which is the seuenth vpon the fourth Chapter 23 24 Beware that ye c. 25 When thou shalt haue begotten children and childrens children and shalt haue dwelt long in y e land if then ye shal corrupt your selues make carued Images after the likenesse of any thing and worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord thy God to prouoke him to wrath 26 I call heauen and earth to record against you this day that out of al doubt ye shall soone perish out of the land whither ye go ouer Iordan to possesse it and yee shall not prolong your dayes therein for ye shal be vtterly destroyed WE haue seene heretofore the exhortation that Moses made to the intēt that Gods seruice might not bee corrupted Hee shewed that to worship GOD purely there must no image at all be made because it is not in any wise agreeable to his nature Iohn 4.24 but men must worship him after another fashion His seruice say I is spiritual and therefore wee must rest wholly therevppon For as soone as we swarue one way or other it is but presumption which God condemneth That is the thing which Moses hath treated of hitherto Now to confirme this doctrine the better he setteth before the peoples eyes the couenant that God had made with them for when God manifesteth himselfe vnto vs it is the principall meane whereby to hold vs in the pure religion Naturally we be blind wretches and therefore it is verie easie for Satan to beguile vs. And although there were none to deceiue vs yet doth euery one of vs wander away in our owne conceites and imaginations Therefore there is nothing in vs but darknes and Gods maiestie is so high and incomprehensible a thing as it is no maruell though we be at our wits end before we can come nigh vnto it Then if we were not duly taught ne had a grounded doctrine to shew vs y e right path what could we do but go astray But now seing y t God hath shewed himself vnto vs that so familiarly as we may discern him from al the ydols that haue bin forged in y e worlde we are able to say y t it is he whom we ought to worship there is no more excuse for vs if we be caried to and fro And our vnthankfulnesse is the more shamefull if wee shut our eyes against the doctrine of saluation and turne our backs vpon God when he hath
forgoeth that which belongeth to himselfe Therefore God must holde still the highest degree And indeede seeing that all fatherhoode proceedeth of him according to S. Pauls text afore alledged let vs marke that when we obey father or mother prince or magistrate master or mistresse it is done vnto them as officers of God God then must be honoured aboue al and that in such sort as the honour which we yeelde vnto mortall men hinder not the doing of the seruice and honour which wee owne vnto him but that euery of vs indeuer to discharge our dueties chiefly towards him It were a goodly sight to see a man obey an vnderofficer therewithall to spitte in the face of the iudge or of the Prince What a dealing were that But euen in like case is it with vs when we dispossesse God of his preheminence and obey men in such sort as in the meane while wee make no reckening of him that is aboue all For it is against nature that the authoritie which men haue should in any wise deâ—ace the glorie of God Therefore let vs marke well that whereas we be commaunded to obey our superiors this exception is implyed that the same be no derogation or impeachmeÌ„t to the right that belongeth to God which hath beene treated of alreadie in the firste table For wee knowe that the seruice wherewith God is honored ought to be preferred before all things Rphe 6.1 And for y e same cause S. Paul minding to giue vs an exposition of this text addeth expresly that children must obey their fathers and mothers howbeit in the Lorde And I told you also that the foundation whereon we ought to build that wee may bee obedient lowly and subiect to our superiors is to know that God is represeÌ„ted in their persons Now take me away the foundation and must not all the whole building fall and go down to the ground But all they y t regard not god do take away the fundation of this doctrine so their proceeding is too faulty and froward Howebeit this thing must as well warne them that are in autoritie as them that are vnder subiection Then if men and women haue children they must vnderstand and that there is no subiection due vnto them except they themselues be ouerruled by God Now then what is to be done Let the father traine vp his childe diligently in the feare of God Eph. 6.4 and begin himself to shew him the way Let the mother do the like y t God may haue his honor both of great smal 1. Tim. 2.2 old and yong Let magistrats indeuer to haue God serued and honored as much as in them lieth maintaine all things that may make thereto and seeing he hath done them y e honor to make them worthie to sit in the seat that is dedicated to his maiestie to beare the sword y t is consecrated vnto him let them shewe themselues to bee his officers in deed Seing then that he hath aduanced them to such dignitie whereof they were not worthy let them at the least shew that they beare autoritie in his name let them refer the same vnto him After this manner ought princes to discharge their dueties The like ought euery man to do in his owne house and family Ephe. 6.9 Colos. 4.1 Let those to whom God hath granted the prerogatiue to haue men-seruants womenseruants beare well in minde y t they themselues haue a Master aboue al that he must be so obeyed as his whole right be reserued to him vnminished Loe what instruction all Superiors of what degree soeuer they be ought to take of this that they are commaÌ„ded to obey God Furthermore when fathers mothers and magistrats wil needs auance themselues against God with such tyranny as to take vpon theÌ„ that which belongeth only to god to turne vs away from the obeying of him it is an exceptioÌ„ which I haue set down before for the which they ought not to be obeyed God then must go foremost afterward the creatures must followe euery one in his order of aray And in very deed ofteÌ„times the cause why meekenes humility be so il kept in the world that childreÌ„ set themselues against their fathers and mothers and become like mad beasts that subiects are ful of spitefulnes and rebellion that seruants are vntrusty stubborne and that none of all these can by any meanes be reclaimed is the iust punishment of God vpon superiors for abusing of the dignitie which God hath giuen them For oftentimes wee see that Princes reigne not to magnifie Gods name and to cause him to be honored as he deserueth but cleane contrariwise they would faine make theÌ„selues ydols and as it were plucke God out of his seate to sit in it themselues This is apparant at leastwise a man may see that Princes reigne loosely therfore God must needs be reueÌ„ged of them What zeale or minde haue fathers and mothers to bring vp their childreÌ„ in the feare of God They passe not for that so they may aduance them to the worldwarde Nay rather it should seeme that their intent is to traine them vp in all vngodlynesse and in the contempt of God and his worde If the fathers bee woolues they would haue their children wooluish if they be olde Foxes they would haue them to be foxish if they be serpentes they would haue their linage and ofspring like themselues This is to be seene Therefore it is good reason that GOD should be reuenged of the creatures when they forget themselues after that sort specially when men consider not howe God hath reached them his hande to aduaunce them and to make them partakers of his honour one vnder another This is alwayes to bee borne in rememberance But is it not a shamefull vnthankfulnesse when a man that is in authority of iustice considereth not with himselfe what am I Beholde I am a wretched worme of the earth and yet GOD vouchsafeth me to beare his name as from him selfe and withal to put the authoritie in practise which hee hath giuen me Is not a man too vnthankfull when hee acknowledgeth not that Againe when fathers consider not Beholde God is the father of all mankinde and yet hath hee giuen mee the same honorable title Therefore it is good reason that I shoulde looke to yeelde him an account of it When masters and mistresses acknowledge not We be no better than other folkes and yet hath God vouchsafed to inhonour vs not onely by creating vs after his owne image but also by giuing vs this moreouer that others are subiect vnto vs if men say I acknowledge not this is it not to be said that they be become starke beastes Then let vs marke well that diuers times the ground of rebellion disobedience is this that they which are in authoritie knowe not their owne duetie namely that aboue al thinges they should finde the meanes to haue God
name should be magnifyed in all ages and that wee shoulde indeuour to the vttermost of our power that it decay not with vs but continue still vnappayred and florishe and reigne euen after wee be dead The other reason is that hee intended to quicken vp the Iewes to serue God with the better courage by putting them in minde of the deliuerance which God had wrought for them for needes must they haue bin too vnthankefull if that had not prouoked them to serue God Now then the intent of Moses is that those to whom he had declared the Lawe should not onely indeuour themselues to serue GOD during their owne liues but also finde the meanes that their children and successors should followe them in the same trace And this lesson belongeth to vs as well as to them For wee know that God calleth vs with the same condition not onely that we our selues should serue and honor him to our liues end but also that we should haue a care to cause them that come after vs to doe the lyke Verily there are very few that dischardge themselues in that behalfe but yet are we bound vnto it and there will be no excuse for vs if wee doe not our indeuour Therefore let euery man haue an eye to himselfe and let vs not thinke it enough to haue serued God so long as wee our selues liue but that we must also findy y e meanes that his name may continue for euer and that his trueth may alwayes bee knowen so as although wee bee taken out of the world yet they that come after vs being taught by our meanes may linke in with vs into the same fayth and so fashion themselues thereunto as God may alwayes be gloryfyed honored vnto the worldes end And specially they y t haue children ought to thinke that it is they to whom this warning is giuen True it is that euery one of vs is bound thereto for himselfe yea and we must teach eueÌ„ the most straungers so as the man needeth not to be my sonne or my nephew or my kinseman whom I should indeuour to cause to serue God to be of the same faith and religion that I am of but yet they which haue children ought to consider that they shall yeelde account for it if they doe not what they can to hold them in the feare of God and to see them so instructed and stablished in the pure doctrine as they may continue in it and as the knowledge of Gods trueth may still be conueied ouer from hand to hand Thus yee see what we haue to remember vppon this place where Moses sayth If thy childe aske hereafter what these commaundementes statutes and ordinances meane Now there is also a second poynt which is that Moses intended to stirre vp the people to honor God and to obey him because they had bin deliuered by his mighty hand Therefore it is all one as if hee should say Bethinke your selues well of the good which your GOD hath done for you for he hath shewed himselfe to be your redeemer hee hath smitten the realme of Egypt a people that did set greatly by themselues yea and which was rich and wealthie and where was nothing but all maner of pompe and glory to the worldward and yet notwithstanding your God hath loued you so dearely that he hath not spared the Egyptians for your sakes but hee hath smitten them with plagues and powred out such vengeance vpon them as is horrible to thinke of Hee hath stretched out his strong arme to bring you to this land which hee promised to your fathers Seeing then that God hath shewed himselfe so gratious and liberall towardes you and preuented you of purpose to be your father is it not reason that you should giue your selues to him all your lyfe long and indeuour to serue him and at leastwise shew that yee haue not forgotten his so great and inestimable benefites Yes And so wee see that forasmuch as the Iewes might bee negligent in keeping Gods lawe Moses renewed the rememberaunce thereof and set their deliuerance before them that they might bee the better minded and consider that they were bound at leastwise to serue GOD in such wise as they might acknowledge themselues to bee the same people whome hee had once deliuered after a maruellous fashion and with wonderful power Like as at this day if a man should speake to vs of the Christian religion and say Beholde our GOD hath vouchsafed to make vs partakers of the redemption which hee wrought in the person of his Sonne and therefore it is good reason that wee shoulde bee gathered here together vnder his worde to take him for our father and Sauour because hee hath chosen vs to bee his people And whereas Moses declareth that the Iewes were deliuered out of Aegypt hee meaneth to doe vs to witte that God intended to shoule them out from all other nations specially by assigning them the inheritaunce of the Lande which hee had promised to their fathers Yee see then how they should haue sanctifyed themselues to the seruice of God and haue held theÌ„selues in obedience to his law because he suffered them not to be intermingled with y e infidels but made a seuerall nation of them alone by theÌ„selues And hereupon we haue to note y t such as seeke counsell at Gods law doe alwayes finde instruction our Lord procureth them ayde help to bring theÌ„ to the knowledge of the truth It is sayd If thy sonne aske thee what meane these statutes He presupposeth that the children are not so brutish as at leastwise not to be willing desirous to knowe why they vse such maner of seruing God And wee see it is Gods ordinance that the fathers should helpe their children True it is that the fathers ought not to â—ary for that but if they see their children to be despisers of God or vnruly and carelesse both of the saluation of their owne soules and of all Christianitie and fayth they ought to correct such vices But the matter which wee treate of as now is that if children bee willing to learne and to profite God here assigneth them their fathers to be their teachers and schoolemasters to shewe them why the lawe was giuen Herein then wee see that if wee haue any good will to knowe the trueth our Lorde will not suffer vs to bee disappoynted but wil finde the meanes that wee shall know whatsoeuer hee thinketh profitable for our saluation And although hee appoynt not mortall creatures to teach vs yet will hee worke in such wise by his owne power as wee shall not bee destitute of knowledge But our owne slothfulnesse is the cause that GOD shutteth the gate against vs and that wee abide still in darknesse lyke blinde wretches For what is hee that vouchsafeth to seeke after the will of his GOD Wee bee giuen to worldly thinges to our owne pleasures to our owne vanities and to all manner of worldly businesses
yet we rather tende still to some corruption than holde our selues in the purenesse of gods seruice What is to bee done then seeing that ydolatrie is so rooted in our nature If occasions be offered to drawe vs away is it not like as when nettes are spred before birds And wee bee so vnconstant that we tumble into them immediatly And therefore as for them that thinke themselues to haue such constancie strength that although they haue images Chappels and such other thinges yet they shall not hurt them at all they tempt God and experience shewes it to bee so Therefore there is no better way than to know our infirmitie and vpon the knowledge thereof to vse the remedie that God hath giuen vs. If a man perceiue himselfe to haue a weake heade so as he is not able to beare three glasses of wine but he shall be ouertaken if hee drinke without discretion is he not as badde as a swine Doeth he not tempt God Ought he not to thinke vppon the default that is in him and to preuent it Yes Nowe it is certaine that in this behalfe we haue so weake braines that we shalby and by be made dronke with superstition yea and as good as bewitched with superstition so as there wil be no discretion in vs but wee shall goe on still to seeke further occasions and meanes of it and is not that a manifest spiting of God It is a point therefore which ought to bee well marked that GOD knowing the weakenesse which is in vs is not willing that wee shoulde haue images altars and such other thinges to seduce vs but that all such thinges shoulde bee wyped out from among vs to the intent may not bee any thing to hinder vs from giuing our selues simplie vnto God But nowe let vs come to the seconde reason It is not ynough for the faithful to refreine from all ydolatrie but they must also shewe that they abhorre and hate all thinges that are against Gods seruice And to the vttermost of their power they must indeuour to haue them all wyped away so as the rememberance of them may be rooted out that they may neuer bee spoken of any more For else what zeale haue we to the honour of God when we see ydols set vp in steed of him and looke vppon thinges that serue to corrupt and deface the true and pure religion If wee doe but laugh at them and take them as small trifles or as childrens games is it not a token that we esteem the honour of our God no more than a thing of nothing For if our desire to haue God glorified were as earnest as it ought to be surely it would wound our hearts to see ydols so set vp in his place and to see men bereaue him of his maiestie of attribute the same to deade creatures and that so precious and holy a thing as religion is should be so marred corrupted turned vpsidedown When these marks come before our eyes surely if we haue any one droppe of good zeale it must needes vex vs and greeue vs and wee must to the vttermost of our power deface all those signes and marks of ydolatrie and cause Gods honour to be maintained vnappayred And indeede when hee requireth that wee shoulde make confession of our faith vnto him this also is comprehended therein For as the mouth ought to vtter what is in our hart Rom. 〈…〉 that is to wit that wee haue but the onely one God which hath redeemed vs if wee yeeld him such record with our mouth our outward doings must also bee answerable thereunto so as both feete and handes tende that way If we were at that point wee woulde not wittingly and willingly suffer any superstitions if it lay in vs to abolish them But yet there is a thing in it which is that Moses commaundeth the people expresly to doe it when they bee come into the Lande which God had appointed theÌ„ to inioy for their inheritance For if we be in a straunge Countrie where wee haue no authoritie it is not in our power to put downe ydols neither doeth this commaundement stretch thereunto It is true that in passing through places where ydolatrie is vsed we must sigh and mourne and thinke our eyes to bee as it were defiled with the sight of such wickednesse contrary to the honour of god so as it must greeue vs and vex vs at the heart that we bee driuen to see such sights And forasmuch as our hands be tyed and we haue not any soueraintie or authoritie in the place or Countrie where such superstitions reigne wee haue no more to doe but to pray God to put to his mightie hande and to destroye it euerywhit and in the meane while to holde our selues quiet But if we haue authoritie then behold Gods voyce crieth out vp vp such abhominations must not reigne any longer When yee bee come to the Countrie which your God giueth you to possesse then let all such geere bee put downe Nowe then out of this text wee must drawe a rule which is that according as God giueth abilitie wee must indeuour to haue all ydolatrie and all the tokens therof vtterly abolished both publikely and priuately As howe When a Countrie is at libertie and our Lorde hath planted his word there such as beare sway and haue autority must find y t meanes that al such things as haue corrupted the true religion may be abolished brought to nought If they doe it not it is a negligence which God condemneth And if a man will put downe ydolatrie it is not ynough to saye no man shall worshippe ydolles anye more but all thinges which imbaced the purenesse of the Religion must bee quite and cleane wyped away As for example if men should keepe still the Altars that were in the time of the diuelish Masse what a thing were it Wherto serued they but to committee abhominable trecherie against God so as there shoulde remaine neither faith nor feare towardes him so long as such abhomination indured The Altars serued to sing their Masses on By meanes whereof the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ was vtterly defaced in spyte of the redemption that he had wrought Insomuch that if it bee admitted that Iesus Christ was sacrificed dayly Heb. 9.26 it is all one as to reiect the benefite that was purchased vs by his death and passion Nowe then if the Altars were suffered to stande still were it not a reteyning still of some memoriall of the leawdnesse which ought to mislike vs Yes for otherwise what were our zeale When wee call to rememberance that wee haue hearde Masse in times past and had cast our selues into that dungâ—on wee ought to bee sorie and to craue pardon for it and to bee abashed at the blindnesse whereinto wee were falne wherethrough wee became so beastlie as to goe seeke our saluation by renouncing the redemption that was purchased for vs long agoe by our Lorde
be to be found among vs nowadayes as it is promised Indeede it is to bee marueled as I haue declared alreadie that God is so patient towardes vs. For are we woorthie to be maintained here one minute of an houre considering the outrageous offences which we commit dayly against him No and yet notwithstanding although he spare vs although he tarie for vs and although he scourge vs not as we haue deserued yet neuerthelesse we see how we doe partly languishe Some decay and consume thēselues by little little some perish vtterly out of hand othersome pine away as if they were almost dead of cold as men terme it And what is y e cause hereof but our driuing away of Gods grace blessing Again we need not to go to our Oxen our horses and our sheep to weet whether God w tdraw his hand grace frō vs or no Let vs but looke vpō our children in what plight they be Gods receiuing of their fathers into his fauor ought to bee as a lookinglasse of his goodnesse towards thē but yet ought it to be much better knowē in the children so as it might be sayd Lo here a blessed seede For Gods voutsafing to take y e fathers vnto him was of purpose to vtter his mercie yet more in their childrē But cōtrariwise let a man looke vpon their children he shall be driuē to conclude y t we be as good as banished frō Gods blessing from all y e prosperitie which he promised to his people And mo maruel though it be so for y e world seeth wherat y e fathers ame Their intent is not to edify thē in the feare of God for it should seeme that they be loth y e their childrē should shame them by becomming honester mē than they And to say y e trueth they bring thē vp in all lewdnesse and is it not meete then y t God should shew himself a iudge Where are y e fathers nowadayes y t make y e feare of God their mark to ame at in teaching their children In deede they be willing enough to haue their childrē aduaunced to y e worldward to lay for thē y t they may want no wealth but in the meane while as for to haue an eye vnto God to say I will dedicate my childrē vnto him I will haue them so brought vp as he may be rightly honored by them it is the furthest end of all their thought Needes therefore must we be bereft of the benefites that are promised here and banished from them Furthermore whensoeuer it is told vs y t our Lord prouoketh vs to returne vnto him let vs vnderstād y t seeing he loued vs freely when wee were yet his enemies Rom. 5.2 it must needes be y t he will much rather loue vs now y t he is reconciled vnto vs. Yea but yet must y t be in respect of our Lorde Iesus Christ for his sake We must not seeke any worthinesse out of y e person of him y t is called Gods welbeloued son Heb. 〈…〉 for it is only he y t hath satisfied y e paimēt of all our dets which thing it lay not in any creature to do Yet notwithstāding let vs assure our selues y t it behoueth vs to indeuer to doe wel knowing y t God wil not haue vs to abuse his mercie For seeing he hath adopted vs to be his childrē let vs yeeld him y e honor y t is due to our father And besides y t although our workes be vnperfect and wee doe but offer him thinges which are not worth y e accepting at his hād yet doth not he cease to lyke wel of vs in y e thinges y t we do to serue honor him w tall we shall not be disappointed of y e benefits y t he hath promised vs. But yet must we impute all to his mercie and we must liue in such sort in his world as we may be out of doubt y t he wil haue regard to maintein vs euē in this present lyfe to giue vs whatsoeuer he knoweth to be meet for vs. Therefore let y t serue to make vs to finde such tast in his goodnesse as it may tolle vs on stil further further so as we may be able to goe through w t a cheareful heart to the spiritual blessednesse that taryeth for vs aboue whereof we haue but onely a raste as now by faith and hope Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs so to feele them as we may learne to be sory for them better than wee haue beene and to turne wholy vnto him and to reforme our whole lyfe after such a sorte as wee may seeke nothing but to giue ouer our selues all wholy vnto him and to frame our selues to his holy will as he hath declared it in his worde And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the twelfth of August 1555. The Lv. Sermon which is the fift vpon the seuenth Chapter 16 Thou shalt consume all the nations which the Lorde thy God giueth thee Thine eye shall not pardon them neither shalt thou serue their Gods for that wil be thy decay 17 If thou say in thine hart these nations are moe in number than I how may I driue them out 18 Be not afraide of them but remember what the Lorde thy God did to Pharao and to all the Egyptians 19 That is to wit the great tryals which thine eyes haue seene and the signes and wonders and the strong hand stretched out arme where with the Lorde thy God brought thee out So will the Lord thy God doe to all the nations of whose face thou art afraid FOrasmuch as we bee exhorted to become lyke God in gentlenesse mildnesse Matt. 5.44.45 and that he will haue his children knowen thereby in this world it should seeme y t the thing which Moses sayth here is not agreeable thereunto For euen the heathen could well skill to say that there is nothing wherein men resemble God more thā in gentlenes and louingkindnes when they giue themselues to doe good But in this place heere is nothing but rigor God will haue them to kill all without sparing of any thing it seemeth then y t there is some contrarietie in this matter No but as I haue declared heretofore although God execute his iudgements and appoint men to be the doers thereof Yet is that no let but that we may in the meane while bee kindehearted in our selues and haue pitie and compassion euen vppon them that perish Nowe on the one side if God inioyne a thing to be done it must be done without gainesaying And yet in the meane while we must followe the rule that is giuen vs generally namely to loue our neighbors though they be not worthie of it yea euen such as hate vs and to indeuour to doe them good to
vs to the intent y t wee shoulde loue him againe His meaning is y t we should followe him the same way that he hath led vs afore But now it is certaine y t although God require nothing of vs but to haue the reuerence y t hee deserueth yet can we not serue him honour him vntil he haue reformed our harts And therby it appeareth what frowardnesse there is in all men by originall sinne Behold God commandeth vs but to loue him to yeeld him honor that is all y t is conteined in his lawe And yet we come all of vs so farre short of the perfect performāce of the thing y t is commanded that we cannot so much as thinke a good thought but we indeuer by all meanes possible to withstande whatsoeuer God commandeth Therefore let vs learne to be abashed ashamed of the crabbednes of our nature seeing we be so wayward as to striue against our God his righteousnes yea euen though y e things that he requireth be more than rightfull And so ye see what we haue to marke when wee feele such a law in our selues Rom. 7.23 contrary to y e lawe y t God hath giuen vs. And hereby wee be warned that it is in vaine for men to make protestation as a number doe which go about to excuse themselues y t they can not giue themselues to God because of y e weaknes sinfulnes of their nature Verily as who would say that the euil which is in vs shold serue vs for our defence Were not that a mocking of God Shal a man be acquit at his iudges hand by confessing himself to be giltie But here it is shewed vs that al y e hardnes that we haue in vs to obey God yea euen though it be impossible for vs to moue forward to the performance of the least commandement of the lawe will not serue to iustifie vs. Why so Let a man looke well to it he shal find that the fault is not in the lawe for it requireth no more but that wee shoulde serue our God therewithal loue him by yelding him his dew reuerence and what is it to do that let vs knowe therfore that the whole fault is in our selues y t we obey not our God that although we haue no power at all to performe our duetie yet doth not that discharge vs seeing that God demādeth nothing but y t which is right reasō By the way we must call to minde what hath beene declared heretofore Deut. 6. ◠namely that as concerning this text where Moses sheweth y e meane how to fulfill the law aright it is not meant that we must but onely haue our eyes hands feete well ruled but that wee must begin at the reformation of our harts Thou shalt loue thy God sayeth he serue him And howe With all thy soule with all thy heart Then let vs learne y t if we do the things by compulsion which are cōmanded vs it is nothing woorth we may not thinke that it shall passe in account And in deed there are diuers that beare countenance faire ynough afore men so as they cannot be accused of theft murther or whoredome but in y e meane while they be full of wicked lustes so as they bee readie to burst with them it is a corsie to them to obey God neither finde they any taste in his commandements And therfore al is but hypocrisie all is but a faire pretence shewe to the worldward to be short all is but vanitie and leazing till the heart be wonne vnto God vntill we be fully minded bent to do as God cōmandeth vs. That say I is the ende that wee must beginne at if we will accomplish the lawe throughly Wherefore let vs not beguile our selues any more as the hypocrites do with desire that men only should be contented Let vs vnderstand y t we haue to do w t the heauēly Iudge who admitteth no eyeseruice Ier. 5. ◠but looketh to the trueth of y e heart Therfore let vs giue our selues to God with hartie affection not content our selues so with y e outward workes y t the intent of doing wel shold not also be groūded in our harts Besides this Moses telleth vs y t God will not only be serued honored but also loued And here are three words the one is Loue the other is Reuerence the third is Seruice Now as touching Reuerence or Feare for he vseth the same term of feare it is not a slauish fearefulnes but it is y e seruiceablenes honor which we yeld vnto god in submitting our selues vnto him because we be throughly persuaded that forasmuch as he hath all soueraintie ouer vs it is good reason that we should be subiect vnto him First formost therfore let vs consider that although God had not spoken to vs to persuade vs to this reuerence surely euen nature sheweth it vs sufficiently and it is welynough proued vnto vs in our selues For although it were neuer told vs that the lewdnes of men is such as they seeke nothing else but to turne away from God to become beastlike by al meanes they can deuise yea euen wittingly wilfully yet our heads harts are stuffed so full of that lesson as we cānot be ignorant of it And therfore it standeth vs greatly in hand to beare in mind what this word reuerēce or feare importeth that is to wit that God ought to be honored of all his creatures that seeing we be his wee ought to offer our selues to be subiect to him Also it importeth that when we thinke vpon God wee should hallowe his name that is to say not imagine any thing of him to the derogation of his glorie but yeeld honor to his righteousnes wisdome power This is the first point which Moses setteth downe here cōcerning obedience and the right obseruing of the Lawe Now this reuerence requireth also loue For God wil bee honored with harty affection If we reuerence his maiestie yet stand in feare of it so as it is a terror to vs then would wee wish that there were no God at all and wee coulde fynd in our heartes to plucke him out of his seate if it were possible As many as woorship God vppon no further grounde but for that they are sure they cannot scape his hād because they know him to be their maker those say I being not touched with any free loue wil shunne God and when they heare any speaking of him it grieueth them insomuch that if it were in their choyce power they woulde plucke him out of his seat if they could as I said afore So then it is not possible for vs to feare God I meane to yeelde him right reuerence so as we beare a hartie god will to him haue a feeling of his goodnes towards vs y t he is the place where we must seeke
foundation which wee must lay whereby to take courage to serue him For if there be no certainetie in our religion wee shall alwayes make but a colde worke of it and if it bee macched with any wilfulnesse it will make vs to stande in our owne conceites yea and starke fooles so as there shall be no trueth nor right in our dooinges Howe so euer the case stande I say if men bee not sure who the GOD is whome they worshippe they shall but runne a straye and at randonne without anye zeale to serue him For although the Papistes bee so greatly giuen to their idolatrie that to their owne seeming they haue sure houlde of the thinges that they haue imagined yet it is but a doubtfull opinion and surmise which deceiueth them In deede they doe their seruice with many ceremonies but if a man come to the searching of their heartes hee shall finde them alwayes doubting and so snarled in their superstitions that they knowe not where they be And truely whensoeuer they be pinched with aduersitie then doeth the venime breake out so as they shewe that they wote not whether there is a GOD or no but by blaspheming of him by gnashing their teeth against him by finding fault with him and by accusing him of crueltie for punishing them as they suppose without their deseruing Loe in what taking all they be which followe their owne fancies in cases of religion True it is that the Idolaters become so beastly in their superstitions that they followe them with a burning affection as the prophetes say Ier. 5. â— who vpbrayde the Iewes that they were like stoned horses neying after mares that is to witte they were so diuelishly minded that their doinges were not counted as an ordinarie kinde of whooredome but as a villanie euen against nature Likewise in the Popedome is it not seene that such as are taken to bee the earnestest mainteiners of their religion are rather carried away with rage than moued with any true zeale to Godwarde Yes certainely and thereby they doe the more bewraye their owne leawdenesse and shame In deede they be bolde ynough to skorne vs as though wee were turned away from the right religion but lette it suffice vs that wee may alwayes vpbrayde them that they knowe not what GOD they worshippe whereas wee on our side haue good warrant of the doctrine y t we follow and are sure that God accepteth the seruice which we yeelde vnto him according thereunto and that in so doing we may boldly offer our selues vnto him Yee see then that vnlesse we bee sure of our religion we shall neuer haue any right ordred zele nor hearts disposed to serue God And that is the cause why Moses sayeth heere Go too ye be not as the heathen that go at al aduenture weening that they doe well in seruing their Idolles howbeit that it be but a weening so as they know not what the Gods be whom they serue for it is but a fancie of their owne deuising But your God is the God that made heauen and earth it is he that hath reueiled himselfe vnto you Now then if yee followe them that haue not the like assurance and fall to disguising of Gods seruice what excuse will there bee for you Were it not meete that ye should rather giue ouer both your bodyes and soules to him Rom. 12.1 1. Cor. 6.20 so as hee might bee honoured at your handes all your life long And so we see here the intent of Moses as concerning this text Now let vs learne heereby that wee can neuer rule our liues to Gods lyking vnlesse we first knowe him For what a thing is it if wee thinke we liue vprightly and in the meane while know not the God whom we ought to serue For when is our life to bee counted good and holy When it is spent in the honouring of God that is the finall ende of it For if wee knowe not what God it is nor what his will is well may we toyle our selues all our life long and yet shall all of it bee but confusion It is as if a man should runne gadding ouer the feeldes he might well breake his shinnes and tyre his whole body and yet be neuer the further forewarde but rather the swiftlyer hee runneth the further is he off from his iourneyes ende Wee see then that all thinges are out of order in the Popedome bycause they bee blinde and ignoraunt and wote not what God they serue nor what Saint they should make their vowes vnto as sayth their owne prouerbe Insomuch that when they haue tyred themselues with trotting vp and downe they wote not where they bee but are newe to seeke in their imaginations whereas to knowe God as hee hath shewed himselfe to vs in his woord that they might yeeld him the reuerence which is dewe vnto him they can no skill of it neither is there any tydings of it among them But as for vs if wee intende to knowe the true seruice of GOD and to obey him throughly the first poynt that wee must come vnto must be to knowe him Indeede this lesson cannot be dispatched at this present and therefore it shall suffice vs to knowe in one worde for a conclusion that it is an in estimable treasure to vs when it pleaseth GOD to shew himselfe vnto vs so as wee bee sure that our religion is good and that he alloweth it and that we goe not by opinion or by weening as these wretched beastes doe which suffer themselues to bee lead by the nose as not hauing any certaine rule whereby to guide and to gouerne themselues Marke that for one poynt And for the second poynt let vs marke also that for as much as our God is great and terrible it behoueth vs to be humbled vnder his mightie hand and to learne to walke in such wise in his feare as wee not onely be abashed at his Maiestie but also besides our honoring of him with feare and reuerence wee repaire and resort vnto him without any doubting that he is our father Nowe let vs fall downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgment of our sinnes praying him to touche vs still more and more so as wee may bee made to knowe that wee haue nothing but stubbornnesse and naughtinesse in vs and therefore may seeke to him for the spirit of meekenesse lowelinesse and feare that being reformed by his grace wee may seeke to amend our whole liues according to his righteousnesse and fight continually against our wicked lustes vntill we bee discharged of this mortall body and be gathered vp into his kingdome Beseeching him further to graunt vs such grace as wee may neuer ceasse to followe him whither soeuer hee calleth vs and in the meane while to beare with our infirmities till he haue rid vs quite and cleane of them and that for as much as we haue now our Lord Iesus Christ who is the end of the law and the
soule To the intent then y t men should not stand poring vpon y e outward fashion figure that is the chiefe poynt The marke say I whereat hee shoores and whereunto all this doctrine is to bee referred is that Gods lawe should be in our hearts and in our soules For though wee haue it euer before our eyes at our tongues end so as wee seeme to set neuer so great store by it and yet in the meane while our heart is locked vp wee haue no courage to serue God truely we doe but deceiue men procure our selues the sorer condemnation before God Now then let vs haue Gods law written let vs haue the sayings of it painted vpō our walles as in tables let vs haue thinges to put vs in minde of it earely late but let not y t serue for our discharge as though God were to be payed in such coyne How then Let vs indeuer to haue it so grauen in our heartes as it may neuer be wiped out againe yea euen in our harts in our soules y t is to say in such sort as it may possesse al our affectiōs For that is y e place where Gods word is to bee kept But what The thing y t S. Iames speaketh of Iames. 1.23 is seene more nowadayes than euer it was namely that they which come to heare Gods word take as much profite by it as by looking vpon themselues in a glasse they be no sooner gone but all is forgotten What fareth a man the better by his seeing of himselfe in a glasse As soone as he turneth away his face his shape vanisheth away Euen so is it with vs. Whereas our comming to Gods word should be to be transformed into y e lykenesse of God ◠Cor. 3.18 as S. Paul teacheth vs in the second to y e Corinthians whereas it is the power propertie of y e Gospel to transforme vs into the glory of God by beholding him in the person of Iesus Christ we come to it but to make a pastime of it so as anon all slippeth away againe there remaineth no substance nor power of it with vs. And by that meanes the precious seede of the Gospell perisheth For it lighteth amōg stones so as it can take no roote A man may loose a good deale of corne if he cast it vppon the drye ground Matt. 13.19 or in a footepath or vpon stones for the byrdes will picke it vp by and by Euen so let vs not maruel though Gods word enter not into vs for whereas our heartes ought to be tilled as when a plowgh hath eared a peece of land they lye still vnopened vnbroken vp at all By reason whereof Gods word may wel be giuen vs as a seede but it shall doe vs no good the diuell wil catche it away by and by because it sinketh not into our heartes our soules That is the cause why I sayd y t al y t Moses hath spoken offrontlets of bracelets of writings set vp in mens houses must be referred altogether to this y t wee shall fare neuerawhit y e better for y e vttering of y e Lawe vnto vs nor vnderstand any thing at all by it vntill it haue taken roote in vs that wee haue receiued it with hartie affection to giue our selues vnto God And yet is not all y t wee haue to doe neither doth God thinke it enough y t euery man shoulde indeuer to profite himselfe by it but he will also haue the fathers to teach their children Wherin he sheweth y t as I haue sayd afore it is not enough for vs to serue our God during our owne liues but we must also prouide y t the seede of religion may remaine after our decease For we be transitorie our lyfe is but a shadow therefore inasmuch as Gods trueth is immortall it is good reason y t it should continue for euer that it should be preserued frō hand to hand that men should put their indeuour thereunto And specially whē God hath giuē them childrē it behoueth them to know y t it is a treasure and that they must yeeld an account thereof For it is no small honor y t God doth to men women when he giueth them children They be creatures fashioned after y e image of God we terme them y e seede of y e Church Now then seeing that God committeth thē to our charge it is good reason y t we should indeuour to bring thē vp in such wise as God may be serued by them y t when religion shal haue continued her course all our lyfe long it may also hold out and continue stil euen after our death But here we see our owne negligence or rather our leawdnesse For wee bee not onely slothfull but we see how the most part of vs doe shun eschew as much as we can to be trained in Gods worde If men bee spoken to of it it is a corsie to them if they perceiue y t there shall be talke of any good doctrine they haue no regard to come there It is well seene y t a number are worse than y e Turkes are so bewitched w t their owne fond opinions y t as soone as y e bell tolleth to call prouoke vs to come dayly to y e hearing of Gods worde they goe another way And for proofe thereof what a number are there which w tdrawe thēselues from it as much as they can Yea when they come they stoppe their eares wilfully because they bee occupyed about their wicked affections and the diuel hath so besotted them as they finde not any sauor at all in any word that is spoken vnto thē but are weary of it as soone as there is any matter spoken concerning God As for y e bringing vp of children y e world sees what it is Fathers are loth to haue their childrē better than thēselues for feare least they should put them to shame Forasmuch as they themselues haue despised God all y e time of their lyfe they be contented y t their children shall despise him full as much or dubble if they happen to haue any regard of y e doctrine it is but for fashions sake by way of constreint But wee bee so taught these thinges in this text y t it shal cost vs full deare to haue bin so warned by God if we regard not the thinges y t he hath tolde vs. Therefore let vs bee alwayes carefull to beare Gods word in minde assuring our selues y t although we haue profited neuer so wel yet are we but in the way we must goe on still so as the once knowing of things is not enough for vs but we must be faine to be put in remembrance of thē continually to be stirred vp by God or else wee shall start away by and by Now then let vs think vppon it let euery of vs haue
saide in the foure fortith Psalme Psal. 45.11.12 My daughter forget thine owne people and thy fathers house and thy husband wil take pleasure in thee We know that in that place our spiritual marriage with Iesus Christ is described vnder y e person of Salomon And first of all we bee commaunded to forget all that euer is of our owne For by our people and by our fathers house is meant all that euer we haue of nature all things that we haue loued afore and al the pleasures delights wherewith we haue beene helde backe Al these thinges must be thrust vnder foote or else the sonne of God wil neuer like of vs whose calling of vs to him is to make vs all one with himselfe Also we must put the same thing in vre which I haue alledged heretofore out of Sainte Peter 1. Pet. 2.2 namely that we must be like newe borne babes For when a child beginneth at his Apsie he is easie to be taught and suffereth himselfe to be ouer ruled euen so in al things let vs learne this lessō which God teacheth vs in his doctrine let al our wisedome be to obey him That is the thing which we haue to marke in this texte where it is said thou shalt not deale so with thy God for God wil not be weighed in the balance nor ruled by y e measure of Idols but wil haue mē to imbrace whatsoeuer he commandeth and to rest vpon it w tout gainsaying or replying For declaration hereof he saith Ye shal resort to the place which hee shall haue chosen to put his name in and to dwel in Which saying here is expounded of some to bee his habitation that is to say his sanctuary or tabernacle But all cōmeth to one end Gods meaning is plain vndoutful namely y t whereas the heathen had set vp many Altars builded many Chappels and gone on many pilgrimages the Israelites shoulde holde themselues contented with the only sanctuarie Now if it were lawfull for men to bee ruled by their owne reason y e Iewes might here haue pleaded in this wise against God What the countrie is great and shall there be no Altarin no place of it but onely in one There are diuerse great Cities and shall there be neuer a Temple in them for men to offer sacrifice in and to doe their deuotions There are a great number of countries bordering vpon it which doe otherwise and shall we in worshipping GOD looke onely vnto heauen Why shall there be no altar It might seeme therefore that the Iewes had verie iust cause to refuse this commaundement and to say wee will bee so deuout that wee will haue some signe or marke of Gods dwelling among vs and wee will worshippe him and doe solemne sacrifices vnto him But what In this case men must bridle themselues and holde their owne wits in captiuitie so as they giue God leaue to speake and they themselues holde their peace without attempting to go anie further than Gods mouth permitteth them Ye see then howe it is Gods will to humble his seruauntes by making them subiect to his word Wherfore let vs learne that wee must not followe our owne sway nor our owne imagination but this ought to suffice vs that our seruice be acceptable vnto God by ordering of it according to his will there is no other way but that And it is said expressely in the place which the euerlasting thy God shal choose as if he shold say it is not in the choice of y e Iewes to appoint God a place or to say vnto him here wil wee sacrifice Men must not presume so far It belongeth to thy God to choose saith Moses To be short hee will haue Gods authoritie to bee receiued and him onely to be the ruler of his people so as he may command what he listeth and be obeyed without gainsaying Ye see then that the foundation of true religion is not to say it seemeth so to me I weene so I would faine haue it so it is a goodly thing but to let God speake and to assure our selues that it is not for vs to doe any thing but y t which he alloweth And so is meant by this saying that obedience is more worth before him thā all maner of sacrifice 1. Sam. 15.22 And in verie deed can wee doe him any greater honor than to rest vpon his worde and suffer our selues to be gouerned by it and to be as poore blinde folkes vntill hee haue lightened vs and shewed vs the way Now as for those that folow their owne deuotions they bereaue GOD of his souereintie and yeeld him no reuerence at al therefore it is but a building in y e aire and an vtter confusion Wherefore let vs weigh wel this word choose that we may be fully resolued in our selues that none but God hath authoritie to set order how he should be honoured and serued And he addeth yet further from out of al your tribes Here the people might bee tempted to a kind of ielosie for we know that men do willingly drawe things to themselues and that it is a greefe and a corsey vnto vs when others are preferred before vs. The same might bee also among the Iewes The lande of Chanaan is diuided into twelue tribes for the Tribe of Ioseph made two and the Leuites had no portion at al. But yet for all that yee see there were twelue Tribes Deut. 〈…〉 Ioh◠〈…〉 which had euery one his portion to enherite Now GOD tolde them that his Tabernacle should be set in Ierusalem and that his tēple should be builded vpon mount Sion Hereupon the residue might haue quarelled thus What Are not we the children of Abraham aswell as they with whome is it that GOD hath made his couenant Are we not al of one stocke Why then shoulde the Tribe of Iuda be preferred before vs specially seeing he is not the first begotten Doth y e birth right belong vnto him Why then shoulde he bee more honoured than all the rest Whence hath hee this priuiledge After that manner might the matter bee debated Also it might be alledged that the Arke ought to be remoued euery moneth of the yere frō one tribe to an other throughout al y e twelue Tribes There are twelue moneths in the yere and we be twelue tribes of vs and therefore wee ought to begin according to the order of birth-right so as the eldest haue the carying of the Arke the first moneth and euery Tribe after in his order Were it not reason it shoulde be so Yee see then that the rest of the Tribes might haue made that allegation when they sawe the Tribe of Iuda preferred before all the other Tribes But Moses preuenteth that saying it belongeth vnto thy GOD to choose and to commaunded what hee thinketh good According whereunto it is saide in the Psalme that the land of Chanaan was in deede made holy and that God had promised it to his
from the common order And therefore whosoeuer hath any zeale and affection to serue God must doe that which is commaunded here in seeking the place that God hath appointed that is to say he must not holde skorne of any thing which he hath ordeined for the confirming of our faith That is one point Againe we must alwayes beare in minde that when God vouchsafeth to plant his name amoÌ„g vs we must not serue him after our owne fashion and after our owne rude manner for his seruice is alwayes spirituall and the thinges that he sheweth vs here beneath must draw vp aloft to heauen And hereby a man may see howe the wretched world hath bin beguiled For y e greatest naunce must bee after such a sort as therewith we must find some further taste of the goodnesse of our God and ioy in him for that hee is our fosterfather of whom we haue our dayly bread as wee professe by asking it at his hande And when we haue taken our repast wee must proceede to take sustenance of y e good things that are prepared for vs in heauen against wee departe out of this worlde that wee may haue some beginning of them afore hande and trauell towardes the attaynement of them dayly more and more That is the thing which Moses ment plainely in this place saying When yee haue offered sacryfice to your GOD yee shall make merry there in his presence For the people were woont to make feastes at their sacrifices And what maner a ones Holy feastes not that God was honoured by their eating and drinking but for that it was a testifying that it behoued them to beare in mind that they were all their life long in Gods sight So as it behoued them not onely to think vppon him at the beginning of the yeere or a three or foure times a yeere when they came to Ierusalem to do sacrifice but also to thinke thus with themselues continually Although wee bee farre off from the Temple so as wee cannot bee there to doe our sacrifices yet doth not our GOD fayle to regarde vs for hee watcheth ouer vs and wee bee in his protection Therefore whensoeuer wee eate or drinke let vs assure our selues that hee seeth vs and we cannot hide our selues out of his sight neither ought wee on the other side to forget him as men commonly doe when they be minded to make merry They friske it out in such sort as if they thought they could get away from him But on the contrary parte Gods will was to doe the people of old time to vnderstand that whensoeuer they did eate and drinke they should thinke that God sawe them Wee in these dayes haue no such Ceremonie of feasting in Ierusalem and in the places neere about the Temple but yet doth the truth thereof continue still to vs which is that we be done to vnderstand y t after we haue beene at the Church and haue mette there together in the name of our God when euery of vs returneth home to his house to dinner we must not let god alone in the Church and take our leaue of him but we must beare in mind that God guideth vs and when we be come home to take our repast euery man by himselfe we must behaue our selues as in the presence of our God our mirth must be after such a sorte as he may bee the witnesse of our gladnesse For we know that if our mirth be vnholy it is cursed of God Therefore let vs learne to beare alwaies in mind that our God is our guide euery where and that he neuer forsaketh vs to the intent that we on our part shold not be as beastes that runne astray That is the thing which wee haue to marke vpon this text The Ceremonie thereof was in force during the time of the Lawe But as for vs nowadayes let vs bee contented with the truth therof learne to vnderstand y t sith our Lord Iesus Christ is come we neede no more any materiall Temples to tell vs that God is with vs. For our Lord Iesus hath not for naught taken to him y e name of Emâ—â—uel as the Prophet Esay calleth him that is to say Esa. 〈…〉 God with vs. And forasmuch as our Lorde Iesus Christ telleth vs y t he wil be with vs continually to y e worldes end let vs not feare but y t God will accept vs for his childreÌ„ so y t in passing through this transitorie life we haue our eye alwaies vpoÌ„ him and goe foreward still towards his heauenly kingdom For then wil he make all the rest to be dedicated to his honor so as euen our eating drinking shal be a peece of his seruice he will take it in good worth like well of it so that we do wholly worship him looking to be fed at his hand not onely with this corruptible foode but also with such nourishing foode to himselfward as wee may liue with him the same life that he himselfe liueth Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our innumerable faults which we coÌ„mit dayly against his Maiestie without ceassing praying him to make vs perceiue theÌ„ better than we haue done and in the meane while to beare with vs vntill he haue rid vs quite cleane from all vices and vnited vs throughly to his righteousnesse And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the vij of October 1555. The Lxxxij Sermon which is the third vpon the twelfth Chapter 8 Yee shall not doe according to all the things that you doe heere this day that is to wit euery man as he thinketh good 9 For as yet you be not come into the resting place and the inheritaunce which the Lord your God giueth you 10 You shall go ouer Iordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God will make you to inherite And he wil giue you rest from all your enemies round about you and you shall dwell in safetie 11 And when the Lorde your God shall haue chosen a place there to put his name in Ye shall bring thither all that I commaund you that is to wit your burnt offeringes your sacrifices your tenthes your Heaue offringes and all the choise of your vowes which ye shall haue vowed to the Lord. 12 And ye shall make merrie in the sight of the Lord your God both you your selues and your sonnes and daughters your Menseruauntes and your Maide seruauntes and the Leuite also that is within your gates for he hath no part nor inheritance with you 13 Beware that thou offer not thy burnt offeringes in all places which thou seest 14 But in the place which the Lorde will choose in one of thy Tribes There shalt thou offer thy burnt offerings and thither shalt thou bring all the things that I commaund thee ALthough Moses haue treated of this matter heretofore yet is it not without cause that he goeth
done away Wherefore let vs learne that in playing and sporting after the fashion of the children of this worlde wee shake off God and bereaue him of his honour And surely it is an vnexcusable vnthankfulnesse when we acknowledge not the author of all welfare If we referre all our mirth vnto God it will be alwayes moderate Besides that it shall euer haue a good end God wil so hold vs in aw by his Maiestie as we shall not passe our boundes as we see the wretched and blind vnbeleeuers do who haue no more stay of themselues in their making merrie than wild beastes haue Now then if our eies be so set vpon God we shal be sober and modest ynough Marke that for one point But besides this it is the meaning of Moses also that fathers should teach their children and masters their seruants to do the like For it is not ynough for a faithful man that he himselfe serue God but he must also gouerne his houshold assuring himself that it is committed to him to the same end that he is to yeeld account of it And in deede what reason is it y t a man should haue superioritie ouer his neighbors y t are creatures fashioned after y e image of God as wel as he and that in the meane while God should be bereft of his right and not be vsed as chiefe soueraigne of all What a presumption were that Were it not an vtter peruerting of the order of nature Then let vs marke well that heere wee bee warned to rule our houses in such wise as GOD may bee serued both of great and small Let him to whome God hath giuen children beware that he bring them vp in the right religion let him do the like to his men and his maides so as God may be the common father and maister of them all That was the thing whereof Moses intended to warne the Iewes in their persons it behoueth vs also to bee taught at this day to doe our duties in y t behalfe And therewithall wee be exhorted to gentlenes also For although the maister of a house haue preheminence authoritie ouer his houshold yet notwithstāding his inioying thereof must not be to himself alone but he must impart it to al his whole houshould for else it is a separating of himselfe from y e state of mankind a barring of the common societie which God hath set among men Therefore there are here two points to be noted The one is y t whosoeuer hath charge of children and seruants must do his indeuer to lead them to god And y e other is that all such as are set ouer others and haue inferior persons vnder them in what state of subiection soeuer it be ought to be kindharted towardes them and not to reigne ouer them with tyrannie and cruelty but to rule them w t al gentlenesse so as they make them partakers of the benefites and gratious gifts which they haue receiued at Gods hand That which Moses addeth concerning the Leuites serueth for a further confirmatiō of y t which he had spokē of their reioycing or making merrie in y e presence of God For as I haue declared alreadie God had appointed y e townes of y e Leuites to be dispersed among y e tribes to y e intent there should be good doctrine taught throughout y e whole country Leuit. 3 5.8 Ios. 2◠3 We know what the state of y t tribe was namely how it is said in y e second of the Prophet Malachie y t the lippes of the priest ought to teach knowledge Mal. 2.7 that men shoulde seeke for good doctrine at his mouth that the Priests were as the messengers of y e liuing God God then had chosen y e tribe of Leuie to be cōtinually among his people to hold them in the true and pure religion For had they bin placed all together in some corner by themselues after the same maner y t the rest of the tribes were in their portions all the poeple besides had bin w tout teaching But inasmuch as there was no tribe where the Leuites had not some towne allotted to them by that meanes the seede of Gods word was spred abrode so as the persons whom God had ordained to gouerne his Church to haue the charge of mens soules were so dispersed y t the land was furnished with them throughout And now it is said y t the Israelits shal make merrie with the Leuites y t were mingled among thē And why For they might holde the people in some awe Though there had bin some vnruly persons yet if they had seene the Leuites who bare their marks were specially chosen to the spiritual gouernmēt of y e Church it would haue bin a bridle to restraine thē w tal Thus the Lord seeing y e frailtie of his poeple gaue thē this help to hold them in order modestie As if he shold say True it is that I haue chosen you for mine inheritāce you be y e people whom I haue dedicated to my self but yet is there a special holinesse in the Leuites bicause they preace into y e Tabernacle and are appointed to teach you the lawe and to keepe you from running into superstition from starting aside to straunge gods Seeing then y t I haue committed this charge to my Leuites let them be in your company that by your beholding of them you may be y e more prouoked to feare mee and to bee merrie after a holy manner without defyling of your selues with the lustes of the world as ye see the vnbeleeuers doe who rush out into all disorder that seeing I haue appointed my Leuites to bee as messengers from me and y t my lawe is in their mouth their office is to beare abrode my doctrine you may not be so giuen to disorder but rather consider y t I dwell among you so as the very sight of my seruants may do you to vnderstand that I am neere at hand that you ought not to separate your selues from me And hereby we be put in minde to behaue our selues soberly and modestly that we haue neede to be exhorted dayly thereunto by the word of God for feare of starting out into vnthriftinesse for we see what feeblenes is in vs. True it is y t when we be once entered into a wicked trade we shall soone be hardened in it but to be constāt in doing good we shal haue much ado Therefore although we haue some good disposition desire to serue God yet must he bee faine to quicken vs vp still from day to day Wherfore let vs seeke the meane which is to resort to the doctrine y t should be our guide and to yeeld willing care to the warnings y t are giuen to draw vs vnto God to confirme vs in his feare obedience Yea and when wee haue bin at a sermon and haue heard y e word that
bodie taketh and receiueth vs for his owne But if wee hearken to the lyes and trumperies that are brought vnto vs and wee refuse not to learne what Darnell is it is an euill signe and wee bee corrupted alreadie And therefore let vs beare well in minde that wee ought so little to consent â—o false prophets as wee shoulde not in any wise giue eare vnto them but shunne them a farre off as soone as wee perceiue that they goe about to deceiue vs and to entyce vs to naughtinesse And to say the trueth this cursed curiositie hath beene the cause of many mennes destruction For it seemeth to many high minded persons that all thinges should passe the tryall of their wit and that when they haue sifted things after their owne imagination they may followe whatsoeuer they themselues thinke good for they bee able ynough to discerne the trueth of all thinges But when our Lorde findeth such ouerboldnesse in them hee putteth them to confusion The trueth is that they would so inquire of all things as nothing might escape them in so much as they could finde in their hearts to mingle Mahomets Alcoran and all the dotages of the Heathen and all the superstitions of the Papists with the purenesse of y e Gospell and to make a medly of them that wheÌ„ they had well clowted them together in their owne brayne they might saye This is the thing that is good But our Lorde as I saide afore cannot abyde that men shoulde trust so to their owne wittes And againe on the other side hee cannot abide such iniurie to bee done to his worde as that it shoulde bee matched with the wyles of Satan so as it might bee sayde now will I choose what liketh mee best It is too high a mounting for men to make themselues iudges and vmpers of Gods trueth which the Angels do honour with all reuerence Needes therefore must such men fall into horrible destruction And therfore let vs beware that wee brydle our selues so as our mindes wander not out into fond curiositie And as soone as wee perceiue that y e diuel goes about to falsifie Gods pure trueth let vs stop our eares and not harken to any such thing but vtterly abhorre it Now moreouer Moses sayth That although the false prophets shewe some signe or myracle the same commeth to passe yet must not men giue eare vnto theÌ„ Here he sheweth that we must haue such constaÌ„cie and stedfastnesse in our faith as it may not bee ouerthrowen though there bee neuer so great occasion of stumbling As for example if there bee such an illusion of Satan that a false-prophet say vnto vs such a thing shall come to passe and it commeth to passe in deede then are wee at our wittes end and it is ynough to ouerthrowe our whole building though it were neuer so well builded vnlesse God worke on our side aboue the power of mans abilitie But yet howsoeuer the world go Gods trueth must be of such force with vs as to holde vs backe against al such temptation so as if the diuel bring any illusion he may not gaine any thing at our handes nor preuaile against vs. And let vs marke that before that Moses saith so he giueth vs a sure declaration of false prophets that is to say of such as go about to turne vs from the true God whome were haue once knowen and would wrap vs in wicked superstitions wherin there is no reason If any such thing befall vs no maruel though our Lorde will haue vs to resist all that euer the diuel putteth to vs to bleare our eyes withal yea euen though there bee false miracles in so much that although all that the false prophet or deceiuer foretelleth do come to passe yet must wee not be led away by it We see then in effect what the meaning of Moses is that we must be so well fenced by gods worde that although the diuell rush against vs with neuer so great violence and worke all the meanes he can to beguyle vs yet we must not be ouercome but our faith must be as a wel garded fortresse that notwithstanding any assault or any battrie made against vs yet it may warde all blowes and bee able to saue it selfe from beeing vanquished by any enemies And now let vs marke that if God sende such false miracles it is not to intrap those that are his but to punish such as haue not beleeued the Gospel 2. Thes. 2.12 as Saint Paul speaketh thereof in the seconde to the Thessalonians And therefore doth Moses also adde Then is it Gods will to try thee whether thou louest him with all thy heart all thy soule or no. It is a saying that deserueth to be wel marked For first Moses doeth vs to vnderstande that such thinges happen not without the ordinance of God and secondly hee sheweth the ende or reason wherefore namely that the faithfull may haue wherewith to bee confirmed knowing well that God will giue them constancie to holde out though the temptation be neuer so rough and violent Those are the two thinges which wee haue to remember here First it is sayd God tryeth thee Hereby hee sheweth that Satan hath no power ouer vs nor can sowe any wicked weedes further foorth than God giueth him leaue And that is a verie needefull thing for vs to marke For were wee perswaded that the doore were open for Satan and that all errours might spring vp at all aduenture and that God ouer ruled them not alas what a thing were it For wee see howe mad the diuel is to ouerthrowe all trueth wee see with what furie hee goes to worke when hee is to fight against the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ and we see what spite hee beareth to our saluation And therefore things would go too much to hauocke if God wrought not to hinder Satan of his full scope that hee might not set vp his lyes among vs. Wherefore let vs vnderstande that whensoeuer there is any trouble diuision or diuersitie of opinion in the Church the same happeneth not at all aduenture but God worketh from aboue and ouerruleth the whole matter according to this protestation of Moses Thy God tryeth thee Yee see then that by knowing that God holdeth vs vnder his hande wee bee assured that no errours or abuses can haue accesse vnto vs vnlesse so farre foorth as our Lorde giue them accesse And marke it for a speciall point to the ende wee thinke not that the diuel reigneth at his owne pleasure and doeth all thinges as it were whether God will or no for hee must bee faine to haue leaue of his master And nowe let vs come to that which Moses addeth concerning the ende and reason why God doeth it For wee may thinke it strange What That God shoulde trye vs That errors shoulde bee saide to come so of God Then is hee the author of lying Againe doeth God stirre vp the diuell vnto euill Then might wee
sinnes are washed away by his bloude Rom. 5.19 Eph. 1.5 that he continueth still our aduocate and spokesman at this day to procure vs fauour in Gods sight that his obedience is imputed to vs for righteousnesse and that God adopteth vs in him to make vs heires of his kingdome All these thinges then are at this day declared vnto vs largely in the Gospell And seeing that God is so gracious to vs in preferring vs before all the kings and Patriarks that liued vnder the olde testament Wo worth vs if we cannot fare the better by such a prerogatiue Seeing that the kings I say which were desirous to haue hearde the thinges which wee heare Luke 10.24 and to haue seene the thinges which wee see obtained not their desire and nowe GOD hauing giuen vs more than them can winne nothing at our hands by so doing but skorne and despite what will our rewarde bee Hee may well vpbraide vs as hee did the Iewes in olde time Esa. 5.4 saying My people what haue I done to you My vyneyard I haue planted thee I haue husbanded thee and I haue taken great paines about thee and thou bringest foorth bitter grapes that are able to choke their master If GOD blamed the vnthankfulnesse of his people after that fashion in olde time howe much more may hee blame vs in these dayes Are not wee worthie to receiue a hundred folde more damnation than they Yes certainely So then let vs marke well that if God coulde not beare the despising of his Lawe he will much lesse nowe suffer the skorning of his Gospell or that men shoulde make none account of the order which hee hath set for them to resort to sermons there to bee taught by the mouthes of those that are in that degree and office For as I haue declared it is not ynough for vs to say Gods worde is worthie to bee hearde but wee must also shewe the same by proofe Whensoeuer our Lorde speaketh although it bee by the meane of creatures yet let vs receiue him quietly and obey him Let vs note further that where as it is saide hee will require an account of it the meaning thereof is that wee shall haue gained nothing by scaping the handes of men For why God will maintaine his owne honour And this is notable in many respectes For oftentimes yee shall see that they which shoulde holde the sterne to make Gods worde to bee receiued with reuerence haue no regarde of it at all The Princes Magistrates and Iudges of this worlde doe punish thinges which they knowe to bee to their owne domage such offences are straitely looked to And why For if they shoulde goe vnpunished great disorder woulde insue thereof This respect were not amisse so they did not set the cart before the horse For if God be offended they let that slippe And why Because they thinke there growes no inconuenience of it And in verie deede it is growen to a cōmon by word to say Who is hee that accuseth mee Whome haue I wronged The partie that shall haue spited God openly and therefore deserueth to bee rooted out of the worlde shall but wring his mouth or rather his groyne and steppe forth with a shamelesse foreheade to aske who accuseth him The verie Angels of heauen yea and all other creatures crie out against him and yet hee hath not offended And why so Because no bodie is against him heere among men for it may chaunce that no man will stande in Gods defence Euerie man will wellynough pleade for themselues but they be not so zealous as to set themselues against such as offende God And yet in the meane whyle the Iudges are asleepe and let all such manner of vngodly dealings slip Yea there are some which are worse than Iewes and Sarasins shewing no token of Christianitie but openly despising both Sermons and vse of Sacramentes Othersome are not contented with such contempt but they doe also make warre against God and play the venemous beasts in spewing out their vilenesse to make all religion to bee set light by These thinges are to bee seene and yet men winke at them Therfore doeth God tell vs that hee will call them to account for it Verie wel saieth hee let men bee as negligent as they will yet wil not I forget these things whatsoeuer come of it Heereby wee bee warned to receiue Gods worde when it is set forth vnto vs and to inure our selues to the hearing thereof not for feare of men onely but to eschew the wrath of the heauenly Iudge seeing hee is minded to defende the authoritie of his worde Were this well marked men woulde bee better disposed to suffer themselues to be taught by Gods worde than they be Men woulde make more speede when they heare the bel tol than they doe But what We can scarce finde in our heartes to goe three steppes to a Sermon And why For feare least wee shoulde afterwarde be censured If I go continually to sermons men will point at me with their fingers and I shall be called afterwarde into the Consistorie for it and in the end I shal be cēsured After y t maner do these Sarasins speake that dwell among vs here who haue neither faith nor Christianitie in them more than dogs Their comming hither commonly is but to scrape the ground with their pantoples in mockage of God But it were better for them to breake their neckes than to come to vnhalowe Gods temple after that sort Others come with gay Ceremonies and outwarde shewes and in the meane while haue no affection at all But let vs bethinke vs howe it is saide here that our Lord wil not let men alone so for although no mā maintain his glorie but presume malapertly to despise him yet shall not their so doing boote them For why He telleth vs that he will doe his office not bury things in forgetfulnes Then if men winke at the despising of Gods worde God himselfe must in the end shewe that he setteth such store by it that hee will be auenged of them for it Thus yee see what we haue to mark in Gods vttering of such threatnings against all the despisers of his Law Besides this it is his minde also to prouide y t wee be not deceiued nor abused vnder pretence of this honourable title of Prophet For as it becommeth vs to obey God by being taught by such men as he hath set in the office of teachers so on the other side it is not for any man to take that charge vppon him thereby to deceiue the plaine and ignorant people God then hath prouided here for both twain First he sheweth how there is no cause why the people should grudge seeing there was no want of teaching and therfore that they which turne away after Witches Soothsayers and Inchanters are leawd and vnthankfull For why God commeth to vs and requireth no more but to teach vs familiarly Therefore when men step aside after that
false Prophets shall be condemned yea euen because of their proud presūptuous dealing and for their vntollerable rashnes And hereby as many as haue y e charge to beare abroad Gods word are warned to walke warely circumspectly to take heed y t in their preaching of y e word they intermingle nothing of their owne but y t they haue a speciall care y t all their sayinges be referred to the true pure expounding of y t which is written that they doe nothing else but apply Gods word to y e vse of the people As for exāple I stand not here to make newe Lawes nor to forge new articles of faith What then Our Lord hath vttered his whole will vnto vs in the holy scripture Deut. 12.32 it is not lawful to ad any thing there to What am I to do thē wherfore do we preach yea that continually day by day To the ende y ◠the scripture should be well vnderstood that it should be applyed to our vse that men might know how to benefit thēselues therby as how to imbrace Gods promises how to order their lyfe aright how to liue quietly euery man after his owne calling The shewing of these thinges is to minister force to y e holy scripture y t wee may vnderstand it and fare the better by it and bee edifyed therewith Such say I as haue y e charge of preaching Gods word ought to haue a special regard of these thinges Howbeit forasmuch as no creature no not euen y e Angels of heauen are able to execute so high noble a cōmission we must pray God to guide gouern vs bearing in minde therewithall as S. Paul sayth y t no man could say y t Iesus is y e Lord 1. Cor. 12.3 y t is to say no man can giue glory to y e sonne of God but by the holy Ghost to bee short y t he which is aduanced highest to teach others ought to abace himself lowest for feare least any thing may scape him which hee hath not receiued of God so as he may safely protest y t he hath not amed at any other end than the worshipping seruing of God euen according to y e doctrine which hee hath deliuered heretofore in his holy scripture Againe the people are to be exhorted to take heede y t Gods glory bee not defaced For y e Papistes think it an humilitie allowable before God a very good commēdable deuotion to be so brutish as to receiue all y t euer is put vnto thē O say they we must submit our selues to our mother holy Church yea but in so doing they be guiltie of y e defacing of God himself of y e bereauing robbing of him of his authoritie For why The Pope his cleargie are so full of stinking pride statelynesse that they make Lawes subdue mens consciences to thē at their pleasure Ye see thē y t that is an vsurping of tyrannie ouer Gods people They excommunicate all good doctrine to set forth their owne corruptions so they defile the pure simplicitie of Gods worde Well they be suffered in these thinges yea mainteined defended in their malitiousnesse And in the meane while God is halfe shaken off no account is made of him for men doe ouermaister him For as for all them that hearken to false prophets after that fashion doe they not set vp their diuelish pride to the intent to thrust downe God thereby Let vs mark well then y t whereas Moses speaketh here of y e pride or ouerheaddinesse of y e deceiuers it is not onely to make them to bee mislyked punished and cut off from among y e people but also to warne vs that if a man presume to mingle any of his inuentions with Gods word or goe about to alter any part of the order y t he hath set wee must bee no fauorers of such rashnesse For in so dooing wee diminishe Gods honor and become guiltie of the vtter defacing of him as much as in vs lyeth And therefore all of vs in general as well the preacher as the hearer are warned to consider what the plaine reuerence is which God requireth at our hand It consisteth not in ceremonies nor in vaine bablinges as men say but in this that he onely doe speake and all mens mouthes be kept shut Not y t there should be no Shepheardes to preach the doctrine vnto vs but that all should be fetched from him and he be held as chiefe Maister The way then to beare down all pride and rashnesse is that the holy scripture haue his full force so as men vnderstand that that is the standard vnder which we must gather our selues and that God will be obeyed by mens submitting of themselues therunto For without that there will be nothing but pride and ouerstatelynesse among vs. And so ye see that the deuotion of the Papistes is diuelish because they haue left God to submit themselues to creatures and suffer thēselues to be led lyke beastes without any discretion And in the same respect is it sayd in the end Thou shalt not be afraid of such a Prophet He saith not thou shalt not feare such a prophet but word for worde it is thou shalt not be afraid of such a Prophet For here God meant to arme his faithfull ones with constancie that they might not be put out of countenance by any faire disguisement but that when they are once instructed in the faith they should defy all such as vaunt thēselues and come to make gay shewes vnder the name of God as I haue tolde you afore that sometimes men are too fearefull In deed there are that mocke at God and haue no feeling of conscience at all but set as light by the trueth as they doe by leasings euen at this day there are that make as much account of the Gospell as of y e abuses of the Popedome Iesus Christ the Pope are all one to them What a sorte of mockers are to be seene which will needes bee coūted good Christians because they hold skorn of the popish superstitions and yet in the meane while are despisers of God and his word Surely they be but dogges and hogs without any feare of God or ciuil honestie And yet is the worlde too ful of such corruption and infection Againe there are othersome very tenderharted Not y t it is not a vertue to stand in some feare but because they be ouerfearefull when they be vexed with any scruple of conscience they wote not which way to turne them For if an error be put vnto them they dare not receiue it for feare againe on the other side if the trueth be put vnto them their agreeing to it if they doe agree is not with any certeintie Ye shall see a number y t are euer wauering lyke reedes shaken with the winde The Masse is holy with them the Gospell is holy with
his bloudshed but also which shall then come to perfection when wee be vnited to him in the kingdome of heauen Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God and father praying him to rid vs dayly more and more of our flesh and of all the corruptions thereof and to make vs so to feele our sinnes as wee may at leastwise bee sory that we haue offended him and desire to be ridde of them continually more and more proceeding still forewarde in the doctrine of repentance vntill we be fully brought home vnto him and that he will vouchsafe so to beare with vs as in the meane while we may by his holy spirit be drawen vnto him euen vntill we be come altogether home vnto him That it may please him to graunt this grace not only vnto vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. On Tewsday the last of December 1555. The Cxxiij Sermon which is the fourth vpon the one and twentith Chapter 18 If a man haue a sonne that is stubborne disobedient so as he will not harken to the voice of his father nor to the voyce of his mother and they haue chastised him and he will not obey them 19 Then shall his father and mother take him and bring him to the Elders of their Citie and vnto the gate of their place 20 And shall say to the Elders of their Citie This sonne of ours is stubborne and disobedient and will not harken to our voyce he is a ryottour and a drunkard 21 And all the men of that Citie shall stone him with stones vnto death And so shalt thou rid away the euill from thee that all Israell may be afrayde when they heare thereof HEere first of all is shewed what their charge duetie is which haue children and secondely that when children growe past amendment by their fathers mothers they must be rooted out bycause their doing is against nature and it is such an infection as prouoketh Gods wrath vpon the whole Countrey Nowe as touching the first point it is sayde that if a man haue a frowarde and stubborne sonne and that he haue done his indeuour to reforme him Here God presupposeth that the father and mother doe performe their duetie for their children are giuen them with condition that they must yeelde account of them If a man haue layde the brydle vppon his childes necke and let him playe the loose colte he is worthy to haue his eyes pickt out by him and all the euill that the childe doeth is to be imputed to his father because he was negligent in correcting him Therefore wee see heere as I sayde afore that Moses doeth here warne fathers and mothers to bee diligent in nurturing their children And if chastisement will not preuaile their children are to be taken for vtterly vnrecouerable Wherefore that wee may benefite ourselues by this text let vs marke well that he to whome GOD giueth children must haue a speciall care to bring them vppe well for that is a singular treasure which ought to be preferred before al the goods in the worlde Then if a man be slothfull and suffer his children to runne at randone is it not an vnthankefulnesse that offendeth GOD greeuously seeing hee despiseth the benefite and honour which hee had vouchsafed vppon him Must it not needes be that men are starke blinde when they make more account of some other thing in their house than of their owne children Some haue more care of their kine Oxen or Horses than of their children Euery man makes account of his wares of his Lands and of his Medowes and in the meane while they let the chiefe thing alone Worthy be they to bee sent to schoole to a certaine Heathen man who beeing in a house where all thinges were as finely furnished and dressed as could be deuised finding the good mās sonne to bee aranke slouin and euilnurtured did spit in his face saying I must needes spitte vppon this filth that is left heere As for those which are so diligent and watchfull about their marchandise their reuenewes their possessions yea and their Cattell insomuch as they take more care for their dogges and horses than for their children accordingly as wee see howe greate Lordes sette more store by their haukes and houndes than by their children Doe not such blinde wretches bewraye their beastlinesse that men may abhorre them as folke too too farre voide of all witte and reason Yet notwithstanding our Lorde telleth vs heere that if men or women haue children they must looke to the bringing vppe of them True it is that chiefly it is the fathers duetie but yet must not the mother also be barred of her right If a childe be so lustie as to say my mother is a woman he must goe and finde fault with GOD. For wee see heere howe the authoritie is giuen as well to the one as to the other so as God will not haue the father alone to haue the gouerning of the childe but that the mother also shoulde haue part of the honour and preheminence and that y e child which will not obey his mother shall be taken for past grace be condemned to death And therefore both of them ought to do their endeuour to the vtter most of their power For seeing that GOD hath honoured the mother it is good reason that shee on her side shoulde streyne her selfe to doe her duetie And it is not ynough for fathers and mothers not to giue their children leaue to doe euill or not to traine them thereunto but they must also nurture them and instruct them in goodnesse as nature it selfe sheweth If a father say As for mee I vpholde not my sonne in this euill I mislike of it but I can not doe withall it is a very simple excuse and it is not meete to be admitted or to be taken in account For it may be sayde vnto him thou art a very blocke for seeing thou art set in that place and he will haue thee to bee the maister of thy childe thou art but a dolt in that thou makest no countenaunce when thou seest him doe amisse So then lette vs learne that heere GOD requireth a carefulnesse in fathers and mothers that they shoulde take paines to teach their children and haue an eye to their behauiour and dispositions and that if there be any fault in them they correct it and be very diligent in that behalfe Nowe if onely negligence be so condemned though fathers and mothers allowe not of their childrens faultes what will become of them when they bolster them in their euill dooinges and cloke them as much as they can and are offended when any other bodie goes about to bring them into the right way from their vnthriftinesse And yet we see that parentes doe so Truely negligence is too common a thing for fathers mothers haue no further regard of their children than to receiue some seruice at their hands In
deede they coulde well finde in their heartes that their children were taught what to doe To thinke vpon their houshould businesse and dealinges or to occupy some trade that they might put them to no cost when they came to age but rather that they might reape some profite by them For these wayes there is commonly care ynough But as for the feare of GOD honestie of conuersation and all other vertues they neuer thinke vppon them For as the prouerbe sayes there is no likelihoode that those thinges will bring gryst to the mill and therefore a father can finde in his hart to winke at y e vices of his child so long as he sees no disaduantage to insue of it But there is malice also matched with it insomuch that if a man goe about to reforme their children they will steppe vp against him and fauour their children and maintaine them euen against GOD. And our Lorde payeth them the wages which they haue deserued Wee see howe the veriest pinchpennies in a whole Citie or countrey and the veriest niggardes and vilanes which would gnawe off their fingers endes for a pennie or for a dodkinne to white their teeth withall haue whoremongers to their children who can not but picke their fathers purses for a harlotte will alwayes be crauing The child therefore becomes a robber of his father and yet the father is contented to maintaine him and will be angry that any body should chastise him for it spewing foorth his poyson like a diuell as hee is In deede this is no newe thing for it falles out so in all cases and likewise also in this behalfe Nowe when such thinges are to be seene ought we not to beholde Gods vengeance also Thou art a pinchpenny thou art so giuen to couetousnesse y t thou pinest vpon the ground thou darest not eate one bit of breade but with greefe and yet in the meane while thou hast a Sonne that filcheth and stealeth from thee to maintaine his whoredome Because thou art a despiser of God and a wicked keytife and wilt needes haue thy sonne to resemble thee and thy mainteyning of him after that fashion is a furtherance of his sinne and wickednesse Therfore doeth God recompence thee according to thy desert For thou art worthy to haue thy goods deuoured and to be mocked at of the whole worlde so as all men may beholde thy shame thou thy selfe neuer perceiue it Herein we see Gods manifest iudgement Whatsoeuer it be let vs beare in minde this lesson that if fathers and mothers be negligent they be as blameworthy before God as if they had giuen their children leaue to doe all maner of wickednesse But if they be offended at other men for correcting them for indeuoring to bring thē backe into the right way they shew thēselues to be become starke diuels and y t God hath giuen them vp to a reprobate sense Therefore let euery of vs for his owne part take warning to discharge ourselues of his duetie And let such as haue children take pains to teach them howbeit not for the reaping of any earthly profite by them Truly that may well be an accessarie to it but it ought not to be the chiefe point Wherunto then must they haue regarde Forasmuch as God hath done them the honour to set them in the degree of fathers they must do their best to yeelde vnto him their children whom he hath put into their handes to make true sacrifices of them vnto him that there may alwayes remaine some good seede to honour him withall For we see howe y e scripture telleth vs oftentimes that Gods name must florish from generation to generation And that is to the end y t hauing serued him all the time of our life we should indeuour to the vttermost of our power that there might remain a good ofspring after our decease so as Gods glory might not be quenched nor buried but y t his praise might indure for euer That say I is the marke whereat fathers mothers ought to aime insomuch that euen they y t haue no children ought to haue the same minde and desire yea and to shewe it also by their doings as much as they can possibly What ought he then to doe who is bound to it by some speciall reasō When he seeth a mirrour of Gods grace in his house Psal. 128. it is the blessing which the scripture doth so highly commende as who would say I haue my yong children about me God sheweth me as it were with his finger y t he loueth me hath a care of my house He hath created mee heere yong children of my seede after his own image and they be baptised in his name to the intent I should bee the more mooued to dedicate them to him to frame them to the obeying of him If a man haue such a teaching and such a marke to set his eyes vpon and yet is neuer the more prouoked to doe his duetie must it not needes be that he is worse than a block So then let this respect bee well marked and let men beare it in mind that it may stirre them vp to do the thing that is tolde them heere namely to bring vp their children faithfully if they haue any And moreouer when they see any euill touch or vice in them let them labour to reforme it so as the father and mother may protest that they haue done their dueties Nowe moreouer heere is expresse mention made of stubbornnesse For as concerning peculiar faultes a father and a mother ought to indeuour continually to bring their children into the right way True it is that God ment not to haue other faultes to goe vnpunished When a childe hath any way offended hauing a father or mother aliue it is not meant that hee should be exempted from punishment vnder colour that he is vnder correction of his father and mother But heere God speaketh of an other case which is that fathers and mothers should bring their children before the Iudge to haue them put to death Loe heere is a great extremitie We knowe well what a heartbreaking it is to a father to see his sonne punished by Lawe euen though it bee by some other bodyes meane Then is it not possible for a father to deliuer his sonne to death vntill he haue assayed all the remedies that can bee for otherwise it were against kinde Therefore not without cause is heere mention made of so great pride and stubbornnesse that the father hauing streyned himselfe and done what hee can to the vttermost to reclayme his childe perceiueth that it booteth him not to doe any more and therefore that he must bee faine to deliuer him into the Iudges hande to be put to death And so wee see that fathers and mothers must proceede in chastisesing their children vntill they see them vtterly past hope of amendement And I adde this because that parentes are so out of patience sometimes when
Iudges but also y t if our obseruing of gods law be but bicause we feare to be damned he vtterly mislyketh such a seruice wil make no account therof And what is y e reasō Forsooth because he wil be honored of vs as a father is honored of his children For I pray you if a child grind his teeth against his father it grieue him to obey him but because he hath no way to escape his hands he wil doe what he commandeth him and yet if it were possible he would get him out of y e house and not obey his father shall this seruice please him Surely no. And wil God haue lesse graunted vnto him than mortall men require which are but rottennes Of a very truth they which serue God so by constraint could find in their harts to haue him plucked out of heauen if they coulde possibly doe it And therefore let vs bethinke our selues to yeeld vnto God such sacrifice as he lyketh of Let vs sacrifice vnto him our selues our thoughts Rom. 12.1 our wils affections and all y t is in vs let vs dedicate al vnto him with a syncere affection with an vpright free hartednes as we haue said afore True it is that we ought to be sore afraide of Gods punishments because we are like an Asse which must euer be spurred laid vpon with a staffe Therefore let vs humble our selues whē we see y e threats which are made against vs in the holy scripture But withall let vs yet passe farther to know y t God is our father and knowing him to bee such a one let vs come vnto him like true children as he requireth vs by his Prophet If I bee your father saith he where is mine honour Mal. 1. ◠He saith not onely If I bee your master wher is y e feare which you ow me But he putteth both down together If I be your master wher is my 〈◊〉 And if I be your father wher is y e honor which you owe vnto me God therfore wil be honored of vs but withal he wil be serued of vs and that of a frank free goodwill and of a syncere affection as we haue before declared when wee treated of y e short abridgement of y e law in the seuenth chapter what doth thy God O Israel require more of thee but y t thou shouldest stick vnto him by louing him This say I is in effect all y e seruice which God requireth of vs. And so wee are warned y t we must not bee so ouergreeued w t the threats y t are made against vs and with y e punishments which are contained in the law but y t we shold also outgo y e same be redy to offer vp ourselues a willing sacrifice vnto God to call vpon him as our father accordingly as hee hath adopted vs for his children In the ende Moses declareth y t men must obserue such an honesty of nature in mariage that the sonne in law must not couple himself with his stepmother Indeed here hee setteth downe but one kind But in the twentith of Leuiticus there are mo degrees spoken of But this serueth to put them in mind of y t which was said before For Moses in this book maketh a rehearsal of the law which hee had already written And I haue told you y t this is not more than needeth because mens memories are so short and they forget so soone that which God hath taught them It was therfore expedient y t Moses for y e better warranting of his doctrine should repete it again in this booke And therfore he doth touch this but by y e way concerning marriages that men ought to keep such an order as to hold incests for accursed For y e Paynims themselues knew y t if mariages were made w tout all difference there shoulde be incests as they called them committed so as mariage shold be defiled before God become worse than whoredome They had this conceite imprinted in them by nature albeit they had not bin taught y e will of God purely yet had they some sparke of it God would not that mankinde shold become so beastly but y t they shold always haue a kind of light to make them vnexcusable and to encrease their condemnation the more as S. Paul also treateth hereof in y e second Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans Now to treate of all those degrees which are spoken of in Leuiticus were needeles at this time It shall suffice briefly to beare in mind y e effect of all namely y t we ought to haue a difference and honesty obserued in mariage that degrees of kinred be not mingled and confounded together that a father take not his daughter to wife nor a brother his sister nor an vncle his neece that a father in law take not his daughter in lawe and y t a mother in law take not her son in law For if we obserue not this order what differ we from y e brute beastes But a man wil say why sir It is by mariage Yea but like as mariage is an holy thing so must it be kept with the greater reuerence So that it is a double condemnation if I will go vnder the colour of mariage and defile my selfe like a brute beast It is as if a man shold rob his neighbor vnder the colour of Iustice. He commenceth a false action against him when hee hath cast him he will alledge Oh I haue gotten y e sute I haue nothing but by way of iustice Yea but thy wickednesse is greater than if thou haddest cut a mans purse That offence of the twaine had beene the lesser For thy theeuery indureth stil and which worse is thou hast falsly abused y e name of God defiled y e seat of Iustice. Seest thou not what a treachery thou hast wrought herein Then like as y t man is a double thiefe which by pleading a wrong cause and through ouerthwart meanes hath raked vnto himselfe an other mans goods so doubtles those which violate the order of nature as a father which marieth his daughter an vncle which companieth with his neece a brother which taketh his sister do worse than if they committed whoredome And why Because first the thing it self is beastly and can neuer be lawful Secondly y e land is as it were defiled and infected where such wickednes raigneth Briefly mē ought to detest abhor it And yet notwithstanding if men will yet venter to confound marriage together which is so holy a thing which is y e liuely image of that spirituall vnion which wee haue with our Lord Iesus Christ which God as we know ordained at the beginning blessed if mē will intermingle it with such filthines if they will make but a sport of it to whom offer they this iniury Offer they it not vnto God who is y e author of mariage commandeth y t it be
to employ our selues likewise for our neyghbour by that meanes shewe that wee are his children seeing it hath pleased him to shewe himselfe a father towardes vs. Nowe I graunt that there are many which are wonderfully greeued when a man putteth them in minde what they haue beene in time past If a man bee become riche and is aduaunced to honour hee woulde haue no man to remember him what hee was afore but hee is carryed away with such an headlesse ouerweening that hee surely thinketh that hee is fallen from the clowdes and woulde gladly so blinde the eyes of the whole worlde than men shoulde consider nothing but his present excellencie But our Lorde notwithout cause bringeth vs backe agayne And why For as I tolde you men are subiect to this forgetting of them selues when God hath once exalted them and thereupon they disdayne their neighbours and pride ingendreth crueltie as it is said in the sixteenth Chapter of Ezechiell where Sodome is set downe for an example thereof God sayth that the pride which was founde in Sodome prouoked his wrath and vengeance against that citie For when they had once aboundaunce of all things and were growen fatte when they had meate and drinke at will then began they saith hee to bee puffed vp in pryde and afterwarde withdrewe their handes from the poore and thought that it was ynough so that they themselues were furnished Let vs therefore know that our Lorde perceiuing the vice whereunto wee are ouermuch enclyned and giuen meant to prouide such remedie for it as hee knewe to bee fit and conuenient for our saluation So then if wee bethinke our selues well wee shall alwayes finde iust reason to moue vs vnto kindnesse towardes our neighbours There is yet another thing which ought to induce vs heereunto namely if wee consider thus with ourselues euen that I am a man and that I am endued with some speciall qualitie aboue others it is of God I am beholden to him for it it is he that hath giuen mee that prerogatiue But how soeuer I fare I cannot cut my selfe off from mankinde I am descended from the stocke of Adam which is wholly accursed and as for that knowledge which I haue of Gods trueth it is a speciall gifte which hee hath giuen mee I haue it not by nature and farther I am subiect to all the miseries and wretchednesses in the worlde if I bee to day in honour to morrowe God may put mee to infamie and shame if I be in health God may cast mee into sicknesse Wee see how Kings and Princes themselues haue beene eaten vp sometimes with vermine and with rottennesse Act. 12.23 and haue beene so stinking that they haue loathed euen themselues whereby a man might perceiue the hande of God visibly vppon them Therefore when wee see such examples it ought to humble vs. And shall not this humilitie breede a brotherly kindheartednesse in vs to helpe our neighbours or at least wise to bewayle and to pitie the miserie wherein they are seeking as much as lyeth in vs to relieue and succour them So then let vs alwayes thinke on this Thou wast a seruaunt in the lande of Egypt and therefore I commaunde thee to doe thus Nowe when our Lorde sayeth I commaund thee to doe so he taketh that as granted which I haue alreadie touched to wit that because hee is the Redeemer of this people therefore they are bounde vnto him You owe all thinges vnto mee sayeth hee and seeing it is so I will haue you pay such a tribute in way of reknowledging of those goods and lands which you holde of mee and I require nothing but that which is mine Nowe when wee haue wel considered hereuppon let vs take the exposition hereof as Saint Paul deliuereth it vnto vs in the fourteenth Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes and wee shall see howe profitable this doctrine is for vs. For for this cause sayeth he Iesus Christ dyed and rose againe to the intent that wee should be his both while wee liue and when wee dye Beholde here a bond which wee cannot escape and woe be vnto him which seeketh to exempt himselfe from it to wit to dedicate both our life and death vnto his seruice who hath so loued vs and helde vs so deare that hee hath not spared his owne life to winne vs vnto himselfe and vnto God his father Seeing then that hee hath so redeemed vs that we are his inheritance and that hee declareth that we are wholie his that wee belong properly vnto him it is good reason that whensoeuer hee commaundeth vs any thing wee should lay our hande on our mouth and receiue without any gainsaying whatsoeuer he putteth vnto vs. For seeing hee is our Redeemer and that wee hold of him whatsoeuer wee haue are wee not ouer blockish if wee submit not our selues vnto him and rest altogither on his will And that is the cause also why GOD vseth this preface in his lawe Exod. 20.2 I am the euerliuing thy God which haue brought thee out of the lande of Egypt Before that God setteth downe any commaundement to rule the life of his people by hee saith Know yee that I haue alreadie purchased you to serue mee I graunt wee haue not beene brought out of the lande of Egypt but yet the redemption which hath beene wrought for vs is much more precious for wee are deliuered from the bottomlesse pit of hell For as much therefore as wee of our owne nature are so slowe to serue God or rather so restie that wee drawe cleane backewarde from his will because wee receiue not the yoke quietly but are as young vntamed and vnhandled heiffers or rather as stiffenecked buls For we see how some are so headstrong and brainsicke that a man can by no meanes rule them and others are spitefull and froward full of rebellion and vnreclaymable Sith we see it is so harde a matter to bring vs in subiection vnder GOD let vs quicken vp our selues in this sort and saye Howe nowe Knowest thou not who it is that speaketh Is it not hee who hath redeemed vs And seeing that wee are his must hee haue so much a doe to winne vs vnto himselfe Shal wee so resist him Must hee bee fayne to fight with vs when hee woulde frame vs to his wil Doe not we shewe our selues monsters in so dooing And are we not to be holden for detestable persons Verily if wee looke well to our selues wee shall finde that this is not the onely cause whereby wee are bound vnto God hee might vpbrayde vs with his creating of vs. And if wee bee his creatures is it not good reason that hee shoulde quietly haue the maystrie of vs And what creatures are wee He shal bee serued of the Oxen and Asses hee shal bee serued of the earth which is without all sense and feeling and of corne and of wine and of all other senselesse thinges for wee see howe God imployeth them as it
helpe which children owe to their fathers and mothers Therfore whosoeuer yeeldeth not honour to his father and mother is here cursed of God We haue well seene heretofore the punishment that was appointed for them Insomuch that if any man had disobedient children being brought before the Iudges they were vppon his single witnesse to be stoned to death and so such infection was to bee taken away For it is an vnkindly and accursed thing that the children should set themselues against those which brought them into the world and haue brought them vp and haue taken so much paine and care for them For wee knowe that a father occupieth as it were the roome of GOD towardes his owne children and ofspring It followeth then that hee that so lifteth vppe himselfe against his father or his mother doth manifestly dispise God euen as if he were a contemner of all religion Now heere by y e way God telleth vs that although Iudges and Magistrates do not their dutie or if he y t hath done the wrong to his father and mother bee bornewith yet is he not therfore escaped For many crimes lie buried in this world which notwithstanding God reserueth and early or late they must come to acount Let vs marke well then that heere is no more speaking of the execution of Iustice which is to bee done by meane of law for that hath beene spoken of afore but God declareth y t although they which haue offended through disobedience be not punished here in this world or that their faultes be not knowen or that no such examination bee made of them as they deserue yet they gayned nothing thereby because there is a heauenly Iudge which forgetteth not any thing but keepeth all thinges registred before him and he in the ende will surelie doe his office Therefore let vs thinke well vppon this doctrine and although men finde no fault with vs nor any man vexe or trouble vs let vs not thereuppon fall asleepe but rather euerie man summon himselfe according to that which is tolde vs here consider that we must come before the iudgement seat of God And therefore let vs learne to walke in such wise as hee may accepte of vs when wee come there and as wee may not stande in feare of the curse which is vttered here Not that anie of vs canne perfome the Lawe as I haue declared more fullie heretofore but that it behooueth vs to tende thereunto and to put our indeuour to it For although wee bee not altogether cleane before GOD but contrariwise guiltie of manie of the faultes that are conteyned here yet doeth not hee lay them to our charge sobeit that wee mislike of them and giue not our selues ouer to them ne let the bridle slacke Wherefore let vs learne to restrayne our selues and to bee sory seeing wee be not so perfect as were requisite But yet therewithal as I haue declared alreadie let vs streine our selues to please our Lord God and to obey him and let vs haue such a recorde in our owne consciences as wee may freely and with open mouth say Cursed bee hee which hath not followed the doctrine of saluation in such sorte as it is shewed vnto vs. To make anie long discourse of the honour which euerie man oweth to his father and mother it is not needefull as nowe because the lawe hath beene expounded alreadie heretofore It sufficeth as nowe to know that in this text GOD declareth that all disobedience as well against fathers and mothers as against all superiours whome he hath set in authoritie in this worlde is intollerable in his sight For hee will not haue vs to liue here disorderlie like beastes but hee will haue order and gouernment obserued among vs. And that canne not bee doone except we stande in awe of such as beare anie office for the common gouernment of men Whosoeuer then breaketh Gods order let him looke to bee acursed accordingly also as Saint Paul telleth vs Rom. 13.4 that in so dooing wee resist not creatures or men but we make warre against God himselfe when wee goe about to ouerthrowe the superioritie which hee hath ordeyned and commended vnto vs. Marke that for one point Now it is added afterward Cursed shall hee bee which plucketh vp his neighbours buttelles Meeres or Landmarkes Wee must alwayes beare in minde that which I haue tolde you alreadie namelie that here vnder one kinde GOD comprehendeth all And I expounded therewithal that if the bounds of mens Landes bee not kept certayne no man shall bee Maister of his owne possessions but all shall goe to spoyle and hauocke And surely the hauing of iust weightes and measures the maintayning of lawfull monie and the keeping of bounds and buttelles vnchaunged are thinges that haue beene euer priuiledged For howe might men buy and sel or vse anie trade among them if the coyne bee not lawfull Againe if weightes and measures be falsified in what taking are we To what purpose shall Iustice serue any more To what end shall all the lawes in the worlde serue As much is to bee saide for boundes buttelles meeres land-markes So then vnder this saying God meant to shewe that it behooueth vs to obserue equitie and vprightnes in dealing one with another True it is that lewes are made for the punishing of such offences insomuch that if any man doe shift or remooue his neighbours buttell he shall not be discharged by setting it in the right place againe and by making amendes for the harme that he hath done but he shall be openly punished also as for a hainous crime As much is to bee done for the falsifying of weightes and for the hauing of wrong measures As touching the counterfeiting of Coyne if a man haue vsed it it is not enough that hee pay backe that which hee hath wrongfully taken but hee must also die for it and good reason For otherwise as I sayde all lawes were to be abolished And it were better for vs to be wilde beastes than to liue without those meanes which God hath ordeyned and nature also hath taught vs. But put the case that some man do defraude his neighbour bee it by false measure or by some other wicked practice and that he seeke to aduantage himself by an other mans losse the magistrate knoweth nothing thereof by meanes whereof it scapeth vnpunished yet is it shewed vs here that in the ende it must needes come to account before the heauenly Iudge If a poore man bee put from his right or oppressed by authoritie violence or otherwise and dare not say a word to it ne findeth anie aduocate to tender his case in this worlde yet is God his warrant and those which thinke themselues greatly benefited by inriching themselues by hooke or by crooke shall at length finde that it were much better for them to haue had but one bitte of breade to eate than to haue had neuersomuch to glut themselues withall and in the meane time
And therfore God neuer vseth any superfluous speache but thereafter as he seeth it expedient for vs so doth he repete things and because he seeth that we haue but a short memorie hee is faine to put vs in mind of the things which we knew haue now forgotten Also for as much as he seeth vs to be hard of digestion he is fayne to chaw the doctrine to vs aforehand that we may bee able to digest it That is the thing which Moses doth presently when he sayeth This day I call heauen earth to witnesse that I haue set before thee good and euill blessing and the curse Nowe let vs returne to that that wee haue spoken which is that as often as the worde of God is declared vnto vs wee must looke into the power therof euen to stay our selues thereuppon that after wee haue once receiued the grace which hee offereth vnto vs wee may not dout that wee shal be deceiued being so stayed vppon the testimonie which hee hath deliuered to vs of his goodnesse and loue And likewise that beeing touched with dread and feare to the intent we may preuent the threatenings wee must not linger till hee put the thinges in execution which hee hath denounced against vs but we must goe and yeelde our selnes vnto him to pray him to receiue vs to his mercie and pitie And albeit that this solemne protestation bee not made euery day as it was here done by Moses yet wee must vnderstande that it belongeth vnto vs at this day to the ende that none of vs shoulde beguyle himselfe Moreouer it is sayde that both blessing and cursing are set before our eyes when wee haue the worde Why so For when our Lord trayneth vs vnto him what remayneth then Is not hee our life and the length of our dayes Shall wee liue when wee bee parted away from God which is the fountaine of life and of all manner of happinesse If wee take this worde God in our mouth and do not vnderstande whose we bee nor what wee owe him wee make him but an idoll hee is but a fantasie as there be many which talke ynough of God but yet they doe not thinke that they leaue him emptie of all his glorie But it is not for vs to speake after that manner of our God wee must yeelde vnto him that which belongeth to his maiestie Beholde our God is the fountayne of life hee is the welspring of vertue of ioy of felicitie of glorie To bee briefe the fulnesse of all goodnesse lyeth in him and therefore as soone as wee turne away from him wee cannot haue any droppe of those things but all manner of mischiefe shall pursue vs. That is the thing which Moses hath declared vnto vs in this place So then by this worde God and by his proper office he sheweth vs that when we haue his word we must not then any longer stagger neither is there any excuse for the misbeleeuers which do not this honor to God to conclude to answere Amen as soone as he saith the word And why For it is alone as if they renounced him And y e Apostle vseth as it were a like reason in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Hebr. 4.12 where hee sayeth For as much as it is the office of GOD to search mennes heartes hee hath also giuen the same power to his word so as it must pearce our bones and soake euen into the marrow and into y e very thoughts He putteth downe there a likenesse and conformitie betwixt God and his worde So also in this place Moses telleth vs that it is not for vs to cauill or wrangle any more when wee haue once beene instructed by the worde of God For therein hee sheweth himselfe what he is there must wee behold his power Nowe then if wee intytle God to this prayse that hee is our life and the length of our dayes it is certaine that wee must fynd the same in Gods worde and thereof wee ought to bee throughly well assured To be short wee see howe Moses standeth vppon this point that the worde of God ought to haue such honour reuerence at our hands as to accept it as if God himselfe appeared vnto vs visibly in his maiestie and to submit our selues obediently thereunto as in very deede that is the true proofe and tryall of the obedience which wee yeelde vnto him But herewithall wee bee also admonished that men deceiue themselues when they seeke either life or prosperitie any where else than in God For wee foorthwith goe to wracke as soone as he draweth his spirite from vs. Do wee then desire to liue Let vs abide vnder the wings of our God and cleaue vnto him according as it is sayde here True it is that in this place Moses setteth forth an earthly life vnto the Iewes and also the land of Chanaan which was assigned vnto them for their inheritance but yet he sheweth that God meant by exercising of them in those thinges to trayne them on farther Let vs marke I say that Moses did not meane to holde the people to this earthly life but to make them to vnderstande the goodnes of GOD and to giue them some certaine taste therof by the testimonies which they had here beneath Moreouer seeing that it is so that God protested vnto the Iewes by the mouth of Moses that hee layde before their eyes both life and death when hee willed that the lawe shoulde bee published let vs vnderstande that the sayde life is yet better vttered vnto vs at this day For the lawe is called the messenger of death because life is not there so largely knowen as our Lorde Iesus Christ doth shewe it vs at this day in that hee commeth to offer himselfe vnto vs as the liuely image of his father Col. 1.15 to the inâ—ent that wee shoulde be transfigured into his glorie Let vs then marke well that as oft as the doctrine of the Gospell nowadayes is preached vnto vs God sheweth forth life vnto vs and calleth vs in such wife vnto him as wee may become one with him according to this saying which wee reade in the seuenteenth Chapter of Saint Iohn Holy Father I beseech thee Iohn 17.21 that they may bee one with vs as thou and I are but one Seeing then that our Lorde Iesus hath pronounced this with his own mouth let vs not feare but that whensoeuer we bee called vnto him hee doeth ioyne vs perfectly to himselfe in glory But yet therewithall let vs also bee afrayed least for our refusing to receiue life to inioy it death bee giuen vnto vs. Not that that is of the nature of the Gospell for wee our selues be the cause thereof but because the reprobates bee euermore consumed by the onely sauour of the Gospel through their owne malice and vnthankfulnes 2. Cor. 2.16 Let vs bee aduised to choose the life that is offered vnto vs seeing wee neede not to seeke it farre
Isa. 45.19 Yet notwithstanding wee for all this doe make smal account to be taught of him euery of vs wandereth after his owne imagination and which worse is hauing hadde some tast and knowledge and hauing founde by experience that all our whole happinesse lyeth there and that our whole contentment and rest ought to be settled in the obeying of Goddes worde yet is there none of vs but hee turneth aside from it and the same hath beene common in all ages Nowe therefore to remedie this mischeife GOD hath vouchsafed that his woord shoulde bee kept by some meane and that some certaine folke shoulde haue the charge to preserue it safe and sounde that it might not perishe Wherein we behold the inestimable care that he hath of our saluation Be not wee worthy to be depriued of such a treasure seeing we do esteeme it so litle Yes for our vnthankefulnesse deserueth the wrath of God and that he should withdrawe the thing which hee hadde bestowed vppon vs. Yet notwithstanding hee ceaseth not to drawe vs still backe vnto him and heereof wee see heere a goodly example in that it is sayde that Moses hauing written the lawe committed is to the priestes the children of Leuie which carried the Arke and to all the Elders of Israell which hadde the charge and authoritie to gouerne the people True it is that when GOD hath once published his worde euerie man ought to bethinke him to receiue it for euerie man ought to take heede to it for himselfe men ought not to depende one vpon an other neuerthelesse there is not any man that is greatly carefull thereof It is behoouefull therefore that GOD should appoint people to watch ouer vs whilest we sleepe and to call vppon vs and if they see vs readie to swarue aside they must restraine vs. This is the cause why it was specially requisite that the lawe should be deliuered into the handes of the Priestes First of all it was written and it was sufficient that the people had hearde the will of God If men had good remembraunce and woulde not forget that which they haue learned it were ynough I say that Moses had once declared vnto them that which was requisite for their welfare For hee hadde commaunded them to occupie their mindes about the studie thereof both night and day and to write the lawe vpon the postes of their houses vpon their tables and euerie where else to the intent that whyther soeuer they turned their eyes they might euer be stirred to thinke vppon God Againe they ought to haue had a care to instruct their children and besides this the Lawe was copyed out yea and to be kept as it were vppon Recorde of authoritie as which proceeded altogether from the hande of God And the reason was that the people did soone growe out of kinde Although they hadde their eares beaten with the thinges that were contayned in the lawe yet turned they away to superstition and afterward euery man became dulheaded had nothing in him but ignorance so as w tin a while there was no knowledge of God among them But is the lawe written Yet is it necessarie that it be coÌ„mitted as a treasure into the hands of the Priestes which be y e messengers of God as saith the Prophet Malachy Knowledge ought to dwel in their mouth and when we haue asked counsell of theÌ„ we ought to hearken vnto them to be enformed of the truth Nowe then they are appointed to be keepers But what came to passe after that God had prouided so well for the matter The lawe perished and was lost And surely seeing there was so good order takeÌ„ for the preseruation thereof that men might heare it spoken of yea and y t at the end of euery seuen yeere in the feast of Tabernacles in y t solemn day the couenant of God was to be renued the whole law was to be repeated before all the people it is an incredible matter y t the same was so straitely kept yet notwithstanding y t in the meane while there was such rechlesnes y t the people made no reckoning to be depriued of their chief welfare For meÌ„ as we haue already sayd be more wretched than brute beasts vnlesse they be taught by God To what end serueth all the râ—ason vnderstanding y t they suppose theÌ„selueâ— to haue by nature but to their greeuouser condemnation vntil God hath put forth his hand to them and haue shewed theÌ„ wherunto they must sticke But yet howsoeuer the worlde went the children of Israel y t blessed seede of AbrahaÌ„ the chosen people elect adopted of God his inheritance and his Church they I say vnto whoÌ„ God had done so great honor whoÌ„ he had exalted vnto so high a dignitie hauing heard the law published ought euery of them to haue borne it in minde and to haue kept it as carefully as men keepe the charters of a kingdome or the Crowne or other such thinges And truly in all coÌ„parison the lawe of God deserueth well to haue the preeminence aboue al y t euer is in the world But yet for all that it vanisheth away in the mean space the people had no great care thereof And surely it is a very strange case how it shold come to passe coÌ„sidering y t the remeÌ„brance therof was so solemnly kept by reason wherof al the people ought to haue thought thus How now We lose this good custom wherby y e law of god shold now sound in our eares wherby we should haue y e remeÌ„brance therof renewed whereby we shold be confirmed in his couenant whereby the same should be ratified vnto vs by y e reading of the law The people I say had no regard to any of these thinges In deede they assembled at y e feast day made great cheere but yet euery body returned home to his owne house w tout hauing regarde to these things insomuch y t the lawe lay as it were buried vntil the time of Iosias 2. Chr. 34.14 in the which it was found againe True it is y t at that time they were greatly abashed at it but yet we see the rechlesnes of men in y t they spake not a word when they were depriued of so great a benefit And y t is a token of too shamefull thankelesnes Heere haue we a lookingglasse wherein we may very well behold the affectioÌ„ of men for we at this day be no better than the Iewes were And in deede wee perceiue howe the world seeketh nought else but to be exempted y t they might not haue their eares troubled with the law of God nor with his word True it is that they are ashamed do abhor to say y t Gods word should be despised but yet they would make it a relique to be worshipped a farre off as a sealed letter so as men should content theÌ„selues with the doing of some honor ceremony to it as if they
condemnation and at the last day they shall full well be brought in minde of it againe Nowe if we haue the word of GOD which ought to bee a much more familiar instruction to vs and that God constraineth vs to haue our eares beaten therewith and to bee able to talke thereof if wee make none account thereof but walke altogether contrarie to it so as it may seeme that wee haue conspired to prouoke the wrath of GOD against vs Alas how dreadfull condemnation is readie for vs Therefore let vs looke well to our selues and let vs consider that our Lorde doeth often times leaue his worde in the mouth of men not to the intent they should be instructed thereby to their profite for they be neither worthie nor capable thereof bycause of their malice and rebellion but to the intent they should haue the lesse excuse at such time as they must condemne themselues and when this sentence is to bee executed vppon them namely Thou wicked seruaunt I condemne thee Luke 19.22 yea euen by thine owne mouth Let vs therefore take heede of that and let vs make such confession of Gods trueth as the same may proceede from the roote of our heart and be a good Sacrifice and so consequently turne to our saluation as Saint Paule sayeth in the tenth Chapter to the Romanes Rom. 10.10 which was alleaged by mee not long sithens Thus must the woorde of GOD bee alwaies in our mouth not to condemne vs in such wise as wee may sit rucking still continually in our filthinesse but to condemne vs in such wise as wee may bee touched with repentaunce and vtterly mislike of our sinnes and flee vnto God to obtaine fauour at his hand yea euen in such wise as he may rule and gouerne vs by his holy spirit and from hencefoorth bee glorified in all our life Nowe let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes beseeching him to vouchsafe more and more to giue vs a true vnderstanding and feeling of that which wee haue deserued so as wee may bee altogether cast downe in our selues and lay away all glorying of our selues and that our whole resorting for refuge may bee alonely to his goodnesse and that in the meane whyle we may sigh vnder the burthen of our flesh for so much as wee bee so ouerloaden that wee are not able to come to him with so pure affection as we ought and that he will augment the graces of his holy spirit vntill he haue rid vs quite and cleane of all maner of vices and imperfections and renewed vs after his owne image so as we may forsake all thinges to giue our selues vnto him and that renouncing this present world we may labour to attayne to the inheritaunce of the heauenly life That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely vnto vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the vj. of May 1556. The CLXXVII Sermon which is the fifth vpon the one and thirtith Chapter 22 And so Moses wrate this Song the same day and taught it the children of Israell 23 Then hee commaunded Iosuah the sonne of Nun and sayde bee strong and of good courage for thou shalt bring the Children of Israell into the lande concerning the which I haue sworne to them and I will bee with thee 24 And it came to passe that Moses finished his wryting of the woordes of this Lawe in the booke so that hee made an ende 25 Then Moses commaunded the Leuites that bare the Arke of the Couenaunt of the Lord saying 26 Take the booke of this Lawe and lay it in the side of the Arke of the Couenaunt of the Lorde your God that it may bee a witnesse agaynst thee 27 For I knowe thy stubbornnesse and thy stiffe necke beholde whyle I am yet a liue with you this day you bee Rebelles agaynst the Lorde how much more then will you be so after my death 28 Cause all the Elders of your Trybes and your Rulers to come before me that I may vtter these words in their hearing and that I may call both heauen and earth to witnesse against them 29 For I knowe that after my death you will bee corrupted and fall away from the way that I haue commaunded you And finally euill will come vppon you bycause you shall haue doone euill in the sight of the Lorde by prouoking him to anger through the workes of your handes 30 So Moses spake the words of this song in the eares of all the congregation of Israell vntill he ended them WEe haue heere before already seene howe Moses exhorted Iosuah whome GOD gaue him to bee his successor And therein wee haue seene also that he was contented to haue serued God during his owne lyfe time and that hee was not grieued y t another was reserued for the charge which was more excellent than that which had beene committed vnto him For the chiefe matter was to put the children of Israel in possession of the heritage that God had promised them Moses is remoued from that honor and GOD tolde him that it was to shame him withall bicause he had not glorifyed him when the people stroue at such time as they asked water to drinke God sayd that Moses behaued not himselfe constant ynough at that time 〈…〉 10 and therefore hee punished him and would not that hee shoulde put the people in possession of the land of Chanaan Nowe see with what patience Moses did beare this chastisement which God layd vppon him In so much that although Iosuah was appointed in his place yet hee was not a whit mooued thereat with enuie or euill will but did rather exhort him desiring nothing but that such a man might be set vp as should maintayne and preserue the state of the Church Hereby we are taught that although God doe pardon our faultes yet neuerthelesse if it please him to send vs corporall punishments to the intent wee shoulde the rather humble our selues and not spurne against his power but stoope to it and yeelde our selues altogether obedient surely it is conuenient for vs as he knoweth verie well And therefore let vs suffer our selues to bee gouerned by his hand as it is the generall rule that we must obserue in al the punishments that God doeth send vs. And by the way wee are also to marke that the zeale of the honour of God and of y e welfare of his Church ought to beare rule in vs so as none of vs doe couet to bee in high degree and to mount aboue his neighbours but bee contented that God doe conduct vs by the meanes of men and that hee choose such instrumentes as it pleaseth himselfe For so hee may alwayes haue the soueraintie and the Church prosper let vs reioyce therein and let no man haue regarde of himselfe Moreouer wee are to call to rememberaunce that when Moses meant to encourage Iosuah hee assured
all his creatures wee must not imagine aught of him after our owne fancie nor compare him to mortall men for in so doing wee shall diminish his glory too much But now Moses addeth that the children of Israel had corrupted themselues towards him Nowe if we ioyne these two sayings together to wit That God is true iust and vpright so as his workes are perfect and also that the people of Israel were marde out of hande thereby wee shall the better see howe detestable that people was for their vnthankfulnesse For Gods trueth and righteousnesse shine forth the brighter in that they could not holde themselues to him Beholde God chose the children of Abraham But let vs see what he was To bee short had the children of Israel sticked to him and continued in the vnion which hee hadde appointed and called them vnto it had beene to their highest welfare yea and their whole happinesse and glorie But they turned from God and fell away from him and therfore must it not needs be that they were mad and caryed away with a diuelish rage accordingly as he saith in Ieremy Ier. 2.13 They haue forsakeÌ„ me euen me who am the fountaine of liuing water Nowe then wee see better the meaning of Moses for hee shewed heretofore the goodnesse iustice and righteousnesse of God to the ende that the people shoulde haue the lesse excuse and their sin be knowen to be the more heynous in that they coulde not abide that God shoulde holde them still for his inheritance But as I haue said alreadie if we be separated from God we bee as it were in the bottome of the dungeon of all mischiefe whereas if we be knit vnto him wee can want nothing Seeing then that the case standeth so with men when they cut themselues off yea banish themselues out of Gods kingdome after he hath gathered them to him and shewed himself willing to take them to be of his housholde worthily bee they to be condemned for folk voide of wit and reason and their vnthankfulnes is too too detestable And that is the cause why Moses speaketh so roughly saying They haue marred themselues towards him yea but they were such as be no more his children It is certaine that God had chosen Abrahams linage with condition to bee father to them all And therefore hee saieth by his Prophet Ezechiel Ezec. 16.20 that the children which came of them were begotten vnto him True it is that all men in generall are called Gods children but yet that title belongeth alonely by priuiledge to those that be of his church Let vs marke well then that in respect of adoption the children of Israel ought to haue been held and auowed for the children of God But it is saide here that they were not so for they were growen out of kinde accordingly also as God complaineth by his Prophet that their fathers dealt vnfaithfully with him for they had begotten strange children y t is to say they had so corrupted themselues y t there was no more soundnesse in them neither belonged they at all to the house of Abraham but had so wrapped themselues in the wickednesse of their forefathers that God sawe not any thing in them belonging vnto him Nowe then we see to what purpose Moses saide that they had marred themselues meaning those that are not Gods children whom he blameth for their depriuing and disappointing of themselues through their own malice of the inestimable benefite and honour which God had bestowed vppon them For what a thing is it that wee may bee so bolde as to call vppon God as our Father and resort vnto him familiarly and to be receiued as his children And euen so was it with the lynage of Abraham but they continued not in the possession thereof Who was to bee blamed for that It was because they yeelded not to God the honor due to their father as he himselfe complaineth by his Prophet Malachie Mal. 1.6 saying If I be your father where is the honour which yee owe vnto me But all their seeking was to hold themselues aloofe from God Ye see then how they renounced that manner of kinred which God had set among them and therefore it is not without cause that Moses vpbraideth them that they were become straungers True it is that they vaunt themselues to be Gods children but by what right Only by stablishing y e fleshly kinred Esa. 53.7 And we see also how the Prophet Ezechiel saith vnto them What Are you of the linage of Israel Ezech. 36.3 Hence yee harlots birds Was not your father a Chananite and your mother a Iebusite Nowe it is certaine that as touching the fleshe they came not of y e people of Chanaan nor yet of the Iebusites but the Prophet doeth them to vnderstande that they had no more to doe with the holy linage but had cut themselues off from it as rotten members Nowe let vs nowadayes bee well aduised and seeing that God hauing called vs to him hath giuen vs the marke of his free bestowed adoption that is to say baptisme wherby he doth vs to wit that wee bee reckened for members of Iesus Christ and be as it were graffed into his bodie let vs bee well aduised I say that wee boast not thereof in vaine For if wee despise God in liuing vndiscreetely and falsifie the faith that we haue plighted vnto him let vs not thinke that he is so bounde vnto vs but that hee may forsake vs and that for al our boasting of our selues to be his children he will tell vs plainely as wee heare in this place that wee belong not vnto him at all but that wee bee vtter straungers vnto him For as saieth Sainct Paul all that come of Abrahams linage are not accounted his seede Rom. 9.7 â—â— that is to say they bee not spirituall children To be short will we haue God to auowe vs for his children Let vs beware that wee walke in his feare and loue At a worde let vs take him for our father and shewe it by our deedes and then shall wee be acknowledged to bee his children But if hee see vs growe out of kinde hee must needes tell vs that seeing wee haue not kept our faith and troath towardes him hee will haue no company with vs. For what a bondage were it if God shoulde take vs for his children and in the meane while be scorned misused among vs so as his grace shoulde bee troden vnder foote and his holy name defiled Should God then mingle himselfe with our filth and vncleanesse when wee be so full of vnbeliefe No For then should hee renounce his owne nature which is vnpossible Now it is sayd here They marred themselues towardes him The worde that Moses vseth betokeneth to destroy corrupt or marre And some expounde it that the children of Israel did not any harme vnto God in their turning away vnto wickednesse as in very deede hee shoulde receiue no
to cloke the matter as then for all that wee can alleage wil bee to no purpose Then is it a thrusting of GOD vnder our foote if after his shewing of him selfe vnto vs wee corrupt the purenesse of his woorde in chaunging the Religion which hee hath giuen vnto vs and in leauing the rule which it behooued vs to followe Nowe wee see the meaning of Moses And therefore seeing that God hath beene so gracious to vs as to reueale his will vnto vs and sheweth vs that hee is the liuing God let vs take heed that wee wauer not any more ne bee any more as reedes that yeeld to euery wynde 〈◊〉 4.14 but that wee continue stedfast in the fayth wee haue receiued by his worde least it bee cast in our teeth that wee haue forgotten him with all the benefites which wee haue receiued at his hande And heere Moses setteth not downe singly the worde God but sayeth The God which begate thee the mightie one which shaped thee Here Moses telleth the people of Israell that they had good cause to holde him for their God if they had not quyte and cleane forgotten the gracious goodnesse which they had earst founde in him by experience And that is a thing well woorthie to bee weyed For it is Gods will not onely to bee knowen in his beeing or in his name but also to shewe himselfe to vs by his deedes so as wee haue true recordes of his power goodnesse mercie and iustice Seeing then that God hath so shewed himselfe to vs what is our vnthankfulnesse if wee knowe him not Is it not too shamefull Therefore wee must alwayes consider that God hath caused it to be declared vnto vs not onely that it is hee whome wee ought to feare and to whome wee ought to be subiect without any further proofe but also that therewithall it is hee that hath begotten vs. And this is to bee marked yet better of vs than it was of the men of olde time vnder the lawe For wee haue our Lorde Iesus Christ the onely sonne into whose bodie wee be graffed that we may become the sonnes of God Therefore the body of the tree and roote of our adoption is that wee bee made the brethren of our Lorde Iesus Christ. For beeing begotten of God wee bee nourished and sustayned by the doctrine of his Gospel Nowe if wee consider what wee were before namely the children of Adam and heires of euerlasting cursednesse and also if wee haue an eye to those whome God suffereth to runne into destruction it will yeelde the greater glory to the fauour which hee sheweth vs. Seeing then that God doeth nowe drawe vs to him to bee his owne and to bee of his housholde shall wee fling away from him Shall wee rather followe ydoles which wee are not acquainted with Wee see then as nowe that wheras Moses doeth so grieuously blame the children of Israell hee doeth it not without cause considering the experience which they had had of Gods goodnes power and iustice and yet that they had made no reckoning of it In respect whereof hee sayeth that God sawe it and was angrie at it euen because of the misbehauiour of his sonnes and daughters This sentence is a confirmation of my former saying For whereas the Iewes are termed the children of God it is not in way of honour but rather to shewe that they were guiltie of such vnfaithfulnesse as to forsake their God and to rebell against him and to woorke him such spyte as that they had leuer choose the deuil than him Thus yee see howe wee ought to ioyne these two thinges together namely that God is the mightie one which begate vs and of whom wee holde all thinges and therewithall that hee hath receiued vs and adopted vs to be his children But wee shall pay full deare for it if wee continue not in his obedience The thing then whereunto wee must come backe is that if God cannot beare with the wickednes of the world ne doeth forgiue the vnbeleeuers which haue sinned without the knowledge of his wil needes must wee bee dubble punished and needes must more horrible vengeance light vppon our heads who haue beene faithfully instructed to drawe nigh vnto him and taught that hee hath nourished vs in his lappe as his owne children and yet notwithstanding wee haue forsaken him Rom. 2.12 And that is Saint Paules meaning where hee sayeth that they which haue sinned without the lawe shall perish neuerthelesse for all that and that they which haue offended after warning giuen by knowledge of the lawe shall haue the sorer damnation accordingly also as our Lorde Iesus sayeth Luk. 12.48 that the seruant which hath done amisse though it were through vnskilfulnesse shall not fayle to bee punished for it because hee ought to haue inquyred his masters will If a seruaunt say I wist it not And knowest thou not that I am thy master Oughtest thou not to inquire my will But much more ought God to haue such preheminence ouer his creatures And if they that haue offended so through ignorance are not excused what shall become of vs which knowe the will of our GOD If wee fall to stryuing against him to spyte him as it were of set purpose and of prepensed malice and frowardnesse if wee fall to dashing at him with out hornes so as wee set our selues against his righteousnesse and transgresse his whole doctrine must not so greate and so diuelish headdinesse bee punished much more grieuously In that respect is it sayde heere that God was prouoked to anger with the transgression of his sonnes and daughters as who shoulde say True it is that God is greately offended throughout the whole worlde but hee had reserued a people to himselfe whome hee had gathered together for his owne inheritance and euen they are growen out of kynde and is not that a thing to moue Gods vengeance the more Nowe let vs apply this doctrine to our owne vse And sith wee see howe the wretched worlde is blynded nowe adayes let vs consider thus with our selues Well the Papistes shall not fayle to bee condemned And if wee condemne them can they scape the hande of GOD That is vnpossible But let vs first of all play the Iudges towardes ourselues and consider that GOD hauing called vs to bee his children will bee knowen to be our father and wil be serued worshipped at our hands And therfore whensoeuer we happen to ouershoote our selues and to giue ouer y e doctrine wherein we haue bin once trayned Gods wrath must needs be kindled against vs without cōparisō much more grieuously than against the silly ignorant and vnbeleeuing sort Seeing then that we be Gods children he hath set his markes vpon vs neuer ceasseth to allure vs by gentlenes let vs not turne away from him but let his so doing prouoke vs to honor him and to serue him in such wise as he may take pleasure in vs and delight
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
saide in Iob Iob. 9.10 that we see the brimmes of Gods workes but we can neuer attaine to the bottome of theÌ„ Therefore whereas the scripture speaketh nowe and then of some executions which God doeth although the same may seeme to vs ouerrigorous yet must wee bridle our selues and imprison our wits to honour God with such reuerence as he deserueth Let that serue for one poynt Furthermore as concerning that which is said here of Babes let vs marke that if God listed to rende vp the whole worlde by the rootes hee coulde doe it yea and that right iustlie For euen from our verie birth we bring nothing but wrath and cursednesse If God take young babes out of the worlde yea and damne them yet is there no rigour in so doing for wee be all forlorne afore hande by nature In this case therefore it behooueth vs to cast downe our heades and our eyes and not presume to stande in contention with God by reasoning the matter with him nor to control him as though he did wrong or iniurie to little infantes in taking them out of the worlde For as I saide hee may not onely smite them with death but also sende them to euerlasting damnation because wee bee all cursed in Adam Now then when he hath withdrawen his grace from a whole Nation and all of them are become reprobates then must his wrath needes extende as well to the young infantes as to their fathers according to this saying that God casteth backe the wickednesse of the fathers Ier. 32.18 into the bosomes and lappes of their children Not that the children be punished being guiltlesse for God knoweth that they bee not so Yea but we perceiue not that they haue offended As who woulde say that wee were able to perceiue as much as God knoweth Haue wee as sharpe a sight as hee No. So then although wee take little babes to bee faultlesse yet notwithstanding there is a naughtinesse inclosed in them and the seede of sinne is sufficient to condemne them before God Wherefore let vs marke that although hee root out young babes yet in so doing he cannot be blamed of crueltie but he executeth a iudgement which surmounteth the capacitie and measure of mans wit whereat wee may well wonder but yet must wee confesse it to bee rightfull as it is indeede Wee see howe it fell out both in Sodome and in other places where it was his will to haue all destroyed Gen. 19.24 When anie such thing happeneth let vs vnderstande that GODS intent is to make vs to cast downe our eyes For if it befall so to the greene tree Luk. 23.31 what shall be doone to the drie Behold the litle Infants whom we imagine to bee innocent and faultlesse and yet wee see that Gods vengeaunce wrappeth them in with the elder sorte and with those that haue greatlie offended Righteous is GOD in so doing What shall wee say to it but onelie that wee ought to quake at it For there is none of vs all which hath not deserued a hundred times as much If GOD spare vs are we not the more bounde to his goodnesse And againe if it pleased him to deale with vs according to our misdeedes shoulde wee not be afraide that we shal bee much more roughlie handled than wee see little babes are Yes surelie So then insteede of contending as manie doe and of entering into curious questions euen with diuelishe malapeartnesse to controll GOD as I haue saide afore let vs learne to be lowlie in such wise that hauing giuen glorie vnto GOD by confessing that he is euer righteous and soothfast and let vs also haue an eye to that wee haue seene that so we may impute it to his free mercifulnesse that hee beareth with vs and also bee the more incouraged to returne to him so as wee may no more abuse the long time of his patience Thus yee see what wee haue to remember vppon this text where GOD saith that hee will destroy euen the little sucking babes Nowe hee addeth yet further I had saide or determined to roote out this people but that I feared the prouoking of the enemie least the Aduersarie might haue beene estraunged and haue said Our hand is high and it is not the Lorde that hath doone all this In this text our Lorde sheweth that hee is so farre off from vsing any vnmeasurable rigour against his people that hee hath rather yet another respect not to roote them vtterly out namelie least the Infidels should haue occasion to blaspheme him That is the meaning of Moses They will complaine and say that GOD ought not to handle his people after that fashion but that hee ought to vse greater kindnesse and gentlenesse towardes them Yea saith hee pleade on your case but yet shal yee winne nothing by it For if God had respected no further matter than you hee had rooted you long agoe out of the worlde and the remembrance of you had beene quite and cleane abolished long ere this What letted him then Not that you were not worthie to haue perished for you haue not ceased to prouoke his wrath by dooing euill but for that hee had a respect to your enemies that is to say to the Infidels And why For if God shoulde haue rooted out that people whom he had choosen forasmuch as the renowne thereof was spread ouer all the worlde and the deliuering of them out of Egypt was as a woonderfull miracle and the Israelites themselues professed themselues continually to bee the worshippers of the God which had taken them out of the deepe gulfe shoulde not his destroying of them haue opened the mouthes of the wicked to skoffe at the Religion which was held in Iurie and to haue saide Where is nowe the God which maintained them so long time as they themselues haue reported Either hee is falne asleepe or else he hath lost his wittes for he succoureth them not any more After that manner woulde the Infidels haue rayled at God if hee had not euer reserued and kept still some seede of that people to shewe that his couenaunt was not quite and cleane disanulled but that it stoode still in full force That is the verie meaning of this saying where wee reade I had determined to root them yea and to scatter theÌ„ abroade eueriwhere For the worde betokeneth such a scattering or rending asunder as if one shoulde dismember a mans bodie and cast the peeces thereof abroade here and there so as nothing were left whole Therefore I had rooted them out saith hee yea and that in such wise as they shoulde neuer haue beene spoken of anie more among men but that I feared the prouocation of the enemie Nowe the thing that is rehearsed here is read of in Exodus Exod. 32 9.10.11.12.1â—â— 14. And so it shoulde seeme that God was restrayned by Moses from doing the thing which hee speaketh of here For hee giueth the sentence and addeth Let me doe it as though Moses
declared heretofore and he confirmeth it with an othe For this speech to lift vp the hand to heauen is as much to say as to Sweare not that God can lift vp his hande after the manner of men for besides that hee hath no hande there is nothing higher than his maiestie but it is a figure taken of the custome among men and wee knowe it is verie common in the holie scripture Because we comprehende not God as he is in deede but finde him to be a thing farre passing our reach therefore is hee fayne to applie himself to our rudenesse Euen so in this text he saith that he will lift vp his hande that is to say that hee will sweare Now there is no need that God shoulde sweare For the cause why we haue othes among vs is our owne naughtines There is so much craft and suttletie among men as is pitifull to beholde They bee fleeting they bee full of lightnes and vnconstancie and it is harde to bring them to vpright dealing In these respectes and for that wee be so giuen to deceitfulnes othes are faine to bee ministred to vs But Gods swearing is for our infirmities sake And truely wee bee greatly to blame in this behalfe in that we compell God to sweare For nothing is more peculiar to him than trueth and if hee had not that hee were not God Seeing then that hee is the infallible trueth it selfe if when hee hath once spoken wee stand doubting still and examine whether it bee so or no can there bee a more horrible blasphemie than to call Gods trueth in question after that fashion Is it not all one as if wee woulde bereaue him of his verie beeing And yet for all that wee see howe men stande as in a mammering when God speaketh to them For if hee threaten vs wee make no account of it If we were throughlie perswaded that all that euer proceedeth out Gods mouth is of such certaintie as there ought to bee no replying against it truely wee woulde tremble and quake out of hande for feare as soone as hee threateneth vs but wee know how hardhearted wee be in that behalfe On the other side if our Lorde promise to bee mercifull to vs when wee haue done amisse and intreate vs as his children and call vs to the hope of euerlasting saluation wee bee so tangled in this worlde that euerie thing of nothing holdes vs backe and we despise the inestimable benefites which God offereth vs. Wee see then that men do not the honour to God to count him faithful For then woulde they holde themselues wholie to his worde they woulde bee touched to the quicke yea they woulde quake at his threates and they woulde set all their ioy and delight in his promises That is the cause why GOD warranteth and confirmeth his worde with an othe Nowe in this case as I saide afore wee our selues are much too blame seeing that God is faine to yeelde to such condition as to abace himselfe as though hee were a mortall creature to the entent hee may winne vs and that wee may no more wander away but bee fully perswaded in our selues that this speaking to vs is in good earnest Seeing then that our Lorde is faine to frame himselfe vnto vs after that fashion thereby wee see our owne malice and frowardnesse and yet doth God beare with vs in y t case But when he sweareth it is as much as if we sawe heauen and earth shaken nature changed the Sunne darkened and all the starres bereft of their light And therefore if wee bee not touched with y e othes which God maketh after y t maner it is certaine y t the diuel hath as it were bewitched vs and that wee bee become starke blockes or rather that wee be horrible and vglie monsters Therefore let vs benefite ourselues by the othes which wee reade in the holy scripture And when God sweareth that he will bee auenged at his enemies let it abashe vs as though we sawe his vengeance and wrath take effect out of hande and as though we sawe him readie and in a forwardnes to execute the thing which hee hath vttered with his mouth And when he sweareth that hee will be friendly to vs and take vs for his children confirming with an othe the heauenlie heritage which hee hath promised vs ought not the doing of those things to assure vs to withstande all temptations Although Satan and the flesh tempt vs to distrust yet notwithstanding let vs set this for a shielde against them and say No seeing that God hath sworne shall we doe him such wrong and dishonour as to cal the truth of his word in question Let that bee far from vs. That is the thing which wee haue to note in this text where God saith that he will lift vp his hande to heauen and say I liue And he sweareth by himselfe accordingly as the Apostle toucheth it in the sixt to y e Hebrewes When we sweare we call God to witnes as our Iudge if we lie Hebr. 6.13 But it is not so with God he cannot finde a greater than himselfe to sweare by He saith therefore I am aliue as if he should say Nay whosoeuer he be that holdeth not himselfe to the sentence which I doe nowe pronounce he derogateth my glorie as much as if he meant to abolish me quite and cleane and to declare that I am no more God But if I be God it must needs be perceiued in the execution of the thinges which I doe nowe speake I am contented that men shall hencefoorth take mee but for an idol or a deade thing if they finde not my sayinges true in deede When God speakes after that fashion ought it not to make the haire to stande vp vppon oâ—r heades if wee esteeme not his worde to be verie certaine Yes And so we see my former saying yet better confirmed namelie that it is not for vs to replie any more when God hath once spoken but wee must take the matter to bee out of all crie as though wee sawe the thing alreadie done before our eyes But let vs see nowe whereat God amed for it is certaine that hee sweareth not but for our welfare It is not for his owne sake hee taketh neither good nor harme by it but hee hath regarde of vs. And in token thereof hee saith That hee will whet the edge of his sworde that it shall bee as a flaming sworde and that hee will take Iudgement in his hand that is to say that he will hold his assises to shewe himselfe to bee the Iudge of the worlde and that as then all his enemies must bee confounded and all aduersaries bee brought to nought And whereas God speaketh here of the edge of the sworde we must not imagine that hee vseth any material sword for that cannot agree to him but wee knowe hee hath all sortes of punishmentes to chastice men withall as seemeth good to himselfe For in verie deede all
for himself to this seruice so as his glory may shine forth in vs but yet is not that enough For wee shall see men vnhallowe the name of God some by blaspheming him and some by rushing out into all vices and enormities Now therefore whē we see such thinges our zeale ought to be kindled to withstand them to the vttermost of our power to shewe that we desire nothing more than that God should bee honored and abide vnappayred so as men should not abridge him of any thing When wee haue this zeale then shall we sanctify Gods name not onely in our owne soules and bodies but also euen among those which doe so vnhallowe and defile it And for that cause are we commaunded to be as burning Cressets in the midest of a froward crooked generation Phil. 2.15 When wee dwell among the vnbeleeuers and enemies of Gods word or among such as despise it and make no account of it then in stead of our accustomed seeking of vaine excuses with I would faine serue God but there are so many corruptions that I must needes howle among woolues as they say then say I is the time for vs to streyne ourselues so much the more and to enforce our selues to sanctifie y e name of God And where Euen in y e midst of those among whom we be conuersant That is y e thing which is shewed vs in this place True it is that Moses was most bound thereto because God had chosen him aboue the rest Yet neuerthelesse it behoued euery other man also to streine himselfe thereunto And let vs vnderstand that seeing hee taketh vs for his children wee ought at the least to maintaine his honor as much as wee would doe the honor of our earthly fathers And for that cause it is sayd that he and Aaron had transgressed Wherby we see that men may well acquit themselues and besprinkle themselues with holywater as they say but yet must they passe by the sentēce which God hath pronounced for only he is the competent Iudge Although then y t Moses was not ware that he had offended and although also y t wee cannot discouer his offence yet doeth our Lord say y t he had offended so as it was not ynough for him not to haue done any euill deede nor to haue absteined from murmuring nor also to haue withheld his consent from the murmurings of the people but he was a transgressor in that he was too cowardly had not y e foresayd inuincible courage that I spake of to set himselfe against the mischiefe and to stoppe it as he ought to haue done Nowe for a conclusion we haue yet to marke this saying which is added Thou shalt not goe in thither but thou shalt see it euen the land which I giue to the children of Israell to possesse For here Moses had occasion to bee further out of patience whē our Lord exempted him alone saying All y e rest of this people shall inioy y e land but thou shalt be set beside it If we be driuen to indure any cōmon aduersitie we make y e lighter of it But if a man be cut off alone see that God leueleth at none but him y t is much harder and heauier And at the same point was Moses But it was Gods will to trye his obedience and subiection Also hee meant to set vs a faire lookingglasse before our eyes to the intent we should not be prouoked to rebel though hee deale more roughly with vs than with our fellowes and neighbors For we be wont alwayes to alledge How now Haue I offended more than others I see God dealeth full roughly with me and yet there are others which are no better than I and what fault findeth he in me Such complaintes shall a man oftentimes heare But it is not for vs to looke how God handleth others Let vs content our selues that he knoweth what is meete for vs and let euery of vs beare his owne burden patiently and not fall to vsing of such replyes for we shall win nothing thereby Thus ye see what is set downe here in the person of Moses in that he was faine to bee banished out of y e land when all the children of Israell and all the rest of the people went in among whom neuerthelesse there were many despisers of God and many hypocrites to bee short they were as a clowte patched together of many peeces Yet notwithstanding as in respect of possessing the land they were to be preferred before Moses And therefore let vs vnderstand that when God hath once made vs to enter into the way of saluation it is not enough for vs except wee attaine vnto it and that for the bringing thereof to passe we hold out to the end I haue told you heretofore that the land of Canaan was as a common Pawne which GOD gaue to all the children of Israell of his calling of them to the inheritance of the heauēly kingdome namely to as many as entered into the land that is to say to those which were newe sprong vp in y e wildernesse For as for those which came out of Egypt Num. 14.29 30. none of them all but onely two did enter into y e land of Canaan But those which were then little children as it were about a foure or fiue yeeres old all those entered in Neuerthelesse there were many of them which serued not God faithfully but played the naughtipackes and backslyders Whereby we be done to vnderstand that seeing God hath once reached vs his hand it behooueth vs to liue in such sorte as we quaile not ne turne not our backes vppon him but continue still in his obedience so as faith may euermore reigne in vs to withdrawe vs from the lustes and cares of this world And although we haue not the land of Canaan at this day for a visible signe let vs resort to our Lord Iesus Christ who is much more woorth without all comparison than the outward inheritance which was giuen to the people of olde time And seeing we be entered into the trace of Iesus Christ that is to say be put as it were into his body and he accounteth vs as of his flocke and is become our shepheard let vs looke that we behaue our selues towardes him as sheepe hearkening to his voyce and following him whithersoeuer he calleth vs. And in y e meane while let vs pray this good God to holde vs so vnited to him in the person of his onely Sonne as wee may continually hold out to the end in all holynesse and all goodnes and that at the last wee may be gathered vp by him not as children of Adam in the generall curse but as children of Abraham in the promise of saluation which was made to vs in our Lord Iesus Christ. Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God praying him to make vs feele our faultes and offences more and more and that for the more mislyking of
be of as great estimation among vs as if he himselfe were personally present with vs. And for that cause he sayeth Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that refuseth you refuseth me For in that place our Lorde Iesus Christ ment not to exalt men but to shewe that Gods worde ought not to be the lesse esteemed although there bee no man to giue estimation thereto For we must not haue an eie to the messenger but to him that sendeth him So then we see how Moses hauing spoken of Gods worde and hauing shewed that they which call themselues faithfull ought to submit themselues thereto addeth Moses gaue the Lawe meaning thereby that we neede not to goe to the newfounde Iles to seeke Gods worde nor to passe ouer the sea as we haue seene already Deut. 30.12 nor to goe downe into the bottome of the earth but that Gods worde is in our mouth and in our heart at leastwise if GOD worke there by his holy spirite For well might we haue our eares beaten therewith but our heartes should not be touched at all vnlesse God gaue force thereto But when our Lord inlighteneth vs and maketh vs to feele that it is he that speaketh then haue we his word in our heart and againe we haue it also in our mouth to confesse it to be the infallible trueth And if we set our delight therein wee shall no more stand in doubt whether it were best for vs to receiue it or not but wee shall be fully resolued thereof Wherefore let vs learne by this text that if we will honor God and obey him and quietly receiue both his lawe and his Gospell when they bee preached vnto vs by the mouths of men we must not forbeare to doe him the honor to submit our selues vnto him although hee appeare not aâ—ter a visible maner ne send vs his Angels from heauen For it is a true tryall of our faith when for the honor of him we forbeare not to accept of men which cary not any great countenance nor haue any estimation at all That is the thing which we haue to beare away here in the first place Now immediatly he saith that the lawe belongeth vnto vs because it serueth for the whole congregation of Israell For we knowe that God hath gathered vs together with the Iewes and that in the end when they had shut out and banished themselues from the promise of saluation we succeeded in their place Seeing it is so looke what was spoken concerning the children of Israell which were come of the race of Abraham as in respect of the flesh y e same ought to be applyed vnto vs at this day And therefore it is no superfluous speech when it is sayde that the law was giuen Let vs learne then y t seeing our Lord will haue vs to receiue his word assuring our selues that it is spoken to vs and dedicated to vs for the health of our soules it is not as a seed that is throwen into the ayre but that God speaketh in such wise as he sheweth that it is for our profit to be so taught and that he will so approch vnto vs as we may be knit vnto him Now then whereas we haue heard that folke must cast themselues downe at Gods feete to heare his word let vs vnderstand y t wee be those folke Sith we know that Gods word lyeth and consisteth in his lawe let vs assure ourselues that it is the treasure benefite which God hath prepared for y e food and sustenance of his children accordingly also as he speaketh thereof to the woman of Chanaan 〈◊〉 7.27 where he saith y t men must not giue the bread of children vnto dogs True it is that at y e time we were as dogs y t is to say al the heaâ—hen men of y e world were reiected And our Lord Iesus Christ sheweth y t as in respect of our first state we be no more worthy to be partakers of this benefite than a dogge is to go to a mans table None but the children are to take their sustenance and refection there Howbeit forasmuch as at this day God hath called vs we be his true Church flocke this breade is therwithal giuen vs for our sustenaÌ„ce And therfore let vs not suffer Gods word to slip away wheÌ„ it is preached vnto vs but let euery of vs applâ—e it to our vse And Moses declareth expresly that it is for an inheritance to the Church of Israel to do theÌ„ to vnderstand y t it was not giuen for a time but to the intent it shold be receiued froÌ„ age to age and y t al men shold giue theÌ„selues to it so as there might be one consent of faith betweene the fathers and the children accordingly as it is saide thereof in the song of Zacharie as the Prophet Malachie also had sayde thereof afore Mal. 4.6 Luk. 1.17.18 Let vs marke then that this worde Inheritance or Heritage importeth a perpetuitie of Gods word so as it must not bee receiued alonely by such as liue at some one time and afterward bee buryed but the fathers must haue a care to make their children agree thereunto after their decease that all men may obey God and honor him to the ende If a man haue goods he will keepe them with great care for his children and when he dyeth he is well apayd that he leaueth them not vnprouided for but that they may haue some inheritance But in the meane while we consider not which is the principal good thing which ought to be left to those which come after vs which is that they may be partakers of Gods adoption and accounted among the company of his children That is the cause why Moses warneth here y e people which had bin duely trayned vp in Gods word that it serued not for them alone but y t God bound thâ—Ì„ to leaue the same inheritance in possession to their posteritie and would haue his Lawe to be knowen continually that it should abide froÌ„ age to age in full force and authoritie for euer And therefore wheÌ„soeuer we come to a SermoÌ„ let vs vnderstand y t our Lord calleth vs to him to the intent that our childreÌ„ should be drawen thither with vs. Gen. 17.7 1. Cor. 7.14 And forasmuch as he of his infinite goodnes receiueth them afore they bee borne and declareth that he will be their father and Sauiour and putteth them aforehand into the aray and company of his accordingly also as they be baptised in y e vertue of that promise needs must we be worse than vnthankful if we haue not a care to teach them wheÌ„ they come to discretion and let vs assure our selues that this inheritance is ofteÌ„ lost through the leawdnes of men or through their carelesnes and coldnes so as their childreÌ„ are depriued thereof We see what is happened to the world Wee see the horrible disorder which hath bin euery
to do men good For it is the propertie of God to be liberal to al men Matt. 5.45 yea eun to those which are not worthie therof insomuch that he maketh his day Sunne to shine both vpon good bad After his example we ought to do our indeuer to strayne our selues to the vttermost of our power to benefite al men to do al men good And so it is the common style of the holy scripture to name the faithfull meekes ones Psal. 16.10 specially we see it is as rife a thing as can be in the Psalmes But forasmuch as he sayth to his meeke one it may be taken for the man of thy mercie that is to say for the man whom thou Lord hast elected and chosen through thy goodnes For Aaron attayned not to the dignitie of y e priesthood by his owne desertes but because God vouchsafed to choose him Now then the name that is attributed to him here may be taken as if a man should say in the passiue signification that God vouchsafed to make him a mirrour of his free election yea and that hauing so chosen him exalted him to so high and excellent honour he would haue him to shewe that wee depende wholly vppon his goodnes so that of al y e things which we haue none proceedeth of our owne power or vertue but of his pitying of vs for that he is mynded to shewe his gracious goodnes towards vs. But howsoeuer the case stand Moses ment to declare here that the trybe of Leuye should alwayes serue God with the dignitie of priesthood and that the high priest should bee clothed with the ornamentes that were giuen him to goe into the sanctuarie And in that case hee was not as a mortall man nor as one of the degree of creatures but as the mediatour betweene God and men whereby he surmounteth the very Angels of Heauen For the priest of the lawe was in his office more excellent than all the Angels of heauen And why Because he was to represent the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ who is the head of the Angels as well as of men and hath soueraigne dominion ouer all principalitie not only on earth but also in heauen Yee see then how the meaning of Moses is that the priesthood should be in the trybe of Leuy And let vs marke nowe that Moses magnifieth heere the trybe of Leuye of purpose to wype away the dishonour that was there afore For wee knowe howe Iacob had sayde Gen. 49.5 Yee Simeon and Leuye yee bee instruments of wickednesse yee haue destroyed a towne and yee haue slayne the men like murderers as yee bee I will not haue to doe with you neyther in speech nor in heart I refuse you And thou Leuye shalt bee dispersed among my people for thou art not woorthie to haue any heritage Loe after howe terrible a fashion GOD speaketh against Leuye and all his ofspring Hee seemeth to bee quyte rased out as one that was not worthie to haue any place or degree in the Church But what reuerence nowe had there been in the priesthood if the trybe of Leuye had continued in that reproch For seeing that their father was disgraded by Iacob who was Gods deputie as I haue declared afore what should haue becom of al those which were descended of his race Nowe then it was requisite that this tribe of Leuie should bee re-established to the intēt that the order of priesthood might not be despised least it might keepe men backe from hearkening to the doctrine of their mouth What will become of it if they which haue the charge of teaching the people be pointed at with mens fingers set light by skorned or blemished with any marke of reproch in themselues so as men disdaine them Surely they shall neuer profite men they shall not be able to edifie them men will vtterly mislike of them Nowe we knowe and it shal be declared more fully heereafter that the Leuites were ordeined of God to teach all the people Then if they had beene reputed as men of no valour it woulde haue caried great preiudice with it so as the lawe it selfe should haue had no great reuerence men would haue made no account of it and the very common people would haue shrunke away from the expounders therof Therefore it is not causelesse that Moses telleth them that The Thumim and Vrim of god that is to say his perfections and teachings are in that tribe and God will haue it knowen that there remaineth not nowe any such reproch there as there did before but rather that hee setteth his antsignes there For in Aarons Mytre was Gods name 〈…〉 8.36 euen the name of the Euerlasting and that was a thing exempted from all the world Also there was the iudgement as I saide afore And for what cause was Aaron apparelled after that manner but to shewe that in him there was a myrrour of Gods glory Sith it was so it behooued the people to forget Leuies fault and the punishment thereof which had beene laide vppon him and his ofspring and to receiue Gods Lawe at the mouth of the Leuites and to haue them in estimation and to honour them as Gods messengers or rather as Angels as they be termed in the Prophet Malachie 〈…〉 7. True it is that Moses was of the same tribe but yet did God so prouide that the skorners could not alledge that he had fauored his owne linage or house And why Who is hee that pronounced that sentence against Leuie Euen Moses himselfe for it was he that compyled the booke of Genesis wherein hee spared not the fault of his own auncetor For it behoued him to be as Gods notarie to set down y e sentence both vpon Leuie and vppon all that came of his race Heere then wee see that Moses behaued not himselfe after the manner of men but executed faithfully the charge that was committed vnto him Again the highpriesthood was not in his owne house though it were in his owne tribe He was a greater man than his brother Aaron and hee had children which might haue succeeded in his place And yet for all that hee made none of them prince of the people he made none of them a gouernour neither had they any preheminence aboue the others nay they had not so much as any portion of inheritance but were faine to be contented with the first fruits Tythes and Offerings after the custome of the rest of the tribe of Leuie Moses then gaue not the Highpriesthood to his owne children neither tooke he it to himselfe What were Moses his children then and al his successours They were but vnderseruants of the meanest in the Temple and they were faine to serue there euen without being in any degree of honour God say I ment to prouide that Moses should not bee subiect to any slaunder And therefore the thinges which hee speaketh now of the tribe of Leuie are not spoken in
270. b 20.40 It is the will of God to be aboue Read how the same should be 270. b 20.30 Lo this is he Lo this is our God ought to stand continually in our hearts why 485. b 50.60 486. a 10 The meaning of these wordes Knowe thou that thy God is God 318. a 20 30.40 A principle that there is but one God which ought to be serued 1068. a 40 50.272 a 10.20.30.269 a 10 By what meanes God reuealeth himselfe vnto men 1133. a 10.20.102 b 10.32 b 40.134 b 10.20.130 b 20.183 a 10 To what ende God nameth himselfe the God of the Iewes 185. b 50.1113 a 10.20 Of Iacobs worshipping of the God of Bethel 1216. a 40.50.60 b 10 Of two things to be considered in God touching vs. 1166. a 50.60 b 20 Of the beeing of God and howe wee make but an idol of him 1156. a 60. b all 1070. b 30.40 How and in what cases God is saied to be a consuming fire 1139. b. 30.40.50 Of the moste excellent and glorious maiestie of God Almightie 1121. b 10.20 How God serueth his turne by Satan by wicked men 82. b 30.40 God cannot be God if he be not righteous 88. b 60 Whereupon it came that euerie nation had his God 101. b 30 The whole fulnes of God his maiestie in the person of Christ. 41. b 30 A kind of men noted that fall to pulling out of Gods bowels and howe 33. a 60 God likeneth himselfe to an Egle and how 40. b 40. 1121. b all This worde God importeth a maiestie 40. b 50 The small account that wee make of God in comparison of men 20. b 30 40.50 God likeneth himselfe to a fleshly father and howe 40. b 20.30 In what respects God is despised 55. b 50.60 What wee haue to learne if God vtter not himselfe vnto vs in such stately manner as our liking could affoorde 183. a 30 Why wee may better assure our selues than the Iewes could themselues thaâ— we haue one God 163. b 60 The meaning of these wordes God is in the middest of you 289. a 30.40.50 60. b 10 That there is but one verie true God whome we ought to serue and worship 160. b 10.20 101. b 10.102 a 10.20 Men go about the bush to seeke God and how 137. b 20.30 God will continue God alone by himselfe without parting of stakes with any other 163. b 10 Why God shewed not himselfe in some visible shape 130. a 20 Against such as match God and the diuel together 129. a 10 A notable print of doctrine shewing vs what God is 192. a 50.60 b 10 Notable doctrine vpon these wordes I am the euerlasting God 184. b 50.60 185. a 10.20 c. God cannot away with any companion 185. a 40.50 What wee haue to learne in that God saieth he is our God 185. b 40 Godlinesse For what cause the Heathen men applied this worde Godlines to the honour that we giue to our superiours 214. a 10 Godlines to speake properly is the reuerence that wee owe vnto God c. 214. a 10 Gods Of false Gods and of such as worship them 160. a 10.20.30 187. a 60 and b all The cause why the Heathen forged such a multitude of Gods 1131. b 30 534. a 30.40.50.1128 a b all and so forward These wordes that wee must serue no strange Gods import two things 471. b 40.50 c. and 472. a 10.20.30 In what respect we shal be iustly accused to haue had strange Gods 486. a 40 Why it is saied of Moses the Gods which though hast not knowen 530. a 40.50 Looke Idols Images and Saints Gods pleasure Of Gods good pleasure and of his loue which insueth the same where read notable doctrine 438. a 20.30.40 b 10.20 Looke Fauour Goodnes Grace Gomor What frutes Sodom Gomor brought foorth 1153. all Good Remedies against our lazinesse vnprofitablenes when we should do any Good 333. b 40 Why God scourgeth the Good more than the wicked 325. a 10.20 What wee must doe whensoeuer any Good is promised vs from God 535 a 60 Our vsage if a man tell vs that we ought to consider the Good that God hath done to our neighbour 70. b 30.40.50 The onely rule to discerne Good from bad what it is 97. b 50.60 A rule to discerne Good and euill by 53. b 60.123 a 60 What wee must do when wee haue receiued any Good at Gods hand 290 a 60 God bindeth himselfe vnto vs to do vs Good how 100. b 10.60 It must suffice that God sheweth vs a farre off the Good that he hath prepared for vs. 107. a 10 To what purpose Gods promising vs to do vs Good tendeth 111. b 60 A briefe anacephaleosis or rehearsall of the Good that God did for y e Iewes this also is applied vnto vs. 297. b 10 20.30 Why our Lord will haue vs ouercome euil with Good 73. b 60 What God will doe if men rewarde vs euill for Good 70. a 50 We go alwaies forward to euill vnder the colour of Good 184. b 20 Why we should not passe whether men acknowledge the Good that we haue done them or no. 69. b 40 Goodnesse Gods Goodnes extendeth euen to vnbeleeuers and Infidels Read howe 141. a 40.50 Gods Goodnes declared vnto vs two wayes 166. b 20.30.40 How God continueth his Goodnes towards vs incessantly 169. b 30.40 A most effectuall proofe of Gods fatherly Goodnes vnto vs. 281. a 30 40.155 b 40 A singular president of Gods Goodnes in appointing men to haue the guiding of vs. 13. a 10.20 The Goodnes of god in receiuing adopting and choosing vs is continuall 8. a all 10. b. 60.11 a 30 Gods great Goodnes in preseruing the Rubenites the Gadites in a dangerous countrie 91. b 30. 92. a 10.20 The force of the hope which wee shall haue of feeling Gods Goodnes 25. a 50 God preuenteth vs by his meere goodnes not passing whether we be good or no. 10. b 20 A viewe of Gods Goodnes in particular for euery man to note 39. b 10 20.30 The Papists abuse Gods fatherly goodnesse 111. b 60. 112. a 10 The notable loue and goodnes of God towards vs recorded with a rehearsall of our dutie 111. b 20.30.40 What wee ought to do seeing God hath bound himselfe vnto vs of his owne free Goodnes and what followeth of our so doing 96. b 60 A speciall note of Gods woonderfull Goodnes to the Iewes and vs. 53. b 20.30.40.50.1193 all 1194. all The continuance of Gods Goodnes to Lot his beastlie drunkennesse notwithstanding 68. b 10 How our naughtinesse shall cut off the course of Gods Goodnes 46. a 60 Of the free Goodnes of God towardes vs and that wee must haue recourse thereunto 947. b all In what respects wee be well assured of Gods Goodnes towardes vs. 1147. b 30 It is Gods goodnes that we be brought into the kingdome of heauen no worthines in vs. 8. b 20 Gods
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
and to doe him honour and to bee obedient vnto him then his feeding of them and his clothing of them is a comfort to him and it doeth him good to see them in their brauerie for that is the very felicitie of a father GOD likeneth himselfe to mortall men and saieth that hee will delight to doe vs good And therefore we cannot magnifie the inestimable goodnesse of our God too much seeing hee stoopeth so lowe as to tell vs that his whole delight is in making vs to inioy his benefites and in demeaning himselfe in such wise towards vs as wee may haue cause to praise him and finally in yeelding to all our desires But what Wee cannot away with it we are not able to apprehende that for wee bee not able to consider it Wee see that God is as yee woulde say waywarde towardes vs wee see that hee doeth not onely bereaue vs of his blessings but is also angrie with vs and to be short wee perceiue in him nothing but all manner of rigour And what is the cause hereof Verily that wee shut the gate against his goodnesse and will not suffer him to vse as yee would say his naturall disposition Loe heere a thing that should make vs the better to acknowledge our faultes and not to accuse GOD of any accessiue crueltie when hee dealeth not with vs after our lyking For it is certaine that hee will take pleasure in doing vs good but on the otherside let vs consider also that hee must in likewise delight to doe vs euill And why so Verily because that he is iust In deede if wee did suffer GOD to vse his owne inclination towardes vs he would bestowe infinite benefites vppon vs and we lyuing in this worlde shoulde bee as in Paradise but because of our sinnes wee must liue heere like wretched wanderers wee must languish in many miseries wee must dwell in continuall feare and in doubt and wee must grone in great vnrest it must bee euen so And wherefore Because God is iust This is the verie pleasure that is spoken of in this texte According whereunto it is saide that GOD will reioyce and bee gladde 〈…〉 24. when hee hath punished the wicked and maintained his maiestie against them for that they haue despised him and set him at nought Neuerthelesse it is likewise true that hee saieth by his Prophet Esay that hee doeth it vnwillingly Alas saieth hee must I needes reuenge mee of mine enimies GOD crieth there alas as if hee were in sorrowe and anguish for it I must saieth hee take comfort in auenging mee of mine enemies Those whom hee termeth his enemies are the children whome hee had adopted and which boasted themselues to bee his people And howe doeth hee comfort himselfe in them Euen by giuing them ouer and by driuing them away But in the meane while hee sheweth that it is against his will when hee must so beate men downe with maine strokes howbeit that hee can none otherwise doe Yet notwithstanding in verie deede God is able to tame the heartes of men without any great violence for as wee haue saide hee is not subiect to our passions But heereby we be to consider howe his intent is to declare that our vnreformable naughtinesse is the cause why hee is faine to pursue vs after such manner as is spoken of heere and that hee is faine to take pleasure in doing vs harme wherein the order of nature is after a sort quit◠altered and chaunged but all is through our owne fault and wee our selues are to blame for it and it is not for vs to seeke any other reason thereof than our owne sinne which hath kindeled his vengeance to the vttermost Thus much concerning that sentence Nowe for a conclusion it is sayde That God will roote out this people from the lande wherein hee had planted them and that he would disperse them amongest all the nations of the world And that ther◠this wretched people which were earst in a countrey of freedome wherein God had sette them to the ende that his seruice and pure Religion shoulde dwell there shall serue straunge Gods euen ydols of Wodde and Stone First we see that albeit the Land of Chanaan was giuen in Inheritance to the people of Israel yet they failed not to bee put out and banished when they abused the fauour that had beene shewed vnto them GOD had planted them there euen as though hee had set them at his owne hande Loe saide hee heere is my resting-place and yours hee intended to dwell amongst them himselfe Psal. 132.14 and thereuppon hee promised to giue them rest there insomuch that although all other people shoulde bee displaced and remoued too and fro yet shoulde the children of Abraham inioy the heritage of that lande still Notwithstanding this letted not God to driue them out againe and to scatter them abroade with the winde because they had defiled that lande which shoulde haue beene kept holy to his name Nowe sith it is so let vs not thinke it straunge though God at this day doe sende many changes into the worlde for he hath giuen no such priuiledge to any Nation as to say vnto them You shal inhabite this lande as the Lande of Chanaan was giuen to the linage of Abraham But wee see howe GOD is offended wee see mens misdoings as haynous as can bee Nowe then if GOD remooue men let vs vnderstande that it is for their sinnes Moreouer let vs returne to the eternall rest whereunto the Apostle leadeth vs in the Epistle to the Hebrues Hebr. 4.9 11.26 Hauing spoken of the rest of the land of Chanaan hee saieth that wee must looke vnto a rest that is higher For the children of GOD are commonly as wayfarers in this worlde as Sainct Paul termeth them putting himselfe in the number but let vs euermore direct our course and indeuour to this heritage which is promised vs in heauen 2. Cor. 5.6 for wee shall not bee disappointed of that heritage so wee continue in our vocation whereunto God hath called vs. Neuerthelesse it is said that they which giue themselues ouer vnto wickednesse shal be wiped out of the booke of life Exod. 32.34 Not that Gods chosen shall euer perish but it is spoken in respect of such folke as thinke it ynough for them to beare y e name of Gods children and to haue beene baptised and to receiue the Lords supper and such like thinges and make no further regarde But our Lorde telleth vs that although it seeme for a time that they be written and enrolled in his Register because they bee taken to be of the company of the faithfull yet shall they not faile to be wiped out So then let vs aduise our selues and so long as it shall please God to keepe v◠in this worlde let vs walke so vnder his obedience as his hande may euer bee stretched out to preserue and maintaine vs Let vs so sticke vnto him as wee may