quite backe by these worldly things But let vs marke y t our Lord Iesus Christ hath not only draweÌ„ vs out of y e gulfe of death but also will haue vs dayly to passe further And forasmuch as we be not quite cleane rid of this bondage of sinne this passing on must continue still What is al our life then It is a continuall holding on to attaine to y e full and perfect freedome which God hath promised to his children And y t is y e cause why I sayd y t it behooued vs to eate the Pascall Lamb euery day For Iesus Christ is not our euerlasting Passouer for y t he is sacrificed euery day but for y t we doe daily take benefit by him for that he maketh y e vertue of his sacrifice continually auailable by his holy spirit Notwithstanding howsoeuer y e case go yet must we still keepe on foreward vntill we bee taken out of this world This doctrine ought to be very common yea and when it is preached euery man will thinke he knowes it wellynough but in the meane while where is y e practise thereof Where is the sayd freeheartednes to shewe by our deedes that our Lord hath broken the bondes of Satan so as we serue not sinne any more Where is y t earnestnes of minde to proceede more more vntil we be gone quite cleane out of the world And yet must we exersice this doctrine put it in vre if we wil be acknowledged for meÌ„bers of our Lord Iesus Christ. But we cannot haue him to bee our Redeemer except he haue alwayes y e saide title of Passeouer And that is in respect of vs for he hath made his passage by comming downe into the world by reconciling men to God his father 1. Tim. 3.16 by being receiued vp againe into his glorie and Maiestie Therfore there must not be any more chaunge in Iesus Christ. But we on our side must be made perfect in him and as soone as he calleth vs to be of his body we must begin to depart out of y e dungeons of sin from whence we must withdraw our selues euer more more and still trauell to attaine to the heauenly righteousnes To be short let vs note that a Christian may well perceiue whether hee haue profited in the Gospell or no by examining whether hee be withdrawen from the worlde or no and whether he be ready and weldisposed to depart from it as oft as it shall please God to pull him away from it so as his heart be not tyed to it as long as he is heere beneath For looke where our treasure is Matt. 6.21 there is also our heart with it but that seeing Iesus Christ is our full life and felicitie we alwaies tend to himward euer haue our mindes lifted vp on high And let vs marke further that to keepe the passeouer aright at this day it behoueth vs to be vnited together accordingly as we see how God hath giuen a strait commaundement thereof in this place where he saith it is not Lawfull to eate the pascall Lambe in any other of the Cities or towns of the contrey but y t they ought to assemble together to the Temple Which thing I haue told you heeretofore was doone to preserue the religion in his purenes Will we then nowadaies be partakers of our Lord Iesus Christ Let vs agree together that there may be a true brotherhood among vs. For if we bee at ods among our selues like dogs cats Iesus Christ must needes disclaime disauow vs. And therefore let vs not imagine our selues to be vnited to Iesus Christ except there be good agreement and brotherly loue among vs. And wherein must that be We may not conspire together as the wicked doe for they make confederacies and ioyne hands together to make warre against God Cursed be such vnion it behooueth vs to bee farre off from such dealing Nay we must resorte to the temple of God And although we haue not now a material temple as the Iewes had then in Ierusalem for our meeting togither is for common orders sake and not after the manner of the Iewes who had a place certaine appointed out to theÌ„ although say I we haue not the like figure yet must we walke as in the presence of our God Eph. 4.13 â— Iohn 17.11 we must be ruled by his word we must haue one melody of faith to praise God as it were with one mouth we must shew our selues truly to be al one in him Thus ye see how wee must be gathered together to Gods Church if we will bee partakers of our Lord Iesus Christ. And herein we see y t these scorners which turn away from y e order of y e church exclude theÌ„selues from al hope of the heauenly life They can say wel ynough y t their intent is to be Christians but yet for al y t inasmuch as they forsake y â— vnitie of faith yea euen fight against it by despising all order is it not to be concluded y t they cannot be partakers of the Pascall Lambe at leastwise after y e true maner thereof which we haue nowadaies Let vs marke well then y t to be partakers of our Lord Iesus Christ we must not be only vnited in y e doctrine of y e gospel but we must also make confession of our faith in assembling all togither as though God were present with vs. Matt. â—â— 2â— And truely we know how it is promised vs y t where two or three are gathered togither in y e name of Iesus Christ he will beare rule there be present among theÌ„ And therfore let vs haue a diligent regard of resorting vnto Sermons And therwithal let vs vse y e Sacrament of the Lords supper y t we may aske one another what is ment by it For in the xii of Exodus our Lord sheweth vs full well Exod. 1â— â—â— y t wee must profit in his schoole to be partakers of y e Pascall Lambe If thy sonne aske thee what this act of ours betokeneth Thou shalt answere wee were bondslaues in y e land of Egypt God pitied vs. Thus ye see what we haue to doe at this day not for y e eating of a rosted Lambe but to be made partakers of our Lorde Iesus Christ in spirit and truth Wee must inquire diligently to know y e benefits which our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought vs. And herein is our negligence bewrayed For it is ynough for vs to heare Iesus Christ spoken of yea there are a great sort which haue not the skil to discerne the father from the sonne They know not whether Iesus Christ were sent by God his father or no insomuch y t now then a man shall finde more beastlines in those y t haue their eares dayly beaten w t the Gospel than among y e Papists Nay it is to bee openly seene Why then come we to
is for neede necessitie Now if one bereaue a man of his lyfe vnder color of lending him a peece of mony it were better that he should leaue him in that necessitie in which he found him than so to take from him those meanes by the which he maintaineth his life We see thē that God would not that lones shoulde be lynes to snare poore men withall which are in necessitie to which purpose men haue at all times vsed them and nowadayes doe more than euer heretofore For men haue no other deuises thā how to deceiue to circumuent to beguile and to suck the bloud of poore men They draw them dry not onely of their substance but of their bloud too when they espy them to be in need and penurie This say I is the fashion of men nowadayes But for all that let vs consider what the will of God is in this behalfe to wit that we must not onely vse no crueltie towardes our neighbors vnder color of any lending vnto them but also seeke to relieue the present neede of all those which are in necessitie to the intent that they may alwayes goe foreward and maintaine themselues in their estate Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better yea in such wise as we may return vnto him seeking nothing els but to abide alwayes vnder his obedience and to cleaue vnto his word without swaruing from it in any wise and that wee may so walke euery man in his vocation as wee may testify thereby that wee haue God for our maister and father and that we are of his familie liuing according to the order which he hath commaunded vs and that wee may liue in such wise one with another as may be to the maintayning of loue and honestie among vs and that such vprightnesse may raigne in vs as wee haue not an eye vnto that which men permit vs but looke euer at this marke how we may serue one anothers turne in vpright brotherhoode to the end we may bee confirmed alwayes more and more that God is our father and that we may call vpon him as such a one 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 Saturday the j. of Februarie 1556. The Cxxxviii Sermon which is the third vpon the foure twentith Chapter 7 If a man be found which hath stolen any of his brethren of the children of Israel and he hath misused him or sold him this thiefe shall die and thou shalt put euill away from among you 8 Take heede of the plague of leprosie that thou marke it diligently and doe according vnto all that which the Priestes the Leuites shall teach you take heed yee doe as I haue commaunded them 9 Remember what the Lord thy God did vnto Marie by the way after that ye were come out of Egypt THe first thing that God declareth in this place is that if any stole away a man of Israel and solde him the offence which he committed in this behalfe was to be punished by death And heereby hee giueth vs to vnderstand how dearelie hee loued that people which hee had chosen vnto himselfe For we knowe how God appointeth punishmentes accordinglie as he esteemeth of the greatnes of the sinne which is committed So then whereas hee punisheth that man by death which had stolen away his brother thereby we see that the life of the children of Israel was pretious vnto him And no maruaile For if a father haue lost one of his children especially if he be stolen from him and he knoweth not what is become of him wee know he would haue bin better contented to haue lost his goods than his childe Now seeing that God had adopted the stock of Abraham he accounted those which descended from it to be of his owne houshold and named himself their father and in very deed circumcision was a mark to separate y t people frō other nations Therefore whosoeuer sold any one of the stocke of Abraham he did wrong and iniurie not onely to the person it selfe but also vnto God Againe a man being solde vnto another people was in daunger of being constrained by force to commit idolatrie In deed he were better suffer death than doe so but lyke as many are fraile weake in this case so might they also bee seduced and turned aside frō y e law from y e seruice of God therefore by this means ensued not only y e destructiō of a mans body but also of his soule We see thē now that this law was grounded on great reason And moreouer we know likewise y t God had so redeemed this people that they were called a royall priesthood And therefore if this honour shoulde be abolished it were all one as if a man shold rent in pieces the priuiledge which a prince had giuen and like as God is greater than mortall men so such an outrage committed against his maiestie were more heinous and intollerable But we must nowe returne vnto our selues For albeit there bee not nowadayes any certain people which God hath chosen shouled out from the rest of the worlde yet are wee come by succession into the roome and place of the Iewes For God hath receiued vs into his Church and we are at this day in the same degree of honour which the children of Abraham were in Seeing it is so he which stealeth away a man nowadayes to cut him off from the Church of God is in as great fault as he who in old time sold any one of the Israelits And although earthly iustice hath established no lawe against it yet doth it not cease to be a grieuous sinne stil in the sight of God Let vs therefore acknowledge the honor which God vouchsafeth vs when he maketh vs of the number of his houshold taketh aloweth vs for his childrē Now forasmuch as this is an inestimable benefit we must endeuour to the vtmost of our power to preserue and keep it and y t not euery one for himselfe only but for his neighbors also Therfore when we see y t God hath assembled gathered together any company of people to himselfe let vs seeke to keepe them so together as none of thē may go astray And if we be a cause and occasion that y e congregation of God bee deminished and y t hee which was sometime of it be estraunged from it by our meanes we see that punishment y e lawe hath ordained As touching y e outward policie and ciuil order it remaineth not yet neuertheles God hath declared y t such lewdnes shall not abide vnpunished For he wil at y e least haue as great regard vnto his house as euery of vs woulde haue vnto our own houses And therfore let vs learne by all meanes possible to keepe thē stil which are of Gods
the people bin vnthankfull they shoulde ere that time haue beene conueyed into the lande of promise and then had Moses gone in with them But his life was prolonged a great time because of the leawdnes of the people Heere we see a wonderfull goodnes in God For seeing that the people that is to wit as many of them as were then of discretion to knowe good from euill were condemned to die in the wildernesse it had beene a great discomfort to them if Moses should haue dyed out of hand 〈◊〉 14.23 But God reserueth him and although he chastise the people yet notwithstanding hee moderateth his rigour Heere then we see in effect that when God tolde the people that they should die in the wildernesse hee meant not to punish them with such extremitie but that hee prouided them first of y e principall point which was y t they might haue a good loadesman For that is an inestimable treasure And againe we see howe God wrought in Moses by a power that was not common to men that is to wit that at the age of Sixscore yeeres there was in him still all that euer was requisite in so difficult and weightie a charge as wee knowe was committed vnto him True it is that he had Iudges with him Exod. 18.25 but yet for all that no one man no nor a doosen men had beene able to haue gone through with that charge though they had bin chosen of the excellentest men in the worlde Needs must it be thē that God aided him Now whereas in so old age men are wont to be drooping and halfe dead or at leastwise in such case as they can scarsly crawle and are halfe doted and yet Moses continueth still in his perfect state therein it appeareth that God had compassion of his people And this is expresly declared that the children of Israel shoulde knowe that God neuer forsooke them that although they had grieuously offended him and were worthy to be cut off from his house and to bee stripped out of his gratious giftes yet he ment not to vse such rigour for hee reserued Moses and gaue him wherwith to go through with his charge continually To be short in this text it is shewed vs that if God giue vs such men to bee our guides as behaue themselues faithfully and haue abilitie matched with their will and that they bee maintained to doe their office to the full it behoueth vs to perceiue therin that God hath pitie vppon vs and we must acknowledge such a benefite vnlesse we wil be condemned of vnthankfulnesse Nowe it is saide that the children of Israel mourned thirtie days for the death of Moses It was a common thing to make such sorrowe for the deade But forasmuch as Moses was a father to all the whole people it was verie requisite that not some one house or kinred but that all those which had beene gouerned by him shoulde weepe for him Euerie man is to be mourned for in his owne house by his kinsfolfe and neere friendes but there was another speciall reason in Moses because God had giuen him to all the people and he had guided them with a fatherly care as we knowe The people therefore doe witnesse openly howe much they were bounde and beholden vnto Moses and al of them shewe themselues as his children But here it might be demaunded whether it be lawfull to make such lamentation for a man that is departed for it shoulde seeme to bee an incountering of Gods will Wee knowe that the life and death of men is in Gods hande nowe if hee call vs away it behooueth vs to goe without any gainesaying as I saide yesterday They that outliue vs must not sorrowe for our death for it were a kinde of striuing against God But wee must euer haue an eye to the end of our sorrowing when wee mourne for the decease of men and againe we must come to the measure therof Those two things then must we obserue to the intent that our sorrowing may bee lawfull The first thing is that our mourning for a partie departed be vpon iust cause For we haue good occasion to weepe because death is a common lookingglasse and record vnto vs of Gods curse not vppon one or two folkes but vpon all mankinde When we see any man deade God sheweth vs to the vew of our eye that we be all of vs cursed of him and that wee be all of vs inclosed in that curse because of Adams sin For whence comes death but of the estraunging of vs from the fountaine and welspring of life God then giueth vs good occasion to weepe when any man dyeth but that must bee done because of our sinnes so aswe feele what we haue deserued and bee ashamed of our selues and bee touched with the feare of Gods vengeance and bee so wounded therewith as it may prouoke vs to make sorrowe But this ende is ill regarded welneere of all men For when wee weepe we wote not why wee weepe and scarsly shall yee finde one among a hundred which is mooued and stirred vp to acknowledge the punishment of sinne the curse of God which is spred ouer all the sonnes of Adam That then is the thing which we haue to remember in the first place There is another seconde ende That is to wit when God taketh away a man that was able to doe seruice in his Church either publikely or priuately wee ought to bee sorie for it forasmuch as our Lorde chastiseth vs. If there bee a good Sheepeherd a good Prince a good Magistrate a man of counsell or any other that is fitte to serue the whole bodie and God taketh him away we ought to bee sorie for him and not without cause for it is a signe that hee is minded to diminish his grace in vs. And ought wee not to bee grieued in feeling Gods wrath On the other side we see how it is said that our Lorde taketh away the righteous Esa. 57.1 when he hath any vengeance in a readinesse hee calleth away his seruaunts to rest that they may be free from the mischiefe which is at hande Therefore when God taketh away the excellent men from among vs it is alwayes a threatning vnto vs. For it is all one as if he told vs that wee bee not worthie to haue him to dwell in our companie according to this saying in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 11.38 that the worlde was not worthie to haue the men that serued God with such vertuous conuersation True it is that men mislike of them and thrust them out of their company as though they were not worthie to goe vppon the earth But yet on the contrarie part God telleth vs that we forgoe the company of the good men and of those whom hee hath reserued to himselfe Therefore when we bewaile the death of honest men which haue liued in the feare of God which were indewed with excellent vertues and gifts of grace
which haue done seruice to the building vp of the Church and which coulde haue continued in doing the same still that is a wel-ordered mourning But yet must we also come to the measure For it may bee that a man shall mourne for iust cause and yet if he giue his sorrowe too much scope then is it a fault and a vice As howe If wee sorrowe for our sinnes without comfort wee shal be swallowed vp of heauinesse and thereuppon oftentimes spring grudgings and repynings against God But saint Paul telleth vs that when we mourne so for the death of our friends and kinsfolke or of such as serued in the Church we must not resemble the vnbeleeuers 1. Thess. 4.13 who saith he haue no hope and therefore can haue no comfort In that place S. Paul saith not that it is sinne to weepe hee doth not vtterly condemne the thing but hee sheweth that our sorrowing must be moderated because God giueth vs comfort by calling vs to y e hope of the heauenly life wherein we shal be renewed So then let vs vnderstande that GOD humbleth vs by death and that we must goe into corruption like stinking carions yea and eueÌ„ our soules must seeme to vanish away and that all shal be forlorne Nowe although wee must needes bee sorrowfull when wee consider these things and specially our sinnes yet I say wee must euer come backe to this point that God of his infinite goodnesse pitieth vs still and wil not haue vs to perish in death but rather that it bee vnto vs a passage into the euerlasting life And this hope is ynough to comfort vs in the middes of all our heauinesse at leastwise it ought to be a bridle to restraine our sorrowing that it passe not the bounds and so we fal to fretting against God as we see the vnbeleeuers do who storme and howle and yell and cannot by any meanes be held in order And why Because they haue no comfort which is the mother of patience But forasmuch as God calleth vs to the hope which hee giueth vs therefore after wee haue wept and mourned we haue wherefore to giue him thanks to blesse his holy name and to coÌ„tent our selues that he vseth not extreme rigor against vs. Now then although we weepe when we see that our Lorde hath taken those from vs which might haue stoode vs in great steede yet must we not fall into despaire as though God had no way to succour vs. For he can raise vp euen the stones if he thinke it good Therfore we must resort vnto him when wee perceiue any signe of his wrath and when we haue acknowledged our sins and asked forgiuenes of them at his hand we must also waite his leisure vntil he shew vs fauour that in finding mercy wee may also find remedy of all our griefs Thus y e measure which hee speaketh of is that hauing sorrowed to a good end because our Lord hath taken such folk out of y e world as we ought to long for desire wee must also haue some stay of our selues not be caried away to fretting chafing in our sorrowe but rather asswage our sorrowes because wee know y t when God hath chastised vs he will moderate his mightie hand and not stretch it out to the full against vs but chastise vs with the rodde of man 1. Sam. 7.14 as is said thereof Sith wee see this let vs learne to comfort our selues and be patient But herewithall we haue yet one point more to obserue which is that our forefathers had â—o ceremonies than wee haue because they had not so euident a recorde of the euerlasting life And the selfesame reason was of burial vnder the lawe for they buried men with greater pompe than they do nowadays And what was the reason forsooth because the resurrection was not yet so well witnessed as it is now I grant that the fathers knew well what was requisite to their saluation howbeit y t was vnder shadowes and figures But behold nowadayes God himselfe calleth vs from heauen our Lorde Iesus Christ sheweth vs that as he himselfe is risen to glorie so we also shal be made like to his image and therefore that wee haue no more neede of such helps as y e fathers of old time had So then it were a mockery at this day to counterfeit the thinges that were obserued in the olde Testament And that is a thing wherein the fondnesse of the Papistes appeareth vnto vs. For they woulde needes counterfeit al things without cause or reason And yee see that in their burials they haue so many gewgawes and pelting toyes that a man woulde bee ashamed of them And what is the cause thereof but that they knowe not the difference that is come in since the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ namely that the ancient ceremonies are come to an end Yee see then that the Papists are become Iewes howbeit but bastarde Iewes For not without some reason did the Iewes vse that custome because it behooued their ceremonies to supplie the want of doctrine But nowe that our Lord Iesus Christ is come and we haue the resurrection manifested in his person if we set our mindes stil vppon shadowes and figures what is it but a defacing of the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ an vtter quenching of y e light of the Gospel That is y e cause why I said that the Papistes are not worthie to bee called Iewes but bastarde Iewes But whereas it is saide that the people made lamentation by the space of thirtie dayes let vs on our side learne that it behooued the auncient fathers to bee kept vnder because God had not giuen them so large a testimonie of the euerlasting life and that for their rudenesse sake they were gouerned like little children Gal. 4.3 as Sainct Paul speaketh of them to the Galathians Let vs nowadayes learne on our side to make the resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christ auailable that when any man dyeth there bee plainenesse vsed in his buriall and these pompes eschewed wherewith GOD is mocked and the people intangled in manie errours and superstitions And not without cause is it saide that our Lorde Iesus Christ was buried after the manner of the Iewes Matt. 27. 59. to shew that that custome ought nowadayes to bee chaunged among vs and a newe to bee put in the steede Also let vs moderate our mourning and let not our sorrowe bee excessiue but sith wee haue wherewith to comforte our selues which thing the folke that liued vnder the Lawe had not at all or at leastwise not so largely as wee haue let vs practise the doctrine which we bee taught in the Gospell and also by S. Paul to the Thessalonians 1. Thess. 4.13 Thus much concerning that point where mention is made of the lamentation that was made for the death of Moses Now it followeth That Iosua the sonne of Nun was filled with the spirite of wisedome because
dearely Thus you see after what maner wee must put in vre this text of the possessing of the land which he hath promised vs and purchased for us Besides this when wee heare this saying that it is at our commaundement let vs vnderstand that it were a disanulling of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ if wee should not bee fully resolued of this inheritaunce according also as Saint Paule sheweth Rom. 10.7 If thou say who is he that shall goe downe into the deepe it is all one as if thou shouldest fetche vp Christ againe from death Then if wee imagine with our selues alas wee bee wretched creatures there is nothing but vtter weakenesse in vs euill doeth so ouermaister that wee wote not what to do the diuell tormenteth vs on the one side and on the other side wee bee so fraile as is pitifull to see and wee bee in trouble and vnquietnesse if wee stande herevpon as quite out of heart and discouraged Saint Paule sayeth it is all one as if we beleeued not that Iesus Christ dyed for vs. For why The death and Passion that he suffered are no trifling thing but a thing of verie great price Nowe then wee must take it to bee of power as it is so that although we see our selues in the mids of bottomlesse pits yea that very often and commonly insomuch that when wee bee out of one gulfe by and by wee enter into another and therewithall Satan hath such power against vs and wee on the other side are so feeble that we can scarcely stirre one finger yet let vs not forbeare to assure our selues that the inheritaunce belongeth to vs still for that is the honour which wee must yeeld to our Lord Iesus Christ. But therewithall let vs go foreward still After what maner Let vs call to minde howe the Apostle saieth that like as our Lord Iesus Christ went out of the Citie as reiected out of the companie of men Heb. 13.12 so we must not disdaine to become like him and to beare the shame and reproche of his crosse for it becommeth the members to be fashioned like to their body And therefore let vs determine to goe after him For those are the true markes whereby he knoweth vs to bee his And for performance thereof let vs vnderstand that wee must forsake the world in general yea and our selues too For the matter standeth not alonely vpon going out of the world True it is that so long as it pleaseth God to haue vs lodge here here wee must abide but yet howsoeuer we fare wee must euer haue one foote vp readie to goe hence whensoever it shall please God to take vs to him so that if wee will be heires of the heauenly kingdome wee must be but pilgrims and straungers in this world Yea and which more is wee must go out of our selues that is to say we must not leane to our owne will and wit but wee must ridde our selues of all selfweening and couet nothing but to goe vnto God And if the world shake vs off and make a mocking stocke of vs as we see now adayes how the poore Christians are lightly esteemed so that they bee taken to bee as the of-scouring of the world or rather as myre dung as saieth S. Paul I say if wee bee so reiected of the whole world 1. Cor. 4.13 let vs beare it patiently For why Iesus Christ went out of the Citie Ierusalem bearing the reproch and curse of the whole world vpon him and therefore let vs bee readie to bee fashioned like vnto him Also therewithal let vs determine to separate our selues from all the vncleannesse that reigneth euerie where now adayes in the world And forasmuch as we can not possesse the heauenly heritage vnlesse wee ouercome this doubting and fearefulnesse which plucke vs backe insomuch that if our mindes runne still vpon our owne feeblenesse truely wee shall not neede any other thing to shake vs downe whereas on the other side if we haue our eye vppon our captaine Iesus Christ who alonely hath vanquished all feare yea and euen death and the diuell all his power then may wee boldly goe on still to ouercome all lets that may hinder vs or turne vs aside from following God whithersoeuer he calleth vs Let vs shut our eyes against all that euer may turne vs out of the right way and let vs not doubt but that God wil alwayes be our guide and worke in such wise as he will outgoe all our desires yea and all the hope that we can conceiue of him Nowe therefore let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs so to feele them that being cast down in our selues wee may resort wholly vnto him an acknowledging our selues to bee wretched offenders that haue deserued his wrath and vengeance yea euen w tout euer being able to recouer out of endlesse death and cursednes flee for refuge to the redemption that is purchased for vs by the bloudshed of his onely sonne And that seeing our Lord Iesus Christ hath payed all our debtes to discharge vs of them and to beare the condemnation that was due vnto vs and forasmuch as he offereth vs daily the fruite and effect of his death and passion we may not doubt but that he will accomplish the thing that he hath begunne in vs and by his holy spirit make the power of his resurrection auaileable in vs to the end that we may leade a new life and bee stablished in him more more till we be quite rid of all the corruptions of our flesh to bee taken vp into his kingdome That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely c. On Saturday the xiij of Aprill 1555. The sixth Sermon vpon the first Chapter 22 Then came you all vnto me and said let vs send men before vs to search out the land for vs and to bring vs word by what way we shall go vp into it and into what Cities we shall enter 23 That saying liked me well and therevpon I tooke twelue men among you of euery tribe one 24 And they departed and went vp into the Mountaines and came to the riuer of Escol and searched out the land 25 And they tooke of the fruits of the Land in their handes and brought them to vs and brought vs word againe and said The Land which the Lorde our God giueth vs is good 26 Yet notwithstanding you would not goe vp but were disobedient to the commaundement of the Lord your God 27 And you murmured in your tentes and saide bicause the Lorde hateth vs therefore hath he made vs to come out of the Countrie of Egypt to deliuer vs into the hand of the Amorrhytes to cause vs to be destroyed 28 How shall wee goe vp Our brethren haue made our heartes to quaile by saying The people are moe in nomber and taller of stature than wee The
hope And besides this wee see after what sorte our Lord hath called vs. For he hath not giuen vs such Spyes as were giuen to the people of olde time he hath not giuen vs a doosen persons to report vnto vs what maner a land it is â—â—oc 1.5 but hee hath sent vs his onely sonne who is faithfull witnesse of the inuisible heritage 〈◊〉 8.11 1. Cor. 15. yea and he hath giueÌ„ vs good hansel thereof in his rysing againe Wee haue the twelue Apostles which were chosen according to y e nomber of the tribes of Israell they were as good as twelue truÌ„petters to make gods voyce heard throughout the whole world And besides them there hath bin a great cloude of witnesses as the Apostle termeth them in the twelfth to the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 12.1 whereby he meaneth that if we were not ouer dull worse than vnthankeful churlish it might well suffice vs to haue such an infinite multitude of witnesses to auow warrant our faith Rom. 4.35 Now then let vs learne that if we fight vnder Iesus Christ who hath told vs that sin is ouercome by his death and passion the bondes of death are broken to the intent to set vs free Col. 3.2 it becommeth vs now to looke vp to heauen to march on boldly through y e world forasmuch as he being risen againe sheweth vs that the possession of righteousnesse and lyfe is assured vnto vs because the power of his spirit is vttered therein Rom. 1.4 Seeing we haue such a confirmation to warrant vs the kingdome of heauen that is promised vnto vs should we be cowardly what excuse wil there be if we play the dastards and nice cockneyes But to the end we may obey our God and not prouoke his mouth let vs fal to strengthening of our selues in him For what caused this wretched people to turne away so from his calling Euen their considering of their enemies force according to their owne nature and their forgetting of God and his power in the meane while Let vs learne then to make such account of the strength of our God as that wee may by the power of his spirite gette the vpper hand in all incounters that hee bringeth vs vnto for hee will not haue vs to be idle in this present lyfe Hee coulde well enough set vs in quiet at the first instant so as wee shoulde not be troubled any maner a way nor the worlde make warre against vs nor we be tempted at all by our owne fleshe and that Satan should bee far of from vs. God I say could well maintaine vs in ease at the first instant but he intendeth to trye our patience for he will haue vs to be men of warre Wherefore let vs on our side fight yea let vs fight lustily and if our enemies bee too strong for vs as wee finde that they be in deed let vs flee for refuge to the helpe that our Lorde hath promised vs and wee shall ouercome all lets if wee fight in the strength of God But yet let vs marke that wee must fight vnto death and not dye once onely but haue death present dayly For what else is a Christen mans lyfe than an indeuoring to renounce the worlde and all his owne affections And therefore looke how many good thoughtes wee haue so manie are the deathes of our owne froward nature so as it is not possible for vs to serue God one day but we must dy a hundred yea and a thousand times I saye wee must dye by beating downe the sinfulnesse of our owne nature for wee bee full of vices So then let vs marke well that God is so farre of from making account of Liuer-hearted seruants that delight in ease commoditie and pleasure that hee will not onely haue vs to fight but also to be readye to dye and to put the doctrine in vre which I come now to touch that is to say to bee chaunged and renued euerye minute of an houre Moreouer let vs note also y t lyke as our Lord Iesus Christ was buryed after hee had bin crucified and suffered y e reproch of his death so must we be buryed too For it is not enough for vs to dye one day and no more as some doe which haue good braydes so as ye would thinke them ready to forsake themselues vtterly and there appeareth great willingnes in them to renounce the world but suddenly they will needes fall to resting there and they can no skill of entering into the graue But we must holde out in it so as when wee haue once learned to dye with Christ and to crucifie our olde man as S. Paul termeth it to the Romans we must also be ready to goe into the graue Rom. 6.6 Rom. 4.6 that is to say all that euer is in vs as in respect of the world and of our owne fleshe must be vtterly abolished and wee our selues become nothing To be shorte wee must desire nothing but to haue our lyfe hidden with Christ Col. 3.3 as sayth Saint Paul to the Colossians yea and to haue it hidden til his comming againe But in any wise let vs beware that wee be not vnthankefull for we shall neuer take courage but by considering the inestimable worthynesse of y e good things whereunto God hath called vs. And therefore when we heare that the people considered not Gods bringing of them out of the land of Egypt let not vs followe that trace for it were the next way to put vs out of hart So then we shall neuer make anie account at all of Gods benefites which wee haue receiued alreadie and which he shall haue made vs to feele except we haue our eye alwayes fast set vppon the promised land that is to wit vppon the euerlasting lyfe And therefore on the one part wee must oftentimes bethinke vs of Gods benefites and call to minde his goodnesse and mercie towardes vs which we haue felt But that is not all that we haue to doe when wee haue once considered how God hath shewed himselfe to be our redeemer how he hath taken vs out of the horrible blindnesse wherein we were how he hath inlightened vs with the brightnesse of his Gospel and how he hath done vs so many good turnes euen in respect of our bodies as we ought well to vnderstand that he hath shewed himselfe a father and sauiour towardes vs but specially when we haue throughly weyed or rather worshipped the goodnes which he hath shewed vs in all the spiritual benefites y t we haue receiued at his hand for they be the excellentest we also ought to esteeme them more than al the bodily things that we could haue had at his hand wheÌ„ we haue once considered all these thinges then must we also bethinke our selues whereunto it is that God calleth vs that is to wit to the kingdome of heauen Therefore we must alwayes haue our countenance as it were set fast vppon the
were able to make Gods seruauntes quite out of patience But what for that We must take courage as Saint Paule comforteth vs. Hee saieth that whether Gods worde bring life or death to men 2. Cor. 2.15.16 yet is it alwayes a good and sweete sauour before GOD. True it is that Gods worde of it selfe as shall bee declared more fully hereafter is alwayes the sauour of life For what is it that God ameth at if wee consider his worde in it owne nature The calling of men backe to the ende they might be saued And yet for all that wee see by experience that it is an odour and sauour of Death insomuch as the wicked are strangled and choked with it as soone as they doe but take the sent or smell of it They neede not to taste of it nor to eate of it if they doe but take the sent of it a great way of it is poyson to them so that the diuell carries them away and they fall to fretting and chafing against GOD and all to their owne destruction And do we see that Gods word turneth into occasion of death to a great nomber of men Yet must wee bee of good cheere saieth S. Paul And why Bicause it is a good and sweete sauour vnto God when men are made vnexcusable But nowe let vs come to declare how Gods worde tendeth vnto life and howe it hath that propertie notwithstanding that men through their owne wickednesse doe turne it to their deadly condemnation This is sufficiently expressed in that it is saide That Moses sent a message of peace to Sehon King of the Amorrhytes His desire then is to abstaine from all anoyance if Sehon coulde abide it Nowe let vs see to what ende the Gospell is preached and after what manner What else is contained in it but that God intendeth to bee reconciled to the world as saieth Saint Paule in the fifth of the seconde to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 5.20 In as much then as GOD sendeth vs tidinges of peace so as his desire is to shewe himselfe a father to all such as yeelde themselues teachable vnto him and our Lorde Iesus Christ is offered vs as the meane to bring vs againe into the loue and fauour of our God it is surely a message of peace And in deede the Gospell is so intituled and not without cause Ephes. 6.15 True it is that the lawe also was a message of peace as in respect of the promises If wee looke vppon the lawe strictly Rom. 4.15 as Saint Paul speakes diuers times of it it will be a very message of wrath But if wee looke vpon the promises that were made to the fathers of olde time wee shall finde that euen from the beginning of the world Gods will was that sinners should knowe his mercie and come vnto him And for that cause is it saide that Iesus Christ bringeth peace both to them that are a farre off and to them that are neere hande as sayeth Saint Paule to the Ephesians and he will haue it to bee preached through the whole worlde Eph. 2.17 that Gods onely desire is to holde vs in his loue Thus ye see howe wee may finde saluation in the Gospell Nowe then wee see that Gods worde considered in it selfe is a commission of peace furthering vs to be ioyned and made one with him so as wee may call vpon him and rest in his goodnesse And the meane to haue this worde to redounde to our saluation is this if wee can receiue it as wee ought to doe according as Saint Paul treateth thereof in the first to the Romanes Rom. 1.16 And therefore the Ministers therof must haue this consideration with them Beholde GOD Sendeth mee and what putteth he in my mouth Peace to offer it vnto all men and to the ende that euen the wickedst should bee partakers of the same message and vnderstand that GOD seeketh them But yet for all that wee knowe that this message cannot profite all men What must it doe then It must make men vnexcusable For what can bee saide to it if God handle men out of hand as they deserue Wee bee all damned by nature we bring such an inheritaunce of cursednesse from our mothers wombe as God might sinke vs at the first day and wee coulde lay nothing at all for our selues And forasmuch as there are a great nomber of people which seeme to perishe but through simplicitie therefore it is Gods will to conuict the whole worlde to the end to take away all scapes Wee see that when the Gospell is preached those whome a man woulde haue thought to haue bene well disposed doe burst foorth and their malice is discouered and laide open which was hidden before The worlde seeth howe fewe are willing to stoope to take the yoke vppon their neckes Nay which worse is the world sees that they become enemies to it so as they can not bee ouercome by any warnings or else they become so wilde headed as a man can not tell on which side to catch holde of them Seeing then that when GOD hath sent men the message of peace after that sort they on their side desire warre and seeke it and can not finde in their heartes to yeelde and submit them selues vnto God but will needes bee enemies vnto him wee see that the preaching of the Gospell to such as are vtterly past recouerie is not vnauailable And why For else their malice had bene vnknowen and Gods Iustice shoulde not bee so apparant nor haue so great brightnesse as when the wicked abide still vnconuerted and coulde not bee subdued for ought that could be done Nowe hereupon what haue wee to doe This doctrine belongeth not onely to such as are ministers of Gods worde to make them to goe through with their calling so as they may shut their eyes when God is to bee obeyed and proceede still in preaching his worde though it bee misused and turned cleane contrarie to Gods intent but also wee bee all warned generally in what wise wee ought to receiue the message that God sendeth vs namely that for as much as he sheweth himselfe so gratious towardes vs that in stead of being our enemie as he might most rightfully and iustly bee he is contented to bee at one with vs and taryeth not till wee seeke peace at his hande but seeketh attonement with vs notwithstanding that he perceiue vs to bee mad to make warre against him wee should not bee so wretched and malicious as to dragge backe from him and to forsake that passing loue and fatherly kindnesse of his Marke that for one point Yet notwithstanding when we see that God hath drawen vs to him and that wee can finde in our heartes to let him vse his mercie and goodnesse towardes vs then must wee knowe that the cause why his worde hath had such entraunce into our hartes and why wee haue bin subdued to his obedience was for that he hath refourmed vs by his holy
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
to him that he should not passe ouer Iordan to goe into the lande of promise But as for you saith he you shall passe ouer and inioy the possession thereof Moses doth stil vpbraide the people with Gods bereauing of him of the inheritance that was promised to all their tribes not so much for his own fault as for the common fault of them all in murmuring against God but yet hath Moses a further meaning He speaketh this as it were by the way yea as hauing respect to this that he should shortly die and forasmuch as he himselfe might not inioy the lande hee had a care to instruct the people to the end that they might abide in Gods couenant and continue stedfast in it without swaruing aside or without any changing of religion to peruert the doctrine that had beene giuen them The effect then is that Moses being at the point of death doth as it were make his last will hath so much the more care of the peoples welfare for feare least they should start away after his death as he had seene them doe oftentimes in his life And he interlaceth this particular matter that I spake of namely that their words were the cause that he should die before he passed ouer Iordan and before he entered into the lande of promise For as I haue touched heretofore Moses ment not to iustifie himselfe for indeede he was greatly blameworthy before God surely God neuer vseth any crueltie towards such as are his Now the case is so that Moses is shut out of the land with an oth therfore must it needs bee that he had offended But his doing of this is to the intent that the people on their side should think the better vpon the fault that they had committed And in good sooth so ought all faithful teachers to do that is they ought to touch sinners to the quicke that they may haue remorse of their sinnes that they may crie to God for mercie aske pardon therof that they may be sorie for thē that they may mislike of themselues for them that they may hate them and vtterly forsake them For when men are flattered in their vices first they bee hardened in them and take alwayes greater libertie to do euill secondly they thinke not that euer they shal come to account before God and finally they neuer forsake the world that so they may glorifie God consider or feele how much they be bound beholdē to him By this means thē is Gods mercie defaced his grace slippeth away and is vtterly abolished Besides this there is yet a greater enormitie namely that men goe on still from euil to worse vntil they be falne into vtter confusion Now then for this cause it is the duetie of such as haue the bearing abrode of Gods word to exhort their hearers continually to consider their sins and to search thē throughly And to what end Not only to make them barely ashamed of them but also to make them hūble themselues before God to goe forward continually in repentāce y t so they may learne to mislike of their faults to glorifie God when they wholly repaire to him for refuge by asking him forgiuenes of the offences that they haue committed But what There are very few that can a way with this order of teaching for there is not so wicked a man but he would be flattered And the world seeth that as soone as a man speaketh some gnash their teeth seeke nothing else but to bite him and othersome though a man do but by the way glaunce at their faults which are too too farre out of al square feare not to check him or to stand with him face to face in the maintenance therof But yet for all that the rule which God hath appointed vs vs I say which haue the charge to beare abrode his word is that we must dayly labor in warning our hearers to cal themselues to account and to examine well their owne faults that they may be sorie for them When as he speaketh of hearers we our selues are comprehended in y e number for we must not condemne others exempt our selues but he y t speaketh to others must first stick look to himself cite himself before God But yet neuerthelesse we must proceede in this order y t we must al of vs be summoned before God haue our inditement redy framed made ◠Cor. 11.31 32. and not tarie til God pronounce the sentence of condemnation vppon vs but euery of vs play the iudge against himself that not by saying in a word or two I haue done amisse but by being throughly wounded within so as we be ashamed of our misdeeds After this fashion must wee deale In the meane season if we perceiue y t the wicked cannot away with any correction but conceiue rancor against Gods word as we see these despisers of al religiō do who cannot abide that any mā should rebuke them let vs not maruell at it for if they bee pinched by by they spit out their poison like toads as they be But if we purpose to shewe our selues to be Gods children let vs learne to suffer correction willingly to haue our sins laide afore vs y t we may cōdemn them For our acknowledging of thē wil be a mean to haue them buried before god Thus ye se what we haue to note vpō y t text But now let vs come to Moseses chiefe intent which I haue touched afore I shall not go into this good land saith he And therfore I warne ye continue stedfastly in the couenant of God so as yee neuer forget it to worship ydols in his steede but serue him seeing he hath once chosen you vouchsafed to shewe himselfe your god father Here we see y t Moses was not out of hart though God chastised him roughly And here we see how the faithful ought to behaue themselues That is to say if God punish them yet must they not therefore cease to loue him and to go forward in their course still yea to giue ouer themselues wholly vnto him As soone as the wicked feele but one yirke of the rod with Gods hand and by and by they kicke against him and if they may scape from him they play the horse that hauing shaken of the bridle casteth his rider downe afterwards becōming as if he were mad he stormeth as though no mā were able to lay hold on him or to restrain him Euen so play the wicked which can neuer abide y t God shold chastise thē and tame them to hold thē in obedience to him If he make thē to feele their sins they burst out into impatiēcie thervpon fal by and by to rebellion furie But contrariwise when our Lord visiteth vs with afflictions we know it is not for vs to stray far from him nor to take occasion to scape his hands but rather to submit our selues quietly to
his seruice to keepe our selues from these tentations y t run oftētimes in our heads If we fal to scanning so as we say to our selues how now must I for seruing of god haue so hard cumbersome a condition It should seeme y t he is minded to discorage me Let vs beware of such conceits rather follow y e example of Moses He saw himself bereft of y e inheritance y t had bin promised to y e whole people he saw he had as it were a marke of reproch for euer as though God had withered him for wheras God had chosen him to bee the leader of his people to supplie his roome in bringing to thē that welfare that they had loked for so long time now towards his death he must bee disgraded at Gods hand and be banished from the possession that was as a pledge of the kingdome of heauen True it is that Moses continued and doth continue still an heire of Gods kingdome but he had not that earthly pledge of it that was set before the people He saw that of six hundred thousand persons for the whole multitude was so manie there was not one among them al that was worthier to enter into the land than himselfe Therfore he might haue stormed thus with himselfe Howe nowe I see I haue taken great payn◠in leading this people God hath wrought so manie miracles by my hand I haue yet stil such zeale to the honor of God and to y e welfare of his people as I neuer cease to procure the same therw tall I may well say God hath granted me y e grace to walke more roundly than al y e rest and yet notw tstanding must I be barred out of y e land the residue enter into it which haue not taken so much paine as I nothing neere Moses might haue bin in a chafe chawed vpon his bridle saying wel seeing I haue taken so much paine God ment to serue his turne by me heretofore it is ynough for me I am contented with that which I haue done but notwithstanding I will giue ouer my roome and seeing that he will not set me aworke any longer let him serue his turn by some other Moses might wel haue entred into such fancies But what Notwithstāding y t God listed to abace him so before men by bereuing him of the benefite that he esteemed aboue al other and to preferre the meanest and miserablest of the people before him who was so excellent a Prophet yet ceased he not to discharge his duetie and to goe through with it still And we see with what carefulnes he goeth about it My friends saith he although I must dye here and God cutteth me off from you as touching the bodie yet notwithstanding I will discharge my selfe both towards him and you and seeing it hath pleased him to make me his minister to teach you his doctrine I will neuer faile to doe my duetie In deede he might haue twyted the people as them that had caused God to lay such punishment vppon him but yet for all that hee ceaseth not to serue God and to loue the people still which as I said had caused him to be disinherited of the Land that was promised to Abraham Therfore hath Moses good right to say Because of your words God sware that I should not go ouer Iordan to enter into this good land Neither murmuring nor blaspheming proceeded from Moses Nay which is more we see he crucified himself whē he saw that god was not honored as he ought to haue beene whereas on the contrarie part there was a froward wilfull people which could not be brought into order by any meanes It seemeth then indeede y t Moses had iust cause to be angrie with the people seeing that God had punished him so grieuously for their disobedience But yet for all that a man may see hee sheweth himselfe still a father towardes them and taketh them as his children for hee knewe to what state he was called True it is that he vsed sharpnesse and rigour in due time and place specially when it behooued him to shewe the people their offences We see that Moses was in that behalf as a burning fire we see howe vehemently he rebuketh the despysers of God and the Rebels But when y t was once ouer he shewed himselfe alwayes to beare an affection of loue towards such as could abide it As for example God had now punished the people by the space of fortie yeres insomuch that they which had brought punishments vpon the people and had beene the authors of sedition were alreadie dead and their carkesses were rotten in the wildernes yet now behold Moses pitieth the children that were descended of them and ceaseth not to loue them So then let vs marke that if God call vs to the preaching of his word the vnthankfulnesse of such as ought to heare it must not stay vs from procuring their saluation as much as in vs lyeth Moreouer let vs not forbeare to pronounce Gods iustice against the wicked And though there be some that are vtterly wilful past hope of recouery whose diseases are vncurable wel yet let vs do our duetie towardes them let vs cite them to Gods iudgement let our doctrine serue for their condemnation to sende them to hell And in the meane while looke where we can reclaime them that haue done amisse let vs giue good heede therto and bestow our labor thereon Behold yet what we haue further to remember out of this place And herewithall wee see also that when Gods seruants perceiue themselues to bee neere their ende they must be the carefuller to stablish the doctrin which they taught in their life time And why For we see how men do easily slip away that euen such as haue shewed some good signe will anon after start aside if they be not helde in with a dubble reine as they say And when a seruant of God seeth y t in his lifetime he was greatly hindered in the maintenance of Gods seruice and had much adoe to represse euil what should he thinke but that the diuell will take possession after his death if God remedie not the matter Therfore such as haue felt and found by experience in their lifetime how painefull a thing it is to maintein the church ought euē for this cause to take so much the more paine trauell when they draw towards their death to cause the syncere religion to be mainteined in his purenesse that men being once set in a good course may not swarue away from it Beholde the example which Moses sheweth vs. And besides this let vs mark also that he doth not only discharge himselfe here at his death by vttering some sodaine speach or by shewing some signe of zeale onely but that he stood vpon this and did most vrge it to wit all his life long that the people might bee edified in the feare of God For yee
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
hee 40 And keepe his ordinances and commaundementes which I command thee this day that it may goe well with thee and with thy children after thee and that thou maiest prolong thy dayes in the lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee for euer 41 Then Moses seuered three Cities beyond Iordan towards the sunrising 42 That the manslaier might flee thither that had slaine his neighbour vnwillinglie and not hated him before who by fleeing to one of those Cities should bee in safetie 43 Namelie Bozor in the wildernesse in the plaine countrie among the Rubenites and Ramoth in Galaad among the Gaddites and Golam in Basan among the Manassites IT was shewed yesterday that wee must assure our selues that God will continue his goodnesse towardes vs and that when hee hath once begunne wee must not doubt but hee will shewe himselfe a Sauiour vnto the ende When wee haue founde him such a one wee must walke on in the saide trust that we may call vppon him all our life long for else wee shoulde bee saued but for a day and that were all one as if God had neuer shewed himselfe to vs at all Therefore our hope must extende to the time comming and when God hath ridde vs from Satans tyrannie wherein wee were to make vs inioy his heritage we must holde on still as Moses saith here True it is that God hath not brought vs out of Egypt Hebr. 9.14 but hee hath deliuered vs from the bondage of the diuell and of death And therefore let vs trust that he will leade vs to the place that he hath promised vs that is to wit to the immortall life But in the meane while we must consider to what ende he calleth vs and to what end he bestoweth so manie giftes vppon vs Lu. 1.74.75 namely to the ende that we should serue him all our life long Eph. 1.4 And that is the thing which Moses addeth as nowe and which was touched also as yesterday namely that our trusting in God must not make vs ydle and slothfull but rather the more inflame vs to loue and feare him Therefore he saith here vnderstande thou this day and thinke well vpon it in thine heart and beare it in rememberance that there is none other God but the euerlasting neither aboue nor beneath The cheefe intent of Moses is to shewe that Gods reaching of vs his hand vnto vs it not to the ende that we shoulde haue no care to honour him but rather that we should bend our selues wholly therunto and that wee perceyuing howe hee hath honored vs so highly as to choose vs for his people should shewe in verie deed by our seruing of him as our God that his so doing is not in vaine That is y e meaning of Moses But yet therewithall be doeth vs to vnderstande that we shall neuer be able to yeelde God his due honour vntill we knowe him For if we imagine newe Gods of our owne heade we disguise the liuing God Ro. 1.23.25 and bereaue him of his chiefe honour I say hee is disguised when we attribute that thing to the creatures which is peculiar to him alone and it is al one as if we did make ydols though we confesse it not with our mouthes as a great number do deale which cā protest welynough that their intent is to haue no moe but the onely God and yet notwithstanding faile not to robbe him of the thinges that are peculiar to his maiestie dealing them to the creatures at their owne pleasure as though it were some bootie When GOD is so spoyled it is all one as if men shoulde set vp ydoles in despyte of him And so yee see wherefore Moses saieth Nowe vnderstande that the Lorde is God both aboue and beneath and that there is none other Heere is the foundation where vppon wee must grounde Gods seruice namely to knowe that hee cannot abide any companion but that wee muste discerne him from all mens deuices and imaginations to saye This is the GOD that hath reueiled himselfe vnto vs. And Moses exhorteth the people to thinke vppon it that they might beare it in minde For if wee haue not that care with vs we shall wonder to see howe soone some wicked fancie will take place in our heade If such as knowe the trueth doe not sticke to it and walke warely and carefully they shall soone let themselues runne at rouers And why For naturally wee bee inclyned to leasings and thereto wee bee so wauering as is pittie to see Psal. 116.11 Rom. 3.4 Therefore it is not ynough for vs to haue knowen the true liuing God for a time but wee must dayly thinke vppon the thing that is tolde vs and wee must continually renewe the rememberance of it For otherwise wee shall bee at our wittes ende to see what superstition will steppe in our way Then let vs marke well that it is a continuall exercise for vs all our life long to knowe which is our true GOD that hath mainifested himselfe vnto vs. And nowe that Moses hath spoken so of knowledge hee sheweth that our confessing with our mouth and our feeling also with our heart that there is but onely one GOD is nothing woorth vnlesse wee shewe by our deedes that wee take him for our father our master and him to whome wee belong And for the same cause hee saieth that he hath giuen vs his lawes commaundementes and statutes So then wee see that the knowing of God is not a deade and vneffectuall thing but that it ought to preuaile with vs so as wee may shewe that wee haue beene schooled by Gods worde by keeping his lawes and commaundementes The ende therefore whereunto God hath chosen vs of his owne free goodnesse and the ende whereunto hee mainteyneth vs Luk. 1.74.75 and continueth his grace towards vs is this Rom. 14.8 that we shoulde glorifie him not onely with our mouthes but also with our whole life But heere is yet one worde more to be noted which is that Moses addeth that he setteth before Gods people his laws commandements wherin he bereueth them of al excuse of ignorance As if he should say ye cannot alledge y t yee know not how to serue God for I do shew you his will and therfore striue not against him So then after as our Lord granteth vs the grace to be taught purely by his word let vs mark that we be the more bound vnto him and the lesse to bee excused so as it is not for vs to vse any shifting For wherof is it long that we yeeld him not his due praise and that wee liue not as we ought to do seing he teacheth vs what to do and sheweth how we ought to liue Wherfore let vs labor to make the doctrine powerfull which is dayly preached vnto vs assuring our selues that the preaching thereof is to the end that God should be the better honored among vs. This is the effect of that which is set
after once And here the people say Wee haue heard the voyce of God but if hee speake to vs againe wee dye for it wee bee vndone wee bee forlorne It seemeth that they trust not to Gods goodnesse but rather that they be vnthankefull in that they acknowledge not the benefite which God did for them in letting thē continue in their strength But wee must marke how the people shew here that they wil not try God any further and that it is enough for them to haue had that one experience that the lawe was not a thing inuented by man but that God was the author thereof Therefore it must be taken as if they had sayd thus This day haue we seene that God hath spokē to men and they remaine still aliue that is enough for vs we intend not to abuse Gods patience in this case he hath spared vs to day but wee must not looke y t he should doe so euer he hath giuen vs a tryall for this once that was because of y e lewdnesse hardnesse of our heartes For were we worthie to haue him appeare to vs in his glory No but he knew y t we would neuer be fully tamed subdued to his obediēce except he had come in his visible glorie made vs so afraide as we had bin at our wits end Therfore if he had not won vs so by force he knew wel that we would haue bin always as wild beasts But seing it hath pleased him to pardon the fault that we haue cōmitted to beare with vs this time we wil not fal to it againe for y t were ouermuch it were a skorning of his patience So then this one recorde sufficeth vs both for our owne liues and for the liues of our children so forth for euer to the worlds end y t they which come after vs may knowe y t it is not for vs to draw God out of heauen any more as though he ought to be but our mate Thus yee see how these two sayings agree very wel Now hereupon we haue to note y t although Gods word be of force to bring vs to naught yet he vseth such mercy towards vs that wheras it should cōsume vs it giueth vs life And whē I say y t Gods word can bring vs to nought I meane not y e word alonely as Moses discribeth it here but also that if our Lord list to make vs feele the power of his word it would vtterly vndo vs notwithstanding that it be vttered by men Neuerthelesse wee see how our Lord quickeneth vs by his word specially now adayes by the preaching of his Gospell Iohn 5.24.25 For that which is spoken in the fifth of Saint Iohn is dayly accomplished namely that as many as heare the voyce of the Sonne of man are restored to life For naturally we bee straungers to God and banished from his kingdome and so by that meanes wee bee as it were in our graues But here our Lord Iesus Christ offereth vs the remission of our sinnes and God his father adopteth vs for his children and so doeth he shewe vs the light of saluation and we bee quickened againe by meanes of the Gospel And therefore wee haue good cause to glorifie our GOD in that he maketh his woorde to serue to deliuer vs from death and to restore vs to life notwithstanding that it bee of power to consume vs at leastwise if he turned it not to the contrarie vse But by the way let vs marke well that if our Lorde haue at one time giuen vs more than we deserue wee must not therefore take leaue to tempt him and to subdue him still to our lustes as wee see the Papistes doe nowe adayes who excuse themselues of their not comming to the Gospell bicause they see no myracles wrought in our time No surely But whereto serue the myracles that our Lorde Iesus Christ wrought and which he committed to his Apostles to doe likewise Shoulde those serue to no purpose at this day Ye see then y t God vttered an excellent power at the first comming vp of y e Gospel Ioel. 3.16 heauen earth were shaken at that time there was no part of the world wherin God printed not some marke of his Maiestie to the intent that y e Gospell should bee authorized Luke 2.9.10 11. The Angels came downe at the birth of our Lorde Iesus Christ to beare witnesse of him Matt. 27.45 51. the Sunne was darkened at his death the vaile of the temple was rent asunder to shew that the sanctuarie was opened and that there was more free accesse to God thā euer there had bin Matt. 18.26 the sea was calmed the diuels themselues did homage to y e glorie of God which was vttered at that time Luke 4.41 and to be short GOD shewed both from aboue and beneath that the Gospel came from him as I haue tolde you already as well by the healing of diseases as by al the other myracles y t were wrought And this serued not for y t time onely but the remembrance thereof continueth vnto this day and it behoueth vs to receiue that record to seale vp our faith withall to the end wee may not doubt but that our Lord maketh his Gospel of as great force by them at this day as he did at the same time that they were shewed Yet notwithstāding wee see howe the faithlesse doe still alledge that if they sawe myracles it woulde conuert them But it is certaine that if they saw neuer so many myracles yet would they continue in their stubbornnesse take occasion of greater rancor against God What is to bee doone then Let vs learne to bee contented as I said afore If God haue giuen vs more than he owed vs let vs receiue it with thanksgiuing learne not to prouoke him to wrath nor to tēpt his patience That is the thing which we haue to remember in this text where the people saith let not y e Lord speak to vs any more for it suffiseth vs that wee haue heard his voyce once already and that yet notwithstanding he hath let vs liue still And to the end that the thinges which I haue declared heretofore may bee the certainer let vs beare in minde how it is said here Was there euer man that heard the voyce of the liuing God and continued still aliue Here it is shewed vs that the people of Israel spake not in their name onely but as it were for all mankinde in common They say not onely who are wee but what is all flesh And in deede as I saide at the first it must needes bee that men are besotted when they cannot humble themselues For they neede no more but to looke to their owne state and to say what are wee There is nothing neither in our bodyes nor in our soules but all maner of frailtie I mean not as we may be considered in our nature as we were first created
to abase themselues vtterly acknowledging that GOD found not any thing in them why hee shoulde chose them but that all came of his owne free goodnesse Now if Moses were faine to vse such exhortation to the Iewes let vs vnderstand that we also haue as much neede of it nowadayes as they The end therefore which we must begin at is this that wee must cast downe ourselues and not be lifted vp with any presumption nor vaunt our selues through any foolish ouerweening but acknowledge our selues to be voyd of all deseruing and that there is not any grace or righteousnesse in vs for the which we might obtaine loue at Gods hand And therefore must he needes preuent vs with his free goodnesse Marke that for a speciall poynt But howe may men abase themselues after that fashion Wee will neuer doe it of our owne accord In deede if euery of vs looke well vppon himselfe it must needes bee that wee bee as it were bewitched if wee bee not induced to mislike of our selues and to be ashamed and vtterly at our wits ends For what is man Let him search throughly what is in him both in bodie and in soule and surely wee shall finde euen from the most to the least of vs that there is nothing in vs but vtter shame and confusion as I sayd afore Neuertheles euery of vs abuseth himselfe through this follie so as we beare our selues on hand that our vices are vertues And although our life be as leaude as may be and our sinnes most outrageous and horrible Yet to our owne seeming there is nothing in vs but perfect righteousnesse and soundenesse Yee see then that men beguile themselues And therefore it is requisite that we shoulde bee held shorte and haue our faultes layde afore vs not onely some one or two faultes but also all the faultes of our whole life so as we may know that we haue offended our GOD so grieuously that it behoueth vs to bee ouerwhelmed with shame and reproche and that if wee shoulde goe about to lift vp our heades it were meete that wee should bee thrust backe and that GOD should knock vs harde vpon the pates with a cudgell to shew vs that our pride is diuelishe against him Then let vs marke that Moses spake not onely to the Iewes but that the same lesson is toulde vnto vs at this day in so much that if wee will yeeld glory vnto GOD we must be bereft of all prayse and not presume any whit at all of our owne vertues but assure our selues that there is not aught in vs but vtter vanitie Furthermore for as much as wee come not to such myldenesse of our one accorde let vs haue an eye to our sinnes and not tary till God open his bookes of account as he will doe at the last day for then it wil be too late for vs to yeeld our selues giltie But let vs bethinke vs of our sinnes now while he summoneth vs by his word and whyle hee warneth vs aforehande Let euery of vs submit himselfe as a wretched offender before his Iudge and let vs acknowledge our selues to bee iustly accused yea euen of infinite faults before God And when we haue bethought vs of one offence let the same minister occasion to vs to bethinke vs of another And to bee short let vs both generally and particularly practise this lesson of considering what wee bee yea euen without flattering of our selues that all the good which wee receyue at Gods hand may bee fathered vpon him and the honour which he reserueth to himselfe remaine whole and vnminished vnto him Let vs not couet to inriche our selues with the thinges which wee haue borrowed of him let vs not seeke to attyre and decke our selues with his feathers but let vs acknowledge that it is of his owne free goodnesse that hee vouchsafeth to shew himself so liberal though he be not bound thereto And for our partes seeing we cannot bring any desert vnto him but we be guiltie in all cases and all respectes he of his inestimable mercy must be faine to beare with vs or else wee would be deadly enimies to him stil he should be driuen to thunder down vpon vs. Thus yee see what wee haue to marke generally vpon this text But nowe let vs come to the stories which Moses toucheth heere Hee speaketh first of Thaberah which betokeneth Burning as I sayde afore For there the people were chastised with burning bycause they murmured at their trauelling through the wildernesse O quoth they shall wee neuer come to an ende Wee doo but runne vp and downe heere wee bee fayne to remooue our tentes from place to place wee bee driuen to carie our stuffe vppon our shoulders and why bee wee not rather in some place of rest discharged of such trauell But alas those wretches considered not that GODS displeasure was to bee accomplished according to his othe which was that none of them should enter into the promised lande They shoulde haue thought Alas wee deserue to bee drowned in the bottome of hell and GOD is contented to send vs a temporall correction Although he bee not minded to bring vs into his earthly resting place yet notwithstanding hee giueth vs respit to bethinke vs of our sinnes and to sue to him for pardon For albeit that he make vs to feele some rigour and it behoueth vs to beare the markes of his displeasure all our life long by being depriued of the inheritance which he had promised vs yet notwithstanding we ought therewithall to acknowledge his goodnesse in that he will not haue vs to perishe euerlastingly as we wel deserue But they considered none of all this neither considered they that they were in as happy plight as they could wish They had the Manna downe from heauen they tooke no paine to make prouision for themselues they needed no more but to gather it vp to take euery man his measure of it they were all fed yea and that with a good sauorly foode Yet considered they none of all this but grudged at their ouerlong iourney And what cause had they so to doe First they were priuiledged from the curse that was layd vppon all mankinde We be set in this world to leade a painefull lyfe man was ordeyned to labor euen before he had sinned for it is vnkindly that we should be idle vnprofitable Moreouer the trauell that God inioyneth vs now serueth not onely to keepe vs occupyed but also to lode vs so as we may be inforced to shrink vnder our burthē to grone for our sins sake Now thē this people had good cause to submit themselues quietly when God led them so through the wildernesse And therefore it is no maruell though fyre came from heauen to burne vp part of their tents and though Gods wrath appeared after that fashion to make thē abashed Yet notwithstanding so little did this amend them that they fell to murmuring by and by again because they
friendes 1. Thess. 4.13 he saith expressely Sorrow not as the vnbeleeuers doe In deede Saint Paul sawe well that we can not bee senselesse for in verie deede it were no patience if wee felte no greefe If wee were starke blockes it were no vertue at all If a man shoulde laugh at the death of his wife or of his father it were a beastly brutishnesse Therefore it behoueth vs to feele the inconuenience and to be touched with it so as it pinch vs and greeue vs But yet must God assuage it againe because we know that he hath all superioritie ouer our liues and wee must suffer him to dispose of vs as hee thinkes good Againe we must goe boldly vnto him being well assured of his goodnes and mercie and we must not doubt but that death shall bee to our saluation and that whether we liue or die al shal without fayle turne to our benefite and welfare so we be in Christ Iesus Thus yee see what we haue to beare in mind To be shorte that we may benefit ourselues by this lesson of Moseses let vs vnderstand first of all that vntill God brydle vs our affection wil euer be inordinate whether it be in mirth or in mourning If wee haue prosperitie by and by it makes vs to forget our selues what we be so as we thinke not our selues to be mortall men And wee see howe all men fall to flinging as it were in despite of God when they haue their ease and delightes Likewise on the contrarie part if our Lorde afflict vs whether it be by the death of some kinseman or friende of ours or by some other aduersitie we be piteously forlorne wee cannot measure our greefe wee be so ouerwhelmed with sorrowe as is pitifull to beholde and finally our heart is full of bitternesse and poyson Wee see howe a number doe spewe out blasphemies against God Let vs consider all these vices in our selues and seeke the remedie of them as it is set vs downe here Let vs beare in minde I say that our Lorde commaundeth all of vs to holde our selues as in captiuitie that if our nature be faultie in that behalfe we shoulde not nourishe the euill but withstand it asmuch as is possible This cannot be doone except we vse force in subduing our selues to the obeying of God and euen streyne our selues to the vttermost And one of the cheefest sacrifices that God requireth of vs and whereof he liketh best 1. Su. 15.22 is that wee consider that wee must not sorrowe out of measure when we be afflicted but flie vnto God praying him to giue vs the grace to submitte ourselues wholly to his wil so as if the husbande be bereft of his wife he may beare it patiently And why Because he knoweth it is Gods will to trie his obedience in that behalfe Let the wife doe the like by her husbande and let euery body submit themselues to this order of Gods that wee may bee able to say that like as he hath set vs in the world so also it is good reason that hee shoulde take vs hence againe not at our pleasure but at his For it is not without cause that he hath limited the race of our life that it pleaseth him to take away one rather than an other Psal. 39.5.6 We be mortall before we come into this worlde for a yong babe may die as well in his mothers wombe as after here is borne Sith it is so as soone as God giueth vs discretion let vs applie our indeuour to vnderstande that death beseegeth vs euerie minute of an houre and that we must not promise our selues life till the nexte morrowe nor set any terme to God for his daylie prolonging of our life is but so much respiting of vs. But howesoeuer wee faâ—e let vs bee mindfull of our owne frailtie and let the same leade vs to consider that if GOD take vs out of this worlde sooner than wee looked for it is meete that he shoulde haue vs at commaundement and that euerie of vs shoulde offer vp our owne bodies to him in that manner of sacrifice in suffering GOD to separate vs asunder that what friendshippe or bende of kinred soeuer there haue beene betwixt vs yet wee may not faile to glorifie God when he taketh away our kinsefolke and friends nor vse this beastly impatience in pulling our selues by the hayre of our heades and in scratching and disfiguring of our faces as though wee knewe not what it were to liue in the obedience of God and to die in the same likewise And moreouer as well in this as in all other thinges let vs take heede to that which is tolde here to the Iewes by Moses namely that when God is so gratious as to dedicate vs to him selfe and to gather vs together to bee his people we must giue our selues so much the more earnestly vnto him True it is that in respect of nature we differ nothing at all from the sillie ignorant vnbeleeuers For our being of Christs Church befalleth vs not by the right of inheritaunce Indeede the promise extendeth to a thousande generations but yet for all that it is of his freegoodnesse that we haue the prerogatiue to bee of his house Sith it is so let vs acknowledge the honour that he doeth vs in separating vs from the heathen and vnbeleeuers though we were forlorne and damned as wel as they and let vs benefite ourselues by that grace that it perishe not through our owne wickednesse Thus ye see for what purpose Moses said Thou art a people shooled out to thy God haue a care to maintaine thy selfe in thy calling acknowledge the good that is doone vnto thee goe not about to bereaue thy selfe wilfully of such fauour Let vs thinke vppon it say I and that in such sort as God may be glorified in vs accordingly as hee hath vouchsafed to call vs. And Moses speaking here expressely of God his election or choyce whereby hee had chosen the Iewes addeth That they must bee a holy people For God gathereth not the ofskowringes of the worlde to keepe them in his Church his intent is not to haue his Church to bee as it were a Swine stie so as there shoulde bee nothing but filth and infection but hee purgeth vs from all vncleanesse Nowe then whereas God calleth vs vnto him it is with condition that we should worshippe and serue him in all purenesse True it is that he findeth vs as it were drowned in the depth of all leawdnesse so as by nature we haue nothing but vtter vncleanesse and we be altogether so defiled that we be euen loothsome to him but yet doeth hee purge vs and make vs cleane by his holy spirit and it behooueth vs to lead a holy conuersation al the time of our life And so yee see howe hee woulde that men shoulde ratifie their free election 1. Pet. â— â—â— as Saint Peter speaketh of it And that is a thing which
wee haue to marke in this saying of Moses wherevppon wee haue to conclude that it is not lawfull for vs to take example at the vnbeleeuers and such as haue not beene brought vp in Gods school And it is a verie necessarie doctrine for vs considering howe wee euer shroude ourselues vnder the causes of offence which we see if any body giue vs an euil example we beare our selues in hande that we bee excused before GOD and that such a person is a shelter to vs. But contrariwise Moses telleth vs here that we must bee a people sanctified vnto GOD so as if the wretched vnbeleeuers doe playe the vnthriftes we must not maruell at it When wee see a sillie blinde soule stumble or stray out of his way we pitie him because he is in darkenes but we thinke it no straunge thing Euen so is it with those that neuer knewe the trueth of GOD they be sillie blinde soules that goe in darkenesse But GOD inlighteneth vs and sheweth vs the way of saluation If we rushe against thinges or if wee wander out of the way whence commeth the fault Are not wee our selues to bee blamed for it Yes and therefore let vs euer beare in minde the greatnesse of the grace which we haue receiued of GOD that it perishe not through our owne leawdnesse and negligence And aboue all things let vs take heede to that which is spoken here concerning the moderating of our sorrow heauines And this shall be doone if wee bee not troubled and greeued out of measure for the death of any of our kinsefolke or friendes or for any other affliction that befalleth vs but that we suffer God to vse our liues as hee listeth to dispose of them according to his good will Thus yee see in effect what we haue to remember vppon the first point that is conteined heere Nowe as touching the second Moses saith that the Iewes must not eate of all manner of meates but that they must haue a care to discerne betweene the cleane beastes and the vncleane And afterward hee nameth the beastes whereof it was lawful for them to eat also the seueral kinds which it was not lawful for them to touch And to be short he saith that the beastes which chaw Cud that is to say which keepe in their mouthes y e last of their meat to chaw it againe are cleane so as they might eat of them conditionally that those beasts do also clyne the hoofe Now to seeke here for nice points as what this should meane that y e hooues should be clouen or that they should chawe the cud were no matter to be greatly stoode vppon And as for them that haue pried into the matter to fetch the new the old Testament out of y e beasts cleauing of their hooues haue told vs y t we must needs put a difference betwixt them moreouer that we must chew our cud y t is to say feede vpon the doctrine againe and againe that we may the better digest it because it is y e foode of our soules it is too too curious For if it bee so what do the scales of the fishes betoken There will be occasion of seeking euerywhere and wee shal fall into many fond speculations And therfore let vs be aduised to vse modestie in this case Some hold opinion that God had no further respect but to the health of mens bodies when he forbade the eating of such beasts as he tearmeth vncleane they thinke that God plaide y e part of a Phisition But that is too colde too barren stuffe the scripture sheweth vs the contrarie In deed a man may wel think that our Lord had regard what was good and cōuenient for mens bodies but to thinke that he had a further consideration than to spy out what meats were best for mans health that is too childishe a matter And as I said afore it is no matter for vs to scan vpon seeing the holy Ghost hath told vs plainely that god amed at a far other end Let vs mark wel then that this commaundement is no such order as is wont to be prescribed by a physition for the preseruation of a mans health but a ceremoniall lawe that serued for Gods people in the time of the lawe to holde them in obedience and to leade them vp higher and higher to the cleannesse of the minde for it was Gods wil that the Iewes shoulde alwayes haue as it were lookingglasses before their eyes to make them see that they ought not haue to doe with the defilements of the world but to applie their whole indeuour to keep themselues in such wise as god might be glorified in thē That is the first point which we haue to marke For when the Apostles treated of meats they alleadge not that GOD meant to do the office of a Physition And that is a very short solution Col. 2.16 When S. Paul declareth y t the false Apostles and couseners troubled the Church going about to holde men in bondage to the olde lawe he sheweth that this difference of meates was a part of that childishe doctrine vnder the which GOD led the people of olde time because there was more rudenesse and infirmitie at that time than there is now adayes Not that we be better or stronger in faith or that we be any perfecter in our selues than they were but because that God hath set vs further forward by giuing vs the doctrine of the gospel For the lawe was as an Apsie in comparison of y e doctrine that is preached vnto vs at this day It is not to be maruelled then though there were many Ceremonies for that people and that we haue not those Ceremonies in vse nowdaies which serued but onely for that time If a man replie then and say that the preaching of thē vnto vs is more than needeth wee see the contrarie For although the figures be past vtterly abolished by the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ Yet doeth the substance of them continue still with vs so as it behoueth vs to knowe still for what purpose God would haue y e Iewes forbeare the meats that are forbidden thē here Seeing then that the same reason and force remaineth common to vs which serued for them it is not vnprofitable for vs to haue y e same things shewed vnto vs. Moreouer although the Sunne doe driue away all darkenesse with his light yet is it not vnexpedient for vs to thinke vppon the night in the daytime and vpon that wonderfull order which God hath established sith that in winter we thinke vpon sommer and in sommer thinke vpon winter For we see how God setteth foorth his wisedome therein And if there were no such varietie we shoulde haue no such occasion to wonder thereat and to glorifie our God Againe on the otherside wee bee assured of the grace that is brought vs by our Lord Iesus Christ for we be preferred before the holy fathers and Patriarkes
e certainer And for the same cause he poynted out the moneth y t answereth to March or April Howbeit not to eyther of them but bicause wee cannot make a certaine report of y e monethes of the Iewes to cōpare them w t ours The reason wherof is for y t they had their moneths intermingled one with another bicause they tooke them according to y e Moone so as they were interlaced together This moneth therefore was sometime sooner and sometime later was named in hebrew Abib which signifieth an eare of corne when it beginneth to shoote foorth at the first Not when the eares of Corne are full ripe but when the corne beginneth newly to spindle In deede the time of it selfe importeth nothing but yet did it serue greatly to the instructing of the people bicause the setting of it down made them to behold the matter the more presently Gods putting of thē in remembrance of it was such as they could not but know y e meane wherby their fathers were brought out of the land of Egypt And the very night it selfe was marked to y e end they shold cōsider how god had deliuered them from the thraldom of Pharao On the other side had the moneth been marked at the pleasure of men they wold haue thought it might wel haue beene chaunged for the commoditie of the people But God commaunded it to be kept to the end they should know he would haue no part of his ordinance chaunged nor any man attempt to alter it in any wise And nowe we haue to marke in effect that by the ordeining of y e Passeouer day God ment to set downe a memorial of his doinges among his people that they might acknowledge his grace in deliuering them out of the Land of Egypt after that fashion and that their children myght know that that was the meanes whereby they were come into the inheritance that had beene promised them Neuerthelesse it was not Gods intent to be honoured and serued with a trifling Ceremonie but his mind was that there should be teaching that men might be edified by it and that the Iewes might know that Gods calling of them to him was to bee serued by them as their redeemer and father And therefore he would not haue the Pascall Lamb eaten by vnholy and vnbeleeuing folke but that it should bee giuen alonly to such as were circumcised and were already of the body of the Church And seeing it is so Let vs remember that in all signes which God giueth vs we must haue instructiō annexed to lead vs vnto him And for as much as we haue the true passeouer in our Lord Iesus Christ as shall bee declared to morrow wee must nowadayes step further And although we haue not the old Ceremonie yet let vs hold fast the truth therof which is brought vs by the sonne of God as it is declared vnto vs in these dayes by his Gospell Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgmēt of our sins praying him to make vs to perceiue in what state we were when he vouchsafed to call vs to him so as he hath plucked vs out of the gulfe of death in such sort as we haue now cause to glorifie him and to giue our selues ouer to his seruice all the time of our life And for as much as he not only sheweth himselfe to be our father and sauiour in this transitory life but also calleth vs to the euerlasting inheritance of heauen according as hee had chosen vs thereto before the creation of the world let vs tend alwayes thitherward and bee the more prouoked to labour to that end seeing we haue the helpes and Remedies which he giueth vs and that the badge is kept among vs as he hath commaunded vs by his word That it may please him to graunt this grace not only to vs but also to all people nations of y e earth c. On Wednesday the vj. of Nouember 1555. The XCviij Sermon which is the second vpon the sixteenth Chapter 2.3.4 And thou shalt sacrifice c. 5 Thou maist not sacrifice the Passeouer within any of y e gates which the Lord thy God giueth thee 6 But in the place which the Lord thy God wil choose to set his name in there shalt thou offer the Passeouer at euen about the going downe of the Sunne iust at the time that thou wentest out of Egypt 7 And thou shalt roast it and eate it in the place which the Lord thy God shall haue chosen for himselfe And the next morning thou shalt returne from thence and goe home to thy Tentes 8 Six dayes shalt thou eate vnleauened breade and on the seuenth day which is the solemne feast of the Lord thy God thou shalt doe no manner of worke IT was declared yesterday how y t by keeping y e feast of the passeouer the Iewes were put in minde of the deliueraunce of their forefathers made by God And I toulde you howe it was to double ende For GODS will was to put his people in rememberaunce of the fauour which he had shewed to them alreadie and againe he ment to leade them to the hope of our Lorde Iesus Christ. It was then but a temporall deliuerance which God had made of them out of the land of Egypt but when he sent his onely sonne thē deliuered he his people out of a farre worse bondage than that which we haue spoken of And therfore let vs mark y t the Pascall Lamb was a figure of our Lorde Iesus Christ which thing S. Paule witnesseth in expresse words saying Christ our Passeouer is offered vp 1. Cor. 〈…〉 Also we knowe the sentence that is alleaged out of the twelfth of Exodus by S. Iohn where it is said Iohn 〈…〉 Exod. ◠4◠Ye shal not breake a bone of him For there he declareth how they came to our Lord Iesus Christ to haue broken his bones after the accustomed manner and found him alreadie dead And that came to passe by the wonderfull prouidence of God whose will it was that the thing which had beene figured in the Pascall Lambe should bee layde open to mens eyes in Iesus Christ. And so Saint Iohn applyeth this sentence to the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ in saying it is written Yee shall not breake a bone of him Yet but God speaketh but onely of the Pascall Lambe which was offered in those dayes Yet notwithstanding his intent was to shew y t there was an agreement betweene Christ the Passeouer and that in that visible sacrament he ment to foreshewe the redemption that was not yet seene and that all this was fully accomplished in our Lord Iesus Christ. True it is that the Iewes haue not profited by this admonition for they were the more inhardened by it But let vs on our side learne to referre the thinges that were done by our Lord Iesus Christ to the things that were for figured in the lawe
thereby Therefore when as the heathen made Lawes it came not first of all of their own brayn for wheras they made fonde and blockish Lawes therein God gaue them the brydle and it was to the ende that men shoulde knowe that when men followe their owne wit they ouershoote themselues pitifully yea euen in the thinges that concerne this present life And what must they needes doe then when they be to passe beyond the worlde In that case men are vtterly blinde God then ment to shewe by some thinges that mens wits are too weake to iudge well of equitie and vprightnesse and yet notwithstanding that forasmuch as he was minded to shewe his prouidence ouer all mankinde he inspired those with equitie and vprightnesse whose duetie it was to make Lawes statutes And it is the very same thing which I was about to tell vnto you out of Salomons prouerbes that the wisedome of God chalendgeth this to be her office The heathen knewe that thing well ynough affirming y t Lawes were Gods gifte and not the inuention of man And God wrested out that confession froÌ„ them to the intent that their vnthankfulnes should be the lesse excusable as we see here For whereas Moses sayeth that the partie shall bee punished which hath but euen practised against his neighbour hee sayeth not simply against the trueth And thereby he excludeth ouersight so that if there were any error he wold not haue the punishment to bee so greeuous Againe whereas he setteth downe that the offender should not be spared his meaning is that if a man spare one that hath procured the death of the guiltlesse hee is dubble cruell to him that was in danger of his life Whereas he sayeth that others hearing thereof shall commit no more any such act hee sheweth the principall ende which is also set downe by ciuill Lawes namely that punishmentes shoulde be executed for examples sake The punishing of a theefe is not onely for his misdeedes sake or for the crimes sake but also to teach others by it and to holde them in awe so as they may be ashamed of such dealing and abhorre it In like case is it with murthers when bloudshed is reuendged And why is that Is it onely for the faultes sake that is doone and past No but to prouide for afterwarde that murthering and all maner of shedding of mans bloud may be eschued Ye see then howe punishmentes doe serue for example And that is a thing well worthie to be marked for we may gather a dubble lesson thereof First that such as occupie the roome of Iustice ought to thinke themselues worthie of blame before God and the worlde for all y e faults which they let slip vnpunished And why For it is an opening of the gate and a giuing of libertie to all others to do the like Beholde one that is founde to be a theefe a murtherer or a whoremonger is winked at and let slip And why because he is pityed And by that meanes the offender scapeth scotfree By reason whereof other become the bolder to doe the like For why It is an increasing of the mischiefe when men see offences scape vnpunished and the bridle is let loose which otherwise had bin restreined if euill doinges had bin punished without respect of persoÌ„s Behold one aduoutry is coÌ„mitted after an other two or three murthers are coÌ„mitted together and three or foure robberies are done one in an others necke And who is the cause of all this Euen the Iudge himself he is the principall theefe he is the principall adulterer he is y e principall murtherer It is he that hath robbed God of his glory and men of the right which he would haue to be obserued it is he that hath as it were made open proclamation that offenders should make their hand and scape scotfree for it Now then let vs marke well that whereas Moses hath declared that wicked witnesses must be punished that other men may beware by them and be afraide when they heare of it and doe no suche deede any more he sheweth thereby that if Iudges haue not the sternnesse to punish misse-deedes without relenting when they come to their knowledge they be the cause of all the mischeefes that are committed afterwarde For they did as it were giue leaue to them in that they punished not the partie as they ought to haue done whome they sawe to haue offended And therefore let them looke wel to their charge vnlesse they will bee blamed as procurers of horrible confusion aboue all other men for want of executing of Iustice as they shoulde haue done Let that serue for one point And herewithall we be taught further that wee must learne to make our gaine of other mennes harmes The punishmentes of other men for their offences must be a brydle to vs or else wee bee verie blinde for they bee as lookeingglasses vnto vs. When we see a theefe punished it is as a warning giuen vnto vs by our Lorde to put vs in minde that robberie is condemned before him The same is to be sayde of murthers of adulteries and of other like things True it is that euen without those examples wee ought to be wise ynough to restreine ourselues but yet if we be so harde hearted and negligent as not to haue sufficient regarde of the brydling of our selues without warning by such visible examples at leastwise lette vs learne to fare the better by those thinges when they be added for our help But when a theefe is whipped or hanged or when a murtherer is beheaded if the sight therof wâ—y no further with vs than to make vs refraine for feare of men or for feare of punishment by order of Lawe it is a small matter and we be neuer the better by it Nay we must steppe one steppe further which is to consider that GOD who reigneth ouer vs in heauen will haue the punishmentes of offenders to be as liuely pictures to shewe vs that murtherers theeues and al such like shal not scape his hande but that although they be not punished here beneath yet they must come at length before the heauenly Iudge Let vs â—hen consider that and let vs take such warning by it as euery of vs may brydle ourselues For that is the seconde point whereto wee must come if we intende to receiue good instruction by any of the punishmentes that are executed vpon mens crimes and misdeedes Yea and lette vs not tarrie till men set to their handes but whensoeuer GOD executeth his iudgementes let vs awake to thinke vppon them more aduisedly as Saint Paule exhorteth vs. Eph. 5.6 Beware sayeth he that no man deceiue you for by reason of such thinges doeth Gods wrath come vpon the disobedient He sayeth not that the disobedient shall bee punished by earthly Iustice for manie times Iustice sleepeth vpon earth and is not executed with such force and liuelinesse as were requisite But Saint Paul sayeth that Gods wrath is
wont to come vppon the disobedient and therefore take heede sayeth hee that vaine wordes deceiue you not And in that place hee speaketh of Theft Murder Whooredome O will some say It is lawful for a man to reuenge himselfe and if a man haue done mee a displeasure I may requite him with the like Likewise concerning Lecherie the despisers of GOD and these leaude persons which are not worthie to goe vppon the grounde say it is but a naturall sinne But Saint Paul sayeth Looke well about you and although euill deedes scape vnpunished in this worlde thinke not that GOD will therefore omitte his dewtie all thinges must come to account before him Neuerthelesse when yee see that he layeth his hande vpon an offender lette it be as a sommoning to euery of you and let it doe you to wit that his graunting of you the fauour to see other folkes punished before your faces is to the ende you benefite your selues by his correction And so yee see what wee haue to marke in that Moses sayeth that the punishing of crimes must serue for common example and instruction yea euen when they bee but heard of Nowe besides our Lordes chastising of such as haue offended hee doeth also make vs to heare of his Iustice by his worde in that the threates of his Lawe be dayly rehearsed vnto vs and in that we be tolde of the examples which are sette downe in the holy scripture concerning such as haue beene punished at Gods hande and are not we too too dulwitted if we take no heede by them Albeit that GOD spake not at all but onely wrought in the punishing of murtherers theeues blasphemers periurers aduouterers and whoremongers yet ought wee not to be so blockishe as to take no heede by it But nowe seeing that God by stretching out his arme after that fashion against the transgressers of his Lawe and ordinaunce doeth put vs in minde that his so doing is not for nought but rather to call vs to amendment must it not needes bee that we be too too harde hearted if we continue still in our former state Nay let vs followe that which Moses telleth vs heere and learne to open our eares when God speaketh vnto vs and to marke well not onely the examples of the punishmentes which we see presently executed vpon the wicked but also all the examples that haue beene since the beginning of the worlde so as we may apply them to our owne vse learne by them to liue in awe that no such act may bee committed among vs. For hee sayeth not heere that the punishing of misdeedes shall be to the ende that men should onely condemne them in wordes but to the ende that all men should be afraide and doe no more so And that is a thing very worthy to be well noted For we beare our selues in hande that it is ynough for vs to haue condemned a crime and to haue liked well of the Iustice that is executed for it O say wee he deserued it right well We condemne an other man and in the meane while wee ourselues are oftentimes more faultie than he But God will haue euery man to be his owne Iudge Therfore when we see offences punished let vs be afraide and let vs restraine ourselues that no such thinges be done among vs any more Ye see then that that was one thing more which wee had to remember vpon this text And let vs marke that whereas here is mention made of feare although Moses treate but of outwarde gouernment yet must we conceiue a better kinde of feare that is to wit a reuerende awe of God To say the trueth the onely feare which we haue of punishment would not suffice It were too slender a thing and God shoulde be too ill serued at our hands if there were none other ende yet neuerthelesse because of our infirmitie the punishmentes that are executed ought to bee as prouocations vnto vs to liue in the more awe Good reason woulde that the loue of GOD should goe before and that the reuerence which wee beare vnto him shoulde breed an earnest desire in vs to fashion ourselues all wholly to his righteousnesse but forasmuch as we be slouthfull and slowe God vouchsafeth vs this helpe for our weakenesse that wee may take warning to amende by all the punishments which he executeth Alas that I shoulde bee so madde as to goe make warre wilfully against GOD. I knowe by such an example which hee hath giuen me that hee abhorreth such a crime and shall I nowe runne headlong into it Were it not an open fighting against him if I shoulde deale so against all wit and reason Yee see then howe we ought to be restreined by the chastisementes which GOD executeth and that the feare of him ought to beare such sway in vs as to make vs indeuour to fashion ourselues according to his righteousnesse and to submit ourselues to his good will But nowe let vs come to the punishment that Moses addeth His saying is that there shal bee Life for life Eye for eye Tooth for tooth Foote for foote and Hande for hande As if he should saye that hee which hath gone about to do his neighbour harme shall be serued of the same sawce himselfe For when one man practiseth an others death if he shoulde be but put to his fine and so discharged of it for a peece of money without aunswering any further what a thing were it Is all the goods of any man able to counteruaile the life of an other Peraduenture the partie whose life is sought is but a poore man that hath nothing but yet is hee such a creature as is fashioned after the image of God There commeth a riche man to oppresse him and in deede the poore soule is as good as halfe dead aforehande if hee bee oppressed by false witnesse Nowe if it be sayde yea but his aduersarie is a rich man hee may well make him good recompence what recompence I pray you can be made for a mans life Therefore our Lorde minding to take away all such shiftes sayeth that if any man haue practised the death of his neighbour he himselfe shall dye for for it without any pitie or compassion If hee haue gone about to hurt him in his eye or in his arme or in his foote he himselfe must abide the like punishment in himselfe that is to saye if I haue gone about to doe any reproche or dishonestie to my neighbour the shame thereof muste light vppon my selfe We see as nowe whereat GOD aimed Like as when hee setteth downe the Lawe concerning women with child in the xxj of Exodus Exod. 21. â—2 23. he sayeth that if a man haue hurt them and any mischaunce followe thereof the partie that hath doone the hurte shall be punished for it so also doeth hee adde heere eye for eye tooth for toothe foote for foote and hande for hande As if hee should saye no recompence is to be admitted in that
behalfe the purse must not bee pinched but the life it selfe muste aunswere for it at leastwise if the deede concerne life And so wee see nowe in effecte howe it hath euer beene Goddes will to shewe that hee setteth great store by mans life as he will declare it yet better hereafter but yet we haue here a good recorde thereof in the meane while Moreouer he sheweth that wee must haue no respect of persons but that although a man bee neuer so wel able to forbeare money to saue himselfe withall yet must not that bee admitted in matters of Iustice. Let ransoming be let alone for warre matters But in cases of Lawe faultes must be regarded as they bee in deede If the fault bee such as may be punished by fyne or amercement and that the Lawe will beare it very well it is good reason it shoulde be so But if it be a crime that deserueth death and that the Lawe it selfe doe iudge a man to death for it if the punishment of death bee turned into a fine vnder colour that the partie offended shall become wealthy or for that it seemeth better that it should be so y e law is by that meane peruerted and the common order is altered by hauing respect of persons and so all goeth to confusion And therefore let vs marke well that whereas our Lorde hath sayd life for life eye for eye and so foorth hee hath shewed vs that in iudging there must no regarde bee hadde of the persons that are to be condemned But if it be not a matter of life and death but a single misdeed or trespasse as they terme it that is to say a light fault and such a one as deserueth not the punishment of death it is to be punished according to y e qualitie of the offence and according to the Lawe prouided in that behalfe But if it bee a deadly crime the Iudge must shut his eyes as in respect of the person and deeme simply of the crime and deede it selfe accordingly also as it is sayd here that no pitie must be shewed in that behalfe For the alleadging of mercie and pitie towarde offenders is a thing that alwayes deceiueth many men What say they Should we not bee pitifull Would not God that wee should resemble him Seeing it is sayde that if we be his children wee must be kinde hearted and inclined to pitie and compassion is it not a barre to all rigour Yes but though it be sayde that wee must pitie the partie yet is it not ment that the fault should be vnpunished If a malefactor be brought afore a Iudge sitting vppon the bench the Iudge may well he sorrie to see a poore creature that is shaped after the image of God to go to destruction Yea he must be moued therewith and haue pitie and compassion of him But yet for all that he must also looke to his cōmission what charge he hath receiued and he must doe Iustice. Hee sitteth vpon the bench to punish offenders it is not now for him to shewe pitie or to alleadge any such thing Nowe then it is Gods will here to cutte off all by shiftes of pitie and compassion that can be alleadged and to shewe that Iustice ought to haue his course so as in examining of crimes and misdeedes the Iudge must be blinde as in respect of persons and haue both his eyes sette fast vppon the deede and vpon the deserte of the case Yea and to the ende there shoulde be no gainesaying let vs marke that heere God hath vsed a worde wherein there is some shewe of vertue saying Thine eye shall not spare him neither shalt thou haue any pitie on him Howe so It is sayde that our eye ought not to spare him nor our heart to pitie him And what is to followe then but such extreeme rigour as is next cousen to crueltie In deede so will men thinke But yet is this rigour acceptable to GOD. For we must call to minde howe Salomon sayth that he which iustifieth the wicked is as faultie before GOD Prou. 17 1◠as he that condemneth the innocent Is it not a great and ougly abhomination that a sillie innocent shoulde be condemned to death Yes and yet if an offender be let goe God misliketh it as much as the sheading of guiltlesse bloud So then let vs not deceiue our selues any more vnder the shadowe and colour of any of these faire pretences that are made at al aduenture There are that abuse the holy scriptures by wresting them euerie way and this pitie is alleadged continually though they wote not why nor wherefore Nowe then let vs vnderstande that as GOD commaundeth vs to be mercifull so he sheweth vs after what maner and howe farreforth hee alloweth our mercie that is to wit so farreforth as the course of Iustice be not letted Yea and let vs looke vppon ourselues Is it gentlenesse to be cruell to one man for the sparing of an other Beholde there are two men both of them be my neighbours we be all three created after the image of God wee bee all of one nature they bee my fleshe and my bone as wel the one as the other one of these playes the false witnesse of purpose to haue his neighbour put to death and it is not long of him that his neighbour is not dead already Hereupon one comes vnto me and sayes O sir ye must haue pitie vppon him Very well I shall be pitifull to the one and cruell to the other Yee see howe the poore man which was at deathes doore is preserued by miracle and shall I nowe goe sell away his life so good cheape Is it not an horrible matter that mercie should be pretended after that sort Yes But if wee were well aduised and had good stay of our affections surely wee woulde neuer pitie any such crime for any mans vpbrayding of vs with crueltie But it is yet farre worse when a false witnesse steppeth vp against his neighbour for that is much more than the oppressing of some one man priuily that is falne in his daunger For if the sillie soule beeing so falsely accused had beene executed by whose hande had he beene punished The Iudges had beene halfe accessarie Gods wrath had beene prouoked against the whole countrey and moreouer a gappe had beene opened for the like inconueniences euer after A false witnesse therefore sinneth not against one or two nor against two or three but first against his aduersarie secondely against the Lawe and thirdely against his whole Countrey in that hee prouoketh Gods wrath against it For his intent is to deface Iustice and as much as in him lyeth to put all thinges to hauocke Nowe then if the Iudge haue pitie vppon him hee sheweth himselfe to beare neither loue nor feare vnto GOD nor reuerence vnto Iustice. For hee ought to thinke thus with himselfe Of whome had it beene long that I had not beene guiltie of manslaughter if I had iudged an innocent to death
be hanged on tree Act. 2.23 4.28 for hee had so ordeined it And why To giue vs the surer grounde of our saluation For had not our Lord Iesus Christ born our curse after a visible fashion wee might still hang wauering and in doubt of it And whereas it is sayde that we be reconciled vnto God by his death and that he hath satisfied all our debtes so as the deuill can not hencesoorth any more accuse vs but that wee haue our defence for him that is to witte that our sinnes are wyped away notwithstanding the reporte of all this vnto vs yet might we still be in perplexitie and stande scanning after this manner Yea but howe bee wee sure of that Lette vs open our eyes and looke vppon the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ yea and let vs looke vpon it in such wise as wee may vnderstande that euen from the beginning GOD ordeined the tree of the Crosse to bee a recorde of cursing Nowe then whereas it is sayde Cursed shall he be which performeth not all the things that are contained in the Lawe therewithall GOD sendeth vs to his onely sonne and would haue vs to knowe that he was hanged on tree to y e intent to be accursed As how Was he cursed in his owne person No but for our sakes Yet notwithstanding we may nowe glorie that the curse of the Lawe hath no more power ouer vs but that he hath discharged vs thereof After this manner ought wee to put this text in vre Howebeit let vs marke by the way that it is not by the vertue of the wood that wee be so blessed before God by meane of our Lorde Iesus Christ as the papistes brutishly beare men in hand For when they heare the crosse spoken of they be tyed to it with a deuilish superstition yea and with so brutish a superstition as is pitie to see that they should leaue Iesus Christ and fall to worshipping of a peece of wood But when the scripture speaketh of y e curse which our Lord Iesus bare in his body to set vs free withall it setteth before vs two thinges First that when we looke vpon the wood wee should take it as a token of the curse and thereat conceiue a terrour in ourselues for the thing of it selfe is horrible Thus much concerning the wood And therefore as for all the crosses which the Papistes set vp what betoken they else but that they bring Gods curse continually vpon themselues It appeareth manifestly that they despise the sacrifice which was offered once for all by the sonne of God Wee be reconciled to him for euer and they come to bring vp y ◠curse againe as though they were desirous to haue their sinnes abide vpon their heades for euer without any defacing or dooing of thē away by Gods mercy through the power of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And therefore looke howe many crosses there are in the Popedome so many recordes are there that crye out for Gods vengeance against those wretched vnbeleeuers which content not themselues with the amends that was made for them when our Lorde Iesus Christ indured the curse in himselfe which was due vnto vs. But knowe we once this curse If we resort to Iesus Christ there we finde that the same curse is quite and cleane wiped out done away After what manner By the wonderfull power of God euen after the same fashion that we knowe that God made light to spring out of darkenesse in the creation of the worlde and is it possible that light shoulde come out of darkenesse Surely this chaunge is not to be done by man nay mannes wit can not comprehende it But God ment to shewe that the meanes which he hath to worke by doe farre exceede all y t euer we can conceiue And therefore let vs marke wel that he which at the beginning of the world turned darkenesse into light yea and made light to spring out of darkenesse was also as able to turne cursednes into blessednesse in the person of his onely sonne And that is the thing which I ment in saying afore that forasmuch as hee is life and the very fountaine of life therefore he abolished death and not without cause In deede Iesus Christ yeelded himselfe to death but after what manner Was it in such sorte that he ceased in the meane while to be the life of the worlde Nay euen therein did he shewe himselfe most of all to be the life of the worlde Verily he was at the creation For he is the same liuing woorde whereby wee were created and whereby all thinges are still preserued and maintained in their state being But when our saluation was restored vs by our Lord Iesus Christ then did he shewe that he had life in himselfe that he is the welspring frō whence it behoueth vs to drawe it Then like as hee lost not his life when he submitted himselfe to death so he ceased not to be blessed of God his father when he submitted himselfe to the curse Nowe to knit vp the whole it remaineth to be knowen after what manner our Lorde Iesus became accursed to sette vs free from the curse The first is that we should no more be cast off by God as we deserue For when as the scripture termeth vs accursed the meaning therof is that God vouchsafeth not to regarde vs. And of good right may he hate vs because there is no agreement betweene him who is the righteousnesse it selfe and vs that haue all maner of wickednesse reigning in vs. Forasmuch then as by nature we be enemies vnto God by reason wherof he shaketh vs off and vtterly disclaymeth vs so as we be not worthy to come neere his maiesty and if we come he must needes thunder against vs therefore Iesus Christ became accursed euen by bearing Gods hatred as it were in our behalfe to the intent that hencefoorth wee should be beloued Nowe I haue tolde you already and it behoueth vs to print it well in our mindes that Iesus Christ was neuer hated of God his father for that were vnpossible But he was faine to beare our curse because he was our pledge and wee could not be freed otherwise than by the satisfaction of his death made once for all And that is the very meane whereby we be come in fauour again are beloued of God Therefore if we will haue Gods fauour and find him a father vnto vs for that is the title which we must vse if wee intende to pray to him with true trust we must euer resort to the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ. All our prayers say I must be offered vp by the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ or else they shall neuer come at God The Papists take holy water and sprinkle themselues when they go into the Church but such things are gewgawes and they haue borrowed them of the Iewes not knowing whereunto those
him with rigour he might haue condemned him with all the rest For what is there in Abraham to make God to bee beholding vnto him So then wee are all confounded in our selues And therefore there is no other remedie left vs but to beleeue in the free promises which hee hath made vnto vs embracing his mercie and fatherly loue hanging thereon the assurance of our saluation The cause say I why we are iustified by faith is that in our woorkes there is no righteousnesse which may answere for vs before God but wee are all to bee condemned But nowe God hath so receiued vs with this condition that hee forgiueth vs all our sinnes and that not onely for a day but for all the time of our life not that wee shoulde sinne vnder colour that God wil bee mercifull vnto vs let vs take heede of that but because we are frayle and weake God will alwayes continue his goodnesse towardes vs. And farther when wee doe any good there is yet some euill euen in that good which wee doe For wee neuer giue any almes with such perfectnes as were requisite but God may alwayes finde some fault or other in it It is with our workes as men vse to say of wine that there is still some faulte or other in it It is good wine will one say but it hath taken winde it is too sharpe it is mustie or there is I know not what in it it is turned and so the wine is nothing woorth Euen so is it with our workes there is alwayes some spotte or other in them so that God shall haue iust cause to reiect them Seeing it is so wee had neede to be borne withall at his hande as a chylde is borne withall by his father And in verie deede hee hath made vs such an expresse promise by his Prophet Malachie Mal. 3.17 Psal. 103.13 That hee will spare vs euen as a father spareth his chylde who perceiuing his chylde to bee willing to doe that which hee commaundeth him although hee doe not his worke so perfectly as were requisite hee shoulde wil not deale rigorously with him if so bee hee goe about it with a willing and cheerefull mynde So then yee see why it is sayde that wee are iustified by faith But whereas it is sayde on the contrary side that our workes shal bee reckoned vnto vs for righteousnesse it is because God accepteth them And why Is it because they are worthie to bee accepted or for that they haue any merite in them No. But because of the couenaunt and agreement which hee hath made with vs that seeing wee are members of our Lorde Iesus Christ hee beareth with vs hee pardoneth vs our sinnes and accepteth that which wee offer vnto him although it bee woorth nothing yet is it ynough that hee accepteth of it According vnto this reason it is saide in this place that the almesdeedes which wee doe for Gods sake shal bee accepted at his hande for righteousnesse And this letteth not but that wee bee iustified alonelie by faith for when righteousnesse is referred vnto his fountaine from whence proceedeth it From the free mercie of God in that hee forgiueth vs our sinnes Nowe sith it is grounded vppon that wee must not imagine that there is any contradiction in these places And therefore let vs briefely note that when our Lorde sayth that the almes which wee bestowe shal bee reckoned to vs for righteousnesse it is to encourage vs the more to the intent wee shoulde not feare that eyther our payne or our money is lost when wee haue relieued the necessitie of the poore And when wee haue this lesson we will not come and laye the foundation of our saluation vppon our woorkes but wee will alwayes buylde the assurance of our saluation on the onely mercie of God and vppon the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ by whose sacrifice wee are reconciled and through whose obedience all our sinnes and iniquities are done awaye This saye I is the meanes to assure vs of our saluation And thus when wee haue settled our trust and confidence in the onely mercie and goodnesse of God wee will haue no mynde to stande vppon our woorkes but it will suffice vs that beeing accepted by the free mercy of God without any merite or deseruable worthinesse of our workes hee will giue vs will strength and power to serue him to serue him I say not after our owne fantasie but accordingly as hee commaundeth vs. Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to take them away and therewithall so to refourme vs by his holy spirite as our whole indeuour may bee to please him and to obey his holy will as hee hath declared it vnto vs in his lawe And because we cannot come vnto such perfection as were requisite wee shoulde pray wee him to reache vs out his hande alwayes to supplye our wantes and to strengthen our infirmities vntil hee hath cleane ridde vs of them And so let vs saye Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the x. of February 1556. The CXL Sermon which is the fifth vpon the foure and twentith Chapter 14 Thou shalt not defraude the hired seruaunt which is needie and poore neither of thy brethren nor of the straunger which is in thy lande within thy gates 15 Thou shalt giue him his hyre for his day before the sunne goeth dowen for he is poore and therewith sustaineth he his life Least he crie against thee vnto the Lorde and it be sinne vnto thee 16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children neither shall the children die for the fathers but euery man shal be put to death for his own sinne 17 Thou shalt not wrest the right of the straunger nor of the fatherlesse neither shalt thou take the widowes rayment to pledge 18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast a seruaunt in Egypt and that the Lorde thy God deliuered thee thence Therefore I commaunde thee to doe this thing IF there were not great wickednes and crueltie in men it were needeles to set downe anie such law as is heere contained to wit That we withholde not from a poore mā the wages which he hath earned For we knowe that it is as it were his bloud according as it is written In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate thy breade Therefore when a man bestoweth himselfe in our seruice we ought at least wise to giue him that wherewithall he is sustained and nourished And therefore I tolde you that if we had but one droppe of kindnes in vs we needed not to be taught this doctrine For nature teacheth vs what is right and indifferent Let vs therfore conclude when we reade y t which i◠written here that we are accused before God of beeing as brute beastes towardes our neighbours For God would suffer vs to followe on our owne course if he sawe
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
left nothing in his lawe but wee may fare the better by it if hee giue vs the wisedome to knowe howe to vse it First wee see howe Gods will was that the houses should bee maintayned in Israell And this was not for any such respect as men haue commonly in the world for noble men would be spoken of after their death and therfore they would build vp a kinde of immortality heere on earth God meant not to foode this follie among men And verily if we were so wise as we should be we woulde consider that lyke as our lyfe passeth and glydeth and vanisheth away out of hand so GOD would not haue our heartes settled here belowe to desire to bee renoumed vpon earth but that as our inheritance is in heauen so wee should consider that it ought to suffice vs that wee haue our names written in the booke of lyfe This is it wherein our reioysing ought to bee 〈…〉 10. as our Lorde Iesus Christ telleth his disciples So then wee haue to note that GOD meant not to rocke men asleepe in this foolishe ambition whereunto they are ouermuch giuen to wit to bee of fame and renowne heere hee had another respect than so And that was that bycause the parting of the land of Chanaan was made according to his will hee would haue this order maintained and no chaunge made to the contrary so as the inheritances shoulde returne alwayes to the same they were at the first as we know they did in the yeere of Iubile 〈…〉 In respect wherof when a man deceased without children to the intent there should be some stocke of him and that the kindred should alwayes continue and that the inheritaunces should not goe out of y e name it is said that one of the kinsmen should take the wydowe to wife although in truth before y e people were come into the land of Chanaan wee see that this law or custome was vsed through out the east country to wit that a woman whē she took an husband out of any house bound her selfe in case that she had no childe but her husband departed without issure to take another husband of the same house which thing we see to be true in the example of Thamar whē she maried Iudaes sonne Gen. 38. and we must not imagine that this serued but for one house only but that it was rather a generall lawe growen vpon custome as we say It was therefore a straite bond or rather bondage for the women For if a woman married in any familie it was vnder this condition Is my husband dead I must take an other of the same house yea if he offer himselfe I must take him and he must haue children of me and that to rayse vp a stocke vnto him who is already dead For the first childe that she brought foorth bore not his name that begat it but his who was already dead Nowe when the Paynims brought vp this custome no doubt but they were ledde thereunto through this worldly vanity wherof I spake And heereby wee see that there bee many thinges lyke which notwithstanding are not of one self same qualitie And why Because their end is diuerse There are which would haue a seede and stocke raysed vnto one which is dead and why woulde they so To the intent that their name should not perish or be cleane put out So yee see that pride driueth them vnto that thing But I haue already told you that we must hasten to finish the course of this life knowing that God calleth vs vnto an euerduring estate and therfore we ought to forget this world and that if we be held backe by this vaine glory of being heere in honour and estimation it is a shutting of the gate of heauen against vs. Let vs therefore take heede howe wee wedde our selues vnto this foolish desire that men should speake of vs after our death and let vs knowe that God will haue vs to bee of no account in this world that wee may bee restored vnto our heauenly inheritaunce But let vs note in the meane time that God hath a contrary respect for when he gaue the land of Chanaan to his people to inherite hee ordayned that if a man which had taken a wife and doone his parte to leaue issue behinde him departed without issue an other of his kinsmen shoulde supply that defaulte that hee myght haue as it were an adoptiue childe after his death And why did God this To the intent that the order which hee had established by the hande of Iosua shoulde not perishe and that the partitions of the Lande shoulde continue as they were first made We see then what the intent and meaning of this law is the effect whereof was not to nuzzle men in that foolishe desire which wee haue condemned And moreouer God meant to shew the priuiledge which hee had giuen to the stocke of Abraham euen for his sake who was the cheefe of it For whē God chose Abraham he sanctified all those which were to come of his race he had chosen them for his Church he would therfore haue the Iewes stirred vp to magnifie him for vouchsafing of them such honour as to choose them aboue all the worlde hee woulde haue them to knowe howe much woorth this adoption of his was Indeede it is true that they abused this goodnesse of his as well as others For they were puffed vp with exceeding pryde as who woulde say We are the holie stocke wee are the royall priesthoode but yet for all that they minded not this point that whatsoeuer they had they enioyed it through the meere goodnesse and fauour of GOD and therefore that they ought not to bee proude of it but rather to acknowledge themselues so much the more bound vnto him Yee see how the Iewes peruerted the grace and fauour of God which hee bestowed on them and yet hee exercised them in as sundry sortes as hee might to cause them to acknowledge the priuiledge which he gaue them in choosing them for his Church and as it were for his owne children As if nowadayes we would onely make a buckler of baptisme and of the Lords supper and of the other giftes and benefites of God and yet continue an heathnish kinde of people dissolute in life and giuen ouer to all wickednesse it were a point of notable treachery in vs. For GOD meaneth not that those gifts which he bestoweth on vs shoulde bee but as vaine pictures his will is that they should bee profitable vnto vs. Therfore when we speake of baptisme when we speake of the holy supper when wee speake of the order of the church it standeth vs in hand to haue an eye vnto the vse of those thinges for which God hath ordained them among vs. Yet notwithstanding it behoueth vs to acknowledge it to be a singular yea and an inestimable benefite which God bestoweth vpon vs in y t we haue libertie to assemble our selues together in
the promises that be heere contained let vs not thinke that the meaning of God was to pamper the olde people in their transitorie pleasures but rather that the same shoulde bee a meane to drawe them vp on high as hee meaneth nowadayes towardes vs For all the good that wee receiue of him hath this end and intent that our mindes shoulde alwayes bee raised vp to the heauenly life Doth God giue vs breade to eate Therein hee sheweth himselfe to bee our father Yea but yet for all that wee beeing his children cease not to bee as wanderers in this worlde hauing alwayes one foote lifted vp and we haue here no rest Therefore let vs haue an eye to the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen and let the breade which we eate to nourish vs be a meane to direct vs thither After the same manner is it with all other thinges Nowe let vs come to that which is heere contained in the text of Moses and then in the ende we shall the better vnderstande what hath beene saide Moses saith heere That God will blesse his people both in the towne and in the fielde he will blesse them in the seede of their bodie he will blesse them in their cattle hee will blesse them in the fruite of their lande hee will blesse them in their baskets and in their stores and in their Graineries he will blesse them in giuing them victorie against their enimies We knowe that the happinesse of this present life that is to say such happines as may be in this worlde is for men to haue wherewith to maintaine themselues quietly and to be preserued from their enemies Here God setteth downe both the one and the other For touching the one he saith Thou shalt bee blessed aswell in the towne as also in the field and shalt be blessed in the fruite of thy wombe and in the fruite of thy lande and in the fruite of thy cattle It is certaine that the chiefe blessing which wee can desire of GOD is in our owne persons that hee prouide vs of such thinges as are requisite for this transitorie life And that is the cause why hee beginneth at our persons and then commeth to our children and from thence descendeth to our cattle to the fruit of the earth and to all prouisions It seemeth here at the first shew that God meant to pamper his people as though he woulde set them vp in a stye and there cram their bellies as it were to lay them a sleepe at their ease and to be short that they shoulde be heere as in a Paradise But I haue told you heretofore that it behoued God to bestowe his benefites more largely vpon the fathers that liued vnder the Lawe because they coulde not otherwise be drawen vnto him seeing that the promises of the Eternall life were yet obscure vnto them Howbeit wee haue to note herewithall that when God speaketh after this manner hee meaneth not onely to giue men hope that they shal be blessed in al respects but also to admonish vs that nothing letteth vs from enioying a soueraigne and perfect felicitie in this world whilest we waite for the life of heauen but only that wee bee wrapped in vices and corruptions And so did God thereby meane to traine the faithful that they should thinke thus with themselues Let vs serue God and wee shall want no maner of thing And if we bee vexed and haue not all our desires if the earth doe not yeelde such fruitefulnesse as may content vs or if our cattle prosper not as wee woulde let vs vnderstande that this commeth to passe because we be wretched creatures and cannot abide the blessing of God so perfect as it might be amongst vs by meanes whereof he is faine to withdrawe his hande and to giue vs but a portion of his blessings because that if wee should haue so much as he could finde in his heart to bestowe vppon vs it shoulde glutte vs and in the ende wee shoulde be choaked therewith This is the cause then why God doth heere so greatly magnifie his blessinges it is doone not for that men haue euer beene blessed in all manner of respectes without feeling of any euill to vex them this I say neuer happened And wherfore then doth God promise it As wee haue saide afore it is to make vs vnderstande that whensoeuer our life is not so blessed as we couer wee shoulde consider that God knoweth vs to be vnable to receiue the fulnesse of his benefits and therefore is faine to distribute them vnto vs by peece meales after the manner of sicke folkes or little children which for want of discretion are faine to bee gouerned by others But we be lesse aduised than the infants or sicke folkes for we woulde deuour the blessings that God doeth sende if hee helde vs not in order for our lustes are miserablie corrupted God bestoweth his blessings vppon vs sufficiently but we like sicke folkes doe refuse good meate and fall to foule feeding which cannot but hurt vs thus are wee caried away by our wicked affections and are neuer able to direct the vse of Gods benefites nor to gouerne them as behoueth for wee woulde infect and defile all if hee prouided not for it aforehande Let vs marke therefore that God doeth heere warne vs to call our sinnes to remembrance and to bewaile them as often as wee enioy not such fulnesse of his blessings as is heere mentioned Neuerthelesse hee woulde haue vs to hope that by seruing of him wee shall prosper and haue ynough for our contentment And indeede wee see howe all the faithfull haue in that behalfe behaued themselues It is sure as wee haue saide that Dauid was diuers wayes in perplexitie and afflicted no man more but did hee in all that while murmure against God No. True it is that hee vttered his griefes and passions but that was with all meekenesse and yet in the meane while hee omitted not to say that the anger of GOD lasted but a little while Psal. 30.6 and that when hee afflicteth his people he hath done in y e turning of a hand but his goodnesse lasteth long and continueth vnto life As howe If wee looke into the whole life of Dauid what shall wee finde the rein Beholde in his infancie hee was brought vp as a Shepheardes sonne of the countrie 1. Sam. 16.11 and God saieth that hee tooke him from the flockes as hee was among his cattle When hee came to the court of Saul 2. Sam. 17.8 it is certaine that beyond all hope and opinion of the worlde hee was aduanced to bee the kinges sonne in lawe but it had beene better for him to haue continued still a shepeherd in the field than to haue beene in such trauaile and miserie so long time as we perceiue he was they sought his death by al means and his life did not onely hang as it were by a thred but he was also had in reproch In so much that
confounde them no man can tell howe hee will destroy all their deuises and attemptes yea and when they bande themselues against vs haue neuer so great multitudes on their sides yet wil God scatter them Like as when we see a cloude threatening raine and it seemeth that all shoulde bee drowned God scattereth it and the tempest is gone euen so will hee deale with our enemies Thus yee see in effect what wee haue to remember concerning this text where it is saide that wee shall bee defended against all such as set themselues against vs and that our God will make them flee before our faces if we doe him the honour to acknowledge him to bee the Lorde of hoastes and that his power is infinite and that therefore the whole worlde can nothing preuaile against him Finally what haue wee nowe to doe but to submit our selues vnder the obedience of our God Also let vs vnderstande that all the misbeleeuing and all the despisers of Gods maiestie albeit that for a time their life may seeme happie are appointed to perdition and that all the goods which they possesse shal become a curse vnto thē so as they must needs be in a forlorn state according to this saying y t their very Table shal be turned into snares and gynnes wherewith to take them Psal. 69.23 and all the benefits of God shall become deadly poyson vnto them Lo what wee haue to carie in minde Moreouer so often as wee bee afflicted let vs humble our selues and acknowledge our sins bewaile them before God and in the meane space let vs not omitte to qualifie our griefes knowing that amidst the afflictions which hee sendeth vs there alwayes appeareth a certaine testimonie of his goodnesse and that it is necessarie that he should so holde vs in awe Yet notwithstanding we must not be cast downe nor be discouraged when we bee vexed and troubled though we be enuironed with neuer so many miseries And why Because God faileth not for all that to shew himselfe a father towards vs. That is the thing whereon we must altogether rest so as al the afflictions of this world may quicken vs vp to aspire to the heauenly heritage and when we haue bewailed our sins let vs not doubt but God of his mercy will blesse vs euen in Iesus Christ the fountaine of al goodnesse and blessednesse by whom all curses are quite taken away To proue that it is so what may bee the chiefe curse that is falne vppon mankinde but death And yet wee see that the same is become an entrance into life And wherefore For that in the person of Iesus Christ it is nowe made blessed Wherefore let vs learne to reioyce sith wee see that God hath so prouided for our saluation that although he make vs to feele our sins and would haue vs touched with some sorrowe thereby to bring vs to repentance yet hee ceaseth not amidst all these to shewe himselfe a father euermore by al meanes to aduance our saluation Now let vs humble our selues before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of sinnes praying him to touch vs to the quicke more and more that we may mislike them and that acknowledging the euill which is in vs wee may seeke his mercie not onely to forgiue vs the sins that we haue alredie committed but also to mortifie vs and by the power of his spirite to giue vs grace so to forsake our selues as wee may seeke his righteousnesse and more and more profite therein vntill it be perfect in vs at such time as hee shall haue taken vs out of this world And so let vs al say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the xij of March 1556. The CLV Sermon which is the third vpon the eight and twentith Chapter 9 The Lorde thy God will make thee a holy people to himselfe as hee hath sworne vnto thee if thou keepe the commaundements of the Lord thy God and walke in his wayes 10 And all the nations of the earth shall see that the name of the Lorde is called vppon ouer thee and they shall bee afraide of thee 11 And the Lord thy GOD will make thee to abound in substance in the fruite of thy wombe in the fruite of thy cattel and in the fruit of thy ground in the land which the Lord thy GOD hath sworne to thy fathers to giue thee 12 The Lord thy GOD will open vnto thee his good treasure euen the heauens to send downe raine vpon thy land in due season and to blesse all the worke of thy handes and thou shalt lende vnto many people and borrowe of none 13 The Lorde God will make thee the head and not the tayle And thou shalt be onely aboue and not beneath if thou obey the commaundements of the Lord thy God which I commaund thee this day to keepe and to doe them 14 And that you swarue not neither to the right hand nor to the left from any of al the wordes which I commaund you this day in walking after other gods to serue them MOses continuing the matter which was handled yesterday sheweth vppon what condition GOD choseth vs when hee taketh vs to bee of his Church that is that wee should bee separated and set far off from the common curse of mankinde True it is that Gods goodnesse extendeth ouer all the men of the worlde wee see how all are fedde and maintayned by his liberalitie but in the meane while wee see to how many miseries men be subiect For this cause it behoueth vs to bee sundered and that God watch ouer vs and beare vs a speciall loue as to his owne children for without that all our lyfe is confused as it is seene howe the wretched infidelles albeeit that GOD bestowe neuer so many blessinges vppon them yet can they not profite by them but they stand alwayes in doubt and not without cause For wherevppon may they repose their hope seeing they bee not certifyed of the loue of GOD How can they holde him for their father Therefore it is a worde well worth the marking where Moses sayth that GOD hath separated vs from all other nations of the worlde It is certaine that this worde holynesse doth importe that the image of GOD shoulde shine forth in vs and that wee should serue him purely in vertuous conuersation but yet from thence hee proceedeth farther as hee doth in this text namely that God will giue vnto his people a certeine marke to shewe that they bee priuiledged aboue all other folke Therefore in beholding what the state of man is in this present lyfe let vs learne to resorte alwayes to this promise that God hath not onely created vs after the common course of the brood of all Adams children but that hee hath also chosen vs to himselfe for his heritage And let vs not doubt at all but that he watcheth ouer vs and wil make vs to perceiue that wee be of his housholde and that he
thou shalt be buried with the buriall of an asâ—e sayeth the Prophete Wee be heereby warned to haue verie greâ—â— regarde of all the corrections that GOD â—iâ—deth vs yea euen of the verie least that wee may be alwayes stirred to feare â—or what is the cause that wee passe ouer so many chastisementes of GOD without profiting by them Because wee shutte out eyes wilfully and vnlesse we be compelled by vtter force and necessitie we are conteÌ„ted to beare ourselues in hande that it is not GOD that haâ—tiseth vs and as we shall see heereafter wee fall to such blockishenesse as to attribute all to fortune Lette vs therefore be admonished to marke all the corrections which GOD sendeth vs both vppon ourselues and â—pon our neighbours that we may receiue warning by them Io seemeth to be but a small matter not to be buried yea but yet will God haue it noted and to be vnderstoode thâ— it is his hande and that he sheweth himselfe aâ—Iudge against such as haue offended him Seeing that GOD will haue his Iudgementes knowen in â—o small thinges lette vs bee aduised to haue more witte and discretion As often as GOD giueth vs as yee would say but a filluppe let vs be moued to thinke on him and nor tarrie vntill hee drawe his sworde or bende his bowe to hit vs with a mortall wounde but let vs by all manner of meanes humble ourselues vnder his hande Moreouer wee haue heere a Testimonie of the life euerlasting True it is that this point was not so plainlie declared in the lawe as it is to vs in the Gospell neither that we should rise againe to the heauenly glory nor that we should liue with God after our death But yet for all that the olde fathers did not leade the life of beastes neither did God leaue them in such ignoraunce as to haue their faith closed vppe in this present worlde and in this transsitorie life For heere we haue a recorde that when we haue finished the course of this life there is yet a greater Iudgement prepared for all men And if GOD doe forebeare vs heere and notwithstanding that wee escape all the curses mentioned in the lawe euen to the ende yet must we come to a greater reckening For it were a needelesse matter for GOD to speake of depriuing menne of their buriall if as I sayde euen nowe he had not a farther meaning in it Therefore lette vs so vse this doctrine as we may be prouoked to haue an eye to the life that is yet hydden from vs and which wee looke for by faith and let vs not thinke it shall greatly auaile vs when GOD punisheth vs not in this worlde For it is farre better for vs to linger heere beneath and to be alwayes in miseries than to enioye our ease and delightes and that in the meane whyle GOD should but tarrie for vs to thunder vppon vs when he hath taken vs out of this worlde Thus yee see whereto this Texte of Moses doeth serue vs where he sayeth That the birdes and beastes shall eate our carcesses and that no man shall driue them away Nowe if God giue such tokens of his wrath on the bodyes that haue no feeling what shall become of the soules wherein is the verie seat of euill and the kingdome of Sathan For our handes our feete our eyes and our eares offende not of their owne proper mouing but by the direction and prouocation of our wicked thoughtes and affections And wherely all those things or whence proceede they but from our soules Seeing then that the bodyes which were but instrumentes doe feele the wrath of GOD and doe aunswere to the same as we see lette vs not suppose that the soules goe quit Lette vs therefore looke euermore higher than to this transitorie life for to wâ—ken vs. and to make vs to walke in such obedience that after we haue fought against sinne and against Sathan and haue beene exercised in patience and in diuerse afflictions in this worlde hauing doone our endeuour to serue GOD with all diligence our soules may be taken vp to rest and that our Lorde in likewise may shew the selfe same fauour vppon our dead bodyes Notwithstanding this fauour and blessednesse of hauing their bodyes buried doth not alwaies happen to the faithfull whereas it falleth ouâ— that many of the wicked are verie honourably buried howebeit that the same is nothing to them neither is their state any whit bettered thereby We see what is sayde in the Psalme concerning them that haue faithfully serued GOD Psal. 79.3 namely that their bodies were layde ouâ— for a praye to the foules and the beastes and yet were they the children of GOD. And albeit that this bee a testimonie of Gods wrath vpon the wicked yet may it oftentimes come to passe that our Lorde will vse the same manner of chastisementes vppon his owne people And yet it shall bee nothing to their hurt True it is that wee must euermote humble ourselues when such a thing happeneth and we must vnderstande that such thinges bee as it were markes of Adames sinne and of the corruption that is in vs and also of the offences which we haue committed and yet for all that our Lorde in the meane space turneth this euill to good when he permitteth the faithfull to be depriued of buriall We see what is sayd of the wicked riche man and of Lazarus It is sayde 〈◊〉 â—6 â—2 that the riche man dyed and was buryed beholde howe the worldely pompe is bestowed on the reprobate It seemeth that his soule should haue beene receiued into paradise when his body was sumptuously caryed and vsed with great ceremonies And what of Lazarus He dyed too But what mention is there of his buriall None at all Whereby our Lorde Iesus doeth vs to vnderstande for it is he that speaketh it that we must not stay altogether vppon these visible thinges But yet this threatening howe so euer the case standeth is not in vaine What is to be doone then Lette vs gather generally as we haue sayde that buriall serueth to leade vs to the hope of the heauenly life and of the resurrection which wee must hope for Thus much concerning that point When we burie them that be dead before vs lette it serue alwayes to prouoke and to stirre vs to vnderstande that wee bee not created to liue onely in this worlde but that there is an other better life prepared for vs. And againe when when wee see that our Lorde depriueth any of their buriall let vs vnderstande that he therein sheweth his wrath Neuerthelesse it is better sometimes for a man to bee deuoured of beastes and birdes and to bee chastised of GOD after that sorte in his bodie for the sparing of his soule and to haue a temporall condemnation than to perishe for euer more It is better sometimes for a wicked man to bee hanged than to dye in his bedde For howe manie doe we see to gnashe their teeth
not kept touch with him as wee ought to haue done and that therefore hee casteth vs into that vexation and distresse But let vs not so tempt our God as he shoulde proceede to this rigour that is here mentioned namely wee shoulde haue no power to commit our life into his handes So then whereas heere is mention made of a trembling heart let vs consider wherein our true rest doth remain namely euen in this y t God is our father and that wee be his children Likewise whereas mention is made of daseling or sunken eyes let vs vnderstande that we must looke vpwards as often as wee be in any feare and that there is no other remedie to qualifie our griefes but to lifte vp our eyes to heauen For as long as men looke downewarde what shall they finde there but an infinite masse and mâ—se of miseries able to scare them out of their wittes so as they shall not knowe where to become Let vs therefore seeke vnto this meane that is to lift vp our eyes to heauen knowing that God hath his hande streatched foorth to vpholde them that returne vnto him Where mention is made of a sorrowfull minde let vs vnderstande that it is the proper office of GOD to set our heartes at libertie to the end that no temptation may vtterly vanquish and ouerwhelme vs. And this shal be treated of yet more fully Let vs come to that which Moses addeth Namely that in the morning they shall say What is hee that will make mee see the night and at euening howe shall wee attaine to the morning For thy life saieth hee shal be hanging before thee as at a threede Heere we see yet better that which hath beene saide afore For what is the cause that men bee thus in a continuall feare but that they cannot commende their life into the hand of GOD In verie deede and to speake properly the liues of vs all are euermore as it were hanging at a Threede but yet the despisers of God doe most peculiarly finde it so and well worthie for that they haue warred against him that shoulde haue set them in rest and safetie Their life is as it were hanging by a threede because that in steede of life there is euermore this feare of death in their heartes and reason good For what is the life of man A smoke that passeth and vanisheth away And moreouer let vs see howe many deathes beset vs on all sides So then as long as wee remaine in our naturall state without hauing respect to GOD our life is alwayes as it were hanging at a Threede Yea surely Though wee bee neuer touched outwardly how manie diseases beare wee in vs A man needes not to goe out of himselfe nor to seeke farre to learne to howe many miseries and wretchednesse hee is subiect for euen in his owne selfe hee shall foorthwith finde an infinite number of deathes Seeing then that it is so let vs knowe that vntill wee haue learned to rest vs in the prouidence of God our life must of necessitie bee as it were flittering before our eyes and altogether vncertaine and to bee short we beare it continually as it were in our hands according as it is saide in Iob and in the hundred and nineteenth Psalme Iob. 13.14 Psal. 119.109 Nowe when it is saide that wee carrie our life in our handes it is to shewe that where as life shoulde beare the man the man beareth the life that is to say the life is left vp to the hazarde of all misfortune Euen so it is with al men naturally and as we haue alreadie saide the verie faithfull are not free from it and that doe wee see by example in Iob and Dauid Notwithstanding the despisers of God are they that feele most howe their life hangeth by a Threede And wherefore For God euen spite of their teeth inforceth them to perceiue the perils that beset them they see it is good reason that all manner of creatures shoulde become their enemies by reason whereof they start when they heare but the falling of a leafe and they bee afraide when no bodie pursueth them as it is saide in an other place of the Prouerbes Prou. 28.1 Thus doeth God open the eyes of them that are puffed vp with pride and are drunken with the delightes of this worlde and specially which haue hardened themselues in stubbornnesse against him Hee openeth their eyes that they may knowe howe their life is lesse than nothing and that all these shadowes leasings and vaine hopes whereupon men are wont to rest are but baites to beguile them See heere I pray you whereunto they come which doe skorne God and his worde and are wholly giuen to this worlde reposing their trust on earthly meanes and on the creatures Needs they must at the last be caught with such feare as will teach them double and trebble to vnderstand their owne state Nowe when Moses hath spoken thus hee addeth what they then say Who shall assure vs to see the morning Howe shall wee ende the day When men vnderstande once howe fraile they bee and with howe many perils and miseries they bee enuironed then haue they no more happinesse In deede wee can well say that there is nothing more certaine than death noâ— any thing more vncertaine than the houre thereof but in the meane while wee regarde it not vntill God doe wring vs and driue vs thereunto by force For then they which did beare themselues in hande that their life should last without ende as we see howe men deceiue themselues by fancying an immortalitie in this worlde imagining that they shall liue a hundred yeares after they bee deade doe finde the contrarie And therefore because men are so blockish God doeth still constreine them to beholde present death continually pinching them and holding them at a bay Thereupon they bee in continuall feare and albeit that they vtter nothing with their mouthes yet doe they say thus in their heartes Who can assure mee to see the morning To bee short to their thinking the very earth sinketh vnder them And albeit that this doth not alwayes appeare yet notwithstanding the despisers of God doe feele that this threatening is not in vaine nor without effect Wherefore let vs not linger the time vntill God doe execute such iudgement vppon vs but let vs rather preuent it by hauing that same willing feare which is spoken of in this wise Prou. 28 1â— Blessed is the man saieth Salomon which feareth in his heart that is to say which calleth vppon himselfe and taryeth not vntill God inforce him whether hee will or no. When euerie of vs doeth stirre vp himselfe it is the greatest benefite that wee can haue Therefore where as the worldlings make themselues dull heades and wander away after their owne vaine imaginations and â—ling beyonde the moone as they say to the intent to liue in peace and rest without feeling of any griefe or trouble whereas they I say
againe and to say Yet hath my God still shewed mee the way insomuch that whereas other men haue beene posted to and fro I haue euermore stoode fast and although I haue beene diuerse wayes troubled and vexed yet doe I knowe Lorde that thou doest euermore gouerne thy people Thus yee see that being stayed in our Lorde Iesus Christ wee may bee assured that GOD will neuer faile vs. Seeing it is so let vs returne vnto him and pray him to defende and delyuer vs from all euill The way then for vs to bee sure of our life is that although wee see nothing but continuall warre yet wee must inforce our selues to fight and perseuere vntill we haue obtained the victorie and if hee take vs away to himselfe hee will then bee the keeper of our soules He will guide vs in this present life so as both day and night wee shall feele his grace When the euening commeth albeit that the night doe bring neuer so much feare with it yet shall we be in safetie Why so For God is that while our fortresse and we shall not be forsaken of him Therefore let vs tarâ—e vntill the morning Thus doe wee euer more referre our life vnto him And although we be not senselesse yet shall we haue continually whereupon to stay vs when wee see our owne infirmitie As for example when a man perceiueth that hee is not able to stande but his legges quake and folâ—er vnder him hee either leaneth to some thing or sitteth downe in a chaire or else stayeth himselfe vpon some staffe euen so is it with vs. For wee haue not the strength of Gyants wee bee not of such power as to be able to defie our enemies for wee see well that wee bee too too weake But in the meane while wee ceasse not to stay vppon God and that is our refuge Neither haue we this affiance for this present life onely but wee haue it also for the life to come insomuch that although our Lord doe put vs into the handes of our enemies yet will he not misse to be our sauiour euen in the middest of death Let vs not doubt but that he will safely conuey vs not onely from the morning to the euening and from the euening to the morning but also that euen in the middest of the darkenesse of death we shall alwayes be lightened with his goodnesse and hee will shewe vs that the life which hee hath promised to his people shall neuer faile Therefore doth Dauid vse this maner of speach Lorde saieth he thy staffe or else thy shepeherdes hooke He taketh the similitude of a sheepeherd that hath his staffe or his hooke Lorde saith hee so long as I see thy staffe before me Psal. 23.4 I am safe insomuch that if wee were to goe into the darkenesse of death yet being in that dark and yrksome dale yea euen in such sort as I might seeme to be cast into hell I woulde not ceasse to reioyce After this manner must we practise this doctrine Nowe lastly it is said that God will cary his people by the waie concerninge the which it was said Thou shalt neuer see it againe that they should bee caried in shippes and that being come into Egypt they should bee set to sale as slaues yet no body should buy them They should not be esteemed but as a people vtterly cast away and euery body shoulde disdaine them Now this was al one as if God should haue meant to cut them off saying Remember how I meruelously deliuered you out of the lande of Egypt when I made you to passe through the wildernesse and in like wise to goe through the red sea or the sea of Bulrushes which they call y e red sea but properly it is the sea of bulrushes because of the Bulrushes that growe in it for I caused that arme of the sea to shrinke back that you might passe on drie foote But nowe shall you returne thither in shippes you must passe againe that way yea albeit that I forbade you and inioyned you expresly that you should not goe that way any more yet shall you returne thither spite of your teeth In deede at the other time that you were in Egypt you sorowed for the oppression which you suffred and I tooke pitie of you and tooke you out of it But as this time when you shall require any bodie to buy you to bee their slaues and to yeelde your life to the most miseries that may bee you shall haue no buyer at all As if hee had saide Seeing you haue despised the deliuerance that was wrought for you and haue forgotten such a benefite it shal be well knowen that you bee an vnhappie and a cursed people and that I haue forsaken and refused you vtterly This threat coulde not bee but exceeding terrible to the Iewes And when the Prophetes expounded Moses wee see likewise howe the people gâ—ashed their teeth against them Howbeit no whit were they meekened thereby but rather they doubled their coufusion insomuch that it was alwayes cast in their teeth that their iniquities proceeded to such extremitie as was intollerable It is saide that notwithstanding all the manaces of the Lawe were pronounced vnto them yet they regarded them not but helde on still and became so much the more hard-harted as though they had ment of set purpose to make warre against God Soothly it is a horrible thing and against nature that they which were the housholde of God the holy generation the children of Abraham and which from the beginning had beene trained vp in the doctrine of the lawe and had had the sayings alwayes laide before them which were written by Moses so as their eares were continually beaten therewith shoulde yet notwithstanding farâ— neuer the better for it but still goe on from euill to worse Was not that a horrible thing Yes verily and yet wee see the like example Let vs make our benefite thereof and beware that we wax not so hardharted least wee be possessed of Sathan and forsaken of God so that whatsoeuer is tolde vs shewed vnto vs we be touched with no manner of feare but become like wilde bores which of their owne wilfulnesse doe cast themselues into death Let vs take heede that we prouoke not our God in that manner And moreouer whereas it is saide heere that God woulde bring this people whom he had redeemed into a double captiuitie and more reprochfull than was the first let vs repaire vnto that redemption which was once wrought by our Lorde Iesus Christ and that we may be partakers thereof let vs freely serue him which purchased vs so deerely And seeing that our God hath redeemed vs in the person of his sonne to such a state that now we be franke and free from the bondes of sinne and Sathan let vs hencefoorth feare him and serue him all the dayes of our life according as Zacharie speaketh in his song Luk. â— 75 recited by Sainct Luke Seeing
it is a sufficient instruction insomuch as it is good and expedient for vs. For this cause dooth Saint Paul sende vs to our Lorde Iesus Christ saying That if we beleeue with our heart to Iustification Rom. 10.6 and confesse with our mouth to saluation that Christ dyed and that GOD raysed him againe then are wee in that perfection which Moses speaketh of here Nowe it is true that Saint Paul dooth vse in this place the worde Hell for the worde Deepe which hee dooth for the fitter applying of that sentence to his owne purpose which Moses did vse after a general manner Moses speaketh after the common custome of men O what is hee that can dig down into the bottome of the deepe Who is he that can mount vp aloft aboue the skyes Saint Paul minding to apply this to our Sauiour Christ sayth that we need not to alledge either heauen or hell or aught else that can bee imagined in this worlde God dooth sufficiently shewe himselfe vnto vs in that wee haue witnesse that Iesus Christ dyed and is risen againe For wee knowe that by the vertue of that worde Hell is bereft of all power ouer vs and heauen is set open for vs. True it is that wee must beginne with this simplicitie that Moses speaketh of When hee saith that the worde is in our mouth and in our heart his meaning is that the being thereof in our mouth is to the end wee shoulde talke of it and so become learned and that the being thereof in our heart is to the ende wee shoulde vnderstand it But Saint Paul goeth yet farther not that hee wresteth and wringeth the Testimonie of Moses but hee sheweth that the same is in very deed fulfilleâ— to wit that wee haue power to speake the worde of GOD as wee ought and that we haue it also imprinted in our hearts He sayth then first that wee must come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ according to this saying which is set downe in another place namely that Iesus Christ is the ende of the Lawe Rom. 10.4 and also that hee is the lyfe of it Then we see that if wee meane to profite by the holy Scripture wee must hye vs to our Lorde Iesus Christ for hee is the liuely Image of God Col. 1.15 2.3 it is he in whome are comprehended al the treasures of wisedome and vnderstanding Thus much concerning that poynt Are wee nowe come vnto Iesus Christ It behooueth vs to knowe the principall thing that is giuen vs in him to wit that wee bee redeemed by his death and passion for he hath suffered the paynes that were due vnto vs and hath borne that dreadfull vengeance of God which belonged vnto vs and hath thereby made vs free That then is the benefite which wee reape by the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ and by his resurrection hee hath purchased righteousnesse and lyfe for vs and hath also opened vnto vs the kingdome of heauen from the which wee were earst banished Nowe first of all when wee call to minde the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ wee must needes bee deliuered from all anguishe and distresse of minde For hee telleth vs as it is sayd here that it is not for vs to alledge any more Who shall goe downe into hell as we haue beene woont to doe Howe nowe If all sinners must be condemned before God seeing that wee bee sinners surely wee bee all vndone And who is he that can assure mee that hell shall haue no power ouer me I feele the sinne which doth accuse mee and that is all one as if I shoulde beholde the gulfe open readie to swallowe mee vp Sathan hath gotten the maisterie ouer me See how men are dismayed and plunged in continuall griefe and trouble of minde vntill they haue receiued knowledge of the benefite that commeth by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ. But we knowe that our Lorde Iesus suffered the sorrowes of hell and yet was not holden prisoner of the same as Sainct Peter sheweth in the Actes whereby wee be well assured that the bandes of death are broken and that hell hath no more power to swallow vs. And why Because the Lorde Iesus hath purchased vs freedome But howe know we that By the Gospell But if I still stande in doubt whether I bee deliuered from the curse of God it is as much as if I shoulde drawe Christ againe from death for hee is not deade in vaine To what ende is it Let vs consider a little wherefore the onely sonne of God yeelded himselfe to such shame as to be hanged on tree and to be as it were accursed before God his father according as wee haue seene euen in the one and twentith Chapter of this booke and to bee beaten by the hande of God 〈◊〉 â—1 23 〈…〉 .2 vntill hee seemed as vile as a Leper as the Prophet Esay saith in the 53. Chapter that hee bare the burden of all our offences as if he had beene a miserable sinner and was enuironed with such extreme sorowe that hee wist not what to say but to crie out 〈◊〉 â—7 â—6 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And thinke wee that the sonne of God dalyed when he was so humbled yea and not onely was made vtterly of no reputation as Sainct Paul saieth but also fought with the pangues and sorrowes of death He offered himselfe in the person of vs as a wretched sinner to beare that vengeance of God which was due vnto vs so as to bee short he knewe that God was bent against him to thunder downe vppon him for our sakes Forasmuch then as we know that Iesus Christ abode such incounters for our redemption stande wee yet still scanning and replying as who woulde say O I cannot tell and howe can I bee sure of it Surely that were euen as much as to deny the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ. For it is a plaine scorning of all that hee hath endured and suffered for our saluation when wee acknowledge not the fruite that doeth growe vnto vs thereby So then the first point is that hauing the Gospel wee haue whereuppon to rest so as wee neede not to alledge What is he that shall goe downe into hel For Iesus Christ hath beene there to the end that wee shoulde not come there at all and at this day hee giueth vs witnesse of the same by the Gospel to the intent wee shoulde knowe that his death hath alwayes present power and operation for all such as flee vnto it for refuge Also there is on the otherside that wee haue no more cause to replie Who is hee that shall mount vp to the heauens Why That is asmuch saieth Sainct Paul as to plucke downe Christ from the heauenly glorie whereunto hee is exalted Wee say in an article of our faith that Christ descended into hell In so saying wee ought to assure our selues that we
receiue his worde which is offered vnto vs so must wee haue our mouth open to glorifie him by acknowledging howe much wee are beholding vnto him They therefore which haue through faith embrased the benefites of the death and resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christ ought to indeuour to set the same foorth saying Our GOD hath so powred out the inestimable treasures of his goodnesse towardes vs as it is good reason that all our whole life shoulde bee spent in glorifying him and yeelding him praise and thanksgiuing according also as Sainct Peter in his first Epistle saieth â— Pet. â— 1â— that the same is the verie ende why we were brought out of the horrible darkenesse of death to bee conueied into the kingdome of Gods light and into the kingdome of life S. Paul then doeth expresly match the confession of the mouth with saluation not that faith being right and true is not sufficient of it selfe nor that wee doe purchase Saluation by speaking but to shewe that faith cannot bee without confession Whereby wee see that they which nowadayes doe renounce God by holding their peace or keepe the knowledge of the Gospell as it were buried within them doe defraude GOD of the honour that is due vnto him and neuer knewe what faith meant O say they I keepe my faith to my selfe Yea Then doest thou make the holy Ghost a lyer As for those that bee of the Popedome communicating with ydolaters in al their abhominations and being readie to turne with euerie winde if a man tell them that it is a kinde of renouncing God and a forsaking of him that redeemed them from death O say they I holde my faith in my heart It is vnpossible that there shoulde bee faith in the heart but that confession with the mouth shoulde presently followe or else were the holie Ghost a lyer as witnesseth Sainct Paul And that is the thing which hee meant in saying that when we haue beleeued with the heart to iustification wee must then also confesse with our mouth that wee haue a redeemer which hath deliuered vs from death and opened vnto vs the kingdome of heauen to the intent it shoulde nowe bee our inheritance To bee short we see howe sainct Paul agreeth very well with Moses For albeit that Moses intended heere to reprooue such as had hearde the lawe and to conuict them of vnthankfulnesse yet hath hee shewed afore that it is not ynough for vs to haue our eares beaten with the literall worde vnlesse that God doe also giue vs vnderstanding thereof and that doeth hee giue vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ. It followeth then that vnlesse the lawe bee matched with the Gospel it is not neere vnto vs For although that wee for our part bee dayly taught it and that the worde doe dwell amongst vs yet shall we wander farre from it and receiue no taste of that which is vttered vnto vs. That then is the meaning of Moses And Sainct Paul doeth verie well agree therewith in that he telleth vs that we must resort to Iesus Christ and acknowledge what profite wee receiue by him and to what ende hee was sent vnto vs from God his father And moreouer let vs acknowledge it in such sort as wee may rest wholly vppon his Gospell and stande contented when God hath spoken vnto vs and not go about to fetch downe Iesus Christ from aboue as folke that woulde crucifie him newe againe Let it suffice vs that hee hath fully redeemed vs by that one sacrifice wherewith hee hath made perfect satisfaction for all Let it suffice vs that hee is ascended into heauen to the ende to drawe vs vnto him And sith we haue receiued y â— knowledge heereof by the Gospell let vs make our profite of it and beseech God that this doctrine may first of all be printed in our hearts to the ende that being iustified by his free goodnesse wee may stande fully assured vppon the redemption and satisfaction which our Lord Iesus Christ hath purchased for vs because wee haue no righteousnesse in vs. And thereupon let euery of vs endeuour to glorifie God knowing that hee hath adopted vs to the ende that he might be magnified in all our whole life according as it is saide in the Prophet Esay Esa. 43.7 21. The people which I haue created shall shewe forth my praises Nowe let vs fall downe the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sins beseeching him to make vs to feele them better than heretofore wee haue done and that wee may attaine to the remedie that is to say the forgiuenesse of them in our Lorde Iesus Christ. And that forasmuch as our God ceaseth not daily to instruct and to edifie vs in his word it may please him not to suffer vs to bee deafe hearers of him but rather to pearce our eares to the ende wee may become throughly obedient vnto him and holde vs therein and to shew forth the vertue of his holy spirite to the ende that the thing which is saide heere may bee accomplished in vs And that when we haue belieued with our heart we may also confesse his holy name with our mouth and our whole life may bee agreeable to the same confession That it may please him to deale so graciously not with vs onely but also with all Nations and people vpon earth c. On Wednesday the xxij of Aprill 1556. The CLXXII Sermon which is the fourth vpon the thirtith Chapter 15 See I haue this day set before thee lyfe and good death and euill 16 For I commaund thee this day to loue the Lorde thy GOD and to walke in his wayes and to keepe his commaundementes and his ordinaunces and his iudgementes that thou maiest liue and increase and that the Lorde thy GOD may blesse thee in the Lande which thou goest to possesse 17 If thy heart turne away and thou obey not but beest led aside and bowest thy selfe to other gods and seruest them 18 I doe tell you this day that you shall surely perishe and not prolong your dayes in the lande into the which nowe passing ouer Iordan thou goest to possesse it 19 I take heauen and earth this day to witnesse against you that I haue set before you life and death blessing and curse Therefore choose life that thou maist liue thou and thy seede 20 By louing the Lorde thy GOD by obeying his voyce and by cleauing vnto him for hee is thy life and the prolonger of thy dayes that thou maist continue in the Land which the Lord hath sworne to thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob to giue vnto them WE sawe yesterday howe Moses did magnifie the authoritie of the worde of God which was committed vnto him saying Seeing that God is come nere vnto vs and hath opened his holy mouth to declare vnto vs his will we must holde vs wholly thereunto and without seeking any further wee must not aske any more who shall goe vp into heauen or who shall
go downe into the deepe For wee haue sure witnesse and such a one as cannot faile vs. Seeing that God hath spoken let vs followe it He addeth here moreouer See I haue this day set before you life and blessing death and euill Whereby hee sheweth vs that the worde of God when it is taught vs doeth carry with it such vertue and such power that we ought to holde the things which are there tolde vs to bee as certaine as if they were alreadie done in deede The worde which Moses doeth vse in saying See as if he shoulde point with his finger to make the matter visible vnto vs doeth import that wee must yeelde such reuerence to the worde of God that wee must esteeme the thinges therein conteined to 〈◊〉 as present vnto vs. And the same is to bee applied as well to the threatenings as to the promises If God doe promise vs any thing it is not for vs to cast doubts thereof and to say Yea but how may it come to passe seeing there is no likelyhood thereof Let vs sticke to that which hee telleth vs. Likewise if God doe threaten vs wee must tremble and not doe as they doe which tarie for the strokes for they be so ouertaken vnawares as they haue not the power to crie alas they be ouer raught with feare and God giueth them not the grace to returne vnto him because they coulde not finde in their hearts to doe him the honour to submit themselues vnto him at such time as he warned them a farre off that hee is their Iudge Thus are we to practise this sentence which Moses vseth in saying That when wee heare the worde of God hee will haue vs to rest altogether thereon and to settle our wittes wholly vnto it And this ought to serue vs to double purpose that when as it shall seeme vnto vs that it is but lost time in this worlde to serue God yet notwithstanding we may not surcease to obey him waiting for the blessing which hee hath promised vs and assuring our selues that wee shall not be deceiued because he is faithfull And likewise on the contrarie part when wee be tempted to doe euill in hope that we shall remaâ—â—e vnpunished let vs bee holden backe with this bridle namely that wee cannot escape the â—rath of God because hee hath declared that hee is the Iudge to doe vengeance for such thinges The faithfull therefore in ordering their life must alwayes bee fully resolued of this that in seruing of God they bee sure that hee will guide them and that their ende shal be good and happie But in the meane while the worlde shall scorne them and they shall haue many temptations to turne them away they shall see the wicked prosper they shall see them make their triumphes and on the otherside they shall all that while see themselues goe to wracke Nowe when wee bee thus tossed wee must take our stay in the worde of GOD. Seeing that God hath promised to blesse vs when wee walke according to his will we are sure that he will not abuse vs for his worde is the infallible trueth and therefore let vs sticke vnto it Againe it seemeth vnto vs that we shoulde make mountains and work wonders when we let loose the bridle to our owne lustes Let vs feare God for he telleth vs that when men haue once misbehaued themselues Gen. 4.7 their sinne abideth stil at their doore and keepeth continuall watch so as when they haue wandered hither and thither and passed their boundes neuer so farre yet they must come to reckening Seeing it is so let vs learne to bridle our selues and not to tarrie till God execute his iudgementes vppon vs but let vs rather preuent them through feare Nowe wee see to what end Moses hath declared that he set before the eies of the people both life and good death and euill verily euen to assure the Iewes thereof that they might no longer stande in doubt And wherefore For there needeth nothing to carrie vs away as wee see too much by experience For it is a verie rare thing for men to rest them vppon the promises of God steadfastly without wauering they bee blinded with the thinges of the worlde and vnlesse God doe out of hande accomplish the thing which hee hath spoken they thinke they shal be deceiued And although they dare not accuse God of vnfaithfulnes yet can they not find in their hearts to doe him the honour to thinke him to be true Againe although God threaten vs yet are we so dulheaded y â— euery of vs perswadeth himselfe y t he shal go vnpunished and scape scotfree Seeing then y t there is such lightnes in vs that we bee so wauering we ought so much the more to put the lesson in practise which is set downe heere Now as touching life and good it is asmuch as if he should say all manner of happinesse and likewise by death and euill is ment all maner of wretchednes Indeede this present life is not the full measure or perfection of the blessings which God hath promised vs. It is no more but a certaine tast of them Death also is but a little token of Gods wrath The state of the life to come is the perfection both of weale and woe But Moses speaking vnto the people that were yet holden vnder the figures and shadowes of the lawe did name life and thereunto added this worde blessing to signifie that the people by seruing of God shoulde bee blessed euen in all manner of felicitie and contrarywise that they must of necessitie looke for all manner of wretchednesse if they did fall away froÌ„ the seruice of God For the better confirmation hereof hee saieth This day I commaunde thee to loue the Lorde thy God and to keepe his commaundements and to cleaue vnto him that thou maiest come to possesse the Lande which hee hath promised to thy fathers Heere is a confirmation to holde the people conuicted that they might haue no occasion to reply any more but be compelled to confesse that the Lawe of God serued to call them to saluation if so bee they had obeyed him And contrariwise that it shoulde bee vnto them a good Testimonie of their condemnation so as they coulde not pretende any excuse seeing they were so well instructed and yet continued hardhearted and stubborne still Moses sheweth this by the stubstance that is contained in this doctrine What is it saieth hee that I haue inioyned thee It is that thou shouldest loue the Lorde thy God Hath not nature left this marke imprinted in our heartes namely that wee bee created euen to this ende to loue our God Wherfore are we in this world Wherfore doth God keepe vs heere Is it not reason that he should haue some homage of vs and that forsomuch as wee be his creatures wee shoulde haue an eye vnto him he bee the scope of our life If it be not so what order will there be Wee
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
is tolde them y t God sheweth himselfe in Baptisme and in the supper also they make Idols of those visible signes thinke that God is inclosed in them Therefore it is sayde that he is in heauen But yet we must not imagine it to be in power onely but wee comprehende him not in our vnderstanding And that is the cause why the holy scripture stammereth and stutteth after our rude maner saith that God commeth downe as I haue say dee not for y t he shifteth places touching himselfe but it is sayd in respect of vs. Wherfore let vs learne to conuert to our profit all the signes y t God hath giuen vs of his prâ—sence in such sort as we may therby honor him as in his glory celestiall by lifting vp our mindes aboue all the world That is the thing which we haue to gather Now let vs come to y t which is here recited Behold thy dayes are come that thou shalt dy sayth God to Moses thou shalt goe sleepe with thy fathers this people shal arise saith he go a whoring after straÌ„ge Gods or else the Gods of the strangers When God told Moses in this wise that he must die we perceiue thereby that he strengthened him and that this tidinges of death was not to make him afrayd And in deede if we be not alwaies ready to depart the world when it shall please God to fetch vs what profit receiue we of all y e doctrine that is preached vnto vs What doth God purpose when we be taught in his word but to giue vs to vnderstand y t he placeth vs in this world as in a passage y t we must be strangers heere that our inheritance is aboue and y t we must be new-shapen from day to day by putting away froÌ„ vs all our affections whatsoeuer else is of the old man to the end we may come vnto him vntill y t he hath clothed vs w t his heauenly glorie Thus ye see how it is the purpose of God to draw people from the world to bring theÌ„ vnto himself But now if we be so giuen to this present life that God must plucke vs away from hence as it were by force and y t when his will is that we shall die we be full of spite rage and torment ourselues thereat we shewe well that we vnderstande not what the word of God meaneth and that we neuer had such tast thereof as was requisite Let vs therefore by the example of Moses be so disposed to dye that whensoeuer it shall please our Lorde to take vs away from hence we may be readie to goe and to depart out of this prison of our bodie If it be alleadged that wee haue not so much profited as Moses and that wee bee not so farre forewarde as hee it is out of doubt that God bestowed on him a special grace which was not coÌ„mon to all is very rare to be found For it is no smal matter when it is sayde y t there neuer rose vp a Prophet in Israell Deut. 34 1â— so great nor so excellent as he But yet notwithstanding we haue the Gospell which Moses hadde not Albeit that God gaue him largely of his spirite more than wee haue yet had not he the doctrine of the Gospell but in shadowe and figure because Iesus Christ was not yet manifested hee had the sacrifices of the lawe as well as the rest of the people And whereas our Lorde Iesus is come to bee our life we know that he is now ascended vp to heaueÌ„ we know that first he was beneath in the deepe that is to say that he satisfied the wrath of God to the ende to redeeme vs from eternall death Seeing wee haue such an aduauntage what excuse is there if we bee afrayde when death is talked of vnto vs and thinke that all is lost for our part So then let vs marke that to bee well learned in the gospell it behoueth vs to knowe aswell what it is to diâ— as what it is to liue And howe We must noâ— be tyed vnto this present worlde nor make account to dwell heere for euer but wee must haue the one foote vp as they say as folke ready to goe Also wee must consider howe fraile our life is and euen in our full health wee must alwaies haue death before our eyes For the performaunce whereof let vs looke vp to the heauenly life y â— is promised vnto vs whereof also we haue so good a pawn in our Lord Iesus Christ. That is the way for vs not to be afraid whensoeuer God shal make vs to vnderstand y t our end is nigh and shew vs that he wil take vs vnto him I say it shall neither abash vs nor make vs afrayde but we shal be determined to go vnto him with a good will as no doubt but Moses receiued that tydinges with great ioy as if hee should haue sayde Wel Lorde I haue finished my course I haue trauailed in y e world so long as I had power and strength and now beholde I am old drooping but yet shall I be restored in thy saluation Seeing then y t it is thy will to sequester me from all the troubles of this world behold I am nowe readie like as I haue continued in the world so long as it was thy wil euen so doe I nowe desire nothing but to yeeld my selfe vnto thee And for the same cause S. Paul sayeth that the Christians turne all thinges to their owne benefite 〈◊〉 1. â—1 aswell death as life For if we liue in this worlde though it be in miserie wretchednes so as we be afflicted and despised and tormented and seeme to be as people cast away yet doth y e same turne to our profite and aduantage And why For all our afflictions be blessed in our Lorde Iesus Christ because God maketh them auailable to our saluation according as it is sayde in the eight to the Romanes 〈◊〉 1.2 that the thinges which seeme to hinder our felicitie are in deede giuen vs of GOD as helpes and furtheraunces thereof When it commeth to death we know that Christ Iesus had victorie thereof and y t seeing he is rysen we be assured y t forasmuch as we be his members and haue one common life together with him therefore wee shall not perishe Thus doth death turne to our gaine and profite and we haue cause to reioyce in all respectes Moreouer where it is sayd That after the death of Moses the people will rise there is no doubt but y t this greeued Moses For he bare such a feruent zeale to the welfare of the people that he forgot himselfe and said 〈◊〉 32.32 Race me out of the booke of life and let the people bee saued See heere howe Moses was content to bee cuâ—te off yea and euen to be damned so that God would saue the people not because that that was possible but he was so
no longer as stray cattell not knowing him that made vs and fashioned vs nor yet knowing our selues neither And therefore let vs learne to receiue Gods word with all simplicitie not doubt but that there he commeth so familiarly vnto vs as we cannot say y t we need make long iourneyes or that the things are too profound and darke for vs. For our Lord doth as ye would say chawe our morsels aforehand to vs because of the rudenesse which he seeth in vs. And so he handleth vs lyke little babes to the intent we may the easilier swallow down the foode which he giueth vs. Thus ye may see I say howe that when we haue Gods woord preached vnto vs wee must not doe as the Papistes doe which say Oh sir this is to high for me this geere is not for plaine folkes this is to be reserued for the clergie But let vs assure our selues that God speaketh both to great and small and dalyeth not with vs when hee calleth vs to him by his word but will haue vs to vnderstand it Then is it not long of any but ourselues if when his word is preached vnto vs we be not dewly instructed in the things that are requisite for our saluation True it is that we must not steppe to it with presumption trusting in our own wisedome but we must desire God to inlighten vs and that as his voyce soundeth in our eares so also he speake to our heartes by his holy spirite Let vs humble our selues accordingly as we know how it is said that God vttereth his wil to such as are little and lowely Psal. 19.9 If we go to it after that maner let vs not doubt but our Lord will make the things auaileable which are set downe to vs in his name and giue vs accesse vnto him both familiar and easie ynough Therefore let vs marke well this word End whereof Moses speaketh heere and let vs consider whereunto God calleth vs. True it is that he maketh vs promises euen of this present life so as wee ought to assure our selues that God will not fayle vs in this world insomuch that although he will haue vs exercised with many miseries and vexed with diuers temptations yet notwithstanding he sayth he will hold vs vp with his mightie hand so as we shall neuer bee destitute of his helpe at our neede But yet the cheefe point is to consider the heritage which is reserued for vs in heauen so as we tend thitherward and set all our affections thereuppon without intangling ourselues so in these base things that wee cannot haue our heartes alwayes vpwarde and that for as much as our happinesse and treasure is aboue Matt. 6.20 wee bee not held downe in this worlde wherein all things are brittle and transitorie After that maner ought wee to consider the worde End whereof Moses speaketh here For whosoeuer they bee that seeke their happynesse heere beneath surely they differ nothing at all from Oxen and Asses but rather their state is yet much woorse For the beastes go on still and are not troubled with the great number of lustes wherewith men are troubled There is no ambition to be seene in them there is no Couetousnesse there is none of all the other lustes If they be a thirst they drink if they be a hungred they eate But men desire not onely to eate and drinke but also to glut themselues and to follow all maner of excesse Ye see then howe a man is more wretched than a beast in that he is so caried away by his vnruly affections Sith the case standeth so let vs tend to the end which god setteth downe vnto vs and let vs vnderstand that God doth so make vs to taste of his goodnesse in this earthly pilgrimage y t he wil haue vs to be filled therwith aboue but onely to passe through this world or to dwell in it as soiourners and in the meane while not ceasse to be ioyned and vnited to our Lord Iesus Christ knowing that he is our head and the fountaine of all good things and that all our ioy contentation rest and glory doe lye and consist in him and on the contrary part that if God punish vs not at the first for our offences we must not therfore fall asleepe in thē nor take occasion thereby to flatter our selues And why If we liue so from day to day without looking any further must it not needes be y t we be starke blocks True it is that the faithfull are not vexed with ouergreat carefulnes Psal. 37.5 145.18 For why They cast themselues as it were into Gods lap as they be incouraged to do in the psalm Then shal we not be vexed w t vnquietnes as they be which haue no trust in god For when we cal vpon god he is neere at hand and we must not make long discourses in that behalfe as the worldlings doe who stand scanning of that which is to come a hundred yeres after their death Yet notwithstāding we must not be so wedded to y e things which we see before our eyes that we shold not alwaies looke further off But lyke as the promises of the heauenly lyfe ought to lift vs vp aboue the world so ought Gods threatenings to quicken vs vp to walke in his feare by rebuking vs for our sinnes when wee haue done amisse and by calling vs dayly to account accordingly as it is sayde Heb 11.7 that by faith Noe beheld the floud when other men made great cheere and feasting So then let vs learne to haue an eye to our end that is to say when we haue offended God let vs not fall asleepe vpon it neither let vs foster our vices from morrow to morrow till we be growne hardhearted through vnreformable stubbornnesse but although God beare with vs and vse patience in winking at vs for a time yet let not vs forbeare to bethinke vs of his threatenings and to waken our selues that we may repent and aske forgiuenesse and turne vnto him with true amendment Ye see then that the true wisedome is that men should not be tyed to the present thinges but to lift vp their heartes and mindes to the things that are inuisible accordingly as it is said that faith is a mirrour of the things that are not seene 〈◊〉 11.1 and the ground of the thinges which are absent or farre from vs. Although then that our happinesse appeare not at the first and it seeme that for all our seruing of God yet we be miserable by reason whereof the vnbeleeuers floute vs and set their feete as it were vpon our throats so as we be persecuted by them yet notwithstanding let vs not ceasse to conclude that hauing once put our trust in God we shal not be disappointed For why The end of it wil be good and therfore let vs tary patiently til God deliuer vs from the afflictions and miseries wherin we be at this day Let vs therfore
For we be not so bolde to offende God neither take wee such libertie as they doe which fling out at all aduenture but yet when wee haue done amisse and God warneth vs of our faults then haue we neede to resort to his infinite goodnesse and to assure ourselues that howsoeuer the case stand we shall obtayne pardon of our offences Truely these two thinges namely That God killeth and quickeneth againe and that hee maketh a wounde and afterwarde healeth againe seeme at the first blush to bee contraries For God seemeth not to play the Physicion towardes vs when wee bee as it were deade and layde in our graues Neither seemeth this to bee agreeable to his nature to put vs to death and to afflict vs but as I saide afore hee must be faine to doe both the one and the other and wee on our side also must bee faine to feele it For as long as men take leaue to doe euill it is meete that God shoulde hold them in awe and shewe them that hee is their Iudge And on the other side that wretched sinners should humble themselues and with griefe of minde turne againe vnto him to obteyne forgiuenesse at his hande and then will he bee forwarde and readie to forget all their offences and shewe them nothing but all maner of gentlenes friendship To be short the two thinges which Moses noteth here are to be considered well namely that God vseth rigor towards such as take too much libertie to do euil and also that his goodnes is ready to vtter it selfe towardes those which returne to him with repentaunce And so ye see howe we haue to marke also howe good and pitifull God is and againe on the contrarie part wee haue to consider his rigour and seueritie To be short as oft as wee be prouoked to euill and the wicked lustes of our flesh do tickle vs and intice vs to sin let Gods iudgement come before our eyes that we may be mooued with feare and thereby bee restrayned from the euill whereunto we bee tempted On the other side when we fall through infirmitie let vs not be afraide to turne againe to our God neither let vs thinke that hee hath quite cast vs off Although his hande be sore vppon vs and he smite vs as though he meant to vse wrath and vengeance against vs yet let that not make vs to shrinke from him but rather let vs vnderstande y t as he hath made the wound so he is at hand to heale it so we seeke the remedy Now the mean howe to seeke it hath beene declared heretofore And so ye see after what maner we ought to put this lesson in vre where Moses saith that god hauing put to death doth make aliue again And herewithall let vs also beare in minde that God playeth not with men as the heathen haue imagined as who would say he tossed and turned them like a bal but y e reason is manifest why God doth first kill and lay in graue before he restore to life againe namelie because we cannot find in our harts to submit our selues willingly vnto him vntil he haue subdued vs by force Nay the feruent heate of our boyling lustes doth so carie vs away and we be so blinded with them that wee cannot conceiue howe terrible Gods iustice is vntil he haue made vs to feele it by experience Therfore it is needful for vs y t our Lord shold put vs as it were to death to y e inteÌ„t to make vs to tast y e life which he giueth to those y t return vnto him And for the same cause he addeth That no maÌ„ can deliuer out of his hand For we know how men doe alwaies beare themselues in hand that they shall scape Gods hande insomuch that hee beginneth no sooner to strike them but by and by they seeke startingholes and they will needes haue some pretie shift or other and thereupon they fal asleepe and y t is a kinde of contempt to God ward To the end then that wee may goe directlie vnto him whether wee haue offended him or whether we haue beene tempted to euil we must alwayes vnderstande that there is no deliueraunce there is no shift but we must make our accout to him vntill he of his owne infinite goodnesse haue receiued vs and bee come to attonement with vs. The thing therefore that will perswade vs to come vnto God is that we be fully determined and setled in our selues that we shall gayne nothing by our running to and fro and by our seeking heere and there for startingholes but that all is meere deceyte to beguile our selues withall When we once knowe this well then shall wee bee prouoked to submit our selues to God Also it will hold vs in awe of him and make vs to seeke forgiuenesse of our sinnes at his hand when wee haue so giuen ouer ourselues to him Againe we ought to wey well the wordes of Moses It is I sayth he it is I my selfe that am the euerlasting and there is not any other God For hereby wee see howe harde it is to holde men to the knowledge of the true God because they be euer swaruing aside to their owne foolishe imaginations For wee be naturally inclined to the forging of Idols and to corrupt our selues with superstitions so as fashood doth alwayes beare sway in vs rather than trueth A man woulde woonder how so many errours should be in the worlde But let him consider what a workehouse our owne brayne is and what thinges it forgeth and yeeldeth foorth and surelie hee shall finde that we neuer cease forging of lies and deceites to corrupt ourselues withall and to turne vs away from Gods pure trueth And so because men are so wholy bent yea and giuen ouer to â—easinges therefore doeth God confirme this matter the more by saying It is I and there is not â—nie other It is hee on whome wee must wholie â—est Nowe seeing it is so it behooueth all of vs to knowe that euerie of vs had neede to holde himselfe as it were by force in the pure singlenesse of Gods worde or else wee shall bee ouercome by Satans illusions and he will haue caried vs away here and there out of hande And by the way if wee see the worlde intangled in neuer so manie disorders and all men possessed with false and wicked opinions let vs not be too much troubled at such a stumblingblocke For why Wee see there is nothing harder than to holde men in the pure knowledge of God Nowe hee addeth consequentlie Surelie I will lift vp my hande to heauen and say I am the liuing and that I hauing sharpened the edge of my sworde hauing taken Iustice in my hande will execute such vengeaunce that bloude shall run downe in streames euerie where so as all mine enemies shall be made to come to their aunswere and I will spare nothing from one side to an other Now here God confirmeth yet better that which hee had
no lesse than the world despiseth them Behold they which walk purely simply before God which loue righteousnesse and vpright dealing which will neither deceiue nor hurt any man euen they neuerthelesse are faine to abide hunger and thirst and are greeued with many temptations and troubles so as they wote not which way to turne thē Now they might bee brought to despaire if God withheld them not by dooing them to vnderstand that they haue neede to be chasticed and put in minde of their sinnes On the other side they see the wicked and the despisers of God sporting themselues in all manner of disorder and in the meane while they bee neither chasticed nor corrected but seeme rather to be exempted and priuiledged from all harme Psal. 73.5 as it is sayd in the threescore and thirteenth psalme Loe here a very sore temptation We see generally that Gods Church is as a sheep in the midst of a great sorte of Woolues For the power of our enemies is such as they might swallowe vs vp out of hand and we see there is no meane of resistance in vs we be all scattered abroad Seeing then that wee see such thinges were it possible for vs to holde out one minute of an houre if wee had not our refuge to this doctrine that God scourgeth his owne and that he beginneth at them because he must needes haue a care of his owne houshold But the wicked shall fare neuer the better for his bearing with them as now neither is it to be sayd that their state is therefore better than ours Therefore we must tary his leasure with patience vntil he take the sword in hand and keepe his Assises Let vs referre all vnto him and in the meane whyle keep silence without grudging against him Let not the corrections which wee suffer set vs in such a chafe as to make vs play the desperate persons Thus ye see how profitable this doctrine is to vs if we can apply it to our instruction Now it is sayd consequently that God will requite his enemies with the lyke and pay them their hyre which hate him hee wil make his arrowes dronke with bloud and make such a slaughter of them that they shall all bee discomfited His speaking after that maner is to make his Iustice the more terrible to vs because we be slow and dulheadded as I haue sayd afore insomuch that wordes moue vs not a whit Therefore doth our Lorde set downe a vehement kinde of speech here to the ende to waken vs and to make vs yeeld due honor to his Iustice and that as I haue sayd afore it might be to vs as though wee sawe both heauen and earth shaken For after the same maner speaketh hee by his Prophet Aggeus the Apostle shewing vs the maiestie of the Gospell Agge 2.7 Heb. 12.26 alledgeth the same text that as oft as wee heare the voyce thereof sound it behoueth vs to call to minde that God will bee heard and knowen both aboue and beneath Now it is certaine y t the holy Ghost would not haue vsed such speach but for our blockishnes sake Seeing then that our Lord setteth downe here so many figures and so many comparisons let vs accuse our selues and consider that hee doth it for the brutishnes of our nature by reason whereof hee is faine to chawe thinges to vs aforehand to the end we may finde some tast in them and be touched with them But yet must we alwayes haue an eye to the end and to the intent where at this doctrine ameth And our Lord sayth that it is for the slaines sakes and for the prisoners sake◠Whereby he dooth vs to vnderstand that the vengeance which hee speaketh of is for the welfare of his Church howbeit not for all that haue borne y e name of faithfull for wee know there are many which make false bragges of Gods name that is to their double condemnation We know that the chaffe is mingled with the good corne and the wicked are intermedled with the godly But yet they which falsely abuse Gods name after that fashion must not looke that their hypocrisie shall any whit boote them nay rather they shall pay full deere for it They then which pretend to bee faithfull and are not shall not be allowed before GOD for euer but hee will mark them out for falsifyers of his trueth But our Lorde here comforteth such as are not altogether past grace but which notwithstanding that they haue offended doe neuerthelesse turne againe vnto him and beeing sory for their sinnes doe humble themselues to him and seeke to bee reformed by his hand and by his holy spirit Those therefore which are so ouermastred haue neede to be comforted at Gods hand accordingly also as we see howe our Lord Iesus Christ speaketh to that sorte of men saying Matt. 11.28.29 Come vnto me al ye that are wearie and ouerloden and I will refresh you and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules So then in this text our Lord hath an eye to such as might be drowned in dispaire if he should not giue them some taste of his goodnesse to stay them vp withall And therefore he saith that although hee haue shewed himselfe rigorous to his Church for a time yet notwithstanding he hath not disanulled the couenant which hee had made with his seruaunt Abraham but he wil shew that the people whom hee had chosen and adopted are his own and that seeing he is their protector he will performe this faying of his Gen. 12.3 Ezo 23.22 I will be a friend to thy friendes and an enemie to thine enemies That is the thing in effect which Moses had respect vnto Sith it is so let vs learne to arme our selues with this lesson and whensoeuer our enemies behaue themselues lyke wood beastes yea and are as furious as flaming fire let vs on our side vnderstand that our God hath power enough to maintaine vs and that if he do it not at the first it is to try our patience and to make vs to ouercome all temptations Wherefore let vs learn to proceede on still yea euen though he shoulde leade vs vnto death assuring our selues that hee dooth it to giue vs a better lyfe and therefore let vs alwayes goe on still whither soeuer it shal please him to lead vs. But yet howsoeuer we fare let vs not beare any spite to our aduersaries Although as now they execute their rage against vs yet let vs be throughly perswaded that in the end they must come to account and that as thē God will shewe how deere our welfare was vnto him that although he seemed to haue forgotten vs and to haue cast vs quite and cleane vp yet notwithstanding hee did still esteeme vs as his flocke God then will shew that he had vs alwayes in his protection Therefore let vs in the meane time abide quiet and let vs not be so cast downe with temptations that wee should
be out of hope of our saluation and giue ouer the promises thereof that haue bin made vnto vs. Thus doe we now see the meaning of Moses and also in how great stead his doctrine may stand vs if we can haue the skill to apply it well to our vse Now it is said for a conclusion Ye people or nations prayse ye the people of God Here Moses directeth his speech to all infidels and heathen folk to the intent that the exhortatioÌ„ which he hath set downe heretofore may haue the more force Hitherto he had spoken to the belieuers and to such as haue eares to heare God withall and to such as he calleth to his schoole Howbeit forasmuch as there is so much troublesomnesse and scrupulousnesse in vs as is pitifull to see Moses meant to giue vs yet one meane more for our better confirmation in respect wherof he sayth Consider my friends see how your God comforteth you in the middest of the chastisements which he sendeth you Although ye haue offended him deserue to haue extreme rigor vsed towardes you without any abatement of his corrections yet notwithstanding to shewe that hee would not haue you to perish nor y t you shoulde feele him but as a Iudge onely he sheweth again that he will haue pitie vpon you and repent him of his smiting of you after that fashion and that he will withdrawe his hand And if you beleeue not this yet neuerthelesse y e infidels must needs beleeue it Although they be destitute of reason although there be not one sparke of light in theÌ„ although they be as brutish as beastes that neuer heard speaking of the liuing God yet shall they perceiue this and their experience shal be such Psal. 32.12 that they shall be driuen to say Blessed is the people whose father sauiour God sheweth himselfe to be Euen they I say shal blesse you Now when the dumme are able to speake the blinde to see the deafe to heare shoulde not they that haue bin inlightned by Gods word to whom he hath giuen tongues to magnifie his name should not they see nor perceiue a whit What excuse then shall there be for them Now then wee see why Moses hauing exhorted the faithfull to repentance hauing shewed them that God will haue pitie mercie vppon them after he hath corrected them for their faultes offences turneth his talke to such as were blind had not any knowledge or tast of the trueth namely to the heathen of purpose to make vs to perceiue the better after what sorte God causeth vs to feele his goodnes euen by experience sealing it vp in our harts by his holy spirit which is named the â—arnest penny and the seale of the hope of our saluation 〈◊〉 1.12 the causer of vs to take hold of all the good thinges which we receiue at Gods hand Now then if we know nothing therof that the infidels by beholding Gods wonderfull working after a manner vnaccustomed among men be inforced to say O what a thing is it to be of the number of Gods people ought not we to haue a more liuely knowledge thereof such as may comfort vs in our afflictions so as we may not cease to call vpon our God to hold vs continually vnder his obedience and to haue alwayes wherwith to asswage the bitternes of our sorrowes Truely the thing that Moses rehearseth here is shewed vs in the example of Balaam For he was a false Prophet hee was an enemie of God hee was such a one as had his tongue to sale and his heart vppon his powch seeking to turne the trueth into falshood and yet for all this as though God had held him vppon the rack he was inforced to vtter this speech Let my soule dye the death of the righteous 〈◊〉 13.10 He speaketh there of the people of God saying Who art thou Israell Who is hee that can doe any thing against thee seeing thou standest in the fauor of thy God Was a deceiuer and an vnderling of Satan faine to say so Yea verely For it is Gods will that his will which hee hath witnessed already to his people by his lawe and by his word should be knowen and further confirmed euen by the mouth of his open enemie Balaam was faine to say that the death of the Iewes was more to be desired than the life of all other men because God held them for his people So then let vs marke well that whereas Moses sayth Ye Nations or ye Gentiles prayse yee the people of God it is as much to say as declare ye that God hath wrought after such a fashion as it is not for men to doubt any more but that for his adoption sake in that he hath voutsafed to choose the linage of Abraham he will haue it knowen that therein he hath layd forth the infinite treasures of his goodnes And forthwith he addeth that hee will reuenge the bloud of his seruauntes and requite vengeance to his enemies but bee mercifull to his land and to his people Here are three thinges in effect which I wil touch in few words and it wil be enough to conclude this song withall The first is that God sayth He will reuenge the bloud of his seruantes Now vnder this saying hee sheweth vs that wee may well be afflicted for a time so far forth that euen our very bloud shall not be spared whether it be that God punish vs for the faults which we haue committed against him or that his will be to try our patience The thing then whereof wee bee warned is that if God thinke good to haue our bloud shed we must not thinke it straunge nor shrinke from the promises which he hath made vs in auowing himselfe to bee our God and the defender of our lyfe Neither must we think that those promises are disanulled though our God suffer vs to be handled so cruelly But let vs tary the time till he reuenge our bloud for hee will then shewe how deare and precious our lyfe is vnto him Thus much coÌ„cerning the first point As touching the second he sayth that God will requite his enemies with the lyke to the ende wee should knowe that all the felicitie of the wicked and of the despisers of God shall be accursed Psal. 37. â— therefore that we must not repine at them therfore Now then if wee see Gods enemies to bee rich to haue their ease in this world and to welter in all pleasure let vs let them alone and not be drawen do spire them or to intermeddle our selues with theÌ„ For why God 's vengeance which is yet vnseene must come before our eyes be considered by faith we must also remeÌ„ber how it is said Luke 6.25 Cursed be you y t laugh for ye shal weepe Forasmuch then as the laughter of y e despiserâ— of God must be turned into mourning weeping and gnashing of teeth let vs
vs wel remeÌ„ber what is conteyned here as things that proceeded not from a mortall creature but from God who witnessed that he was the father and defendour of his church Nowe this concerneth vs. For although wee haue not the like prophesies yet hath God declared vnto vs that we be euer vnder his charge and that he watcheth for our welfare And wee for our part haue no neede to bee trayned on in knowledge by such meanes because God hath brought vs alreadie to an other manner of perfection Therefore let vs holde vs contented with the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ in whose person the thing is performed which was hoped for vnder the lawe And therewithall let vs bee fullie resolued that GOD guideth our steppes and that euen in the middest of all the disorders and troubles which are seene in the worlde his Church is still deare and pretious vnto him And in good sooth wee see that before Iesus Christ came into the worlde â—â—cap 7.11 Daniell discouered all the chaunges which shoulde bee made because it might else haue seemed that God had gone from his couenaunt a hundred times within the space of foure hundred yeares and that all shoulde haue goone in such wise to wrecke as if God had forsaken that people and been minded to haue no more to do with them It was requisite therfore that these things should bee foretolde that the faithfull might knowe that although they were shaken and tossed to and fro yet were they still in the hande of God and that when they sawe the kingdomes chaunged rounde about them and the worlde so turned vpside downe as a man coulde not discerne anie thing in it yet they shoulde alwayes be assured of that which God had promised them namely of his sending of his sonne to redeeme them and y t they should by that meanes bee restored euen after y e vtter desolation of al things among them Thus see wee now the vse of this Song Now whereas it is saide That it was Moses the man of God that blessed the children of Israell that title was giuen to Moses as in respect that hee was the instrument of the holie Ghost Then speake hee not of his owne motion there is not anie thing spoken here after the fleshe but as proceeding from a man of God And hereby wee be the better taught to imbrace the record that is giuen vs here as if God protested with his owne mouth that hee had a care of his people and that he would euermore continue his goodnesse and gratious fauour towardes them For in deed there was a blessing made by the Priests in the time of the lawe according to this saying Blesse yee you that bee of the house of the Lorde And it is the same thing which is written in the sixth Chapter of the booke of Numbers where it is saide that they which doe sacrifice to GOD Psal. 118.26 Numb 6.23 shall blesse the people in his name And truely where the Priestes and the tribe of Leuie are spoken of this also is added To whom the Lorde hath giuen the charge of Blessing the people Leuit. 9 2â— And this thing is not abolished at this day For our Lorde Iesus Christ had in his person the thinges that were figured in olde time vnder the Lawe Let vs knowe then that noweadayes there is one euerlasting blessing of God which is much better witnessed vnto vs than all the blessinges that were so often repeated vnder the law insomuch that as nowe God telleth vs by his onely sonne that hee taketh vs into his fauour and that wee bee as his children and that the preaching of the Gospell serueth vs to that ende and wee must applie it to that vse So then whensoeuer wee come to heare the worde of God let vs call to minde howe our Lorde Iesus Christ at his going vp into heauen did lift vp his handes ouer his disciples and blesse them as is reported by Saint Luke And that was done to make vs knowe what his office is and to doe vs to vnderstande that at this day when the Gospell is preached in his name Luk. 24.50 it is all one as if hee shoulde say Beholde my father accepteth you you be in his fauour Nowe then seeing we haue this ought it not to make vs to loue the Gospel considering that therein wee bee blessed by the mouth of our Lorde Iesus Christ as in whose name and by whose authoritie that doctrine is treated of Let vs vnderstande therefore that if it behoued the fathers vnder the Lawe to bee contented with the blessing that was giuen them by Moses by the Priestes and by Iacob if wee nowadayes bee faithlesse and admit not the recorde with full certeintie which is giuen vs in the Gospell wee bee worse than vnexcusable because wee deface the trueth of Gods sonne and as much as in vs lyeth accuse him of lying as though hee were not a sure and infallible witnesse of the will of GOD his father And when wee compare Moses who is called a man of God with our Lord Iesus Christ who hath y e whole soueraigntie of Gods house as the Apostle saith Hebr. 3.2 wee may bee yet the better assured that he hath blessed vs at this day and that hee vttereth vnto vs the loue of God his father and therfore let our faith be so much the better certified seeing it behoued this title of Moses to content the people of olde time Nowe it is added That he did it a little before his death The worde which he vseth is as much to say as hee did it before his death So then by these wordes Before his death is not meant a yeare or two no nor yet a moneth but at his death time euen when hee was to die And these blessinges are therefore of so much the more authoritie For wee knowe that when a man makes his last will it shall bee better receyued than the things which he spake during his life Although then y t Moses serued God as a Prophet and teacher all his life long and had discharged his duetie faithfully yet neuerthelesse his minde was to vtter these blessinges at the time of his death to the ende they should be the better receiued and men consider thus Beholde Moses being readie to departe out of the world hath told vs of the things that are to come hee hath not doone it at aladuenture nor vnaduisedly but hee hath fully and wholy performed that which was inioyned him To the intent therefore that the people shoulde receyue those blessinges the better this circumstance is expressely added That he did it at the houre of his death But we at this day haue a farre better and more excellent confirmation in that we be blessed by the mouth of our Lorde Iesus Christ. For he hath not onely doone it at his death but also hath sealed Gods fatherly loue and adoption towards vs I say sealed them with his precious
notwithstanding Gods power shall shewe it selfe therein And now proceeding with this lesson let vs learne first to knowe that wee be vtterly naked and that wee want all thinges when we knowe that let vs humble ourselues so as there may not be one droppe of hautinesse or foolish selfeweening in vs. And therewithall let vs vnderstande that God will not suffer vs to quaile in any case For if we haue neither sword nor shielde he will serue our turne for both of them If we be in daunger of vndooing hee is our preseruer If we be plundged heere in neuer so many miseries with the rest of all mankinde we shal be recouered again by his grace because he hath chosen vs for his people That is the point whereon we must rest Nowe haue we heere a rehearsal of the death of Moses whereof mention was made in the end of the two and thirtith Chapter and heere it is repeated againe Deut. 32.50 namely that God made Moses to goe vp into the mountaine Nebo which otherwise is a part of the Mountaine Abarim And he addeth afterwarde Gay In deede this worde Gay signifieth a valley But we see it was a part of the mountaine in diuers respectes and that appeareth in many places Moses then went vp as he was commaunded of God and there beheld all the Lande which had bin promised for an inheritaunce to the linage of Abraham euen vnto the Sea which was right ouer against it that is to wit the midland Sea He viewed the Countrey to the intent he should be certified before his death that the promise which God hadde made fourehundred yeeres afore Gen. 12.7 was not in vaine but euen at the point to bee performed neuerthelesse it was not Lawfull for him to goe into the Lande but only to see it And as hath beene treated heeretofore God punished him because he had not glorified God at the place of Meriba Deut. 32.51 Exod. 17.7 that is to say the place of Strife which was so named because the people were on an vprore there And heere we haue to cal to minde the thing which hath beene layde foorth already more at length that is to wit the obedientnesse of Moses For he knewe well that his going vp thither as God called him was to the intent he should die Death then was not so greeuous vnto him but that he prepared himselfe vnto it when hee sawe it was Gods will it should be so And by this example wee be taught to liue in such sort as wee may alwayes haue one foote lifted vppe to goe whensoeuer GOD listeth to take vs hence to himselfe And in deede what win the stubborne sort by their desyrousnesse to eschewe death but to bee ouercome by force when they haue fretted and chafed neuer so much It is a point of slender discretion when men consider not that as God hath sette them heere so he ought also to haue authoritie to take them away againe when he listeth Wee shewe ourselues to be destitute of wit and reason like brute beastes if we haue not such consideration w t vs. Wherfore let vs learne to finish our course in such wise walking as Pilgrimes vppon earth as we may euermore be ready and weldisposed to depart from it whensoeuer God sheweth vs that our houre is come But truely that can not be done except we conceiue a hope of a better life 1. Cor. 5.4 For as sayth S. Paul naturally we be loth to be vnhoused there is no man but hee would faine continue still Therefore it standeth vs in hande to knowe that our true dwelling place is not heere in this worlde and that we be but only to passe through it So then without fayth we can neuer obey God Hebr. 13.14 specially when we bee to depart out of the worlde but we will alwayes grynde our teeth at it so as if it were possible we would fight against God But when we once conceiue that our inheritaunce is aboue and that God hath a better life in store for vs then doe we determine and prepare to submit ourselues vnto him whensoeuer hee giueth vs any token that we must depart hence After that manner shall we followe the example of Moses I graunt he had a promise that God accepted him for one of his but yet the same belongeth to vs also and we haue this aduauntage more that our Lorde Iesus Christ who is our life Iohn 11.25 hath shewed himselfe vnto vs to the intent we should boldly followe his steppes And he entered into death to bring vs to the glorie of his resurrection Therefore let vs not sticke to followe the Lorde Iesus because that if we die with him we be sure as sayth S. Paule to be partakers of his life Rom. 6.8 and to be companions with him because it belongeth vnto vs. For he was not raysed againe for his owne profite but for the assuring of our saluation Therefore let vs not dout therof but let vs cleaue vnto him And in so doing let vs assure ourselues Rom. 4.26 that his resurrection shall be manifested in vs also Thus ye see howe we haue to put this text in practise where it is sayde that Moses went vppe to the mountaine knowing well that when he came there God would take him out of the worlde And yet for all that hee shunned not the place ne madâ— any resistance but prepared himselfe to death with true obedience yea and with such frowardnesse that he needed not to be ledde nor to be haled forth by the handes of sergeauntes God sayde the worde and Moses went thither with a good will Againe let vs marke also what hath bin declared as touching the punishment that was laid vpon Moses namely that God had shut him out banished him from the lande which was promised to all Abrahams posteritie and that was a verie greeuous thing to him But yet did he beare it patiently acknowledging y e fault which he had committed though it came not of himselfe For he had alwayes serued God faythfully yea and in the very selfesame deede there was no more but this that it spyted him to see the leaudnesse of the people Howbeit forasmuch as he was cast downe and stoode not so stoutly to it as was requisite God layd that fault to his charge and punished it with such rigour as we see in not admitting him into the lande of promise To be short let vs vnderstande as I haue sayde afore that whereas we thinke wee haue not done amisse our offences shal be grosse and exceeding great before God Wherefore let vs learne not to be our owne Iudges but to referre ourselues vnto God and to suffer him to acquit vs or condemne vs by his worde When we shall haue doone any thing albeit that our conscience reprooue vs not let vs assure ourselues that God seeth more clearely than we do as sayth S. Iohn in his canonicall Epistle 1. Iohn 3 And
y t God should say one thing and meane another as though he vsed double Dealing 398. a 10. b 10 There is no worde of peace but where vprightnes and iust Dealing is obserued 80. a 30 The leawde Dealing of the Iewes to Godwarde whiles hee was working their welfare 390. b 20.30.40.50.60 Why the subtilest Dealing is counted or esteemed a vertue 94. a 50 The abuse of Gods fauour and gentle Dealing with vs. 83. a 60 b 10 Perswasions to iust and vpright Dealing 65. a 40.50.60 b 10 All wrongfull Dealing forbidden vnder the name of murther 516. a 60. b 10 From whence all priuie packinges and other leawde Dealinges come 21. a 20 Dealings The cause why men are so disordered in their Dealings and knowe not what to doe 724. a 10.20 Death Death is the entrance to life and how that may be 954. b 20 Howe we that be Christians should bee affected concerning Death and how we ought to esteeme thereof 738. b 10.20.1088 b all 1089. a 10 Christ suffered Death but was not ouercome of Death 765. a 40.50.60 766. a 60. b 10. 35. b 40 Of a kinde of Death wrought vppon mens vices not vpon their persons 731. a 10.20.30 Of Moseses blessinges ouer the Iewes at the verie time of his Death and what we are taught thereby 1186. a 10.20.30.40 Of preparing our selues for Death by the example of Moses 1180. all 1236. a 10.20 c. Of Death and how the same doth turne to our gaine and profite 1088. b all 1089. a 10.20.30 What we haue to note when God taketh away excellent men by Death from among vs. 1242. a 40.50.60 What wee haue to consider in the Death of our friendes or other persons 1242. a 10.20 A moste excellent consideration of Death inferred vppon the Death of Moses Reade the 200 sermon and page 1242. specially Nothing more certaine than Death but nothing more vncertaine than the houre thereof 1010. b 10 Death is but a litle tokē of Gods wrath 1066. b 60 What we haue to learn by these words I haue layde both life and Death before your eyes 1071. all Whereof we should bethinke our selues whensoeuer we heare any speaking of Death 1182. a 60. b 10 What maner of Death we are exhorted to die 35. b 50 How Gods word becommeth the sauor of Death 77. b 10 It is good reason that Christ shoulde be Lorde of life and Death 186. b 60 It is no reason that Gods name should be buried with our Death 129. a 30 To put a man to Death without hauing knowen which is the true God is but a frantike zeale 541. a 40 What Death is where also mourning too much for the death of our frinds and kinsfolkes is reproued and why 553. b. 40. Reade also the whole page In what respect it is good to couet and desire Death 617. b 50.60.618 a 10 Death denounced by lawe against all such among the Iewes as went about to counsell others to peruert the seruice of GOD. 632. a 10.20 c. How willing wee should be to die and the cause why a number cannot away with Death 617. b all Admonitions to bee marked touching naturall Death falling on our selues or our friendes 554. a 40.50.60 b 10 Diuerse godlesse persons noted that deserue Death and why 545. a 50.60 b 10.20.30 Deaths So manie are the Deathes of our frowarde nature as wee haue good thoughts 35. b 40.50 An infinite number of Deathes to bee founde in our selues 1010. a 10 Dearth The dooinges of diuerse noted if there come a yeare of Dearth 575. a 50.60 c. What we should thinke vpon whē there commeth a Dearth of vittles 1150. b 30.40.586 b 10 Debt Saint Pauls admonition to induce vs to spare those that are in our Debt 577. a 50.60 What strangers had the benefite of not suing men for Debt and what strangers had not 576. a 60. b 10 A Lawe for the releasing of such as were in Debt 572. a 50.60 and who ought to be vouchsafed the benefite of that lawe ib. b 50.60 Debts In what yeere men were not to be sued for their Debts among the Iewes 573. b 10. and of Gods meaning by that lawe 574. a 10 Howe men deale touching their Debts one to another debts due to God 629. b 10.20.30 Respit giuen in the time of the old lawe for paying of Debts but not clearely released and howe long 574. a 40.50 578. a 60. and 583. a 50 Doctrine for Christians to note touching Debtes debters and creditors 575. all wherein we are taught how to vse the poorer sort that are behind hande ib. Reasons why the poore in a case of Debts were to be borne with all in the seuenth yeere 574. b 10.20.30 Deceipt Of priuie Deceipt and the most mischeeuous meane of beguiling 885. a 30. c. Looke Dealing Wrong Decrees The Popes Decrees are the souereigne wisedome as he sayth 666. b 20.30 Dedication Of the Dedication of houses or of blessing them a Iewish ceremonie and what we haue to learne thereby 719. a all Looke Houses Defile What thinges they bee that Defile a man in very deede 561. b 60.562 a 10 Defiled The meaning of this lawe that hee which is Defiled in his bodie should be seuered from the companie of others 812. b all Defiling Of Defiling Gods creatures as well meate as drinke and howe that vice is committed 557. a all Defilementes What wee haue to gather concerning the filthy Defilementes of this life 850. a 30.40.50.60 b 10. c. 908. a 10. 907. b 40.50 Of diuerse kinds of Defilementes both of bodie and soule Read sermon 130 and page 797. all and sermon 133 and page 814. b 50.60.815 a 10. c. What Defilementes they be that driue God away from vs. 815. b 30.816 a 10 Of the Defilementes that are among vs and wherein the same consist 815. b 20.30 c. Degrees What Degrees of kinred may not couple in mariage 794. b 40.50.60.795 a 10. c. Looke Kinred and Mariage Delaie The reason why GOD vseth to make Delay for a time before he performe his promise 506. b 10. a 20.30.40.50.60 Looke promise Deliuerance The Deliuerance of the Iewes out of Aegypt described and whereto it is to be referred 899. a all b 10.20 602. a 60. 169. a 30. 456. a 40.50 8. a 20 Deliuerāce from bondage promised to the Iewes after foure hundred yeres 896. b 40.50 60 To what purpose God hath wrought our spirituall Deliuerance 212. a 10 Why God maketh expresse mention of the Deliuerance of the Iewes out of AEgypt 186. a 30.40 A view of our Deliuerāce by the bloud of Christ. 186. b all No Deliuerāce out of the hand of God 1166. b 60.1167 a 10 Departing A description of the Departing of the Israelits out of AEgypt 598.50.60 599. a 10. Looke AEgypt and Iewes Descending Of Gods Descending from heauen and what we are thereby
Life 208. a 10 The point that we must begin at if we will please God all our Life long 285. a 10 The two pointes whereupon our Life consisteth Read the place it is note worthie 208. b 20.30.40 What is the ende and summe of our whole life 194. a 10. 208. b 20.30 445. a 20 Our Life must be a certificate whether wee loue God or hate him 192. b 40 It is good reason that Christ should be Lord of Life and death 186. b 60 That wee carrie our Life in our hands and what wee are taught thereby 1010. a 30 Of one whose Life was a continuall torment 1011. a 10 It behooueth vs to bethinke vs well of all the time of our Life Read howe 347. b 60. 348. a 10.20.30.40.50 That our Life in generall is hanging by a thread and how that is meant 1009. b 60. 1010. a 10.20.30 Our flightfull Life howe it is maintained 351. b 30.40.60 and 352. all 353. a 10.20.30 How can bread being a dead thing giue Life 351. b 50.60 How deere mans Life is to God read page 173. all 174. a 10.20.30.40.50 696. b 50 Our carefulnes for the things of this Life declared 125 a 10 Our Life dependeth vppon Gods lawe 181. b 20 Of buying and selling the life of an innocent person 936. a 60 b 10 To what end God hath made this Life of ours subiect to so manie miseries 61. a 10 Of leading a happie Life in this world according to Gods promise and how that is meant 950. a 10 What a Christian mans Life is vppon earth 35. b 40 Why the possession of Life righteousnes is assured vnto vs. 35. b 10 The sequele of this point if our Life be ruled by Gods law 111. a 10 The two principall pointes whereunto the whole Life of man should tende 98. a 20.30 Gods worde of it selfe is alwayes the sauour of Life 77. b 10 Notable pointes of exhortation touching the leading of an vpright Life 74. a 30 The behauiour of the Iewes when they were rebuked of their prophets for their wicked Life 43. b 10 What we must do in respect of the state of our Life 55. b 30 The cause of such disorder as there is in our Life 73. a 50 Of the shortnes of mans life and of the long life of Moses 1241. a all The life of man is variable and full of changes 1230. a 50.60 b 10 How Gods worde is saide to be our Life 1176. b all 1177. all Life is shewed vnto vs in the doctrine of the Gospel 1071. b 10 What it is for vs to be sure of our Life 1011. b 60. and how God will defend this our present life 1012. a 10 Life eternall Of preparing our selues to the heauenlie life by the example of Moses 1180 all 1181. all Of this present Life and of the Life to come which is the perfection both of weale woe 1066. b 60 The spirituall Life much more excellent than this temporal 28. b 60 What we must doe if wee will haue an infallible hope of the heauenly Life 9. a 20 A recorde or testimonie in the lawe of the Life euerlasting 970. a 50.60 Our assurednes of eternal Life must be taken out of the gospel 28. b 10 What makes vs long continually for the heauenly Life 339. a 30 What Life is prepared for vs whereof we haue yet but a taste 283. a 10 A confirmation of our hope of euerlasting Life 519. b 20.30 The fathers vnder the law knewe the heauenlie Life but by outward tokens 950. a 60. That the Fathers had the promise of euerlasting Life after the same sort as it is contained at this day in the Gospell 465. b all The Land of Chanaan a warrant of the endlesse Life prepared for vs. 347. b 50 Life Howe God doeth Lift vp his hand to heauen and what the same meaneth 1167. a 60. Looke Hand Light Why Light was made before the Sun 353. a 40 Why God willed that there should bee Light continuallie in the Temple and what it signified 502. b 40. 302. a 10 We haue greater Light nowadaies than our forefathers had vnder the Lawe 466. a 10 Of Gods making Light to spring out of darkenesse 766. a 40.50 Liue. The faithfull must not Liue after their owne liking and why 186. b 50.60 What we must do when the case is how to liue well 110. a 10. 218. a 20. 302. b 10. 251. b 10.50 630. b 10.20 218. b 60. 177. b 905. a 10. Whereof it commeth that we Liue not as becommeth vs. 175. b 50 Liues Men must not bee made Iudges of their owne Liues who then 517. b 30 Vntill when we cannot be sure that our Liues please God 482. b 30 What we ought to consider in examining our Liues 274. a 50.60 Looke Life Temporall Loftinesse The Loftinesse of men noted 217. a 10. What naughtinesse proceedeth and commeth from the Loftinesse of the heart 362. b 50.60 363. a 10. b. 60. 364. a 10. What men of warre God vseth when he listeth to laugh mens Loftines to skorne 334. a all Men cannot bowe to God nor serue him if they continue in their Loftinesse 366. b 60. Looke Ambition and Pride Longing Of the diuelish Longing of y e Israelites in the wildernesse for flesh garlike and onions 410. b. 20.30 Looke Lust. Long suffering That wee must not abuse Gods Long suffering and to what ende he doth forbeare vs. 1134. b 50.60 1135. a 10 What we haue to learne by Gods Long suffering towards the Iewes 1138. a 40.50.60 b 10 The Long suffering of God set foorth in the number of yeares 1137. b 50 60 Of Gods Long suffering that he taketh vengeance at last 728. all and 729. a all Looke Forbearance and Pacience Lordes An Admonition to Lords of estate not to winke when they see euill committed 407. a 40.50 Looke Authoritie Lordship The Lordship which Abraham had of the visible land of Chanaan was spirituall how 10. a 10.20 Looke Possession Lot the Patriarche The continuance of Gods goodnesse to Lot notwithstanding his drunkennesse 68. b 10 What befell Lot for choosing to dwell in Sodome 92. b 30 Loue of God our neighbours Seeing God loueth vs hee will haue vs Loue one another Read the reasons 173. a 30.40 After what sort and manner wee must Loue God is shewed by comparison 1067. b 20.30 Why before there is any speech of the keeping of Gods commandementes Loue is set down in the first place 317 b 30.40.50 1067. b 40.50 Gods inestimable Loue shewed vnto vs both in the lawe and the Gospell 484. a 50.60 b 10 What this word Loue incident to god doth import 313. b 40.50 Why it was Gods will to Loue vs. 315 a 10 We must Loue euen those that be vnworthie deserue it not 327. a 40 That it is vnpossible for vs to Loue god with all our strength