sorrowes and many hartbytings On the one side wee shall haue sickenesse and on the other side pouertie besides these men shall doe vs wrong and diuers other inconueniences and to be shorte wee shall in effecte doe nothing but pyne and languishe In deede if God delt so mildely with vs as wee might alwayes haue our mouthes open to prayse him so as there were nothing but myrth and ease in our lyfe wee should perceiue his loue the more playnely But yet in the meane while although wee be afflicted although wee haue much anguishe and griefe yet doth the substance of our saluation continue still What is to be done in this case Let it content vs that GOD is our father Although he handle vs not as wee woulde wishe but rather cleane contrariwise so as in steade of sweetenesse wee finde bitternesse and hee graunteth not our requestes at the first choppe but hideth himselfe from vs in our afflictions as if hee had forsaken vs and giueth vs not meate and drinke at our pleasure finally when all thinges faile vs yet let it suffice vs that wee haue stil the warrant of our adoptiō that God ceaseth not to take vs and auow vs for his children These say I are the thinges wherewith we must content our selues in such wise as all thinges else must bee borne patiently by vs. And that is it which wee haue to marke vppon these wordes where GOD sayth to Moses bee contented But the vnbeleeuers haue not this prerogatiue God shaketh them off quite if they cry he giueth deafe eare to them neither saith hee to them for their comfort bee contented but hee letteth them chawe vppon the bridle so as they bee in horrible vnquietnesse and vexation and haue not wherewith to asswage their sorrowe For they beleeue not that God beareth them a fatherly good will nor that hee receiueth them into his fauour So now wee see more clearely the thing that I touched briefly before that is to wit that Gods refusing of the faithfull is not an vtter reiecting of their prayers as though their calling vppon him had not booted them at all but hee graunteth them generally that which is good for their saluation And as for in the rest he cutteth them out their morsels so as hee graunteth them not whatsoeuer they wishe neither were it for their welfare that hee shoulde so doe Therefore must wee beare this lesson so in minde as wee may bee able to put it in vre that is to wit that if wee obteine not all that euer wee faine would at Gods hand but that when we resort vnto him he suffreth vs to linger stil in our miseries easeth vs not of our troubles at the first so as we dragge our winges after vs as they say we must bethinke vs of this that wee must be contented And why for it is good reason that wee should yeelde to the good pleasure of our God seeing hee reserueth this inestimable benefite and priuiledge to vs that wee be still mustered in the aray of his children And besides this let vs assure our selues that God furthereth our soules health in refusing to graunt vs the thinges that he knoweth to be vnmeete for vs. Wee see that diuers times hee granted y e disobedient their desires Num. 11.18 but that was not to their benefite It had bin much better for them to haue gone without them and that God had sayd them flat nay of them Contrariwise when hee denyeth our requestes and maketh vs to perceiue that it is not reason that our lustes shoulde raunge vnbrideled and wee haue all that our fancie runnes vppon his making of vs to perceiue all this is to our benefite As for example if a childe haue a fickle head as commonly all children lacke discretion and desire his father some fond or euill thing if his father let him haue his swindge lyke a goose hee putteth the halter about his neck by cockering of him too much But if hee shewe him a grim looke and make him perceiue that he is a light-headed boy without wit or discretion his child will be the better for it afterward and this correction whereby his foolishe appetite is repressed wil do him good Euen so doth God towards vs for hee knoweth it is much better for vs to haue our lustes subdewed than to giue them too much libertie And that is y e cause why he did so precisely deny Moses request Wee knowe that if euer man obteined fauor in Gods sight it was Moses inespecially aboue all other Exod. 33.11 For God did him the honor to shewe himselfe familiarly vnto him face to face as a friend doth to his companion for so doth the scripture itselfe report and yet yee see his request was refused for it was sayd vnto him Speake no more to mee of this matter Hee doth as it were threaten him Now if Moses were thus dealt with let vs vnderstand that wee ought not to take it too much to hart if God deale roughly with vs nowadayes and make no haste to succour vs but rather that to our seeming the miserie increaseth dubble after wee haue prayed vnto him Let vs not thinke the matter strāge for it shall turne to our benefite To be short let vs learne to beare all temporall corrections patiently which God sendeth vnto vs. Although our condition waxe woorse and woorse to the worldward although wee haue a heauy burthen to beare although wee haue many harde and grieuous thinges to indure yet notwithstanding wee must come to this poynt that forasmuch as they bee but temporall chastisements wee may well holde our selues quiet for our saluatiō abideth stil vnappayred And although wee obteine not some thing which wee aske yet must wee not thinke our selues vtterly barred from it vntil our Lord shewe vs by some euident signe As how When a man is in trouble he repayreth vnto God and craueth mercie and yet he findeth no reliefe but in sted of easement he findeth himself tormēted dubble All y t he gaineth by his calling vpon God is that his miserie is increased But yet for all this hee must not be discouraged but continue still in praying vnto God And therewithall wee must consider thus God knoweth to what end hee doth it And his delaying to grant vs our request is to shewe vs that although hee suffer vs to languish in our aduersities yet doth he not forget vs nor disdayne to be our father still but onely teacheth vs to obey him and to bee subiect to him After that manner then must wee behaue our selues in praying When it shall seeme that wee haue lost our time in calling vpon God yet must wee still come backe to this comforte saying No God sheweth mee that it is not meete for mee to aske whatsoeuer I thinke good but that I must come and put my selfe into his hands with all humblenesse to receiue what hee thinks good and to holde all my desires in obedience vnto him Seeing that hee
is some what more when he saith If the thing be reported vnto thee For therein wee haue to note that faultes cannot be punished among men vnlesse they come to knowledge Insomuch that a number of offenders escape the handes of worldly Iudges though they haue offended more foully than others and be worthy of great blame and that is because God hydeth their vnhonest dealings For there are sinnes which make hast to come to their condemnation 1. Tim. 5.24 which God thrusteth forward and there are othersome which linger and God keepeth them as close as if they were buried And hereby earthly Iudges are warned to be watchfull in serching out of thinges For inasmuch as they perceiue that after neuer so much paine taken in boulting out of matters which belong to their office to haue knowledge of yet a great sort of thinges doe scape vnseene they ought to bee so much the more diligent They cannot knowe all thinges and why for they be but men Yet notwithstanding for asmuch as God hath commaunded men to punish euill deedes as soone as they come to knowledge we must consider howe his meaning is that because nothing can be hidden from him therefore although men require nothing of vs nor make any inquisition or suite in Lawe against vs heere beneath yet must wee euer bee faine to come to account before him It is saide that an ydolater shall be punished for God hath commaunded him to bee stoned to death vppon knowledge that hee is such a one Nowe put the case that a man turne away from the purenesse of Religion and worshippe ydolles in secret In deede hee cannot be touched by order of Lawe neither shall hee abide iudgement for it But yet must hee thinke in the meane while that God will not suffer his eyes to be dazeled And therefore wee may gather vppon this text that our Lord reserueth al those faults to his owne iudgement which are not punished by ordinarie Iustice in this worlde Not that hee pardoneth not those which returne vnto him by true repentance but my meaning is of such as harden themselues in their hypocrisie and take occasion to growe worse and worse because they bee not reproued of their wicked deedes But yet let them not thinke they haue made the better market for all that For whereas God telleth the iudges of the earth that they ought to make diligent inquirie because hee himselfe hath no neede to do so he telleth vs that all faultes shall come before his iudgement seate and that the hypocrites may well shrowde themselues for a time but in the end they shal be rooted out and not without cause For as I haue touched afore thinke wee that God wil leaue his honour in the suddes Seeing it is his wil that euen men should be maintained in good reputation and that all outrages shoulde be punished what will he doe when the case concerneth his owne maiestie that his glorie is diminished by the malice of men Ought such dealing to scape vnpunished Wil God suffer himselfe to be mocked after that fashion It will bee alledged that all of vs haue beene ydolaters so we are al worthie of death And their saying so is as it were to stirre vp all men against God For the folke that make such replies seeke but to poyson mens heartes that Gods honour might bee lightly esteemed and that we might quarrell with him when wee feele our selues touched But first of al as I said afore we must mark y t our Lord speaketh here of y e punishing of ydolaters where order is stablished according to his word If God had not begunne at that ende his order had beene amisse But seeing hee hath shewed howe men ought to serue him and giue a sure rule thereof telling vs that we must simplie doe whatsoeuer hee commaundeth and seeing that both great and small are taught what God they ought to worshippe and which is the true Religion if a man or a woman doe afterward turne away and become forsworn and disloyal to God by stepping aside into the superstitions of y e heathen is there any excuse to be admitted in that case Then let vs marke wel that this Lawe was made at such time as God had alreadie stablished a Lawfull gouernement directed according to his owne word But wee haue all beene ydolaters As howe Euen by meanes of the horrible desolation y t happened through y e whole world as is to be seene yet still in the Popedome Had this lawe bin well obserued at the first Christendome had not bin so sore decayed For had they been punished which were the first ydolaters had falsified the Gospel and corrupted the purenesse which was at that time surely Gods order had bin maintained and preserued much better But what When hypocrites were once crept in which would needes seeme holier than all other men then inuented they many corruptions and the more they were born with the more did the mischiefe spread it selfe abroad so y t it became a poyson that vndoeth al. The cause then why the Church of God came to such desolation is that men haue not bin held in awe that the pure simplicitie of the Gospel might be maintained and God worshipped according to his word so as mē might not assay to deuise any thing of their own braine but that al men both great smal might be made to obey the doctrine which they knew already to be of God Had this bin done there had bin no such desolatiō as we see stil at this day And therfore let vs beare in mind y t Gods speaking here is but of such countries or Cities as haue had y e grace to haue y e true religion stablished amōg thē so as he is worshiped there they haue al consēted to admit y e order which is set by God therfore if any of thē do afterward turn away he deserueth to lose his life As for exāple wee haue now the light of the Gospel whereby our Lord holdeth vs bound vnto him to serue him to be his peculiar people Seeing thē y t his Religion is knowen vnto vs and that discipline is set vp among vs if any of vs hereafter turne away from it and giue himselfe to ydolatrie spiting God wilfully doeth hee not deserue punishment Yes For had a man committed any thing against the state and after his giuing of his othe to the Magistrate had broken it againe by doing some deede to the contrarie surely he shoulde be punished for his vnfaithfulnesse And what shal be doone then if men daly with God falsifying the faith which they haue giuen vnto him so as they confederate themselues with his deadly enemie Satan and with ydols which serue but to deface his glorie his maiestie and all his seruice So then if the skorners of our dayes replie that if ydolaters shoulde bee punished all of vs shoulde die the aunswere is easie namely that if the Lawe of God
chastise the greatest part of y e world insomuch that some one man hath risen with a smal number of people to chastice an infinite multitude y t did set themselues against him and that not for one time onely but twise or thrise one after another with taking of Townes Fortresses which seemed to be so wel appointed yea and strong by naturall situation that they could not be approched vnto yet haue they bin sacked as if God had meant to renue a great part of the worlde It hath bin in likewise seene that a people without renounce or estimation haue risen and made the most mighty to tremble In this dooing God giueth examples of that which is written heere to wit that he can surely bring our enemies vpon the soudayne and that they shal make such dispatch as if they came swifter against vs than by post and that when we suppose to haue some respit by truce for one moneth for one yeere or for al our lifetime we shal be soudenly surprised in a morning before we thinke thereon Let vs therfore vnderstand that as soone as God speaketh wee must haue an eye vnto the infinite power that is in him yea and which is incredible to mans vnderstanding to tremble at his very word and to yeeld vnto him knowing well that if we delay from day to day wee may be preuented then will it be too late Let vs therfore be aduised to humble our selues in due time and to craue pardon when we haue offended him Moses sayeth expressely That they which are disobedient vnto God shal be besieged shut vp within their walles vntill all their fortresses in which they trusted be beaten downe Here we see how God reproueth the false and cursed presumption wherby men deceiue themselues in thinking themselues to be well fenced against him It is a sacriledge whereby God is robbed of his honor whē we attribute vnto the creatures y e meane to vphold vs. It is certaine y t God serueth himselfe by meanes we must also apply thē vnto our vse but in the meane while to settle our trust vppon them were a robbing of God of his maiestie For he wil haue vs to hold al things of him and to do him homage for them So then it is an intollerable presumption for vs to put our trust in creatures to ground our selues on them and yet there is no fault more common in y e world We can say wel ynough y t it is not lawfull that we ought not to doe it but in the meane while euerie one doth it Now let vs remēber our selues for there is nothing y t God holdeth more deare or whereof he maketh greater account than his honour Neither is it sufficient for vs to leaue him the title name of God but he must also be knowne as he is y t is to say that al power lieth in him that he is the fountaine of all manner of grace goodnes that it is his proper office to maintaine and preserue vs that our life is in his hand all things that belong therto When we haue well thought vpon this let vs take order to gather our wits so about vs as we be not grounded vpon creatures Surely the mischiefe is double when we shield our selues with y e creatures against God therby to become stubborne whē he threateneth vs to hold on still when he vttereth forth tokens of his displeasure let vs consider that the offence is then much more grieuous But yet is this ouer common For whilest we perceiue not any daunger towardes as in respect of the world doe not wee continue in our sinnes And doe we not abide in stubbornnesse◠God speaketh but we regard him not So y t men doe fauour vs so we haue wherewith to fortifie our selues we thinke that y e hand of God can not come at vs. And therefore it is not without cause y t our Lord reproueth the frowardnes of al such as are disobedient towardes him that is to say that they put their trust in their fortresses in their high walles in their munitions and in such like things Now forasmuch as we bee subiect to these things it were better for vs y t we had neyther hedge nor aught else than to be wel fenced with walles and bulworkes For they serue but to blinde our eyes that haue no more respect to our God but be bewitched by Sathan to put our trust in things which shal be our confusion Howsoeuer the case standeth let vs aduisedly holde this rule in generall that is y t God be euermore our fortresse as we see he promiseth by his Prophet Esay Esa. 1◠◠aswel in the 12. Chapter as also from y e 55. vnto the end for it tendeth al to this point And it is so commō a doctrine in the holy scripture that we can scarse turne a leafe but we shal see some text wherein God telleth vs y t he wil be our rampyres our wals our ditches yea double ditches our towers and whatsoeuer else is needefull for our defence And why For as I haue heretofore said our mindes do forthwith slide into vanitie so as God is not able to hold vs backe to himselfe and to make account that we will put our whole trust in him What must wee then doe First of all if we bee destitute of mans aide let vs vnderstand that God alone is sufficient if wee returne vnto him say Ah Lord it is certaine y t we are set for a pray we haue not wherew t to saue our selues for all the world doth faile vs but yet it is ynough y t thou art our succour After y t maner should wee learne to resort vnto him And so shoulde wee take occasion to yeelde our selues wholly vnto him when the things of this worlde doe fayle vs. And by the way although wee haue walles and artillerie money and munition and all that wee can wish for yea and people also and all thinges else yet let vs vnderstande that wee must in the meane while so vse them as our Lorde may bee alway our trust and we giue him euermore this honor that it is his office to defend vs and that thereupon wee wade no farther It is certayne that wee may serue our turne with the things which hee putteth into our handes but yet in the meane while our hearts and mindes must bee raysed vp aboue all the worlde and hee alone must bee our shooteanker Thirdely wee must not vaunt our selues of the force of the helpes that he giueth vs for a speare of a bramble as they say is enough to make vs beleeue that wee bee inuincible What say wee Is it possible that they should preuaile against vs All this is nothing no not worth the pill of an Onyon as they say yet will wee needes streine our wittes to giue it price and the glory Nay contrariwise let vs acknowledge our debilitie and
Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to vouchsafe to bring vs more and more to such repentance that wee mourning for them before him may acknowledge that there is nothing but cursednesse and destruction in vs wherein wee should dwell stil if he pitied vs not and that in the meane while we may not be so frowarde and malicious as to turne heade against him though hee handle vs roughlier than wee would bee but that acknowledging it to bee rightfull that hee should touch vs with his hande wee may bee so reformed as our whole seeking may bee to mortifie all our affections and lustes and to please him and to obey his righteousnesse and that therewithall he strengthen vs in such wise as wee may fight stoutly vnder his antsigne by that meanes be mainteined vnder his protection vntill we haue finished our race in this worlde and bee taken vp into his euerlasting rest after wee haue outstoode the battelles that wee haue to indure here That it may please him to grant this grace not onely c. On Wednesday the j. of May. 1555. The xiij Sermon which is the third vpon the second Chapter 24 Afterward the Lorde said Vp get ye hence and go ouer the riuer of Arnon Behold I haue deliuered Sehon King of Hesebon the Amorrhyte and his land into thy hand Begin to take possession and prouoke him to battell 25 This day will I begin to send the feare and dreade of thee vppon all people that are vnder the whole heauen so that when they heare the fame of thee they shall tremble and bee in anguish for thy presence 26 Then sent I messengers from the wildernesse of the east to Sehon King of Hesebon with wordes of peace saying 27 Let mee passe through thy land keeping on the high way without turning to the right hand or to the left 28 Thou shalt sell me meate for monie to eate and thou shalt also giue mee water for monie to drinke let me but onely passe through on foote 29 As the children of Esau haue done which dwel in Seir and the Moabytes which dwell in Ar vntill I be come ouer Iordan and bee entered into the lande which the Lord our God giueth vs. HEere Moses confirmeth yet better the thing that I treated of before that is to wit that men must not giue themselues to folish enterprises as euerie mans fancie leades him but wee must haue an eye what is lawfull And thereof there is none other triall than to hearken what God coÌ„maundeth and promiseth vs. For his will must be our sure rule Whosoeuer thrusteth himsâ—lfe forth to doe what he liketh best although he be able to iustifie his doings before men and can set neuer so many faire colours vppon them yet shall he alwayes be condemned before God Therefore let vs beare in minde that to liue as it becommeth vs we must haue this sobernesse and modesty with vs that we aduenture not any further than his worde will beare vs out True it is that the talke heere is onely of warres but wee must applie the doctrine thereof to our generall vse For like as God chose his people of Israell to make them as a looking glasse for his Church so must wee applie all the thinges to our selues which are written of them For the perfection of the things that are conteined here Cor. 10.11 Heb. 6.1 belongeth to vs as sheweth saint Paul Nowe were this wel obserued wee shoulde not haue such disorder in our life as wee see For euerie man hath his liking by himselfe and according to his liking so flingeth he forth to attempt thinges and we neuer stande to inquire what God commaundeth but our owne affections carrie vs away and inflame vs in such wise that euerie one runnes after the thing that he lighteth vppon and so wee doe but gadde vp and downe all our life long But heere it is tolde vs that men must not reach out their handes to aduenture vppon any thing at all further foorth than GOD hath giuen them leaue When hee saith goe our going is not at all aduenture but it is matched with a promise Beholde saith hee the Lord hath deliuered Sehon king of Hesebon into thy handes As if hee shoulde say men must not haue an eye to any thing that may drawe their desire to it afore hande as wee see that our nature doeth driue vs thereunto for scarsly can wee tell howe to open our eyes but some lewde liking will tickle vs. And what is the cause thereof It is for that wee bee not fully perswaded of this principle that wee must let all thinges alone which are not graunted vs of God If wee followed this doctrine such as are poore would be contented with their slendernesse and craue no more of God but to bee susteyned and the rich sort would not be so blinded with vnsatiable couetousnesse as to increase themselues still by adding peece to peece And therefore it standeth vs so much the more on hande to beare this doctrine in minde sith we see howe sore our life is disordered and we cannot rule our lustes according to Gods will which onely can and ought to master them Againe on the other side wee see howe wee picke out enemies whereas it belongeth to GOD to appoint vs them In good faith what is the cause that men heaue one at another that they seeke to eate vp one another and that there is so much strife trubble and quareling It is for that as soone as any man is greeued by and by hee will needes bee reuenged and wee cannot abide that any man shoulde touch vs in our goods or our persons but incontinently wee will be at open warre with him As for patience there is none at all in vs. But our Lorde will haue vs to ouercome euill with good that in so doing wee may be as his sheepe But no man will bee brought to so much reason Men then arme themselues where God commaundeth them to bee quiet and peaceable and they will needes haue them enemies whom God would haue them to labour to winne by loue and gentlenesse Contrariwise if there bee a iust quarell that ought to bee mainteyned euery man shrinkes away The name of God is blasphemed and wicked deedes are committed there ought such as haue courage and manhood to shewe that they feare not the hatred or anger of men For GOD will haue vs to vndertake warre in his name and euery man doeth shunne it And therein wee see howe frowarde and vntowarde wee bee Againe it is saide that our warring must bee Ephe. 6.12 not against mortall men but rather against Sathan and all his wyles Loe howe GOD soundeth the trumpet and striketh vp the drumme and telleth vs that wee must enter into battell against our ghostly enemies But that will not sinke in our stomackes wee be wedded to our owne lustes if any man anger vs
spirite Let vs knowe that And on the contrarie parte when wee see the rebelliousnesse of the worlde and howe men doe rancle against the Gospell and are puffed vp with pride to aduaunce themselues against God let vs consider that they bee looking glasses which God setteth before vs for our instruction and that we also should be in the same taking if God had not pitied our frowardnesse to correct it Neuerthelesse let vs vnderstand that God dalyeth not with vs in sending vs his worde nowe adayes And why For it holdeth men so much the more conuicted inasmuch as they become worse than wilde beastes in that they woulde not by any meanes bee tamed for all his calling of them to him so familiarly by meanes whereof their shame is so much the more discouered so as the worlde knoweth what was hidden within them which coulde not haue bene perceiued otherwise Seeing then that we see this let vs learn to say euer that Gods worde is good and holy and that it shoulde bee the very foode of life if men turned it not to venim and poison through their owne naughtinesse their owne naughtinesse by reason whereof their fault is such as the blame thereof can in no wise be fathered vppon God Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better yea euen so farre as to bring vs to true repentance that being subdued by his corrections wee may learne to be sorie for our sinnes and for the imperfections y t are in vs vntill he haue throughly clensed vs of them and deliuered vs quite from all the temptations of the flesh and the world And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the vj. of May. 1555. The xiiij Sermon which is the fourth vpon the second Chapter 26.27.28.29 Then sent I messengers c. 30 But Sehon King of Hesebon would not let vs passe for the Lorde thy God had hardened his spirit and made his heart stubborne to the ende to deliuer him into thy hand as it appeareth at this day 31 And the Lorde saide vnto mee beholde I haue begunne to giue Sehon and his land before thee goe to take possession that thou mayest possesse his land 32 And Sehon came out again vs he and all his people to fight in Iasa 33 And the Lorde our God deliuered him before vs and wee smote him and his sonnes and all his people 34 And at the same time wee tooke all his Cities and destroyed the men women and children in them and we left him nothing remaining 35 Sauing the Cattell which we tooke to our selues and the spoyle of the Cities which we tooke 36 From Aroer which is vppon the banke of the Riuer Arnon and the Citie which is vppon the Riuer and vnto Galaad there was not any Citie that could defend it selfe from vs. For the Lord our God had giuen them all into our hands 37 Onely thou shalt not come neere the land of the children of Ammon nor vnto any place of the Riuer Iabok nor vnto the Cities on the hill nor vnto any of all those places which the Lord our God forbad vs. WEe haue seene heretofore howe God being determined to hardē Sehon letted not for all that to cause him to be summoned to the end he shold haue let the children of Israel passe without dooing them harme and without shewing himselfe to be their enemie And therewithall it hath bene shewed that GOD will sende message of peace vnto men yet notwithstanding knoweth that the same shall stand them in no stead but to make them vnexcusable After the same maner the Gospell is preached to a great nomber who notwithstanding doe but become the worse for it and God knoweth right well that no profite shall come thereof but that they shall bee rebellious still Why then doeth hee call them to him To bereaue them of all excuse and to lay open their malice and vngodlinesse For so long as men abide vndiscouered GOD seemeth after a sorte to doe them wrong But when he sendeth them his worde then bewray they themselues what they bee and their vnbeliefe is manifestly prooued And so let vs vnderstand that our Lorde knoweth well what the end of the preaching of his word shall be y ◠is to wit Cor. 2.16 that it shall become the sauour of death to a great sort but yet will he not ceasse to appoint his worde to bee preached still and that doeth he for good and iust cause namely to the ende that men should bee the more condemned But yet for all this it is the preachers duetie to offer peace vnto all men according also as our Lorde Iesus Christ saith to his Disciples 〈◊〉 10.5 wheresoeuer yee come offer peace and if they that heare you bee vnwoorthie thereof your peace shall returne to you againe As if he should say There shall be no losse at al you shall trie what is in men and the friendlye greeting which you shall beare vnto them shall be as a touchstone to the ende they may not be able to say that God hath not visited them nor had no care of them and so shall they be proued to haue reiected his grace And herewithall wee bee warned to seeke peace with all men as much as in vs lyeth accordingly as it is saide in the Psalme that wee must euen followe after it Psal. 34.15 1. Pet. 3.11 so as it is not ynough for vs to bee friendly and to indeuour to liue without anoying of any bodie and without vexing or troubling any of our neighbours but wee must labour yet further to seeke peace If wee see there bee any vnrulye folke wee must pacifye them as much as is possible If wee see that Satan procureth vs strife and contention wee must labour to remedie them as much as wee can accordingly as our Lorde Iesus Christ requireth of the faithfull not onely that they shoulde bee peaceable themselues but also that they shoulde indeuour to set peace euerywhere That then is one thing which wee ought to doe Rom. 12.18 And therewithall wee must bethinke our selues how S. Paul saieth that wee must seeke peace as much as in vs is And by that saying he comforteth vs. If it so happen that wee can not make men our friendes but y t although they haue no cause to complaine of vs nor can say that wee haue done them any harme or wrong yet they ceasse not to be malicious bitter towards vs we haue wherewith to comfort our selues in y t we haue done the best we can to seeke peace And therefore although wee bee faine to liue among such as seeke all the meanes they can to trouble and vexe vs yet must not wee followe their malice to be like vnto them but wee must alwayes doe our duetie to maintaine peace and friendship Pro 25.22 Ro. 12.20 And if men will not
number of corrections that God sendeth Wee see howe the whole worlde is in maner past recouerie and as the Prophet Esay saieth there is not one whit of soundnesse from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote Esa. 1.6 Gods scourges runne abrode euerie where euerie man complaineth great and small lament On the one side wee see warres famine and pestilence and those thinges happen not by casualtie and on the otherside euerie man bewaileth his owne priuate case And why so Wherfore doe wee not knowe the hande that striketh vs Wherefore doe wee not consider that God sheweth himselfe a iudge towardes vs to make vs returne vnto him For mens sinnes are not vnknowen we see well that the whole worlde is out of order and that God must bee faine to put to his hand And yet in the meane season wee abide still blockish but wee shall be helde the lesse excused for it in the ende And why For it may bee tolde vs to our shame that our eyes haue seene howe God warned vs it was long of none but our selues that we were not brought to repentance Seeing that GOD did laye his iudgementes open to our sight and wee marked them not wee must needes bee punished the sorer for such negligence because we haue played the deafe and blinde folkes when GOD went about to bring vs gently to him And so the thing that Moses spake to the people of Israell is written to our vse in these dayes For it is as much as if the holy Ghost shoulde tell vs that when God punisheth men bee it generally or particularly we must not be purblinde in that case but bethinke vs well and see whether wee our selues haue not deserued the like and therevppon bee sorie for our sinnes and not tarie till God drawe his sworde against vs but hye vs apace to him seeing hee warneth vs to returne And for the performing heereof let vs vnderstande that the calamities which light vppon the worlde come not by haphazarde but from heauen and are corrections for the offences where into the worlde hath ouershot it selfe Nowe Moses speaketh heere by name of Beelphegor which was the ydoll of the Ammonites as is saide afore And the worde Baal betokeneth a Principal a Master or a Patrone which thing is well worthie to bee marked For when wee heere speaking of the ydolles of the heathen they seeme to vs to bee farre other thinges than those that wee see noweadayes But the Scripture sheweth vs that they bee in manner all one And why For the heathen were not so grosse and dulwitted but that they knewe there was a certaine soueraine maiestie which had created heauen and earth and helde soueraine Dominion ouer all thinges But therewith all they woulde needes haue vndergods and meane gods whom they termed their Patrones as they doe nowadayes in the Popedome Againe there was another sort of gods whom they thought to haue the charge of seuerall Countries for euerie countrie had his ydol And so also this worlde Baal was the name as yee woulde say of a God that had the gouernance of a whole countrie and serued to get men fauour at the great Gods hand Nowe it may seeme at the first blush that this was no defacing of Gods glorie nor any impeachment to the continuall seruing and worshipping of him and yet is it such a corruption as he cannot abide For he will haue all preheminence to himselfe and hee will not haue men to giue him or assigne him any companion as we shall see hereafter where Moses will say Deut. 4.35 The Lorde thy God is the onely God Againe when men make such mingling and will needs haue a multitude of gods we see how god speaketh of it in the twentith of Ezechiell Goe your wayes saith he I giue yee ouer Eze. 20 3â— seeing yee haue other Gods than me go serue the diuel altogether for I will haue nothing to do with you Let vs mark wel then that Gods seruice can neuer be kept in his purenesse except all superstition be laide downe and men holde themselues simply to his worde without inuenting of any thing without intermingling of any thing deuised of their owne braine Thus yee see that the true and pure religion is the exalting of the only one God so as his glorie is not darkened by adding any companion vnto him And nowe hee sayeth expresly You that haue cleaâ—ed to your God are all aliue this day This serueth not so much to make the people gladde as to shewe them that seeing they bee so greatly bounde and beholden to their God they ought to serue him with the greater zeale Moses then telleth the people thus Yee haue seene Gods wrath and what hath preserued you from it hitherto For yee might haue beene ouerthrowen and destroyed as well as they that worshipped Beelphegor Knowe yee therefore that your continuing vnto this day is through the free fauour of your God And therefore looke that yee serue and honour him as hee deserueth seeing hee hath mainteined you after such a fashion and against all hope Nowe this warning belongeth vnto vs because we liue not to any other ende than to serue our GOD and woe bee to them which being in this worlde doe rauen vp Gods benefites and knowe not to what ende but are heere as brute beastes So then let vs marke well that as long as we bee in this worlde God will haue vs to doe him homage for our life and to vnderstande that we bee bounde to him for all thinges and to make that our marke to shoote at according to this sentence often spoken in the scripture Psal. 5.8 118.17 Ionas 2.5 I shall liue and goe into the temple of the Lorde Yea when Ionas was come out of the Whales bellie and euen when hee called vppon GOD being there as in a gulfe of hell hee saide not I will liue and make good cheere but hee saieth that hee shal yet againe see the temple of God And what to doe to giue him thankes for prolonging his life after that sort Therefore let vs marke that in al the benefites which we receiue at Gods hande he bindeth vs so much the more streitly vnto him to the intent that we shoulde indeuour to serue him and to giue our selues wholly vnto him and to walke in the obedience of his righteousnes This is it in effect which Moses meant to note And hee setteth downe afterwarde that hee had giuen them statutes and ordinances according as God had commaunded him Wherein hee protesteth that hee had beene a faithfull deliuerer of the doctrine which hee did set forth to the end that the people might not receiue it as the doctrine of a man but consider howe it was God that had spoken it and so imbrace it with all reuerence And heereby wee see that GOD doeth euermore reserue to himselfe the right of gouerning vs as in respect of the spirituall gouernement of our
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
shewed himselfe to our face and vouchsafed to bee knowen of vs familiarlie Now we we see what Moses ment For his meaning is to set forth the greeuousnesse of the peoples sin if it should so fall out that they shoulde turne away from the purenes which they had learned in the lawe As if he should say True it is that euen from the creation of the worlde most men haue not ceased to ouershoote themselues into a number of errors and follies but that came to passe because they had not so special a teaching as you haue whereby they might haue had certeinetie of faith to rest themselues vpon Therefore the wretched infidels went astray but yet was not their sin so greeuous and outragious For although they were vnexcusable yet had they not any such teaching as you But as for you yee haue had Gods couenaÌ„t wherby ye were brought into his house hee hath shewed himselfe as a father towards you taught you as his childreÌ„ this is that holy band wherby god hath tyed him selfe to you now then if you should turne backe againe and become like those wretched beastes which neuer knew nor tasted of gods truth what a thing were it Might you pretende them for a shrowding sheete and say other men do so as wel as we Yea but yet had not those othermen such teaching as you haue had Nowe therefore acknowledge the grace that God hath bestowed vppon you in shouling you out from all nations of the earth in coming so nigh vnto you And in deed y e same is the very cause why y t when the heathen are condeÌ„ned in their supertitions it is said on the contrarie part that y e Lord dwelleth in Sion his maiesty is knowen there After that manner doth the Prophet Abacucke speake in his second chapter Abac. 2.20 and it is a doctrine that is rife ynough euery where As if it were saide The world runnes at randon and euery man forgeth and setteth vp some God priuately to himselfe but as for the God which hath shewed himself to bee the true liuing God his voyce soundeth in mount Sion where the temple was builded TheÌ„ sith it is so although the whole world bee caried away go wandering in the darke yet must not we be remoued forasmuch as he hath set vp his seat among vs and we know him by his voyce by his word And here we see why it is said in the Psalmes where Gods kingdome is spoken of in such wise as it was to bee stablished in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ Psal. 97.1.3 5. 115.3.4 as wel in the fourescore and sixteenth psalme as in other psalmes The Lord reigneth Let y e far countries reioyce therat let all ydols be confounded and let all that is set vp by men be throwen downe For when wee haue the truth which driueth away al darkness ignorance then haue we the verie meane to destroy al superstition And to the same purpose also is there this like saying in Esay Esa. 19.1 when the Lord reigneth then shal al the ydols of Egypt fal And why For the wretched Infidels weene they doe well and thinke they do God good seruice in following their fond superstitions But when God is once set afore them then his maiestie bereaueth them of all excuse and he must needs as then be magnified And that is y e cause why it is said in another place Esa. 25.9 This is the Lord this is the Lord. The prophet in the person of all the faithful defieth the ydols with their abuses because GOD should be knowen accordingly as al things were accomplished at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Now then the thing y t we haue to gather vpon this tâ—xt is that when we once knowe God by his word wee must be so fully resolued and assured thereof that although the whole wretched world run rouing after their owne abuses and superstitions yet we must keepe on our way still that seing we haue a sure foundation which cannot be shaken that is to wit gods infallible truth wee must let those blinde wretches breake their necks sith we cannot remedie it and in y e meane while we must go forward still as the Lord commaundeth vs seing he hath reached vs his hand to draw vs to him And although this was spoken to the Iewes by Moses yet it perteineth eueÌ„ now vnto vs. For wee see what fauor God hath shewed vs aboue others All the worlde is full of error and diuelish imaginations wretched men are become brutish in their ignorance But what Neither hath the doctrine of life bene preached vnto them neither haue they euer in good earnest vnderstood what God is Indeede they can speake of him but that is but at randon without order But wee haue the scripture declared vnto vs and by that mean God communicateth himself to vs and allureth vs so sweetly vnto him as he could not doe any more for vs except hee should take vs into his lap and yet we see he applieth himselfe to our infirmitie he chaweth our morsels to vs he feedeth vs with pappe speaketh to vs like a nurse Now when we see that our God manifesteth himselfe so familiarly vnto vs there is no more excuse for vs wee may no more mingle our selues in the order or ranâ—ke of vnbeleeuers For our state is cleane contrarie Rom. â—â—â— God is hidden from them and yet shall they not faile to perish in their ignorance as they be worthie But as for vs if we be so stubborne against God that euen of a spitefull malice wee will not obey the things that he sheweth vs but wil play the wilde beastes with him so as hee cannot reclaime vs to himselfe and that euen when we knowe him and do vnderstand that it is hee which ought to be honored yet wee be so vnconstant and wauering still as to turne away after our owne dotages shall we not bee doublie condemned Shall not horrible vengeance hang ouer our heades Then let vs beare in mind that in asmuch as our Lorde hath made a couenant with vs that is to say hath called vs into his Church to be taught by his worde that this is the onely meane wherewith wee may bee armed and fortified against all superstitions This is one point And let vs also marke therewithall that horrible condemnation hangeth ouer our heades if we wander away and hold not our selues to the simplicitie of Gods doctrine but bee carried away hither and thither by our owne lusts These are the two pointes which we haue to marke vpon this text Wherefore let vs learne to make our profite and commoditie of the worde that is preached vnto vs for the same purpose That is to wit albeit that all bee full of corruption and errour yet let not vs bee shaken downe nor bee wauering as manie men are to saye yea marie but there is so much disagreement that
vs so as hee will not misse but haue his eye still vpon vs to watch ouer vs vnto the end And if our Lorde had not such a care to defende vs in what taking were wee Should not the diuell snatch vs vp euerie minute of an houre We see he trotteth vp and downe seeking euer to deuour 1. Pet. 5.8 and hee hath meanes to doe it And could we scape his pawes if we were not defeÌ„ded from theÌ„ by y e goodnes of our God So then let vs vnderstande that God doth not onely beginne our saluation and then let vs alone to shift for our selues but that he goeth through with vs as long as we haue nede and performeth the thing that he hath begunne Thus doth he keepe vs alwayes in his sight that is to say hee neuer forgetteth vs but considereth our necessities to prouide for them and to remedie them in due season Now if God haue his eyes so open to thinke vppon vs that hee may succour vs at our neede Let vs on our side also walke as before his face Psal. 116 9. Esa. 29.15 40.27 And let vs marke that wee cannot hide our selues from him and therefore seeing he yeeldeth vs such fauour and honour as to haue a care of vs it is good reason that all our life should bee answerable thereunto And so Gods goodnesse ought so little to make vs negligent that it shoulde rather spurre vs forward to repaire to him with an earnester minde In deede a man shall see some dogges and swine that will defame this doctrine of Election When it is tolde them that God knoweth which are his and that he wil neuer suffer them to perish very wel say they then wil I cease to doe well and so they mocke at God and his doctrine shewing indeede that they neuer wist what the worde Election or Choyce meaneth But as for vs Phil. 2.12 wee must take assurance by Gods grace to liue warely and circumspectly and good reason haue we to humble our selues considering that we were damned and forlorne and our God hath deliuered vs and moreouer shewed himselfe so bountifull towardes vs as to make vs heires of his kingdome Eph. 2.5 Col. 2.13.14.15 Phil. 2.13 euen vs that were the bondslaues of Satan And on the otherside it standeth vs on hande to walke in feare seeing wee can do nothing at all of our selues furtherforth than Gods grace vttereth it selfe in vs. Againe it behooueth vs to pray vnto him forasmuch as if he shoulde let vs alone from the one ende to the other wheras we be now aduaunced vp aloft we shoulde tumble into the pitte euerie minute of an houre Therefore wee haue cause heere to call vpon our God and to resort vnder his protection Furthermore seing it is said that hee guideth vs and keepeth watch for our welfare Deut. 11.21 Ier. 16.17 it becommeth vs to bee the more wakened to walk as in his presence knowing that he marketh not onely all our doings Act. 1.24 but also our affections and thoughts Besides this seeing that Moses knitteth here the deliuerance of the Israelits out of Egypt with their possessing of the lande of Chanaan Let vs marke well that God will haue all his benefits linked together which he bestoweth vpon vs vntil we be brought to the full perfection of our saluation For it is not to be thought that God letteth vs alone when he hath once called vs vnto himselfe so as we shoulde be in daunger of being left vp to the spoyle but contrariwise let vs mark that he will go through with the thing that he hath begunne as S. Paul declareth in the first to the Philippians where hee saieth y t this his calling of vs Phil. 1.5.6 importeth a warrantise that wee shall neuer bee left destitute of his defence vntill hee haue brought vs to euerlasting saluation Thus yee see that the thing which we haue to beare in mind is that as God is the beginner of our saluation so is he the finisher thereof also And as touching Moseses interlacing of Gods destroying and driuing out of people that were stronger and mightier than they it is true that God vsed an extraordinarie manner of dealing in his rooting out of the Chananites and such other like as dwelt in the countrie which the Iewes possessed but yet haue wee cause to thinke vppon the like at this day For whither is it that wee ought to goe whither doth our Lorde call vs To the heauenly life froÌ„ whence euen the verie Angels are falne For wee know that the diuels which as nowe are not onely banished from the glorie of the heauenly kingdome but also appointed to horrible damnation were sometime as the children of God and helde the roome whereinto our Lorde calleth vs at this day And nowe are wee worthyer than the Angels which fell in that sort from aboue Rom. 11. â— 17. Eph. 2. â—â— Moreouer if wee come but to men were not the Iewes as holy lynage Sprang they not of the roote of Abraham Yes and what are we on our side did the kingdome of heauen belong to vs No no more than to the wilde Canniballes But yet those natural children and as it were lawful heires by y e adoption of their fathers are cast off and banished from the saluation wherevnto God calleth vs at this time They be driuen out and we succeede as it were in an emptie place Haue not wee cause then to magnifie the grade that God sheweth vs in these dayes Doeth it not appeare that this text serueth not onely for the Iewes but also ought rather to be applyed to our vse at this day Then let vs vnderstande that seeing God hath chosen vs to himselfe wee ought in any wise to be wholy his to continue setled in the possession of his grace howbeit not by walking in statelines presumptioÌ„ so as we should be proud of it but by acknowledging with all lowlinesse that wee hang wholly vppon the free goodnesse of our GOD. And let vs not cease to assure our selues that he will go through with the thing that hee hath begunne in vs at leastwise if wee abide vnder the guiding of his hand to suffer our selues to be ruled by him Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to rid vs of them by forgiuing them for our Lord Iesus Christes sake and therewithall to worke in such sort as wee may daily labour to renounce all our wicked lustes and whatsoeuer else hindreth vs to serue him and altogether to rule our selues according to his commaundements And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the xvj of Iune 1555. The xxix Sermon which is the eleuenth vpon the fourth Chapter 39 Vnderstand therefore this day and lay it vp in thyne heart that the Lord is God in heauen aboue and vppon the earth beneath and there is none other but
beare no sway with vs wee shewe our selues to be too too leud and y t we despise Gods goodnesse yea and that wee make but a skorne and mockage of it And therefore must horrible vengeance hang ouer our heades according as S. Paul threatneth in the foresaide place to al such as abide hard harted and stubborne in their vices when God beareth with them And nowe let vs looke to our selues For although euery mans state be not so wealthie as hee would wish yet are wee handled very gently in respect of others What remaineth but that our Lord should enter into account with vs if wee on our side haue no lust to serue him and that the ease and rest which hee giueth vs bee not applyed to shewe that wee take him for our father indeede forasmuch as hee handleth vs as his children If wee say I acknowledge not this then shall not our vnthankefulnesse escape vnpunished Also by the way let vs not forget howe Moses exhorteth heere the people of Israel to beware that they forget not the Lorde when they were well fedde and growen full But seeing that we bee inclined to such frowardenesse as well as they let vs consider our owne disease that wee may seeke remedie for it For though there were no more but this one point it were enough to occasion men to mislike of themselues and to bee ashamed For wee bee as monsters against kinde insomuch that whereas God offereth himselfe to vs and reacheth vs his hande so as if wee sawe him in his owne person wee coulde haue no greater assurance of the fatherly loue that hee beareth vs than that hee is so liberall that wee may haue our fill of his benefites yet notwithstanding wee forget him euen when hee putteth vs in minde of him not onely by speaking to vs but also by shewing vs by experience that hee knitteth himselfe to vs and hath a care of vs in watching ouer vs not onely for the sauing of our soules but also for the nourishing of our bodies feeding vs like litle babes and as it were stretching out of his wings ouer vs as a hen doeth ouer her chickens as comparison is made in the holy Scripture Matt. 23.37 Seeing that God giueth vs such proofe of his goodnesse and also knitteth himselfe vnto vs of purpose to gather vs together and to take vs vp to himselfe were it not a diuelishe madnesse to forget him and to turne our backes vpon him and to shut our eyes against him yea and to conceiue so excessiue rage as to say wee wil not thinke vpon him that seeketh vs is not this a diuelishe madnesse Yes and yet is there not any of vs all that can excuse himselfe to bee vnsubiect to such naughtinesse So then this text ought of right to humble vs and to make vs ashamed afore GOD because wee see wee bee so malicious and spitefull as not to regarde God when hee is neere vs nor to wake and open our eyes that we might see his goodnesse when it is shewed vnto vs yea euen after so euident and easie a maner That is the thing which we haue to remember True it is that wee make common prouerbes of it but in the meane while no man thinkes vppon it Wee say that nothing marreth men but ease Wee say that ouermuch welth maketh men vnweldie and yet in the meane while the same thing befalleth vs and none of vs findeth fault with himselfe And although God preuent vs and blame vs and doe vs such shame as to make vs heare of it yet will not wee thinke vppon it Notwithstanding it is not written in vaine When thou hast thy fil of the benefites of thy God beware that thou forget him not Wherfore let vs marke that prosperitie of it self ought to prouoke vs to resort vnto God bicause it is all one as if he should reach out his hands and armes vnto vs. Like as when a father offereth his childe a thing and sayth to him Come hither and holdeth out his armes so likewise Gods desire in bestowing his benefits vppon vs is nothing else but to see vs quiet as it were in his lap or vnder his winges Nowe then if wee haue an eye to the order of nature prosperitie should drawe vs to God and make vs well minded to serue him and yet notwithstanding wee see how wee despise both GOD and nature and all kindenesse and become woorse than wilde beastes For whereas GOD allureth vs to him after that gentle manner wee turne our backes vppon him and in stead of cōming to him retyre from him nay which woorse is wee kicke againste him For it is not inough for men to despise Gods goodnesse and to stop their eyes and to deuour al y e good things which they haue without knowing who giueth them but also they proceede so far as to rush against him and to gnashing their teeth at him and to spurning at him If a man should liken vs to swine wee woulde thinke hee did vs greate wrong And yet are swine contented with rooting in the ground to fill themselues with the Acornes that are fallen downe and they be not so fearce as to fall to rending downe of the tree they leape not vp against it they byte not the boughes they haue their groines hāging alwais downward As for vs we play indeede the swine bicause we haue alwais our groines in the earth insomuch that When we cram our selues neuer so full there is none of vs whiche lifteth vp his mind on highe to saye it is Gods hande that giueth vs this thing but either we impute al things to our owne policie or we thinke that the gaine commeth of our selues or wee imagine that it happeneth vs by some chaunce and to be short wee neuer thinke of God But besides this wee fall to spiting of him we caste out our furye and rage against him we strike at him with our tusks wee withstand him stubbornly to the vttermoste of our power and we could finde in our hartes that his Iustice were vtterly abolished For wee treade it vnder foote as much as in vs lyeth We see then that we bee woorse than swine and woorse than the vilest brute beastes that are yea we be euen vnkindly monsters But behold our God calleth vs to him by this exhortation wherein wee see the patientnesse which hee vseth towardes vs. If a father had handeled his child as gently as could be farre aboue the common maner and the child should thereupon growe proude and despise his father woulde not the father beare him such displeasure as to disdaine to open his mouth to him to tell him of any thing bicause of his despising of him after that fashion Yes Then is it most certaine that wee bee much lesse to bee borne with when it falleth out that wee resist GOD who is more worth than all the fathers in the world without comparison So then should he not haue iust cause to let vs alone
beholde God complayneth of vs and accuseth vs of rebelling against his mouth And there are two partes of this rebelliousnesse The one is when we distrust Gods promises and the other is when wee disobey his commandement those two be the summe of all that is to bee learned in Gods word When wee haue tossed and turned ouer the leaues of all the holy scripture neuer so much there are but these two pointes contained in it that is to wit y t for as much as God being desirous to bee our father and Sauiour openeth vs the infinite treasures of his mercie calling vs to him and setting his free goodnesse and free loue before vs wee should beleeue his promises and rest wholly vppon them saying Lorde seeing thou art so freehearted as to offer thy selfe thus vnto vs behold wee cast all our care vpon thee and hope for all welfare through thy bountifulnesse The first thing then which we haue to doe is to settle our selues vppon Gods promises when he offereth them vnto vs. Secondly there is the obedience which God requireth as if he shoulde say vnto vs Go to I will haue ye to liue in such wise as ye obey me and yeeld me such seruice as your cōming to me be of your own accord And here Moses saith y t the people were alwayes rebellious against Gods mouth forasmuch as they obeyed not his commandements nor trusted to his promises Nowe let vs looke into our selues where is the faith y t we boast of In deede we cā wel vnough say y t we beleeue the Gospel but if gods promises touched vs effectually there wold be another maner of stedfastnesse in vs and wee would not bow with euery winde like wauering reedes as we do Our vnbeliefe bewrayes it self we be too much conuicted of it insomuch y t we cannot trust God euen in worldly things And if we cannot trust to him for small things howe is it possible that we should trust to him for the euerlasting life We haue dayly experience of his succour and helpe yet do we doubt thereof still And how shall we then trust in him whē the case concerneth inuisible things Col. 〈…〉 as the lyfe which is hidden from vs till God discouer it vnto vs Againe doeth not this rebelliousnesse of ours in resisting him shew it self in al our whole life In deede wee will make signes of willingnesse to serue God but yet is all but counterfetting For let vs see if any of vs doo liue so faithfully and vprightly as wee ought to doo Where is the louing kindnesse and charitie that ought to bee among the faithfull and among Gods children Nay we bee rather like Cattes and dogges And when the case requireth that wee should agree togither in well dooing the worlde sees howe wee goe to woorke It may seeme that wee haue conspyred to goe the cleane contrarie way to that which God willeth and ordaineth And this is not to be greatly wondered at For if in things that are small and light we shewe our selues to haue no great Christianitie in vs we wil shew no lesse lewdnesse when wee come to the thinges that are greater and more excellent I cal them smal things in comparison of the feare of God and the loue of his worde which men may say they see not in vs. For as concerning those small thinges if we intend to make any countenance of deuotion to Godward we can well abide that men should condemne both extortion deceit cruelty periurie and such other vices When we come to Sermons we can welinough pretend y t there is some agreement among vs and specially when we receiue the Lords supper yet notwithstanding euē in that behalf there appeareth such contempt of God as we ought to be ashamed of it For I know that vpon the last Lordes day while we were ministring of the cōmunion and while we should haue assembled altogither to make a general protestatiō of our faith and to offer vp our praiers vnto God about two hūdred people were occupied in gaming In their going by before the Sermon began a man would haue thought they had bin prepared to the Communion but their mindes are so vppon their playing that they spend euery Sabboth day in such vnthriftinesse And it is meete that this should bee tolde them openly seeing it is apparant that euen little children perceiue the shamefulnesse of it Now then let vs marke in feawe wordes that Moses spake not for his owne time onely but for vs also in these dayes who bee warned in the person of the Iewes to be ashamed of our selues and therewithall to seeke y e meanes that our God may receaue vs to pitie and mercie which is that after we haue acknowledged how guiltie wee bee before God euerie of vs may learne not onely to condemne our selues but also to bow downe our neckes to craue forgiuenesse of our former faultes at Gods hand to the ende that being acquit by him wee may also be guided and gouerned by his holy spirit that whereas wee haue bin stubborne against him heretofore so as he could by no meanes weeld vs wee may learne to yeeld our selues so obediently to him that in stead of being as woode beastes we may become meeke and mylde vnto him as sheepe and lambes and giue eare vnto his voyce giuing it such superioritie ouer vs as we may vtterly forsake all things that may hinder our honoring and seruing of him 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 than wee haue done so as wee may yeelde our selues to him with true repentance continue therein not for one day onely but all our life long and y t therewithal it may please him to beare with vs in all our infirmities euen vntill he haue rid vs quite and cleane of them And so let vs all say Almightie GOD heauenly Father c. On Munday the ix of September 1555. The Lxviij Sermon which is the seuenth vpon the ninth Chapter 25 Then humbled I my selfe before the Lord fortie dayes and fortie nightes for I humbled my selfe because the Lord had said that he would destroy you 26 And I prayed to the Lord said Lord God destroy not thy people and thine heritage which thou hast gotten by thy mightie power and whom thou hast brought out of Egypt by strong hand 27 Bethinke thee of thy seruants Abraham Isaac and Iacob Haue not an eye to the stubbornnesse of this people nor to their misbeleefe nor to their sinne 28 Least the inhabiters of the land from whence thou hast brought vs do say bycause the Lorde could not bring them into the land wherof he had spoken to them or because he hated them therefore hath he brought them forth to kill them in the wildernesse 29 Moreouer they be thy people and thine heritage whom thou hast brought out with thy great power and with
him my image shyneth most perfectly in him which is shewed soorth in his Gospell and therfore they that are members of his bodie are made partakers of all the benefites which hee hath in him That is the way for the promises to haue their effect and force in vs and not to looke simply to the doctrine of the lawe For when God sayd I will giue you the lande to whome spake he To all the people But yet with condition if yee keepe my commandements And that was made voide As howe Because the people were disobedient and kept not couenant with God And so ye see that the whole couenant was broken so as God was set free againe and no longer bounde vnto them because it was tyed to a condition What doeth he then He sends vs a king to whome he sayeth I will giue thee the lande for thine inheritance Hee vseth the selfe same wordes that are set downe here by Moses I will giue thee the lande saith hee for thine inheritance from the wildernesse vnto mount Libanus from the riuer Euphrates to y e great sea And to whome doth God giue it To Dauid Salomon True it is that he had giuen the same land afore to all the people but the people were banished from it through their own fault And was it then but for one onely person was it the worthines of Dauid or Salomon that made God willing to giue them the thing which hee had promised to al the ofspring of Abraham No but it was because they were a figure of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And in verie deede when the Prophets intended to assure the people of the quiet state that was promised to thē and of the inioying of the land they saide I will raise you vp a Dauid Now then Gods offering to lay foorth his riches to al men without exceptiō in his law to maintaine them withall in this present life is as if he should say whatsoeuer I haue promised to giue to the fathers of olde time belongeth to you also at leastwise if ye obey my law throughly in all points not by pieces starts But wee be so farre vnable to discharge our selues of that duetie that we fall to despising of God so as hee is faine to shewe himselfe an enemie vnto vs. That is al that we be able to win by our keeping of the lawe if we wil needes stick simply to it as I sayd afore Neuerthelesse there is this other remedie for it Whē our Lord Iesus Christ cōmeth forth reacheth vs his hande to pull vs to him then we find that he is not without cause termed the vniuersal heire of all the goods which God his father hath And his possessing of them is not for himself 〈◊〉 1. ◠17 for he is one selfesame essence w t God the father he hath bin the God of glory at all times 1. Cor. 2.8 Matt. 28.18 Phil. 2.7.9 But in this flesh of ours in our humaine nature wherewith he was clothed he was ordeyned chiefe king and the dominion of the worlde was giuen vnto him euen as wel in heauen as in earth Now then if we be once graffed into his bodie and perfectly made one with him then shall wee recouer that thing in him which we cannot obteine by our deedes deserts And then shal we see that Iesus Christ beeing raised againe vnto glorie wil of his goodnes drawe vs after him to make vs partakers of all things that he hath Furthermore the telling of this thing vnto vs is not to giue men scope to do euil but wee must marke that when God reserueth vs to himselfe to put vs in possession of his goods he doth also reforme vs by his holy spirite Yet notwithstanding all that euer we can do albeit that wee bee gouerned by God haue a good will to serue him is of no value at all if it bee esteemed of it selfe but yet for Iesus Christes sake God will accept vs and our workes and the inheritance shal abyde sure stedfast vnto vs for wee must not be afraide but that we shal attaine vnto it It is not giuen vs for our own sakes but because wee be partakers of our Lord Iesus Christ receiue the grace that he hath purchased vs so as we bee reconciled to God by his death passion in respect whereof he is mercifull to vs we be sure of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes because all our spots are washed scoured cleane away Although there bee sinnes imperfections in vs which might make vs blamable before God yet are we iustified and brought into his fauour againe when hee hath once renewed vs by his holy spirite Therfore if we go that way to work let vs not dout but the promise shal stand fast so as we shal feele the effect force of it to our saluation But in the meane while let vs not glorie in our selues for there is no matter nor cause why we should do so Now let vs fall downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better yea and so to feele them as that misliking and condemning our selues for them we may submit our selues to our Lord Iesus Christ beseeching him so to reform vs by his holy spirit as Gods image may shine forth in vs and wee not faile to continue in the possession of the heritage which hee hath promised vs because it is not grounded vpon our owne workes deedes but vppon his freebestowed goodnes And moreouer let vs pray our Lord to be so gracious to vs as to giue vs such strength while wee passe through this world wherin wee haue a great sort of enemies to fight against that we may get the vpper hand of them be alwayes certified more and more y t he is neere at hand to such as call vpon him submit themselues vnto him that by y e meanes he may continually be glorified at our hands that it may appeare howe hee will alwayes vphold vs if wee fight vnder his standarde That it may please him to graunt this grace not only to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Fryday the xxvij of September 1555. The Lxxix Sermon which is the sixth vpon the eleuenth Chapter 26 Behold I set before you this day a blessing a curse 27 A blessing if ye obey the commandements of the Lord your God which I commaund you this day 28 And likewise a curse if ye obey not the commandements of the Lorde your God but turne out of the way which I cōmaunde you this day to go after strange gods which ye know not 29 And when the Lord your God shal haue brought you into the land which thou goest vnto to possesse it then shalt thou set the blessing vpon mount Garizim the curse vpon mount Eball 30 Are they not on the other side of Iordan on
and false fellowes step vp amoÌ„g vs of purpose to deface by their suttletie the pure doctrine that hath beene preached to vs wherein we haue beene trayned vp Now first of all it is said Thou shalt not hearken to the Prophet when he sayth vnto thee Let vs go and serue other gods which thou hast not knowen It behoueth vs to wey well all these woordes of Moses For here he speaketh to al beleeuers He speakes not only to the great doctors that haue beene at the Vniuersitie all their life long but also to the vnlearned Although then that we be no clerks yet let vs learne that we must haue this constancie of faith of not following the wyles of Satan to bee withdrawen from our God when he hath beene so gracious vnto vs as to communicate himselfe to vs. Wee must not say Alas I haue no learning nor finenesse of witte to be so cunning euery man hath not like measure I graunt that euery man is not of abilitie to enter into disputation against sophisters and against such as are full fraught with malice to deceiue y e simple but yet all men from the moste to the least ought to haue this inuincible stedfastnes of sticking vnto God and his trueth when they once knowe it There is no excuse in that case For it is not in vaine that God hath set downe this generall law for all his Church And it is certaine also that he will giue vs power so wee resort to him and seeke to him for succour For what is y e cause why so many folke are seduced but onely their own fond presumption or their negligence or else their contempt of Gods worde For yee shall see some stand so much in their owne conceits as to their own seeming no man is able to ouermatch them and yet for all that they are but sillie beastes Our Lorde therefore doth blow away their pride as men may perceiue and experience sheweth that God punisheth many folkes pride which had too great an ouerweening of themselues Now theÌ„ what is to be done Let vs humble our selues pray God to gouern vs so by his holy spirit to giue vs such wise doÌ„e as wee may not bee taken tardie when the diuel goes about to make a breach into vs to enter at If we goe y t way to worke let vs assure our selues that God will guide vs and that wee shall neuer be caught in Satans snares But there are many that keepe on their race without care as though they were priuiledged from all dangers But let vs for our part keepe good watch and haue such a care to warde our selues as the deceiuers wheÌ„ they come may not finde vs asleepe And that will so bee if wee beare such reuerence to Gods worde as wee acknowledge it to bee the preciousest treasure that we haue For if a man make so little reckening of a thing that he leaue it at al aduenture the first that commeth may robbe him of it but as for him y t locketh vp his goods specialy those that are the chiefe and which he counteth to bee most worth he cannot bee so bereft of them And therefore let vs put our faith in good custodie and be so warie in the keping of it as it may appeare that we haue it in such estimation as it deserueth for it is an inestimable treasure Thus yee see what wee haue to note here where Moses speaketh to all such as had tasted what Gods lawe is exempting no man from standing stâ—â—tly in battaile and defence against the lyes and sleyghts of Satan Nowe hee addeth If he say vnto thee Let vs followe strange gods which thou hast not knowen This serueth to shewe vs who bee false prophets For God telleth vs that wee cannot withstande the wyles of Satan without the knowledge of the trueth that is the onely meane And no maruel though the wretched worlde nowadayes be allured to destruction for Gods worde is as it were buryed and when men are destitute of that light it is certaine that they bee in horrible darknesse so as they cannot but stumble stray here and there because they haue no certaine aime at any thing But here our Lorde declareth that wee must bee instructed in his worde and thereunto also is this saying after a sort referred For hee presupposeth that wee bee in a good trade alreadie and that wee knowe the way of saluation accordingly as Moses wil protest hereafter Deut. 30.15 19. saying I haue shewed you the way of life and the way of death Nowe therefore whensoeuer wee will resist false Prophets and their lyes let vs take to vs the doctrine of trueth And that is the cause why it is saide The gods which thou hast not knowen For in this case wee must match the liuing God whome wee haue knowen against all the ydolles which the worlde hath forged to it selfe For God speaketh not to such as neuer heard nor vnderstood any thing of him before but to such as he had giuen his lawe vnto whome hee had set in the right way and to whome hee had giuen an infallible rule When hee hath so fenced men aforehande then sayeth hee vnto them Beware that yee followe not the gods whome yee haue not beene acquainted with To be short then it is shewed vs that this doctrine concerneth such as haue beene duely instructed in the faith Will wee beate backe all Satans deuices Let vs haue the skill to say It is God that hath certified vs hee is a faithfull witnesse to vs wee neede not to be in dout or vncertaintie any more or to cast doutes or to say What Which way shall we goe We may well assure our selues that this is the way that is the thing which wee must stay vppon That in effect is the order which wee haue to keepe according as it is shewed vs in this text But let vs marke also that wee must haue our eares so stopped as we may vtterly mislike whatsoeuer may cause vs to swarue to the contrarie of those things which we haue learned by Gods worde For as soone as wee giue eare to them by and by wee be halfe corrupted according to this similitude which Saint Paul alleageth in the seconde to the Corinthians that when a woman giueth eare to a bawde or a Ruffian 2. Cor. 〈…〉 3. although shee consent not to him out of hande yet is shee alreadie peruerted and it is already an euill token For if a woman bee chaste and shamefast shee will in any wise shunne all such messages as may be brought to her to intyce her to follie and to make her to breake wedlocke Shee must eschewe such manner of thinges Nowe Saint Paul sayeth that as long as wee abyde in the simplicitie of the Gospell wee bee as a chaste wife that keepeth her faith troth to her husbande and that our Lorde Iesus Christ who hath made such couenant with vs to choose vs to bee of his
Lord haue giuen vs experience of aduersity we must be the readier to succour the distressed not play the proud fooles which cannot abide to heare their former state spoken of when they haue beene in pouertie but are more scornefull and disdainfull than such as haue liued continually at their ease Nay if our Lorde haue suffered vs to bee pinched and to stande in neede of otherfolks seruice let vs print it throughly in our mindes let it bee as a spurre to quicken vs vp that whensoeuer we see any folke in necessitie it may alwayes runne in our mindes Alas when I was in their case what desired I I could haue founde in my heart that all men should haue opened their heartes and their bowels towardes mee and shall I nowe shut vp mine Lo what the declaration that is set down here importeth And it is not in this place onely that Moses vseth to say so For there is not any thing more rife in all his bookes insomuch that euer after the peoples deliuerance out of the lande of Egypt Remember sayeth hee from time to time that thou thy selfe hast beene in bondage Therefore let vs marke that looke what experience euery of vs hath had in his life Gods will is that the same shoulde serue vs for an instruction and that wee shoulde beare it continually in minde As for example when a man hath beene a traueller of countryes he ought to consider into what distresses a man might fall and hee shal bee the more inclyned to succour others whome he seeth in like daunger Againe when a man hath beene pinched for a time with pouertie and afterwarde commeth to wealth his former pouertie ought to bee a teacher to him for euer after to bee the forewarder to put foorth himselfe where neede requireth True it is that although a man had liued all the dayes of his life in ease and neuer wist what neede or want meant yet shal hee not therefore be helde excused before God But yet forasmuch as wee bee so slacke and slowe to doe good wee had neede to take to vs the helpes that may serue to quicken vs vp withall And so let euery of vs for his owne parte cheere vp himselfe to do good As for the riche which neuer haue tasted any want of the goods of this worlde if they looke into them selues they shall finde that God hath visited them some way or other so as they haue had neede of other folkes helpe And if they be not starke churles the same must needes bee as a stroke with a spurre to thrust them forwarde to weldoing To conclude in fewe wordes the principall purpose of this place is that besides the vprightnesse which is of nature our Lord wil haue euery man to bee inclined to mercie to do good to such as haue neede But put the case there were none other respect why wee shoulde succour our neighbours but onely this that wee be men is not that respect great ynough Yes for vnder this worde Man wee comprehend many miseries When I see a man in distresse I finde in my selfe that I shoulde bee subiect to the like thinges if God had not a speciall regard of mee There is neither sickenesse pouertie nor any other like thing in any body but that wee our selues are subiect to the same miseries And what is the cause that wee bee cleare from them The goodnesse of our God And the cause why hee spareth vs and beareth with vs is to the ende that wee shoulde bee mindfull of such as haue need For it is a very great proofe of Gods goodnesse towardes mee that hee not onely exempteth mee from the aduersities which I see in my neyghbours but also giueth mee wherewith to remedie theirs And therefore it ought to be a sufficient prouocation for mee that they bee of mine owne flesh and of mine owne nature so as there is no difference betwixt vs but that God hath aduaunced the one of vs and put the other backe For wee be all of one lumpe and it is not for any man to glorie as though hee had his riches of him selfe If a man bee not so miserable as a number of others are hee ought not to bee proude of it but rather to consider that he is so much the more bounde vnto God Accordingly therefore as God bestoweth his benefites vppon vs let vs beware that wee acknowledge it towardes him by doing good to our neighbors whome he offereth vnto vs so as wee neither exempt our selues from their want not seclude them from our aboundance but gently make them partakers with vs as folke that are linked togither in an vnseparable bond And nowe let vs fall down in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs so to feele them as we may returne to him with true repentance and misliking our former life craue forgiuenes and mercie at his hande and bee alwayes ready hereafter to yeeld our selues to his obedience so as our whole seeking may be to glorifie him in all cases after such a sort as our whole life may shewe that wee haue well profited in his holy worde And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the iiij of Nouember 1555. The XCvj Sermon which is the fourth vpon the fifteenth Chapter 16 And if hee happen to say to thee I will not depart from thee because I loue thee and thy house by reason that he findeth himselfe well with thee 17 Then shalt thou take an Aule and bore him through the eare to the doore and hee shal bee thy bondman for euer And likewise shalt thou do to thy womanseruaunt 18 Let it not grieue thee to let him go free from thee for he hath serued thee sixe yeares as a hyreling of double wages And the Lorde thy God will blesse thee in all thy dooings 19 All the first borne males that breede of thy cattell and of thy flockes thou shalt sanctifie to the Lord thy God Thou shalt not labour with the first borne of thy kyne nor shere the first borne of thy sheepe 20 But thou shalt eate them thou and thy houshold from yere to yere in the presence of the Lord thy God in the place which the Lorde will choose 21 But if there be any blemish in it so as it be lame or blinde or haue any euill fault in it thou shalt not offer it to the Lorde thy God 22 But shalt eate it within thy gates as well the vncleane as the cleane both alike as the fallow deere and the Red deere 23 Only thou shalt not eat the bloud of it but shalt powre it vpon the ground as water WEe haue seene already the lawe which God placed among the Iewes whereby bondage was not to continue for euer but y t the person which had bin solde should serue sixe yeres and afterward be set at libertie And I told you that although the like law be not among
vs nowadays yet notwithstanding we may gather a very profitable lesson of that which is therin contained y t is to wit that he which hath any superioritie ouer others ought to forbeare all tyranny to be kyndharted towardes those whom God hath put in subiection to him so as he reigne not ouer them with crueltie ne inforce them to all that euer he may but deale gently with them as with his brethren And although wee bee not nowadays all of one linage as the Iewes were yet must it suffice vs that wee haue all one father one master in heauen Eph. 6.9 Col. 3.10 as is declared vnto vs. For by meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ wee be so vnited togither that there is such a brotherhood betwixt vs as cannot be broken without forsaking the adoption which God hath made of vs. And therfore as many as intend to be taken for Gods children must louingly beare with all those whō they may commaund Againe we must come to account so as if wee will obtaine mercie at the hand of God be borne withall by his gracious fauour wee must looke to doe the like to such as are in subiection to vs. But nowe Moses addeth an exception to the law wherby he had commanded to set seruants at libertie after sixe yeres seruice and he sayeth that if any seruant be so well contented with his state that when his master is readie to sende him away to giue him reward he will say vnto his master Nay sir I had leuer to tary still in thy house because I finde myselfe well at ease then shall his master take an Aule boare through his seruants eare in token that hee is his for euer Yet was not this done without consideration of the case as is written in the xxi of Exodus For there it is sayde expressely that the master shall call to the Iudges Exod. 21.6 that the matter may bee inquired of by them For otherwise euery master might haue made the worlde beeleeue that his seruaunt was desirous to bee his for euer Therefore it behoued the thing to bee prooued and then was his eare boared through at the doore to the ende that the matter might bee done openly to the sight of all men For in such cases there might haue beene much collusion yea and also compulsion and a man might haue beene so vrged by constraint of much beating that hee woulde haue consented to haue beene in perpetuall bondage But when the thing was done in open sight so as the Iudges were called to the matter then was there no deceite neither coulde they bee beguyled which did so yeelde themselues into bondage And as touching the marking of them it was a common thing in the East countryes And it is seene in other Coūtries also that such as were marked were of worse state and condition than other bondeseruauntes were but in this place there is no meaning of any harder bondage than the rest And because God had graunted that priuiledge among his people he addeth that if any man woulde needes be a bondeslaue of his own wil then he should beare some marke therof But yet was this marke made without any wounding as if the tip of a mans eare should bee boared with a pinne or with an awle that were sharpe it coulde put him to no payne and it was no more but to make the matter knowen And whereas God sayth that he should be so for euer Leui. 25.39 we must vnderstand that the yeere of Iubile was excepted as we may see in other places And in very deede the compasse of fiftie yeeres was called a worlde and the worde that Moses vseth is taken sometimes for the age of a man His meaning then is that he which consenteth to be a bondeslaue shall abide in that state for euer that is to say euen vntill the state of the countrie be renewed as well concerning mens Landes as their persons at which time euery man entered againe into his owne heritage that God might alwayes be knowen to be both souereigne Lord and as it were the onely Lorde of the soile that the inhabiters were not owners and freeholders Leui. 25.23 but onely as tennauntes at will or farmers for those are the verie termes that our Lorde vseth Therefore his will was that the parting of the Lande which was made by his commaundement shoulde bee kept the meane whereof was that euery man shoulde returne to his owne inheritaunce possession at the fiftith yeere at which time the whole state of the Realme was chaunged in all other thinges Thus see we now what was the effect of this Lawe And heere wee haue an example that masters ought to behaue themselues gently for or if hee serue mee amisse I can send him away and that were more for my profite And therefore it seemeth preiudiciall to my right to giue rewarde nowe to a slaue A man might alleage after that fashion as men are alwayes suttle in seeking of starting holes If the case concerne eyther their profite or their losse they can bee brought to no vprightnesse or reason For this cause our Lorde saith here Howe nowe Thinke yee not that a slaue doeth yea double the seruice of an hyred seruaunt Yes for if a man hyre a seruaunt for wages if hee finde him not meate and drinke hee must giue him so much the more money that hee may finde himselfe after his owne liking And againe if a man find him hee will looke for a large pittance and yet he will grudge at it and say this is no fare meete for a man that takes wages The man then that is hyred for wages must bee maintained after a more courteous and liberal fashion than a slaue Moreouer when the hyred man hath done his dayes worke hee is dispatched and he goes his way to bed till the next morning that hee come againe to his worke But the slaue is in a harder case For the similitude which our Lord Iesus maketh in Saint Luke Luk. 17.7.9 is taken of the cōmon fashion that reigned in those dayes True it is that hee treateth of a farre greater matter to shewe howe wee bee bounde vnto God But yet doeth hee alleage this similitude saying Behold if one of you haue a bondseruaunt whome you sende to labour in your vyneyarde or in your feelde when this seruaunt commeth home at night starke wearie of his labouring to doe you seruice I aske you whether his master will saye to him Come sit thou downe thy turne take here my place and I will serue thee Nay his master will say further to him Sirrha go fetch mee such a thing and goe doe such a thing And the seruaunt dares not bee so bolde as to replye why so I haue laboured in the feelde all day and must I nowe take paynes stil when I am come home at night Yee see then to what purpose it is sayde nowe that the rewarde of
vp eueÌ„ so willeth he vs to haue lampes in our hands to shew y t there is neither night nor day for y e faithfull to make tarience therefore y t euen in the middes of darknes we must haue light euen the spirituall light to guide vs that we must haue the one foote alwaies lifted vp to y e intent we be not taken vnawares when he commeth but y t we haue minded our way aforehand to go stil foreward to meete w t him Ye see then y t the way to communicate aright w t our Lord Iesus Christ y t we may bee partakers of the sacrifice which he hath offered is to make none accouÌ„t of y e world nor to haue any loue vnto it but to seeke y e inheritance y t is aboue to coÌ„municate so one with another here beneath as it may bee a meane to make vs draw the neerer vnto God And so wee see y t although y e figures of y e law continue not any longer yet the truth of them abideth with vs and it behoueth vs to put the same in vre And hereby we be yet better informed of the thing y t I haue touched already which is that the profit which redoundeth to vs by y e death passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ is much better knowen beautifullier seene of vs by laying it to the auncient figure by considering how y e things y t were set forth darkly at y t time are nowe fulfilled to y e sight of the eye And like as it behoueth vs to communicate with our Lorde Iesus Christ so let vs mark also y t God giueth vs a help euen at this day in y e Sacrament of y e Lordes supper bicause of our rudenes infirmitie True it is as I haue touched alreadie y t our communicating with our Lord Iesus Christ must not bee only a thrise or foure times a yeere but continually all our life long Yet notwithstaÌ„ding we haue neede to be quickened vp bicause we come not to it with such strength as were requisite Therefore like as y e fathers of old time had the Pascall Lamb so hath y e sonne of God left vs his supper to be a helpe to vs to guide vs vnto him Will we then be partakers of y e supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ Let vs vnderstand y t according as I haue auouched before wee must rid our selues of all malice guile forsake the world True it is y t the Hyporcrits do thrust themselues in among y e faithfull come to defile the table of y e sonne of God but what carie they theÌ„ce but vtter cursednes Therefore let vs keepe our selues froÌ„ being guiltie of such a treacherie consider that if it behoued a man to be circumcised in olde time ere he might eate of the Pascal Lamb â—â—od 12.44 it behooueth vs also at this day to be separated to the seruice of our God to be first made holy And we know y t we ought to be circumcised euen at this day howbeit not by mans hand but by inwarde reformation of minde accordingly as S. Paule saith therof in the second Chapter to y e Colossians 〈◊〉 â— 11 y t whatsoeuer is of our flesh must bee cut off for there is nothing in it but sinne corruption Now theÌ„ y t we may come to y e holy supper of our Lord Iesus Christ haue there y e warrant which he giueth vs y t we be members of his body let vs looke y t we circumcise our hearts For the figure is abolished but yet haue wee the accomplishment of all things in our Lord Iesus Christ. Moreouer let vs come to y e chief point which is y t our Lord Iesus Christ is named our Passouer For by him must we be deliuered not out of the land of Egypt but out of the dungeons of death and we must passe a passage that were vnpossible for vs if God drew vs not with his owne hand by his own wonderfull power For we be al borne the children of wrath and we should rot in our miserie if god pitied vs not reached vs not his hand And that man beguileth himselfe which thinketh himselfe able to leape out of the myre wherin he is plunged It is the office of our Lord Iesus Christ to draw vs out froÌ„ thence according to this saying of S. Iohns in his viii chapter Iohn 8.36 If y e sonne of god make you free theÌ„ shal you be free Wherby he sheweth vs that euen from our very comming out of our mothers wombes we be in y e cursed thraldom of sin death shold continue therin vnto the end if we were not set free from it by him which not without cause hath taken vpon him the title of passouer to shew y t it is his office to set vs free as I said afore And heereby we must learn to presume nothing of our selues but to consider that we must think our selues beholden to the sonne of god for all things that he may bee magnified all those diuelish opinions of free will of power ability to prepare our selues to doe good beaten downe so as we may know y t as long as God suffereth vs to follow our owne swindge we shall alwayes abide fast tyed in the chaines of the diuel of death And therfore let vs yeeld our lord Iesus Christ his dew honour which is y t we acknowledge him to bee the partie which hath set vs free And herew tall let vs marke further y t when we bee graffed into his body it is not for vs to serue sin Rom. 6.5.6 For to be graffed into the body of our Lord Iesus Christ yet notwithstanding to serue Sathan are two things as contrary as fire and water Nowe then if wee intend not to disfeate the power of the sonne of God to bereaue him of his office we must be in liberty to serue god And let vs not think y t he ment to beguile vs in telling vs that that office beloÌ„geth vnto him But it becommeth vs on our part to offer our selues vnto him not to maintain willingly the cursed bondage wherin we be For the very cause why men perish therin is that they sooth themselues and fall asleepe in it and come not frankly to Iesus Christ. Now then let vs note y t y e true mark of our Christendom is y t we be in freedom to do good y t we haue a pure free wil to dedicate our selues to god Not that we can do it perfectly so long as we be in this world for we see how S. Paul who had profited far aboue a nomber of other men Rom 7.14.23 mourneth and confesseth that he is stil held as a captiue in part but for y t the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ must neuerthelesse worke so farre in vs as wee may not bee held
haue forbidden you that No. And therefore this lawe must concerne a people that hath receiued Religion afore and among whome some certaine rule is set downe and stablished Nowe then when God hath once commaunded one thing and forbidden another and hath tolde vs that his will is so what remaineth more for vs but to frame our selues thereafter And as for those that refuse his yoke can they say it is through ignorance and through some fonde deuotion Indeede it may well bee so but yet there lyeth another crime shrowded vnderneath namely the contempt of Gods worde yea there lurketh secrete malice hypocrisie and pride and all these saye I are mingled together Therefore must all excuses cease and we must acknowledge that all such as haue beene duely trained in the worde of God are lesse excusable than the ignorant And this is not to be applyed alonely to temporall Iustice but forasmuch as it is God that speaketh let vs marke that accordingly as wee haue proceeded in his doctrine and he shewed his will vnto vs our sinne is the greater if we followe not whatsoeuer he commaundeth vs. To this point must we come it is God that hath spoken vnto mee he hath graunted mee the grace to knowe howe hee will haue me to walke and therefore seeing that hee inlighteneth mee I must not stumble I must not play the blinkarde nor the blinde bussarde but I must take heede to the obeying of his doctrine If we doe not so we see that this foresaide punishment belongeth vnto vs and if wee be not chastised by the hand of man it is readie for vs from aboue For God can well skill to vpbraide vs with the fauour that he hath shewed vs in that hee hath vouchsafed to teach vs his will Insomuch that although the poore ignorant soules were halfe to be excused yet so it is that on our behalfe the crime is out of all square when wee set our selues after that fashion against Gods will which is knowen vnto vs. Thus yee see what we haue to remember vpon this place where it is expresly saide that God hath not commaunded those things Also let vs learne generally to iudge of Gods will according to his teaching of vs. For oftentimes we will needs lessen mens faults or aggrauate them and yet in the meane while we looke not at the thing that is tolde vs. Therefore let vs beare in minde that Gods will is conteined in y e holy scripture and y t that is the place where we must seeke it when we see that God speaketh so or so let vs hold vs to it without any gainsaying Nowe Moses addeth that the hande of the first witnesse shal be first against the partie that is to bee stoned and then the hands of al the people Wherein he ment to shewe that witnesse must not be borne but with feare But nowadayes many men make no great conscience to giue euidence at allauenture against their neighbours because they bee not put to the executing of the sentence Herevppon one goes and with his false tongue doeth wounde some man that is but halfe guiltie or peraduenture guiltlesse altogether And he bears himselfe in hand that a iob with his beake is not so great a matter by reason whereof he passeth not at all to speake against all trueth Yee see then the verie cause why there is so much libertie of forswearing nowadayes is that such as giue euidence against their neighbours are not put to the executing of the Iudges sentence But it was Gods will that their shoulde bee another order among the people of Israel namely that hee which gaue the euidence shoulde cast the first stone at the partie as who shoulde say it is thou that puttest this man to death By meanes whereof folke were restreined from bearing witnesse against any man vnlesse the matter were true and certaine For he that had giuen the euidence sawe himselfe dubble guiltie both of tongue and hand in murdering an innocent if hee had not deposed the trueth Wee see then howe it was not without cause that God commaunded this Ceremonie namely that the witnesses should bee the first in stoning the parties that were condemned to death by y e Iudges And hereby they were all done to vnderstande that no offēder was put to death but by the witnesse of such as had proued his offence by their owne knowledge Neuerthelesse God willed also that the hands of al the people should ioyne with them to shew that all of vs must bee furtherers of the maintenance of his seruice and of the pure Religion If any trespasse haue beene committed between man and man it shal be pursued by such as haue taken the hurt or losse or by such as haue to do therewith or else some common sollicitor shal haue the prosecuting of it for them all But when Gods honour is defaced then ought euery man to bestirre himselfe and it is a singular fauour that God sheweth vnto vs when hee imployeth vs in so honorable a thing as the maintenance of his maiestie to be as his Attourneys in that behalfe For what are we Now if God doe vs the honour to declare vnto vs that he wil haue his honour maintained by vs and by our hands shoulde we be negligent in that case So then wee see nowe what was Gods meaning in commaunding all the people to helpe to stone the ydolaters For thereby it is done vs to vnderstande that wee ought to haue a care to maintaine Gods seruice purely among vs and that euery man must bee earnest and zealous in this behalfe that as much as in vs lyeth wee suffer not religion to bee had in skorne or to bee peruerted But that if wee beare good will to the common weale when all thinges are well ordered and that wee loue to haue equitie and vprightnesse among vs there is much more reason that we shoulde bee verie chare of the worshipping of God purely that men turne not away from his woorde ne wander away wilfully from the Religion that hee hath stablished For although that wee nowadayes bee not bounde of any necessitie to the keeping of this Lawe as in respect of the Ceremonie yet doeth the substance thereof abide with vs. Euerie of vs is not to stone ydolaters but yet our Lorde doeth vs to vnderstande that wee must at leastwise haue so great regarde of his honour that so farre as lyeth in vs wee suffer not his name to bee scorned and his religion troden downe but that euerie of vs doe set our selues there against and make himselfe an aduersarie partie in that behalfe That is the thing which wee haue to note And so although the Ceremonie of the Lawe be not such amongst vs yet doeth the substance thereof stande in force still and wee ought to obserue it And for the same cause also it is added expresly that they must roote out the euill from among them Whereby he doth vs to wit that the suffering of
set in authoritie preheminence let them vnderstand that their doings are an acceptable sacrifice to God because he beareth record therof in his law and y t the people also do conform thēselues so much the more willingly thereunto Wherefore wee must vnderstand y t the peruerting therof were a rebelling against God a despising of him Thus we see now how needful a doctrine it is for vs how greatly to our edifying y t our lord hath declared y t there should be one chiefe court of Iustice for men to rest vpon that they might not be in continual dout Neuerthelesse we must note y t our Lord would not admit appeales in all cases indifferently among his people For he saith If there happen any hard case wherof the iudgement is doutfull not easie to be determined because the Iudges namely y e inferior Iudges of euery citie be graueled in it Wherfore sets he down this Because it had bin too great a toyle for the people to haue bin driuen to repayre to Ierusalem for euery matter of sixpence or I wote not what such like Wee see as I haue sayde afore howe there are some vnsatiable men and such as could alwayes be contented to sindge themselues so they may scald others Nay ye shal see some so spitefull y t though they should eate their owne fingers yet they would go forewarde with their sutes in Law and whē they had wasted away their own substance they would euen hazard their liues also to procure trouble to their aduersaries Seeing then that it is manifest that such folk are caried away with rage or at leastwise with desire of reuenge it is good to bridle them And that is the cause why God woulde not haue all cases to come to Ierusalem For he had set a good order namely that there shoulde be iustice in euerie Citie yea and men of vnderstanding to giue iudgement of such matters as were to come to triall before them Prouided alwayes that the cause were not harde and doutfull So then let vs marke how it was Gods wil that the controuersies should bee ended with speede without troubling of the parties too much And seeing that his intent was such wee ought to frame our selues thereto as much as is possible for vs. And therefore if men intend to stablish a good order of gouernement and such as God alloweth let them followe this rule that quarels be not mainteyned betweene man and man but that if there be any controuersie they may soone be set at one againe so as the sute in Law be not prolonged nor men posted ouer from one to another but that things may bee so ordered as the parties may not be suffered to followe still their owne inordinate wils True it is that this vice cannot be so corrected but that some remnant of it will abide still Yet notwithstanding wee must goe as neere the marke as we possibly can seeing that our Lord directeth vs therunto Againe if a man intend to prouide for the pacifying of quarels among men so as might may not ouercome right yee see that ordinary Iustice cannot be forborne For inasmuchas God had chosen the people of Israel it is certain that he prouided the best meane that could be deuised for the mainteyning of them in peace and concord And in verie deede they were all of one linage descended of the race of Abraham and therefore inasmuch as there was such a brotherhoode among them it ought to haue beene the easier to haue continued them in quietnes On the other side they seeing themselues separated from the rest of the world and being there gathered together into one bodie in the name of God ought to haue born one w t another in reuerence of that holy bond Yet notwithstanding for their further preseruation God ordeyned this meane that there should be Iudges in euery Citie Then let vs conclude that as long as men liue here beneath they cannot forbeare Magistrates by reason of their infirmities Truth it is that euery man ought to carie the Lawe in his heart and euery man ought to doe al men right of their owne accord but we be blind and our affections cary vs away and besides that wee subdue not our vnderstanding neither do we holde our lusts captiues as we ought to doe Therefore we haue neede of a bridle for them And that is my meaning in saying y t wee ought to loue the state of ciuil gouernement and to reuerence it namely because it is a necessarie mean to maintain mankind in this world and w tout it al things would go to horrible confusion inso much y t wee should not only become as Dogs Cats but also be worse than wilde beasts Greately therefore ought we to bewaile our state seeing y t as I haue shewed afore wee which beare the Image of God cannot vse our freedome to behaue our selues according to reason and equitie Yet notwithstanding seeing we be so sore corrupted we must vnderstand y t Gods remedying of our diseases after that fashion is a point of his singular goodnes towards vs. But howsoeuer y e case stand if we wil eschewe y t men scratch not out one anothers eies ne eat not vp one another let vs follow y e rule which our lord sheweth vs here namely y t there be Iustice in euery Citie in euery other place and y t such as beare y e sword do watch so as no man oppresse another no man work any outrage or iniurie nor no man presume further than is lawfull Marke that for one point Now let vs come to that which is set downe here concerning Appeals If there rise any difficult doutful case betweene cause and cause wound and wounde or bloud and bloud As if he should say if there bee any cause either criminall or ciuile whereof there riseth doubt and men cannot decide it by giuing definitiue sentence on it let thē resort to the high courte We see then that Appeales are ordeined as wel for matters of life death as for matters of trespasse And now let vs see whither God woulde haue men to appeale To Ierusalem True it is that he doth not as yet name the place because it was not appointed out at y t time But he sayth Thou shalt go vp And Moseses speaking after that manner was after a sort in way of prophesie because the cituation of Ierusalem was higher than all the rest of Iurie But vntill the Ark was set there it behooued them to resort to the place where that was Againe here is no speaking of the king For the time was not yet come that God would set vp a kingdome among that people y t was to be stablished in the person of Dauid Yet notwithstanding there were alwaies Iudges accordingly as wee see how Iosua succeeded Moses and consequently the rest of the Iudges vnto Samuel at which time y e people would needes change their state Therefore vnto Samuels
y e people chose Saules son as who would say we will haue this house to continue for euer yea euē as it were in dispite of God And as we see was Dauid mainteyned in his kingdome any otherwise than by Gods stretching out of his hand to preserue him The people fel within a while after to rebelling against Dauid the example of Absolon sheweth y t the insurrection was so great 2. Sam. 15.4 y t Dauid was forsaken of the most part of his subiectes So then it appeareth y t if y e people had not bin as good as daunted aforehand y e kingdom which God had determined on in his own purpose had neuer takē place neither would they haue submitted thēselues vnto it but by cōpulsion But yet behooued it thē to obey it And so by y t meane y e people were prepared therto by requiring a king of thēselues yet they found thēselues disappointed of their expectation For it was not Gods wil to stablish the blessed kingdom at y e first wherby y e whole world was to haue saluation but hee chose a king of the tribe of Beniamin yet it was said y t the scepter should not depart frō the tribe of Iuda Wherfore doth God turne away frō y t which he had spoken by y e mouth of Iacob This was done not y t he is variable not y t he repenteth him not y t he intended not to fulfil y t prophesie but for y ◠he was not minded to let his blessing appeare so soone because of y e peoples seditiousnesse in respect wherof he did it or at leastwise delayed it til they had acknowledged their fault repented thē therof And this doth shew vs sufficiētly wherfore god in this place reserueth not to himself y e chosing of y e king which should gouerne his people but sayth thou shalt require one It was to the end that his reigning should be of the more authoritie he bee y e better beloued of his people so as euery mā should submit himself to him therby know in very deed y t there was no greater happines than to be vnder y t house of Dauid forasmuch as the same was a shadow figure of the sonne of god who was to bring saluation full perfection of al good things In effect we see here two things The one is that our lord blameth the people for their importunitie in y t they would needs be aforehand w t him in desiring a king as if he should say You wil not suffer me to make him true it is y t I wil neuer forget you but I wil set such order among you y t ye shal haue cause to thanke me to reioyce of my goodnes But yet will you be so malitious frowarde y t when I shall haue giuen you a Iudge you shall desire a king And this frowardnes of yours shal cause me not to set vp the kingdom which I haue ordeined which I haue reserued to my selfe that is to wit of the tribe of Iuda Yet notw tstanding our lord sheweth y t he wil set vp y ◠kingdom but that shal be after the people are made fit to obey haue acknowledged their sin because they had couered a change against Gods wil before y ◠fit time was come Thus are all these places easily made to agree And hereupon we may gather a good lesson which is that when God hath promised vs any benefite or token of his mercy we must hold our lustes in awe and not runne a heade to chalendge him to do that which he hath sayd when we list but vse patience and be quiet vntill God shewe vs by effect that he ment not to disappoint vs in promising any thing y t belongeth to our saluation Here then is a generall rule which is y t in all Gods promises we must be patiēt not be so hastie as to say how goes this geere why doeth God make delay why performeth he not y e thing which we hoped for at his hand Let vs beware of such impatiencie seeing the example of y e people is such as we see it is in this place But let vs be stil when God hath promised vs any thing vntil y e cōuenient time therof be come of itself And yet shal not this hinder vs but y t we may pray vnto him for it For wherfore doth he cal vs to him cōmand vs to pray Phil. 〈…〉 but to y ◠intent we shold discharge all our care sorow vpon him receiue cōfort of it Therfore we may wel pray vnto god whē we are stirred vp to impatiencie but yet must we euer refer all things vnto him good reason it is y t he shold dispose of thinges according as he himselfe hath determined in his owne purpose not after our fancie Also let vs beare in minde what I haue touched afore to wit y t seeing God hath giuen vs a cōuenient state y t we be so gouerned by Iudges magistrates as y t the Lawes do reigne ouer vs we ought to giue God thanks for y t benefite to take good heed y t we prouoke not his wrath by our fonde ficklenes in desiring this or y ◠and in saying why is it not thus or thus For whē we wil nedes alter things after y e fashion arour own pleasure we make not war against mē but we defie God thrust him far frō vs to y e entent he should not reigne ouer vs. Therfore to be short seeing there is some forme of gouernment among vs let vs learn to thank God to hold vs vnder y e shadow of his wings not to craue this or y t through foolish ambition For we see what happened to y e people of Israell True it is y t God chose them a king howbeit y t was but to punish their wicked desire euen so will it fall out w t others And in deede we see how he giueth large scope to y e king which was set vp namely to Saul saying 2. Sam. 〈…〉 Thou shalt not reigne as a Prince but he shal execute al maner of tyranny ouer you and yee must bee faine to abide it spyte of your teeth But howsoeuer wee fare let vs learne to referre all the benefites that GOD giueth vs in this world to the spiritual kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ assuring ourselues that though we had all thinges else at will and liued here in neuer so great pleasure and welth and had such gouerners as demeaned themselues as gently towardes vs as were possible all this were nothing vnlesse our Lorde Iesus Christ reigned ouer vs and bare all the swaye On the contrary parte though we be tormented according to the flesh as we see a number of people extreemely vexed with tyranny and that we haue not so much as bread to eate Yet notwithstanding the blessednesse which God sendeth vs in
If the thing that belongeth to God bee plucked away from him to be bestowed vpon creatures it is a practise of Satans to turne vs out of the right way Againe if one doe puffe vp men with pride and ouerweening and make them beleeue that they be able folke so rock them asleepe in their sinnes or if he teach them to serue God with pelting toyes and to forget his Lawe and in the meane while to giue mens inuentions their ful scope or if the Sacraments be vsed but as light or fond pastimes a man may easily see that such doctrine is leawd and cursed and that it was forged in Satans shop Furthermore whereas nowadayes men are inquiring whereon to stay in y e middest of these troubles and diuersities of opinions that are in the world it is no very hard thing to doe so they be attentiue and discreete in discerning after the maner that our Lord hath shewed vs. For all the whole doctrine of poperie tēdeth to none other end but to aduaunce men and to puffe them vp in such wise with their owne deserts as they may be halfe at defiance with God as though they could accuse him Againe it sendeth men too and fro In stead of putting their trust in the onely freegoodnesse of God and in stead of imbracing our Lorde Iesus Christ men are taught other infinite meanes to saue themselues Moreouer in steed of hauing the only Lawe of God for their onely rule in all thinges and for their onely holynesse and perfection men haue set out their owne trifling traditions Thus may ye easily iudge of these thinges And what is to be sayd of their Sacraments It is euident that they be meere witcheries in the Popedome so as Iesus Christ is driuen a great way off by them and men make idols of the visible signes liuelesse creatures and Satan hath so imbrued the wretched world with his illusions that men are become starke beastes Now then if a man intend to make trial of a good doctrine he shal find the thinges which I spake of afore to be sure infallible markes thereof But in this text our Lord meant onely to tel vs that he will discouer the false prophet at leastwise one way or other whereof hee setteth downe one kinde here I haue told you alreadie that there are diuers other meanes to discerne the true doctrine from the false but none of those come in question here Our Lorde hath tolde vs No no yee shall not be beguiled so long as ye indeuour to follow the trueth that proceedeth from me If a deceiuer haue any countenance among you I will make his leawdnes to be layd open I will giue you some such token thereof as ye may always keepe your selues vndefiled so ye haue the mind and zeale to sticke to my pure worde Thus much concerning this text which importeth a kinde of promise as if our Lord should tell his people that he would discouer the hypocrisie of deceiuers and not suffer them to reigne euer but that in the end they shall in some respect or other come to confusion Now we see the principall drift of Moseses wordes But here a question might be moued For heretofore in the thirteenth Chapter Deut. 13.2 it was said that if a Prophet tolde a thing to come and the same came to passe in deede yet was he not to be beleeued because God would suffer such thinges to try his people withall And here it is sayd that a false Prophet shall be knowen and iudged by the not falling out of the things which he prophesieth Now here seemeth to be some contrarietie But the solution is easie in marking that though a false prophet be knowen by his lying yet it followeth not that he should be takē and deemed a true Prophet because it falleth out that he speaketh some trueth Truely if he spake the trueth at all times and in all cases then were he a true Prophet But hee may well say the trueth in some respect which may be done for some iust punishment from God as is declared in this same text and yet he shall be but a deceiuer neuerthelesse As how Put the case that folke seeke to bee soothed in their vices and are loth to be waked and quickened vp as they should be and had rather to be borne with for such hath the fashion of y e world euer bin Well God seeing such leawdnesse suffereth deceiuers to plaster them and to beare the folke in hand which are so desirous to sleepe in their wilfulnesse that their faultes are nothing Here ye see how those men are beguiled because of the desire which they had before And God addeth the same thing moreouer namely that those false Prophetes and deceiuers shall haue wherewith to confirme their doctrine that they which were imbrued w t lyes before may become more wilful For they will thinke then y t there is no more daunger in beleeuing them And what is the cause hereof Euen Gods iust vengeance Forasmuch as men shut their eyes at the light wil needs dwel in darknesse God giueth Satan the bridle By meanes whereof it commeth to passe y t false prophets doe sometimes speake y e trueth as is to be seene euen at this day For what a number are there to be found which seek after witchcraft to abolish y e authoritie of Gods word Ye shall see on y e one side a sorte of curious heads on y e other side another sorte y t haue no feare of God yet y e mark which they all shoote at is to put away Gods word y t they might not be ruled by it And in y e meane while they wil needs haue some Wizard to tel them of their good for tunes our Lord suffereth thē to be drawen by such meanes into al y e deceites of Satan notwithstanding y t some trueth bee mingled therew tall Now thē though a false Prophet speake y e truth yet is not that a warrāt that his doctrine is true our Lord will not haue men to credit him a whit y e more for y t for we see for what cause he putteth the trueth oftētimes into the mouthes of deceiuers And so notwithstanding the thinges that are set downe here yet doth it abide true still y t when our Lord is minded to haue pitie vppon his people and not to suffer them to bee abused by false doctrine he giueth them some token whereby to find the deceiuer and whereas earst he was in estimation and might haue amazed the wretched world God bewrayeth his leawdnesse so he is found to be a lyer Thus wee see now the whole meaning of Moses concerning the thinges that are conteyned in this text These thinges were performed among the people of olde time and the examples thereof which we see ought to shewe vs the vse of them and what fruit we should gather of this warning which Moses giueth When the Prophets meant to proue
hee commaundeth all to be burnt and wasted that there may not so much as one graine of corne be lefte Yea but thereby the poore people are starued There is no remedie nothing must bee spared but all thinges must be borne down to the intent I may reigne like a conquerour Needes must God bee forgotten when men proceede so farre Wee neede not to go seeke examples of threescore yeares hence neither neede wee to heare our auncetors speake For we haue seene as much within these last twentie yeares and not farre hence And the mischiefe not onely continueth but also increaseth still For why they bee the fruits of the contempt of Gods worde So a Prince doe shriue himselfe and bee assoyled and make a Crosse vpon his backe it is ynough Hee shall haue Ceremonies ynowe When hee hath performed a sort of counterfaite seruices hee is quite and cleane assoyled But if a man shoulde come and shewe him his dutie by Gods worde hee cannot abide to heare of it To be tolde what he oweth first vnto God and then vnto men hee can abide much lesse To bee tolde after what manner he ought to take warres in hand and howe hee should holde himselfe within his bounds and listes without attempting any further than God giueth him leaue he can no skil at all it were a derogation to his maiestie it is ynough for him to mocke GOD with a sort of pelting trifles as though hee were to please a young babie But let vs on our side consider what is Lawfull for vs and not meddle with those which prouoke Gods wrath and curse vppon their heades after that fashion And seeing that God hath ridde vs from so great confusions let vs yeelde him thankes and not followe them any more least we prouoke his vēgeance to bee the more horrible against vs. Nowe howsoeuer the worlde goe although wee bee priuate persons yet must wee put this lesson in vre of not making any waste forsomuch as wee knowe that our Lorde hath appointed the earth to bee as our foster mother And seeing shee openeth her bowels after that sort to sustaine vs wee must vnderstande that it is all one as if God shoulde reach vs his hand and offer vs the testimonies of his goodnesse If wee bee of that minde then will this doctrine auaile vs not onely in time of warre but also in time of peace And would God that it were well regarded But nowadayes men are set altogether vppon euill doing Insomuch that although wee haue our eares beaten dayly with such matters yet wee minde them not whereof the examples are too euident Yea and there are which had leuer that their corne shoulde bee marde in their Garners and bee eaten with vermine and rotte where it lyeth rather than to sell it in time of neede For they coulde finde in their heartes to hungerstarue the poore people And is not that all one with cutting vp the fruite trees Behold the corne is gathered in and our Lorde hath powred out his goodnesse and blessing to the ende that the poore folke shoulde bee susteyned Nowe it is hoorded vp in Garners and it is kept fast vnder locke and kay till it rise to so great a price that folke crie out for hunger and are no longer able to abide it And what becomes of the Corne in the meane whyle It foysteth and rotteth Indeede our Lord doth nowe and then mocke them that thought them selues to haue gained much and shewe them that that is not the way to doe it But yet for all that they to the vtter most of their power doe burie Gods grace as though they fought against the goodnesse and fatherly loue which hee vttered towards all the people And in so doing they peruert the whole order of nature as if they went to cut downe and to destroy the fruitebearing trees What is to bee done then Seeing that our Lorde woulde haue a certaine humanitie to bee obserued euen among enemies forasmuch as it behooueth vs to liue fellowlike together in peace and brotherly loue let vs looke that wee endeuour to liue in concorde and friendshippe as much as in vs lyeth And when God shall haue bestowed his spirituall giftes vppon vs which are much preciouser than all the worldly thinges which wee can receiue let vs indeuour to make our neighbours parteners with vs and not through our malice disappoint them of the good which God doeth vnto them For if wee ought to behaue our selues with such discretion in the vse of temporall benefites what ought wee to doe in the spirituall blessings which concerne the saluation of our soules Then let vs learne not to stubbe vp the fruitetrees But rather seeing that Gods worde is the seede of life let vs indeuour to spreade it abroade euerie where that it may take good roote And that when it hath taken roote it may not bring foorth a barren tree but a tree that beareth good fruite Thus yee see what wee haue to gather of this text if wee intende to profite our selues duly thereby yea euen in such wise that although wee be not in warres yet notwithstanding forasmuch as GOD hath chosen vs for his people hee hath shewed vs heere such a point of vprightnesse as ought to continue with vs all our life long Nowe let vs kneele downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them more and more so as we may be y e better setled in true repentaunce and that therewithall wee may mourne and mislike of ourselues when wee see the infirmities that are in vs and pray our good GOD to vouchsafe to holde vs in awe that although wee see the worlde nowadayes to bee vtterly out of order and our selues horriblie beset rounde about with al manner of stumblingblockes yet wee may bee helde still vnder his banner to followe him whithersoeuer hee listeth to call vs that by that meanes hee may bee glorified in vs and wee also rightly glory in him for that wee be his people and hee hath shouled vs out to doe him seruice That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth bringing backe all poore ignorant people from the superstitions and ydolatries wherein they are helde that so hee may leade them to the knowledge of his trueth And that for this purpose it would please him c. On Saturday the xxj of December 1555 The Cxx. Sermon which is the first vpon the one and twentith Chapter WHen a bodie is found slaine lying vpon the ground in the Land which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee to possesse and it is not knowen who killed him 2 Then shall thine Elders and Iudges come foorth and measure the Townes that lye rounde about the slaine man 3 And when they perceiue which of the Townes is nearest to the slaine man then shall the Elders of that towne take a young Hekfar from the
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
right in this case is equall and mutuall as I haue shewed afore And so yee see what we haue at this day to obserue namely that euery man ought to consider that the vocation which hee hath of God is such a yoke as he may not seeke to shake off For it is the cheefe and principall seruice which wee can render vnto God all our whole lifetime to haue an eye vnto that which he requireth of vs and when hee hath set vs in some estate and calling to doe that which belongeth vnto our dewtie and that euery one yeelde himselfe obedient in all humblenesse to say hath God called me vnto this ende I must frame my selfe thereunto without any reply or gainsaying Therefore when we bee of a milde and gentle disposition submitting our selues vnto y e will of our God therein say I consisteth the principall seruice which he liketh and desireth And without this al our vertues are nought else in his sight but doung and filthynesse Nowe seeing it is so let vs consider as touching mariage what the calling of God is and what maner of Law or what yoke he layeth on the neck of man to wit that he liue quietly with his wife bearing with those infirmities which are in her be a companion to liue and to die with hir and that the wife lykewise submit herselfe with all humblenes vnto her husband so as they nourish and maintaine peace one with the other Thus ye see how God may bee honoured and howe his grace also and his blessing may dwell and abide in a familie And if a woman bee so wicked as to prostitute hir selfe the husband according vnto the will of God may not onely put hir away but is in perfect and full libertie to leaue hir and to marrie himselfe vnto another As for the woman there is in deede another respect touching hir than for the man For the wife shall not bee so dishonored by the adulterie of hir husband nor bee put to so great shame as the husband shall bee by the wyues But yet if the husbande bee an whooremonger and wasteth his goods and substaunce vppon harlottes so as his wife is shutte out of doores or bee kept in with all manner of crueltie like a wretched slaue if this mischiefe holde on still then to leaue a wretched woman in such bondage were against all reason and right especially considering that which was yesterday alleaged out of the Prophet Malachie 〈…〉 16. That it were better that a man shoulde put away his wife than to haue more than one And what shall bee sayde then in this case when a man shall keepe an ordinarie stewes and that no man is able to correct this vice of his is not the wife then set at greater libertie This is the thing which wee haue to beare in minde vpon this place Nowe sith our Lordes will is that marriage shoulde bee so indissoluble and inuiolable yea and that through the vertue of this sentence which our Lorde hath pronounced with his owne mouth That there shall bee two in one flesh let vs note that it is much greater reason that the spirituall vnion which wee haue with our Lorde Iesu Christ ought to bee diligently kept and mayntained For his will is to contract marriage with vs and dayly he doeth so or at leastwise ratifyeth it by the preaching of the Gospell And on what condition is it It is as Saint Paule sayeth to the ende wee shoulde bee as chast women not turning our mindes aside vnto false doctrines For he compareth all errours and all corruptions of the pure simplicitie of fayth to fornications As if a wife hearken vnto a bawde beholde shee is alreadye wonne and begynneth foorthwith to breake the fayth of Marriage Euen so is it with vs if wee abide not in the obedience of our Lorde Iesus Christ holding our selues wholly vnto his doctrine wee are like vnto aduowtrous women And therefore sith that GOD hath ioyned vs vnto his only sonne and that our whole felicitie and glory consisteth therein let vs learne not to decline from it in any manner of wise Nowe it is sayde That the man which shall haue so put away his Wife shall not if she marrie otherwise euer take hir agayne bycause shee is alreadie defiled Heereby GOD meant for to shewe that albeit hee did not punish such diuorcements as were made without any good ground yet he leaueth not to condemne them for there was heerein a remedie that a man being grieued with his wife myght in continuaunce of time beyng better aduised take hir againe and if the wife were married againe because hee had set her foorth vnto fornication and because that asmuch as in him lay hee had broken all order of nature he might not take her againe Now in that God ordayned such punishement although hee permitted diuorcementes I meane as in respect of humaine policie it shewed sufficiently that hee allowed not of them And so the Iewes excused themselues but in vaine as if they had put away their wiues by the authoritie of the Lawe For this text sufficiently declareth that this manner of putting of them away was wicked and that it coulde bring nothing else but all manner of euill and mischiefe yea and farther that it was not possible for the man to amend the fault which hee had committed after that the wife had taken a new husband When the Lawe declareth thus much is it not a condemning of the Iewes How can this serue them for a shrowding sheere to say The law permitted vs this thing our Lorde woulde not punishe such a sinne by any earthly iudgement Yea but for all this hath hee declared that he alloweth of it Hath hee sayd that such a fact is lawfull Nay but all the contrarie For the thinges which of themselues are good haue alway a good end and issue but when there followeth any wretched mishap in any thing especially such a one as can be by no meanes recouered it is a signe that the thing displeaseth God So then let vs diligently note that God meant in this place to discouer the reason of his counsaile why hee punished not diuorcementes In effect hee meant to giue the Iewes to vnderstand that it was for the hardnesse of their heart as our Lorde Iesus Christ thereof speaketh Matt. 19.8 and that they must needes be conuicted to acknowlege that the cause why God established no perfectnesse of ciuil gouernment among thē was for that they were not capable of it But they considered little of this Nay they bare thēselues in hand rather that all thinges were lawfull for them seeing they were not punished by earthly iudgement and they thought that by this meanes they were also preuiledged from the iudgement of God Hereby wee bee warned of that which was more fullie handled yesterday to wit not to runne at rouers but to make a perfect tryall of those thinges which wee take in hand by hauing our
stuffe yea this will stande mee in steede I will haue it say I and the poore man cannot tell what to answere for hee is at my mercie If hee denie it O say I there is no dealing with you goe your wayes it is no pitie to helpe you And thus a poore man shall bee helde as it were vppon the racke Yee see then the meaning of this lawe when our Lorde forbad a man to enter into his neighbours house to ransacke it for a pledge For why He which entreth cannot iudge what the poore man which desireth to bee succoured might best spare but lucre as I told you blindeth vs and when wee bee once forepossessed with such desire wee iudge no longer what is rightfull because euery of vs will conclude O I must aske this And why Because it will bee good for mee Wee see then now the reason of this first part But if a man bee at his owne free choyce to bring what pledge hee will so as hee bee pressed hee may then withdrawe himselfe aside beware that hee bee not trodden vnder foote nor pinched beyonde measure hee may beethinke himselfe what is to bee done hee may aduise himselfe by his owne counsayle there is no man to control him or to disturbe the stuffe of his house and then a man may take the pledge to assure his money Nowe because there may bee sometimes such vrgent necessitie that a man will some time shift him selfe to his shirte to haue somewhat to eate our Lorde prouideth farther in this case to remedie it and therefore hee commaundeth the pledge to bee restored againe when a man shall perceiue that a poore man cannot misse it For in such a case a man must bee touched with greater compassion for two causes the one is because that when a man putteth himselfe beside his bedding and his clothing it is easie to iudge and to gather that hee is come to greate extremitie and to the farthest degree of pouertie That is one poynt to bee noted The other is in considering of this poynt what difference there is whether a man dye for hunger or for colde This is but to change his torment this is not to succour him I lende a man money and hee buyeth bread therewith to eate and in the meane time hee is frosen to death through mee and doe I releeue him then So then wee ought in such a case to bee mooued with compassion or else there is no humanitie in vs. So then for this cause GOD will haue the pledge restored againe when wee see that the thing wee take is necessarie for the preseruing of a mans life as is his cote his doublet his bedde his couering or such like things I graunt that according vnto the rigour of ciuill iustice this is not obserued and God also hath not giuen it in this place for a ciuil order but hee meant to prescribe a rule for euery man to followe of his owne free will As many things are permitted vs before men of which notwithstanding wee shal bee accountable before God although wee escape the handes of earthly Iudges There is no man will let mee from vsing the vtmost rigour I can towardes him which oweth mee any thing and yet when I see hee is behinde hande with mee and that there is no guile nor malice in him if I for all that do cause him to bee cast into prison if I rid him of al that he hath if I leaue and forsake him doubtles I do him wrong in the sight of God Nowe ciuil iustice can set downe no other order but that all must be done as I will haue it Yea but as it hath beene declared heretofore when we shal haue beene excused before men it is not to be sayde therefore that wee shall not bee culpable before God For the lawe requireth a farre other perfection than earthly and common iustice doeth So then let vs note that although it was lawfull for the Iewes as touching earthly iustice to take any gage they listed yet doeth God condemne it for intollerable crueltie And if this were in the time of the lawe how much greater reason is there for the practising of it nowadayes when wee haue more occasion of exercising such humanitie and gentlenes one towards another For we must returne vnto this principle ground that Gods will is that wee should resemble him because hee hath adopted vs for his children and shewed himselfe to bee our father God hath in deede alwayes shewed himselfe such a one but at this day in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ he hath displayed and shewen foorth the bowels of his mercie Luke 1.78 as the scripture speaketh for it cannot sufficiently expresse the infinit bountie and goodnes which God hath shewed vnto vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ. Sith it is so that God hath made vs to feele more than euer heretofore his inestimable loue so much the more ought we to enforce ourselues on our side to followe him to conforme our selues vnto his example Therefore if wee be so cruell as to let them dye for want neede which desire and seeke after our helpe or if wee spoyle them of that which they cannot forbeare and liue there is so much the lesse excuse for vs and our sinne is double and farre more haynous nowadayes And therefore let vs knowe that God spake not onely vnto the Iewes for the time of the lawe but that this rule must abide in full force vntill the ende of the worlde and that as this sentence was alleaged by our Lorde Iesus Christ That mercie is better than sacrifice to shewe that it appertaineth vnto the Christian Church so all the kindes of mercie which are dependant vppon it are belonging vnto vs and wee must exercise mercie not according vnto our owne fancie but as God sheweth vs according to the declaration thereof which wee haue in this place For what else is this lawe which Moses hath here set downe in writing but an exposition of that sentence which the Prophet hath more generally set downe Yee see then in effect what we haue to beare in minde And hereby wee are taught likewise not to ouer greeue such as for their needes doe come to seeke releefe at our handes Euery man must haue an eye vnto his owne abilitie what hee may doe and not trample his neighbour beeyonde measure vnder foote The very thing wherein wee ought to holde our selues streight is that euery of vs hauing an eye to his owne abilitie must doe his indeuour to the vttermost without sparing of himselfe For wee must exact of our selues that which our Lorde hath commaunded vs and wee must strayne our selues in that behalf to the vttermost of our power Wee must succour those whome wee see in necessitie and not tarrie vntill men constrayne vs thereunto For as I tolde you God will peraduenture lay the brydle on our necke as touching ciuill order howbeit that shal bee but to trye
t such as are succourlesse are here commended vnto vs by God And moreouer let vs knowe that if we be bound to guide the blinde least they should stumble or stray out of the way we ought to be much more foreward and readie to aduise a man when we see he hath neede of counsell and is like to fall into some daunger for want of our aduise But yet much more ought the way of saluation to bee priuiledged in so much that if wee see a man ouershoote himselfe and is going into destruction wee must not disdayne to warne him saying Wretched creature whither goest thou What wilt thou doe Wilt thou needes thus wilfully perish And specially when he doeth it of ignoraunce If wee then spare our tongues in that behalfe so as they be not vsed as instruments of saluation to y e poore ignorant soule who would faine be taught surely such rechlesnesse shal not abide vnpunished nor be forgotten before God Although neither Lawe nor Iustice proceede against it yet shall this curse bee ratified vppon it To bee short let vs marke that our Lorde meant by this threat to induce vs to pitie and compassion in succouring al such as haue neede of vs And specially in imploying our selues when wee see poore ignoraunt persons destitute of counsell and that wee our selues are of abilitie to bring them backe agayne into the ryght way Thus much concerning that point Nowe followeth immediatly concerning crueltie Cursed bee hee that wresteth the right of the straunger the widowe and the fatherlesse True it is that to the vttermost of our power wee must mayntayne euery mans right Neuerthelesse our Lorde in this place as afore speaketh of Wydowes fatherlesse and straungers bycause they lie open to a great number of iniuries and outrages and no man settes himselfe in their defence nay feawe haue any care at all of them bycause they be not able to make any recompence Looke mee vppon a Straunger see howe hee shall be fleeced howe he shall bee vexed howe hee shall be wronged yea and that openly and yet it shall be winked at And why For euery man will bee freendly to his owne neighbour and as for that man hee is not of the same country he is not of the same Citie he belongeth not vnto vs. Thus yee see howe the poore man shall be left destitute In lyke case are Wydowes and Fatherlesse Children For as for the fatherlesse childe men looke not that hee should acknowledge what is doone for him to day or to morrowe Sometimes he lies in his Cradle and knowes not who dooes him good and who dooes him euill bycause he hath no discretion hee cannot requite the pleasure that is done vnto him and therfore euery man Jetteth him alone In the same case do wydowes stand specially when they be poore are of no great countenaunce to the worldward for then euery man shrinks from them and so they bee left vp as it were to the spoile Now bicause these things come commonly to passe God doth purposely take such folke into his protection saying that if any man doe wrest or hinder the right of the straunger the widow and the fatherlesse he wil be reuenged thereof insomuch that although it be not accounted of before the world but rather the dooers of such outrages be well liked of yet will he call them before him and shew that he had a care of those whome he had taken into his safekeeping And so vnder one kinde God meant to shewe breefely that if we tread vppon such as haue no credite nor meane to defende themselues nor any stud to leane vnto as in respect of the world hee reserueth to himselfe the punishing thereof That is the thing which wee haue to gather vpon this text Now to wrest or hinder the Right is nothing else but vniustly without cause to oppresse y e feeble and weake and such as haue no body to support and maintain them Truly that maner of speech is set downe in the holy scripture which is al one with this which we be wont to say to dash a good case but yet in generall it is as much to say as to disappoynt a man of his right Nowe therefore when I pill a man when I rake to my selfe the things that belong to him when I strip him out of his substance when I thrust him out of al that euer he hath when I ouermaster him and I take more vppon mee than becommeth mee then doe I hinder his right And so we see as I saide afore that in this text God sheweth that he will bee the Iudge of al the outrages which are done to such as haue no meanes to reuenge themselues and are forsaken forgotten on y e behalfe of men But were we wel aduised surely we wold be more afraid to haue God our aduersarie partie than all the whole worlde together And in deede therein we shew y t we giue small credit to Gods word in so much that if a man be of great kinred haue many friends if a man be rich or highly fauoured of the world we dare not meddle with him although he haue molested vs yet wil we sweetely swallow it vp in any wise beware that we prouoke him not Thus wil men beare w t all such as haue wherwith to maintaine themselues to y e worldward when in the meane while they that are destitute shal be pilled eaten vp Yet notwithstanding God is their defender and saith that in oppressing such folke we make warre against him and therefore that he also must be faine to lift vp his arme in the maintenance of those whom hee hath taken into his protection But men care not for that and doe we not thereby bewray our vnbeleefe For had we a true and liuely feeling that God iesteth not heere in telling vs that his curse shall light vpon those which shal so haue misintreated the feeble sort and such as haue no mainteyners it is certaine that we would quake whensoeuer we were tempted to do euil to any poore creature y t hath no stay credite or authoritie in the world I see this man hath no kinsfolke nor friendes I see no man regardeth him I see he is vndefended now if I aduaunce my selfe against him or if I trouble him God setteth himselfe against me he setteth his mark vpon the poore man and he telleth me that if I meddle with such a person he will take the case to himselfe and I shall haue impeached his owne maiestie If we did thinke on this certaine it is that wee shoulde bee much more restrained and held backe by his feare than we are by all the fauours and displeasures of this world whatsoeuer Neuerthelesse we see the cleane contrarie we bee very dulheads in this behalfe And therefore let vs bethinke our selues to bee more watchfull than we haue beene And sith wee dare not attempt any thing against those which are armed with al defence haue
Seeing it is so let vs mark farther that although God doe mitigate our greefes and comforteth vs yet doeth that serue vs to no purpose if he giue vs not the wisedome to vnderstande his goodnesse And we must vnderstand that wee are not able to enioye the good that GOD offereth vnto vs when wee be destitute of his holy Spirite And this is one execution of that threatning that is here mentioned True it is that we shoulde alwayes returne to this poynt that our Lorde desireth not the vtter confusion of sinners but y t forsomuch as such miseries doe happen oftentimes we should not tarie till they light vpon our heads but rather seeke the remedie to the end that God haue not occasion to withdrawe himselfe from vs. Howesoeuer the case standeth let vs first of all marke that God directeth this doctrine to such as haue bin trained in his worde as we haue already sayd It is certaine that he is Iudge of the world yet notwithstanding wee well deserue to bee chastised after a more boystrous fashion when wee haue beene taught at his mouth and haue reiected his will and bee so farre foorth corrupted that wee make but a iest of his word and that whereas hee sought to retayne vs as his people wee haue despised him It is verie meete therefore that wee shoulde bee grieuously punished and therefore let vs thinke that seeing God doeth vs the fauour to let vs haue the pure doctrine of the holy scripture the same serueth to bereaue vs of all excuses and also to quicken vs vp to walke so much the more in feare But herewithall let vs marke farther that God doth not onely vse threatnings towards vs but also dayly exhort and allure vs vnto him to reconcile vs to him shewing that for his parte hee is readie to come to attonement so wee condemne our sinnes and returne to his mercie What else is the Gospell that wee heare euery daye but a message of reconciliation as Saint Paul calleth it in the seconde to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 5. 1â— Seeing then that God sendeth vs a herault to declare peace vnto vs and to shewe that he is ready to doe away all our offences let vs take heede that wee vse this time of our Saluation to receiue y e grace that is offered vnto vs in due season as the Prophet Esay telleth vs and as Saint Paul sayth 2. Cor. 6.2 vsing the same testimonie Againe when we haue bin ouermuch hardened and that God hath patiently wayted for vs and wee still continue in our sinnes let vs not thinke that he in the end hath either giuen ouer or forgotten his office We must needs yeeld an account of such vnthankfulnesse When wee forsake the Saluation whereunto he called vs and despise him out of measure such wilful stubburnesse must of necessitie come to reckening Then let vs stande in feare and as often as wee heare speaking of the grace of God which is offered vnto vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ let our heartes be enclined to receiue it and let vs giue way vnto God to come in And when wee goe vnto him let it bee doone with bewayling our sinnes and with yeelding ourselues guiltie not onely in worde of mouth but also with such griefe of heart as may prooue that the euil displeaseth vs. And when wee thus mislike of our selues let vs not abyde till our Lorde put in execution the threatenings that hee setteth foorth heere but let vs turne them to our commoditie And when wee heare the promises of the Gospell let vs remember the threatenings also that wee may bee so much the more prouoked and euery man make haste to receiue the good which is offered vnto vs to enioy and to possesse vnlesse the fault bee in our selues Nowe let vs cast downe our selues before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes beseeching him to make vs to feele them yet better vntill wee bee vtterly beaten downe in our selues and seeke for the remedie whereunto hee calleth vs namely that beeing guyded by his holy spirite wee may increase and profite more and more in all holinesse and righteousnesse and that wee may endeuour so to glorifie him in all our whole life as in the ende wee may attayne to that same euerlasting glory vnto the which hee calleth vs And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the xxiij of March 1556. The CLVIII Sermon which is the sixt vpon the eight and twentith Chapter 29 And thou shalt alwayes suffer iniurie and oppression and no man shall deliuer thee 30 Thou shalt mary a wyfe and an other man shall lye with her thou shalt buylde a house but thou shalt not dwell in it thou shalt plant a vyne but thou shalt not gather the fruite thereof 31 Thyne oxe shal be killed before thine eyes but thou shalt not eate of it thyne Asse shal bee taken away before thy face and it shall not be restored vnto thee thy sheepe shal be deliuered to thyne enemies and there shal be no bodie to saue them 32 Thy sonnes and thy daughters shal be giuen to another people thyne eyes shall see it and dasle at it all the day long and thy hande shall haue no strength 33 And a people which thou hast not knowen shall eat the fruite of thy land and all thy labour and thou shalt doe nothing but suffer reuylinges and oppressions alwayes 34 And thou shalt be amased at the sight of those things which thyne eyes shal beholde 35 The Lord wil smite thee with a sore swelling in the knees and in the legs of the which thou shalt not bee healed from the sole of thy foote to the crowne of thy head WE ought well to rememember the meaning of Moses whereof wee haue spoken heeretofore namely wherefore hee continueth in vttering so many curses For wee are slowe to bee mooued when our Lorde doeth threaten vs wee make a game of it and albeit wee confesse that wee shoulde thinke thereon yet doeth it escape vs. And futhermore wee suppose that wee shall alwayes fynde starting holes and that if God doe followe vs one way wee by flying another way shal bee able to void his blowes Thus doe men deceiue themselues and thereuppon waxe hardhearted Nowe Moses or rather the spirite of GOD speaking by his mouth perceiuing that men be so carelesse and that they shrinke not at the first when the iudgement of God is set before them continueth his matter still and addeth threatenings vppon threatenings Againe on the other side perceiuing also that men seeke startingholes and thereby deceiue themselues bearing themselues in hande that they can saue themselues by flinging ouer the Fenne as they say hee sheweth that God hath infinite meanes to punish vs withall both aboue and beneath before and behynde on the right hande and the lefte and that wee shal bee so hemmed in on all sides that it shall not be possible for vs to
weakenesse that we may repaire vnto God and let nothing hinder vs from yeelding our selues wholy vnto him and vnto his protection let vs not deceiue our selues with such vaine confidence as the Iewes had in their high wals Nowe heerewithall hee sheweth also that all that euer wee can deuise for our strength and safegarde can doe nothing against his power but that wee shall continue besieged vntill wee bee altogether wasted Yea and wee may gather by this Text that it were much better for vs to bee deliuered at the first into the handes of our enemies than to haue meanes to resist whereby wee may bee made to languish in such wise as wee may not dye a simple death out of hand for the poore people that be abroad in the fieldes are spoyled at the first and so are dispatched of it Surely it is a pitious case to beholde their throates cut and all set on fire but yet for all that by that meanes they are deliuered from their miseries so as they pine not away in them But as for them that are in strong Townes they must bee faine to abide a long siege they must languishe and pine away by peecemeale not for a moneth or two but euen vntill they can holde out no more and that is asmuch as if they should passe a hundred deaths Thus doth our Lorde reuenge himselfe of them that thinke themselues to bee dispatched when God doth not roote them out at the first No saieth hee bethinke your selues whether of these fruites doe speede best they that are brought to the market in their prime and eaten out of hand or they that are kept for a time and in the ende doe rotte It were better then for you to bee ouercome and vanquished by your enemies at the first Let vs therfore consider well that when wee haue wherewith to defend vs to the worldeward where it should profite vs it shall turne to our double confusion if wee trust therein for wee must grone a great while vnder the burden and bee wasted by little and little For when wee bee disobedient and wil not be reformed our Lorde wil neuer leaue vs til he haue vtterly brought vs to nought as he sheweth here so oftentimes And y t is yet better expressed by this that Moses addeth The man saith he that is tender and delicate among you shall bee greeued at his brother and at the wife which lyeth in his armes because hee cannot bee suffered to eate his owne children alone The woman which is so nice that shee dare not touch the ground with her foote for so are the very woordes of Moses shall seeke to destroy and to spoile her own children yea they shall no sooner bee borne out of her wombe but shee shall bee desirous to deuoure them and if shee haue brought them vp to some bignesse shee will spare them neuer the more These bee dreadfull thinges for it is not sayd alonely You shal bee besieged and tarie a long while in famine so as you shall bee driuen to eate Horses Rattes mice shooeleathers yea and the very doung of byrdes as it hath bin seene and all these thinges shall bee your meate 2. Kin. 6.25 Neither is it sayd that men and women should bee eaten but that euery man shall eate his owne children Seeing that God speaketh in this maner were it not enough to make our hayre stand vpright Yes verily and yet here is nothing declared by Moses which hath not bin seene in execution It is not for a man to say it is not credible it is repugnant to nature a man would plucke the bread out of his owne mouth when hee is in extremitie to giue it vnto his children he would dy to helpe them insomuch that wee see that Agar could not abide to see the death of her childe Gen. 21.16 but shee left him alone and wished her owne death But wee neede not to alledge examples of these thinges for the common affection doth sufficiently declare that euery man would rather dy than eate his owne children but yet was such crueltie seene among the Iewes They which were instructed in y e lawe of God and should haue had much more humanity and compassion than the Paganes and infidels euen they forgot al maner of honestie and were ouercome with this madnes It was meete that this blindenesse Esa. 6.9 Deut. 28. whereof the Prophets had spoken and which wee see here before touched also by Moses should bee then accomplished in them and that they should bee rauished of their wittes For when GOD taketh away all reason and vprightnesse from men then hee leaueth them to a kinde of madnesse Such furie then must needes be in them when they did eate their owne children Hereby wee bee specially warned that they which bee reserued for the last cast bee in no better case than they whom God hath chasticed long afore And this is a profitable warning For so soone as God striketh some and forbeareth othersome And why not these also say we Haue not these deserued asmuch We haue not the patience to suffer God to execute his iudgementes in such order as seemeth good vnto him selfe but wee surmise that those whome hee dooth respit and whom hee for a little while forbeareth bee priuiledged more than wee But it is contrary for it had bin better for them to haue bin punished sooner than to be so reserued And therefore let vs not enuy them because that God forbeareth them for a time as though they were exempted from all plagues but let vs tary till God fetch them about at their turne for it had bin farre better for them to haue bin dispatched out of hand And therewithall let euery of vs looke to himselfe Let vs not trust to the patience that God â—â—eth toward vs to deceiue our selues therewith In deede when God hath bin patient and forborne vs it shoulde giue vs the better disposition to resorte vnto him and to hope to finde him pitiful to forgiue vs our faultes and trespasses But we must not fal asleepe thereupon to dally with him and to say O hee hath taried for vs he will yet doe the lyke hereafter as wee see the wicked doe which doe but shake their head at it when they see that God hath spared them they thinke they be discharged Let vs beware that For wee see how he saith that when we be well appointed and haue fortresses as it were inuincible all must fall on our heades and wee shall be so much the more grieuously punished Thus much haue we to remember touching this text Now let vs marke further that when we forget our God wee must also forget all the course of nature and he must needes bereaue vs of our wittes Ephes. 3.15 for it is hee on whom all fatherhood dependeth he is the welspring thereof We should not knowe what the duetie of the parents is towarde their children nor what reuerence children doe owe to their
reason Howbeit there is so great infirmitie I meane euen in them which bee gouerned by the holy Ghost and which streine themselues to bee obedient vnto him that they faile in many respectes but yet howsoeuer the world goe sinne ouermaistereth them not they striue not of set purpose to transgresse the Lawe but they proceede and go foreward stil and albeit that they do it limpingly yet doe they hold on still toward God As touching these they bee borne withall True is that GOD will chastise them and in what maner Euen in forgiuing them according to this saying of his â—word4 7. â—4 If thy children transgresse my commaundementes I will visite their iniquities but it shall bee with the rodde of men and not with extremitie I will not deale with them as with enemies I will not take away my mercie from them albeit that I doe correct them Thus doth God deale in that behalfe But if our hearts bee vtterly hardened then will hee warre vpon vs and destroy vs without sparing although hee beare with vs yet shall all turne to our confusion That is one thing that wee haue to remember concerning this Text. Also it is a notable poynt to bee obserued where Moses speaketh of the yoke of yron For hee saith That the Lorde will lay a yoke of yron vpon the neck of all misbeleeuers vntill they bee altogether consumed And that is to the ende wee shoulde learne to receiue the correctioÌ„s which we heare of and not kicke against them For wee see what befell to Ananias 〈…〉 16. when hee mocked at the threatninges of Ieremy and came to breake the yoke which hee had vppon his necke which was a yoke of wood and of cordes The Prophet did weare that yoke to moue the people to consider that they shoulde all become captiues and so to beholde their owne state in the person of the Prophet Now this wicked one that was possessed of the diuel to make the worde of God to bee naught set by came to breake the bandes of Ieremy and sayd euen thus wil God breake the yoke of Nabuchodonoser and albeit y t he besiege you and doe what hee can to cary you away captiues into a straunge land yet shal you bee preserued by the grace of your God God threatned and this fellowe mocked all his threatninges and thereto tooke the shadowe of the name of God to abuse the people Well then what wanne hee by such rebellion It was sayd to the Prophet Ier. 28.14 Take a yoke of yron for whereas the bondage shoulde haue bin gentle and tollerable it must how be so cruel as they shal not be able to endure any more See here how hee dealeth with all such as harden their heartes against GOD and will not abide to bee meekened by his hand Then let vs bee afraid of this yoke of yron First of all wee know that Gods yoke is amiable vnto all such as willingly yeelde themselues vnto it and suffer theÌ„selues to bee gouerned by the hand of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Wee haue the testimony of the sonne of GOD Matt. 11.30 My yoke sayth hee is easie and my burden is light Come to me and learne that I am lowly and meeke Seeing that our Lord Iesus declareth that they which be teachable and obedient shall perceiue that there is neither burthen nor weight nor griefe in his yoke to ouerpresse them withall it ought to moue vs to yeeld our necks vnto it and to pray God to put vs vnder it and also to suffer him to chastice vs wheÌ„ we haue offended him In deed the strokes wil be greeuous vnto vs as y e Apostle sayth Heb. 12.11 and we shall neuer finde the corrections pleasant during the time y t God stryketh vs. We bee lyke little children when they bee corrected wee feele it greeuous because our nature doth repugne against it But howsoeuer wee lyke of it yet God will vse that fatherly meane and by little and little teach vs to returne vnto him But if wee will needes tempt his patience to the vttermost hee must then vse the yron rodde to breake our heades withall as it is sayd in the Psalme Psal. 2.9 Wee shall bee driuen to feele the yron which shall serue not to reclayme vs withall but to breake vs in peeces and to consume vs vtterly And iustly For wee doe heare what is sayd here If thou wilt not feare the glorious dreadfull name of the eternall thy God Whence come the despising and contempt of good doctrine and the boldnesse that wee take to sinne but of this that wee are deafe to all admonitions In deede if wee could yeelde our selues obedient to our God with a good heart and with a good affection and abide at that point continually wee should no sooner heare these threatnings but wee should consider thus Alas haue wee not deserued a greeuous curse at Gods hand seeing wee haue thus striuen against him We see then that all the euill deedes and disobedience which is committed doe spring of ignorance and of the contempt of GOD for that wee haue not regarded his maiestie Certainely this kinde of stubornenesse is not alwayes directly of set purpose and foredetermined malice but yet is there such rudenesse in vs that wee yeelde not such a reuerence to God as is requisite nor the obedience whereby wee should indeuour to submit our selues to his worde And because wee bee so dulheaded that nothing can quicken vs vp when wee bee called vppon to submit our selues vnto GOD Moses sayth expresly This dread full name this glorious name to wit The eternall thy God Whereas he sayth The eternall or Euerlasting that woorde importeth all glorie and Maiestie and therefore ought to rauish vs with astonishment yea truely for wee shoulde not haue this name of GOD alonely to vse it coldely for to say GOD GOD as they doe which haue it continually in their lippes and afterward doe let it vanish as though it were a thing of nothing but wee must ioyne both twaine together thus GOD euen the same that created vs the same that holdeth all thinges in his hand the same that is honored of the Angels the same that is of glory infinite the very same whome all the principalities of heauen cannot abide at the sight of whome all manner of creatures must be faine to cast downe their eyes euen the same which with one onely worde can make all the earth to tremble the same that can remoue mountaines with his only blaste that same that giueth being to all maner of creatures finally the same that maintaineth and gouerneth all thinges and ordereth all thinges wel righteously and with wisedome the same is hee that speaketh vnto vs. And so yee see after what manner we vse the wordes of Moses where hee saith The eternall thy God this is hee that speaketh nowe vnto thee Let vs therefore heare him speake in such sorte as his maiestie may possesse all our
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
profite vs to our saluation Vntill GOD haue tamed vs wee bee both deafe and blinde yea and in a manner Lunatike If a wretched man that is in a burning ague haue anie strength in him hee will caste him selfe into the fire or into the water and if hee bee letted of his purpose hee will fling himselfe downe headlong to breake his necke Nowe if the Physicion do hold him downe in his bed seeme to deale violently with him it is meete he should doe so and hee doth no more than neede constreyneth him vnto Let vs vnderstande then that wee be like Lunatike folke and that there is neither wit nor reason in vs as long as God spareth vs. By reason whereof hee is forced to tame vs euen to y e vttermost til we can no more For when wee be come to the poynt that there is scarce any more breath in vs and that wee can scarce fetch our winde then beginne wee to fall to the mieldenesse whereof Moses speaketh here which is that if a man vpbrayde vs with our offences and blame vs for them wee keepe silence and holde our peace and are not so hastie as to say by and by It is not so ye doe mee wrong as wee see a number doe who as soone as a man openeth his mouth to tell them of their faultes they fome out their furiousnes and cannot be reclaymed vntill God haue ouermaistred them Therefore let vs consider the fruit that commeth of Gods corrections namely that where as earst we did nothing but sooth our selues in our sinnes and vncleannesse and weltred in them and coulde not abide to bee drawen from them then wee haue our eares opened to receiue good instruction and we acknowledge our selues to haue done amisse That is the thing whereunto the words of Moses tend when hee saith Where are your gods For the same cause also doeth our Lorde by his prophete Osee liken Idolaters to Harlots As long as a Harlot or Courtisan hath great resort vnto her and hath great giftes gaynes and rewardes and is costlie apparelled and mayntayned in her delightes and pleasures she maketh more account of herselfe notwithstanding her leawdnesse than all the honest women of the worlde and euen so is it with Idolaters As long as they prosper in the worlde they beare themselues in hande that their Idolatrie is the cause thereof and thereupon they growe hard-hearted Nowe if our Lorde let them alone in that plight they settle themselues continuallie more and more in their filthinesse and therefore hee must bee fayne to vse violent remedies In respect hereof hee saith that he will strippe them out of their clothes Hose 2.7.8.9 yea and discouer their shamefull partes so as they shall become like a Harlot that is smitten with fistulaes Pockes and such other filthie diseases and in steede of her former brauerie is lothed and shunned of all men that whereas she went ruffling in her agglets before nowe shee findeth not a man that will giue her a bit of breade but is shaken off and scorned at al handes whereby she perceiueth her miserie and saith Alas I shoulde haue kept mee to mine owne husband and because I did not now I haue the reward which I haue deserued Nowe then a leawd woman that is giuen to such naughtinesse will neuer bee reclaymed but by such necessitie And euen so is it with Idolaters That is the cause why Moses saith nowe that when God hath so discouraged his people that both great and small shall bee as it were vanished away then it shall bee saide vnto them Where bee your gods Goe make your mone to your Idols goe call vppon them as yee were woont to doe And so let vs consider Gods goodnesse in that hee hath reclaimed vs from the Idolatrie wherein we were and that with more gentlenesse than is spoken of here euen by his reaching of his hande vnto vs to drawe vs to him And if hee vse nowe and then some sharpe chastisementes let vs assure our selues hee doeth it not without cause but for that he knoweth our diseases to be so deepe rooted that wee haue neede to bee so purged and cured Nowe it followeth Let them steppe vp to succour you and let them reskewe you Hereby Moses meaneth that when Idolaters are bereft of al worldlie thinges and finde themselues disappointed of their vaine imaginations which they had conceiued afore then they fall to recouer their sight and their hearing And in verie deed there is no accesse to Gods trueth for those that are wilfull vntill they see themselues at such an afterdeele that for all the shiftes and windlasses which they can make they perceiue there was nothing but deceite in all their deuices As for example in these dayes so long as the Papistes thinke they can preuaile by the diuelishe deuices of their Masses Pilgrimages and the rest of Satans illusions wherein they be plunged who can perswade them to giue ouer any of all those thinges What say they Is it not good for a mā to serue such a Saint to call vppon such a patron or aduocate to builde a Chappel to cause a masse to bee said or to mumble before such an altar To bee shorte as long as the Papistes thinke they may preuaile by their superstitions they be so wilful that it is vnpossible to haue any enterance vnto them except our Lorde set to his hande as hee hath doone towardes vs and touch them with his holy spirite But I speake of the ordinarie meane and I say that men are so forepossessed that they shut the doore against God and against all instruction and against all warninges that can bee giuen And therefore our Lorde had neede to smite vppon them with mayne blowes yea and to bring them to such extremitie as they may knowe that they doe but misspend their time to no purpose in gadding after their Idols and so fall to misliking of their offerings and other superstitions whereunto they were giuen afore But yet the knowing hereof is not all that is to be doone the cheefe point is that which Moses addeth here namely to returne vnto God and to acknowledge that it is hee onely on whome we ought to rest For euen the Idolaters themselues wil oftentimes through desperation defie their owne Idols Wee see that when the Saint George of the Papistes or some other of their Idols haue beguiled them so as there commeth some great frost they fall to dragging of him about in a Corde like a galloweclapper whom they had worshipped a little afore Wee shall see some yea euen men of honour which to spite their idols doe breake downe their puppets yea euen their blessed Ladie and all And howe so They play the madde bedlems not onelie against their owne Idols but also against whatsoeuer else they imagine to bee as a God And the heathen haue shewed ful well that their worshipping of their Idols was not for anie reuerence that they bore vnto them but for
be of as great estimation among vs as if he himselfe were personally present with vs. And for that cause he sayeth Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that refuseth you refuseth me For in that place our Lorde Iesus Christ ment not to exalt men but to shewe that Gods worde ought not to be the lesse esteemed although there bee no man to giue estimation thereto For we must not haue an eie to the messenger but to him that sendeth him So then we see how Moses hauing spoken of Gods worde and hauing shewed that they which call themselues faithfull ought to submit themselues thereto addeth Moses gaue the Lawe meaning thereby that we neede not to goe to the newfounde Iles to seeke Gods worde nor to passe ouer the sea as we haue seene already Deut. 30.12 nor to goe downe into the bottome of the earth but that Gods worde is in our mouth and in our heart at leastwise if GOD worke there by his holy spirite For well might we haue our eares beaten therewith but our heartes should not be touched at all vnlesse God gaue force thereto But when our Lord inlighteneth vs and maketh vs to feele that it is he that speaketh then haue we his word in our heart and againe we haue it also in our mouth to confesse it to be the infallible trueth And if we set our delight therein wee shall no more stand in doubt whether it were best for vs to receiue it or not but wee shall be fully resolued thereof Wherefore let vs learne by this text that if we will honor God and obey him and quietly receiue both his lawe and his Gospell when they bee preached vnto vs by the mouths of men we must not forbeare to doe him the honor to submit our selues vnto him although hee appeare not aâ—ter a visible maner ne send vs his Angels from heauen For it is a true tryall of our faith when for the honor of him we forbeare not to accept of men which cary not any great countenance nor haue any estimation at all That is the thing which we haue to beare away here in the first place Now immediatly he saith that the lawe belongeth vnto vs because it serueth for the whole congregation of Israell For we knowe that God hath gathered vs together with the Iewes and that in the end when they had shut out and banished themselues from the promise of saluation we succeeded in their place Seeing it is so looke what was spoken concerning the children of Israell which were come of the race of Abraham as in respect of the flesh y e same ought to be applyed vnto vs at this day And therefore it is no superfluous speech when it is sayde that the law was giuen Let vs learne then y t seeing our Lord will haue vs to receiue his word assuring our selues that it is spoken to vs and dedicated to vs for the health of our soules it is not as a seed that is throwen into the ayre but that God speaketh in such wise as he sheweth that it is for our profit to be so taught and that he will so approch vnto vs as we may be knit vnto him Now then whereas we haue heard that folke must cast themselues downe at Gods feete to heare his word let vs vnderstand y t wee be those folke Sith we know that Gods word lyeth and consisteth in his lawe let vs assure ourselues that it is the treasure benefite which God hath prepared for y e food and sustenance of his children accordingly also as he speaketh thereof to the woman of Chanaan 〈◊〉 7.27 where he saith y t men must not giue the bread of children vnto dogs True it is that at y e time we were as dogs y t is to say al the heaâ—hen men of y e world were reiected And our Lord Iesus Christ sheweth y t as in respect of our first state we be no more worthy to be partakers of this benefite than a dogge is to go to a mans table None but the children are to take their sustenance and refection there Howbeit forasmuch as at this day God hath called vs we be his true Church flocke this breade is therwithal giuen vs for our sustenaÌ„ce And therfore let vs not suffer Gods word to slip away wheÌ„ it is preached vnto vs but let euery of vs applâ—e it to our vse And Moses declareth expresly that it is for an inheritance to the Church of Israel to do theÌ„ to vnderstand y t it was not giuen for a time but to the intent it shold be receiued froÌ„ age to age and y t al men shold giue theÌ„selues to it so as there might be one consent of faith betweene the fathers and the children accordingly as it is saide thereof in the song of Zacharie as the Prophet Malachie also had sayde thereof afore Mal. 4.6 Luk. 1.17.18 Let vs marke then that this worde Inheritance or Heritage importeth a perpetuitie of Gods word so as it must not bee receiued alonely by such as liue at some one time and afterward bee buryed but the fathers must haue a care to make their children agree thereunto after their decease that all men may obey God and honor him to the ende If a man haue goods he will keepe them with great care for his children and when he dyeth he is well apayd that he leaueth them not vnprouided for but that they may haue some inheritance But in the meane while we consider not which is the principal good thing which ought to be left to those which come after vs which is that they may be partakers of Gods adoption and accounted among the company of his children That is the cause why Moses warneth here y e people which had bin duely trayned vp in Gods word that it serued not for them alone but y t God bound thâ—Ì„ to leaue the same inheritance in possession to their posteritie and would haue his Lawe to be knowen continually that it should abide froÌ„ age to age in full force and authoritie for euer And therefore wheÌ„soeuer we come to a SermoÌ„ let vs vnderstand y t our Lord calleth vs to him to the intent that our childreÌ„ should be drawen thither with vs. Gen. 17.7 1. Cor. 7.14 And forasmuch as he of his infinite goodnes receiueth them afore they bee borne and declareth that he will be their father and Sauiour and putteth them aforehand into the aray and company of his accordingly also as they be baptised in y e vertue of that promise needs must we be worse than vnthankful if we haue not a care to teach them wheÌ„ they come to discretion and let vs assure our selues that this inheritance is ofteÌ„ lost through the leawdnes of men or through their carelesnes and coldnes so as their childreÌ„ are depriued thereof We see what is happened to the world Wee see the horrible disorder which hath bin euery
succeeded him gold and siluer were of no more estimation than grauell as the holy historie reporteth thereof But what As soone as Roboam succeeded there was a backeslyding so as almost all the people turned backe There was no more but the trybe of Iuda with a piece of Beniamin that abode in obedience to the house of Dauid What was to be sayd hereupon but that for aught that men did see there was verie fickle hope to be had when all passed so slightly away Besides this that small kingdome being so diminished as wherof remained but a piece was so assayled on all sides that it seemed to be as a sheep alone among a dozen wolues A man then would haue thought that God had forgotten his promise And therefore it was requisite that Moses should ad this for the comfort of the faithful to the intent they should not be shaken from their faith when they saw that kingdome so diminished That is the cause why he sayd The handes of Iuda shall suffice him and God will giue him succour against his enimies And so let vs marke well that this kingdome was stablished with great difficultie in the person of Dauid and that in the end it was diminished and came to such decay that to all seeming it should haue beene vtterly abolished whereby it was Gods will to shewe in a figure what was to befall to the spirituall kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And in deede wee see that when the time drewe nigh wherein Iesus was to be shewed to the worlde there was nothing but horrible disorder among that people Who then would haue looked for the redemption at the comming of Iesus Christ For the people were scattered abroade and vtterly cast downe Yet notwithstanding God wrought therein after a manner vnknowen to men Insomuch that although the Gospel was preached yet was it not seene out of hand that the Church triumphed in this world but cleane contrarywise that there was nothing but tormenting persecuting and oppressing of it so as the name of Christianitie seemed to be the irksommest thing that could be spoken of that all Gods children were but as the doung filth of the world 1. Cor. 4.13 as Saint Paul speaketh therof To be short that kingdome was to be set vp with sighing and sorrowing it behooued the faithfull to pray vnto God and yet notwithstanding great was the griefe of minde wherewith they wayted for the setting abroad of the doctrine of the Gospell to the intent that Iesus Christ might be worshipped of the world and all men submit themselues to him to do him homage And yet did not that continue any long time For the vnthankfulnes of the world deserued that God should haue withdrawen his hand and power and we see howe the worlde stroue to haue driuen Christ away For on the one side there were hypocrites which scorned al religion and abused it falsly Also there were despisers and worldly folk which tooke to them an vnbridled libertie as we see still at this day vnder pretence of the freedome that was preached vnto them Againe there were Sects and Heresies and rebellions so as a great sort stepped vp and could not abide to beare the yoke which it was Gods will to lay vpon their necke Ye see then that the reigning of our Lorde Iesus Christ was as it were brought to nothing And therefore let vs mark well that this text not only serued for the Iewes but also is profitable for vs at this day as whereby we be done to vnderstand that it behoueth vs to make earnest sute vnto GOD to set vp the kingdome of his only sonne and to stablish it with his power euen in the middes of the trubbles which wee see notwithstanding that it seeme that al things should goe to wracke to succour vs against our enemies because we see so many men inraged against vs to hyde vs vnder the shadowe of his hand to shewe vs his helpe when wee be in extremitie and euen at the last cast and can no longer hold out Againe although the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ seeme nothing to the world that the proud the vnbeleeuers do scorne it despise it yet wil God shewe that his own hand suffiseth him that is to say that his power which is hidden of no reputation to the worldward shal be of such force that in the end the wicked shal be driuen to confesse that they were too blockish dulwitted in that they tooke not hold of the grace wherof mention is made here As for vs let vs be stil more more confirmed to trust in this great Sauiour to put our selues into his protection and to seeke all our succour at his hand That is the thing which we be taught in this text Now let vs come to the trybe of Leuye Thy Vrim thy Thumim sayeth he belong vnto thy meeke one or vnto the man of thy mercie The Thumim and Vrim were a parcel of Aarons brestlap and of the brestlap of the high priests Besides their robe there was another piece ioyned vnto it which was of great pryce beset with pearles imbroydered Moreouer in this piece there was a tablet of precious stones hanging at little cheynes Exo. 28.14.15 which was placed full vpon his brest and this piece of the brestlap was called Iudgement that is to say rightfulnes Also there was another part which a man cannot well distinguish and that was named Thumim and Vrim The former of these words signifieth perfection as if a man should terme them perfections in the plurall number And the other commeth of light or flame if yee referre it to doctrine Then if a man list to take these words in common speech he may say perfections and teachings or instructions But I in reading of the text haue kept still the verie wordes of Moses because it is not to be douted but that he speaketh of that portion of the brestlap which was so termed as appeareth in the eyght twentith of Exodus And he directeth his speech vnto God But some haue misexpounded this text in saying thy Thumim Vrim belong to thee to the Man which is cleane contrary For Moses saith O Lord God thou hast thy Thumim Vrim in thy hand That is to say the things which thou hast giuen to thy high priest are things holy dedicated to thy name they be thy perfections and teachings To whom belong they To thy meek one or to the man of thy mercie for so is it word for word But the word Meeke may be taken after the same maner that the holy scripture calleth Gods children meeke ones that is to say such as ought to resemble him who is the fountaine of all mercie goodnes For if wee wil be knowen auowed to be Gods childrē it is good reason that we should resemble him by hauing a meeke myld spirit in vs so as we indeuour
the same name belong not vnto vs nowadayes yet haue we a generall lesson to gather thereupon namely that we may well apply vnto ourselues al the promises which are giuen in the holy scriptures yea and wee may apply them in such sorte as we may euermore conclude that not so much as one mite of them shall fayle vs. Nowe Moses addeth That he shal be as a Lyon tearing his pray as well the head as the arme Wherby he betokeneth that those people shall haue enemies but that they shall giue them the repulse by force To be short we see how it behooued that people to be exercised with diuers battelles but yet that God woulde alwayes ayde them and giue them meanes to ouerthrow their enemies And therefore let vs learne that although our Lord suffer vs to indure many troubles yet doth it not followe thereupon that he shaketh vs off or that he will not be mercifull to vs make vs to feele his goodnesse For what else are the blessinges which Moses rehearceth heere and which Iacob vttered in the forealleaged place but a sure warrant that God woulde shewe himselfe gratious to the tribes of Israell And yet is this no impediment but that they should haue many troubbles many warres and many temptations And therefore let vs not thinke that because God accounteth vs for his children and hath pitie vpon vs therefore wee be exempted from all vexation so as we shall liue at our ease and all thinges shall fall out to our lust and liking for yet notwithstanding wee shal be afflicted and molested Wherefore let it suffise vs that we haue God on our side who will at length set vs vp and giue vs such deliuerance and issue out of all our miseries that wee shall throughly perceiue that he holdeth on our side As long as we haue that let vs passe patiently through all the tribulations which it behooueth vs to suffer It followeth that Gad sawe that he had a portion of the Lawemaker hidden and yet neuerthelesse that he should goe with the Princes to execute Gods Iustice and Iudgement Moses rehearseth that which was alreadie come to passe concerning the tribe of Gad and excuseth them for desyring to haue their portion beyonde the Iordan that is to wit the countrey of Og king of Basan and whatsoeuer else had beene conquered before the death of Moses It might seeme that in this case the two tribes of Gad and Ruben were to bee condemned for their ouerhastie eagernesse in desiring to haue partition made afore the people were come into the Lande of promise But yet doth God allowe of it with condition that they should require that partition And how was that That Countrey had else lyen deserte and had serued to no purpose Heereupon the two tribes alleaged that they had great store of cattell and that the sayde countrey was a Countrey of very good pasture so as they might leaue their wiues and children there and not be in charge with the whole hoste Againe they alleaged that in the meane while their cattell should prosper Nomb. 32.4 the Countrey be inhabited As touching their owne persons they offered to go with the rest of the people and to die there rather than not to discharge their dutie in y e right of brotherhood Moses then excuseth the request made by the tribe of Gad that they might dwell beyond Iordan and haue their portion and inheritaunce there Therefore he sayth That they had a hidden Portion of the Lawegiuer or at the Lawegiuers hande This text hath cōmonly beene expounded thus He sawe that this should be the graue of Moses the Lawgiuer but that is ouercolde not worthy to bee spoken of notwithstanding that some sticke vnto it And why Because wee should bee neuer the surer of the sense which yet notwithstanding is as fit as any can bee For to what ende is the excuse of Moses comprised heere namely that he should haue a portion at Gods hande in that Countrey As if he shoulde say that Gad was led by good discretion when he desyred his dwelling place beyonde Iordan If a man should reply How so Was it not Gods will to reserue y e distributing of the inheritances to his people by the hand of Iosua And againe was it meete that the Countrey should haue bin conquered afore But that was not doone and therefore there was rash dealing in this case or at leastwise there was ouerhastie desire If any man reply after that maner Moses sayeth that the portion was hidden and he termeth it a portion from the Lawegiuer Whereby hee signifieth that Gad attempted not any thing but y t which was lawfull permitted For it was well knowen that it was Gods will y t the sayd Land should be conquered after an extraordinary fashiō that it shold be possessed put to good vse y t some benefit should be made of it while all the rest of the people went to conquere the Lande of Canaan So then the worde Lawgiuer may better be referred vnto God than vnto Moses For so God be obeyed all thinges shall goe well Men will perchaunce finde fault with our doings but let it suffice vs to haue God for our warrant when we shall not haue offended him nor withstood his ordinance The meaning then of Moses is that Gad knewe he demaunded not aught which was not conformable to the purpose of God and y t in so doing he was not to be blamed forasmuch as he had followed Gods ordinance Againe he termeth it A hidden portion meaning that he did not take his part by violence but that he tooke it as a thing belonging to him and which was lawefull for him to doe For although it fell not to him by lot but by consent of the people and of al the other tribes yet notwithstanding God declared that it was his will it should be so and that it was good And why For it was a hidden portion that is to say God had foreappoynted it to that vse and he would not that in that behalfe they should followe the common rule nor that they should tarry till the cōmon partitions were to be made by lot And thereupon it is sayde that he should goe with the Princes that is to say with the rest of the tribes to execute Gods Iustice and Iudgement vnto Israell so as his dwelling in that countrey shoulde not holde him backe to deceiue his brethren and to fayle them at their neede but that notwithstanding that they saw they might haue abidden in a fat and fertile Countrey yet hee would not inioy his state but followe y e warres still vntill all were at an ende and that the Lord had giuen rest to all the other tribes Nowe we see what Moses meant in effect And by this place we be put in minde that in all our doings we must haue an eye to Gods wil. For as soone as we swarue from that there remaineth no excuse for vs
Consideration for a Iudge 20. a 60 A Consideration for maisters of houshouldes to marke and remember 22. a 20.30 A Consideration for Christians touching the hearing of sermons 22. a 60 A Consideration to bee marked touching Gods goodnesse and benefits 27. b 50.60 A Consideration most notable touching Gods most excellent goodnesse shewed vnto vs. 39. b 30.40 A Consideration to bee marked when we goe to lawe 23. a 30 A Consideration to bee marked when God vttereth any token of his grace and goodnesse towardes vs. 53. b 40.50 A Consideration most notable whensoeuer the diuell assaileth vs. 87. a 30 A notable Consideration for a Prince when he moueth warre 67. b 10 A notable Consideration when we aske God our daylie breade 64. b 50.60 A Consideration for the ministers of Gods word worth the marking 78. a 10 A speciall Consideration in the Israelites conquering of the Lande of Chanaan 95. a 60. b 10 A Consideration to be entred into whē we make our requestes to God 100. a 30 A Consideration worth the marking when God delayeth the granting of our requestes 106. a 10 Considerations Notable Considerations vppon these wordes Thou wast taken from the yron fornace wherein our wretched state is disclosed 142. a 30.40.50.60 b 10.20 Considerations to be marked touching Gods goodnesse 25. a 10.20 30.40 Memorable Considerations for priuate persons 15. a 20.30 Conspiracies In what cases we may well bee saide to make Conspiracies against God 801. a 10.20 c. b 10.40 Looke Confederacies Constancie Wee must bee armed with inuincible Constancie 37. b 10.20 336. a 10 In what respect mens Constancie is to be commended 57. a 10 There is no Constancie in vs towardes any good 109. a 60 The meanes to come to an inuincible Constancie in Gods quarell 74. b 10 The inuincible Constancie of Iosua in maintaining Gods quarell noted 107. b 40.50 The Constancie of Caleb and Iosue allowed of God 46. b 50.60 47. a 60. b 10 Constancie requirable in them that haue the charge of gouernement 48. b 50 Constancie in our duetie to God warde commended vnto vs by example 46. b 60 The Constancie of the Infidelles in their superstitions cast in our teeth 488. b 30.40 Contempt Of the manifest Contempt of GOD his worde and sacramentes and how negligently the same is seene vnto 676. b all That the Contempt of God ought to be punished with rigour 328. b 50.60 The cause of Contempt noted in some when the worde of God is preached vnto vs. 1081. b 20.30 Contentation Doe we thinges neuer so well to the Contentation of men yet will not God be contented with them and why 551. b 40.50 What we haue to marke when GOD maintaineth vs in this worlde to our owne Contentation 469. b 30 Continencie A lesson for such as haue not the gift of Continencie giuen them 838. b 30.40 Of the gift of Continencie and howe a man must vse it 829. a 20.30 Looke Chastitie Continuance How men iudge of Continuance and howe they measure it 1129. a all How euerie one of vs must deale that Gods word may haue Continuance and be knowen 1184. a all The long Continuance of a thing doth not prooue it to be good 1129. all The Continuance of Gods fauour to vs is conditionall 1075. b 50.60 The long Continuance of the Aegyptians as they themselues boasted 1129 a 20.30 Of the Continuance of Gods worde in his Church or the perpetuitie of the same 1191. b 10.20 Of Continuance in faith and obedience to God in all changes chances Reade sermon 173. beginning at page 1072. Conuersation A notable lesson touching worldly Cōuersation 95 a 30 What is the entrance into a good Conuersation among men 218. b 40. Looke Companie Conuersion Conuersion vnto God is required in vs before we can either heare him or obey him 1057. b 60 What this word Conuersion or turning importeth 1058. a all A forme of true Conuersion vnto God and wherin the same consisteth 1051 b 50.60.1052 a 10 Of Conuersion to God by meanes of afflictions 1040. b all 1050. a all Who they be that haue not the gift of Conuersion vnto God and without what it is vnpossible to attaine it 1050. b 50 That the Conuersion of men vnto God is not by the only word of God of it selfe 1086. b 40.50.60.1087 a 10.20 A temporal Conuersion vnto God and by what meanes the same is forced 1162. a 20.30 Looke Turne Corne. Admonitions for such as sowe Corne or other graine and deale therein 779. b all Of Corne mingled in the garner and mingled in the fielde 779. b 20.30 Against hoorders vp of Corne which had rather let it rotte than sell it in time of neede 735. a 30.40.50.60 Lawes ordeined for reaping of Corne for gathering gleaning the same 832. a 60. c. 833. a 10. c. The meaning of these wordes Thou shalt not muzzle y e Oxe which treadeth out the Corne. 877. a 10.20 c. Of the loane of Corne and what a pestilent vsurie the same is 822. b 40.50 60.823 a all Corporation What we be warned of if God haue vnited vs in one bodie or Corporation 94. b 30.40.50 Correction Of Patiently abiding the Lordes Correction by the example of Moses 50. b 10.20.30.40 143. a 60 The Iewes changed by the Correction which they had receiued 61. b 10.20 30.40.50 The wicked cannot away with any Correction 143. a 50 The degrees and meanes that God vseth in his Corrections 357. a 20.30.40 Except God bring vs home to him by Correction it would bee vnpossible for vs to be such as we ought to bee 60. b 40 Corrections We must learne to beare all temporall Corrections patiently and why 105. b 40.50 1194. all 156. a 40.50 What we must doe when God visiteth vs and sendeth vs any Corrections 6. b 10 Howe God maketh his Corrections auailable 156. a 20 When God hath made his Corrections auailable in vs. 61. a 50 Of Gods manifolde Corrections and why he exerciseth vs therewith 988 a. 10.20.30.40 By what meanes the Corrections of God doe his chosen good 61. a 50.60 We profit better by Gods iudgementes and Corrections in processe of time than otherwise c. 72. a 30 Howe we ought to thinke vppon the Corrections that God shall haue sent vs. 59. b 50. Looke Chastisementes Corruption Howe Corruption if it bee let alone will spread it selfe ouer a whole people 1032. a all The redresse of no maner of Corruption bee it neuer so small must bee foreslowed 1031. b 40.50.60.1032 a all When calamities come for the generall Corruption of all men the good are wrapped vp amongest the euill as for examples 991. a 20.30.40.50.60 Corruptions Diuerse Papisticall Corruptions noted for the warrant whereof there is nothing in the scripture 543. b all 544. a all The reason why we had neede to keep our selues farre off from all Corruptions if wee be determined to obey our God 505. b 50.60 Couenant
God 962. b 30.40 Prerogatiue Our Prerogatiue greater than that of the Fathers in the time of the lawes howe and wherein 556. all The Prerogatiue of putting difference betwene beastes cleane vncleane to whom it belongeth 557. b 40.50 A notable Prerogatiue that the citie of Ierusalem had 498. b 20. Looke Preheminence and Priuiledge Prescription Of claiming title against God by Prescription 150. b 60. 151. a 10 Presence of God Howe the Sacrament of the Lords supper is called the Presence of God 1081. a 50 Of the Presence of God with y e Iewes and of his presence with vs howe the same is brought to passe 1027. a all 1081. a all b 10. 1187. a all 1186. all 926. b 20.30 815. a 20.30 and 815. a 30.40.50 and 704. b 50 60. and 705. a 10. and 661. a 40. b 10. and 900. b 50.60 and 901. a 10 The Presence of God put for the sanctuarie Looke how 900. b 50 Of reioysing in the Presence of the Lorde 901. a 30.40.50 Who they be that banish themselues from Gods Presence 926. b 60. 927. a 10 Of Christs Presence with vs in what respect hee saide hee woulde neuer leaue vs. 815. a 30.40.50 Of the Presence of Gods Maiestie in the order of Iustice. 704. a 50.60 b 10. 640. a 10 We were notable to abide Gods Presence if he shoulde come vnto vs as he is indeede 184. a 20 Men will needes haue a Presence of God after their owne fashion and deuice 134. a 60. b 10 Howe wee bee in the Presence of the Lord when we bee Partakers of the Sacraments 618. b all Gods Presence is not perceiued by our mother wit 336. b 50 What we haue to note by these words that we must eate and make merie in Gods Presence 567. b 10.20.30 c. 500. all Presentes Against such as boast themselues to be vnable to bee corrupted with Presentes 625. a 10.20 That it is a deadly poison for a Iudge to receiue anie Presents in any wise 626. a 40.50 Looke Giftes Presumption The Papistes count it Presumption in men to warrant themselues of saluation 914. a all The diuelish Presumption of the Papistes noted and the maner of their sawcie pleading with God 914. a 60 b 10.20.30 The Presumption of some in seeking out thinges that God hath noâ— reuealed 131. a 10 The Presumption of false Prophets noted and condemned 683. a 30 40.50.60 A looking glasse shewing mens Presumption to make them selues â—edoubted c. 58. a 10 Awakening of such as are puffed vp with a vaine Presumption vnder colour that God is gratious vnto theÌ„ c. 147. a 40 The Presumption of the Iewes without warrant of promise noted 53. a 10.20 In what respectes hardinesse will bee turned to Presumption 56. b 60. 57. a 20 The Papistes accuse vs of Presumption when we rest vpon Gods promises â—8 a 30 Our Presumption noted when wee bee once minded to followe our owne foolish rashnesse 341. b 10 The Presumption of men noted in seeking to iustifie themselues 380. a 10 Nothing but Presumption in the attempts of the vnfaithfull c. 74. a 50.60 Howe we shall haue a holie Presumption in vs. 74. b 50 Of a fonde Presumption wherewith hypocrites are puffed vp touching Gods seruice 631. a 20.30 c. Pride Notable doctrine to the beating downe of Pride and hawtinesse 51. a 10.20.30.40.50 b 10. 437. all 4â— a 10 Vnbeleefe alwaies matched with Pride and loftinesse 56. b 30 The Pride and ambition of men noted in diuerse pointes 209 b 50. 147. a 50.60 167. b 10.20 213. a 40 The Pride of men in their abundance that ingendereth crueltie where also the Pride of Sodome is noted 869 b 20.30.40 The Pride of the Iewes noted for their election sake before all other people 880. a 10.20 A protestation of the Iewes tending to the suppressing of their Pride 895. al 896. al. Pride one of the sinnes of Sodome and Gomor 1153. a 40.50.60 The Pride of mans nature howe men thereby set themselues against God and how God dealeth with men for the expelling thereof 1163. a al. Of the Pride of Herode and howe the same was punished 985. b 10. and 364. a 30 That God foreseeth the Pride of men and then taketh awaie the occasions and obiectes 988. a 40.50 An exhortation to such as be in authoritie to take heed of Pride 655. a 20.30 To what intent it is expedient for men to bee bereft of all their Pride and loftinesse and howe it may be done 95. b 60 The Pride of such noted as hold scoâ—ne to obey lawes and Magistrats 643. a 40.50.60 Pride is the sinne that will bee last corrected in vs and is the roote of all other offences 382. b 20 Two respectes for the abating of Pride and fonde desire of superioritie 13. b 60 Of some in whom no Pride shall bee perceiued if God aduaunce them to honour or wealth 363. a 20 Howe Pride doeth euer carie crueltie with it 364. a 30 The diuerse meanes that God vsed to pul downe the Pride of Egypt 334. a 40.50.60 Pride hath raigned in men in all ages 114. a 30 What an odious vice Pride is in the sight of God 643. b 30 The Pride of Princes and potentates noted 655. a 10 What we haue to learne by that wheras Moses speaketh of the Pride of false Prophetes 68â— all The Popes diuelish Pride the cause of renting asunder the order that God set in hiâ— Church 14. b 20.40 The cause why the Iewes were alwaies so vnrulie was Pride c. 114. a 30 Looke Ambition and Loftinesse Priest What manner of Priest Christ was and the seuerall pointes of his office 431. a 50.60 What necessarie doctrine wee haue â—o gather by these wordes that the Priest must iudge according to the Lawe of God 641. a 60. b all The cause why God commaunded the Priest to come into the Israelitishe armie and to exhort them not 〈…〉 afraide of their enemies â— and what we haue to gather hereof 717. all 718. a all The Priest of the lawe was more excellent in his office than all the Angels of heauen and why 1198. a 40 High Priest Diuerse reasâ—â— of such furniture as the High priest ware at his entring in to the Sanctuarie 502. a 50.60 b 10 20. and 1199. all and 1200. a 20.30 The Highpriest with his assistants had authoritie to giue sentence of iudgement among the Iewes and why 639. b 40. Looke Aaron Priestes That we are all Priestes or Leuites vnto the Lorde where by the waie the Popish rable are twited 426. b 30.40 658 b all 659. a 10 What we must doe if we will bee Gods Priestes 427. a 50.60 and b 10.20 The meaning of these words that the Priestes were ordeined to blesse in Gods name 738. b 30.40 The Priestes in the olde lawe were bounde to releeue the poore 430. a 20
bread and drinke and wote not which way to turne them but leade a verie slender life so as some time they can scarcely get halfe their fill of bread and let others also which haue not their commodities as they woulde desire let them say I put themselues into Gods hand and pray him to graunt them the grace to liue in such sort as they may not bee caried to doe any man wrong or harme vnder pretence that need driueth them vnto it And as for them that haue the world at will and money in their purse let them take good heede that they oppresse not the poore as they commonly doe by laying their snares for them Loe howe the rich men deale If they see a poore man going to decaye they play the Hunters they fall by and by vpon him and they neuer leaue tossing and turning of him about till the poore soule bee at length intrapped Therefore let such as are wealthie beware that they bee not ouergreedie but rather let them holde themselues backe so as they abuse not their abundance Let not such as haue abundance steppe vp to oppresse such as haue it not After that manner must wee proceede in this case Yea and in stead of being suttle to seeke thinges a farre off let vs when occasion serueth to doe it let vs aduisedly repulse all such naughtinesse And in stead of imagining all to bee well wonne when wee can inriche our selues by other mens losses let vs assure our selues that such riche folke doe cut the poore folkes throtes that they make many widowes and fatherlesse children though they thinke it not Howbeit for as much as our flesh is sharpe witted and suttle in seeking such occasions let vs thinke vpon our God who intendeth to trie vs. Wee may well haue a sword in our hand but let vs beware wee doe no harme with it and let vs consider that if wee were in like case as poore folkes are wee would gladly bee succoured To be short if we wil abstaine from theft let vs bee neither wolues nor Foxes For as many as deale by deceit and craftinesse they be like foxes and what neede so euer the poore haue if they followe the prouocation to doe euill they shewe themselues to bee no more men by their vniust raking of other mens goods vnto them And as for them that rob with violence they be like wilde beastes which seeke nothing else but to deuour all So then to y e intent we be not theeues let vs not be cruell Therewithall whatsoeuer worldly thing wee want let vs waite for it to haue it by the blessing of God If wee helde this rule surely all couetousnesse all fleecing all fraude and all other like thinges woulde soone bee amended Wee should neede none other medicine to heale all our diseases than this namely that we coulde lifte vp our eyes to heauen to saye God is our Father hee will prouide all that wee want it is hee to whom wee must trust for all things that belong to the mayntenaunce of this present lyfe and at a woord his blessing is the welspring of all riches If wee were well perswaded of this wee shoulde not neede anymore eyther preceptes of the Lawe to forbid vs theft or any other warnings and aduertisementes This onely one woord woulde suffice vs. But what Wee aske GOD our dayly breade protesting that it is his peculiar office to feede vs and yet in the meane whyle wee fall to filching deceyuing and malicing and is not that an vtter scorning of God I say with my mouth giue me my dayly bread and in the meane season I goe and seeke it at the diuels hand For if wee vse vnlawfull meanes so as wee beguile one and fleece another at whose hand fetch wee our welfare Is it at Gods hande Are wee not companions with theeues and robbers So then it is certaine that our whole seeking is to bee inriched by the Diuell when wee giue our selues so to craft and extorsion And moreouer the same is a sure token of our vnbeliefe and that wee looke not for anye thing by Gods blessing ne thinke him riche ynough to finde vs. Loe at what poynt we bee Neuerthelesse these things ought to profite vs. When wee heare that our Lorde curseth thest and robberie and that he abhorreth it let vs likewise hate and abhorre it assuring our selues that he iudgeth not after the fansie of man but will haue vs to liue in such vprightnesse as euerie man may haue his right and no man bee hindred or impeached in his goods and substaunce and therefore wee must still haue the more staye of our selues Againe forasmuch as wee bee so inclined vnto euill let vs seeke meanes to holde vs in awe of our God and to restraine vs from stealing as I haue shewed you before And sith wee knowe that hee hath knit vs togither let vs keepe that Law and rule of equitie Furthermore let vs not couet to bee riche but to bee short let vs put this lesson in vre of bearing pouertie patiently and let vs not bee eager of getting and of promoting our selues out of measure And finally let vs abhorre all crueltie and deceite and specially let vs learne not to bee so beastly as to thinke that our catching snatching by hooke and by crooke is able to inriche vs. Let vs not beguile our selues in that poynt Why so For the true richenesse as I saide afore is the blessing of GOD. Then must wee drinke of that fountaine and bee filled with it if wee will abstaine from all thest But nowe herewithall let vs come also to Gods threateninges When he hath shewed vs sufficiently that this commaundement is exceeding rightfull and hath also giuen vs meanes to liue vprightly without hurting or wronging of any man perceyuing vs to bee harde hearted still and that our wicked lustes doe turne vs the contrarie waye hee addeth threates to make vs afraide And is it a small matter when he sayeth 1. Cor. 6.10 Eph. 5.5 that theeues and robbers shal not enter into the kingdome of God Nowe then shall wee set so much store by this present life that to gather a little good for the maintaining of it in this worlde wee shall wilfully prouoke God to displeasure He telleth vs that we shall be banished out of his kingdome If we had any spark of fayth at all woulde not this threatening pearce vs to the heart Yes but our Lorde proceedeth yet further For in as much as he sees vs to bee so fleshly and so greatly giuen to the earth he telleth vs that euen in this worlde he will make vs to goe backewarde in so much that he which thinketh to further himselfe by his crinking pilling and deceyuing shall bee consumed and a secrete curse shall waste him away According whereunto it is sayde in the forealledged text of Zacharie that Gods curse shall lyght vppon the house of the theese and there abide vntill he bee consumed
Miche 6.12.13.14.15 Also wee see howe hee speaketh of it by the rest of the Prophets In so much that our Lorde telleth vs that when men weene they haue inriched them selues and doone much hee will blowe vppon them yea and he will blowe after such a sorte as all shall vanish away and that so sodainely as a man woulde neuer haue looked for But God passeth yet further In deede it is ynough and too much alreadie when wee see howe our Lorde mocketh at those which martyr themselues so much in heaping vp of riches when all goes to decay and slippeth away like water but a man shall see moreouer that the same goods are a cause of the ouerthrowe of such as haue beene in some reputation Looke mee vpon a father that hath pilled powled and prouoked Gods wrath against himselfe all the time of his life When he dyeth hee beareth himselfe in hand that his children shall become little princes Nowe had he left them but a little that they might haue falne in trade of occupying and had he taught them to haue trauailed honestly then they might haue had competent wherewith to find theÌ„selues But behold the father spinneth a halter for euery of his children by making them to trust after that fashion in their euill gotten goods so as they must needes eyther goe to the gallowes or come to some other vnhappie ende And what is the cause of it The wrath of God which is present with them to consume all the goods that were gotten by stealth and by powling The house of them must needes bee accursed and God must needes shewe himselfe a iust iudge both against the theeues and against all such as dally with his diuine Maiestie If a man tell them of it they make but a iest of it as these scoffers doe who will say well well sir the tyme is worth the money they thinke all is one And if a poore man bee neither of abilitie nor of credite to make his part good against them O how they welter themselues in the meane whyle in their wickednesse But wote yee what When God seeth men so sotted and that hee can not bring them backe to the heauenly lyfe in so much that they make no reckening of being banished from the kiugdome of heauen well then goe to saieth he I summon you aforehand for I will begin to put my sentence in execution I will shew how my curse lyes vppon euill gotten goods and that they which haue possessed them for a time must be dispossessed of them and that themselues and their goods with all their whole ofspring must be consumed togither Now when wee see all these things must wee not needes be mooued at them if the diuell haue not vtterly bewitched vs Yes What remayneth then We must holde faste the good conscience which God requireth of those that are his Psal. 〈…〉 so as euerie of vs trauell quietly for our liuing and goe noâ— about to grieue other meÌ„ but seeke by al meanes to passe our life without offending of God that if we haue no great reuenew nor much to spend sobrietie may serue vs for a dubble portioÌ„ After that maner must wee deale But now if theft to manward be so condemned of God what shall bee done if wee rob him of his honour For wee must compare thefte towardes man and theft towards God togither Beholde it is God that hath forbidden vs to bee theeues And why Bicause he will haue vs to keepe equitie and vprightnesse one towards another Yea and looke what goods soeuer he appointeth to our vse he will haue them so vsed as wee possesse them not by wicked shiftes He that hath much must spend them as one that hath but onely the laying out of them and not the ownership of them and he that hath but litle must be contented with it as I haue saide alreadie Now if God will haue vs to keepe such an euen hand towards our neighbours for the preseruing of their goods which they haue in their hands if he make such account of the goods y t he hath created as he wil not haue them defiled by guilefulnes by violence or by such other like dealings what will he doe in the thing which he setteth much more store by So then when wee haue liued soundly vprightly in all respects among our neighbours so as we haue indeuoured to giue euery man his due let vs also yeelde our God his right y t is to say let vs glorifie him and beware y t he remaine vnimpeached in his Maiestie so as we take not more vpon vs than is lawful for vs as we see men commoÌ„ly do who are so bolde that when they haue bin so mad as to oppresse their neighbors by by they set vp their hornes against God When they haue spoiled other men of their goods they woulde make God their vnderling too and they will not obey him further than they list themselues Therefore we must beware of al these things And to conclude let vs also beware not onely y t we abstaine from all iniurie and anoyance but also y t as neere as we can we suffer not any man to be vexed or indomaged For these are the two things that God commaundeth Esa 56.1 Ier. 22.3 Ezech. 45.9 namely Iustice and iudgement Iustice consisteth in yeelding euery maÌ„ his right and Iudgement consenteth not to any euils nor suffereth the poore to be misused which haue no meane to maintayne themselues For if I see a man oppressed before my face indeuour not to helpe him I am consenting to the theefe so as the saying of the fiftith Psalme may be verified of mee Psal. 50.18 thou sawest a theefe â—annest with him Now is it not a running with theeues when we labour not to restraine them but either wink at them or giue theÌ„ the bridle to doe what they list Yes and in so doing we be consenting to the robberie that is committed and we must answere for it as the eues before God although no reckening be made of it among men Thereâ—ore let no man thinke that he is bound but onely to keepe his own goods but let vs also beware that we indeuour to maintaine and procure the welfare of our neighbours as we would our own and as the rule of charitie willeth vs to doe Thus ye see how we shal not be found to be theeues both before God man how the goods y t he hath put into our hands may be blessed so as he shall make them to prosper and wee haue such contentment as we shall euer mount vp to the heauenly heritage being sure that there wee shall haue the perfect fulnesse of all good things Nowe let vs kneele down in y e presence of our good God with acknowledgment of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them better than wee haue doone and that wee may profit more and more in the keeping of his holy Lawe And
surely it is a great grace of God to haue power to redresse a mischiefe that hath bin knowen of long afore and therfore it must not be let slip without prouiding for it in time conuenient Moreouer we must heare what a simple shift it is to alledge pitie when men marre all thinges by giuing cause of offence For what kinde of pitie is it to spare two or three to cut y e throtes of a whole nation On the contrarie part if they that be so wickedly bent be repressed that they may no more haue their own swinge but rather be vtterly rooted out it is a purging of the whole nation it is a healing of a common sore So then if wee loue the welfare of all men lette vs not giue head after that sort to such as intice men to forsake the right way But wee must goe backe againe to the matter which I haue spoken of alreadie and which Moses goeth forwarde withall still in this text to wit that the worst corruption which can befall a nation is to haue despisers of God that falsifie the true religion or to haue vpholders of Satan that leade men into superstition and ydolatrie to abolishe the pure doctrine and the trueth which they hadde receiued True it is that if there bee gluttons drunkardes whooremongers and such other like folke it is an infection that is wel worthie to be feared meet to be redressed out of hande least the mischiefe growe too strong But as for those that put all thinges out of order shewing themselues to be bent to spite God and to make men to yeelde no more reuerence to his maiestie it is as a gathering of all sinnes togither into one heape and a packing of them vp in one bundle For there can be nothing pure when Gods seruice in taken away and when men walke not in his feare all other thinges must needes be out of order For the knowing of God and the worshipping of him as he deserueth is the verie brydle that holdeth men in all holinesse and honestie But if men turne their backes vppon him they must needes play the beastes and their life must needes become so loose and lothsome that a man shal see as it were a gulfe of hell among them And therefore not without cause are we so straitly commaunded in no wise to beare with men when they become wicked and goe about to inuegle folke to doe seruice to ydolles Let vs marke then that if we be desirous to liue as wee ought and in good concord we must aboue all thinges haue Gods seruice in estimation as the thing wherein it behoueth vs to vse seueritie and rigor or els all will go to wrecke and confusion That is the thing which we haue to gather vpon this place and would to God that it were better in vre now adayes For as I haue touched heretofore men are moued at the thinges that concerne and touch themselues Insomuch that if we perceiue that the suffering of an offence will turne to our harme or losse euerie of vs cryeth out to haue it punished And why Because wee haue no regarde but of our selues But if GOD his honour bee impeached that is let slippe and we say it is not so great an euill And why For our purses are not pinched by it and therefore it seemeth to make no skill at all Nowe see heere on the contrarie parte howe GOD punisheth vs as we deserue For thinges become so farre out of order among vs that wee wote not which way to turne vs. And good reason it is that it shoulde come so to passe euen because we haue forsaken GOD and beene more mindefull of ourselues than of his maiestie so as we haue not yeelded him his dewe honour whereof hee is worthie and which hee requireth at our handes Thus much concerning this text And it is sayde that all that euer is in the Citie must be brought together on a heape and set on fire be taken as a cursed thing and be made a sacrifice vnto God Heere Moses sheweth howe hatefull a thing ydolatrie is and consequently whatsoeuer ouerthroweth the true seruice of God and the pure religion and that is done to moue men so much the more But you will say that when such a fault is committed the Citie it selfe the cattell and the houses are not to be blamed for it And why then will GOD haue all to be destroyed It is to the ende that folke shoulde learne to abhorre ydolatrie the more that wee might vnderstand that the wicked folkes whom Satan dryueth to giue themselues to ydolatrie are so little to be borne with that we must euen abhorre the verie place where they haue dwelled yea and the verie sight of them and thinke with ourselues beholde this is a place wherein Gods wrath hath beene prouoked and that was ynough to haue soonke vs all to hell Wee see then whereat God aimed For hee knewe that we see nowe with our eyes namely that we haue not such zeale to maintaine his glorie as wee ought to haue we passe not for it euerie man is occupied about his owne gaine and about the thinges that concerne himselfe Nowe because we be so colde God on the other side quickneth vs vp and telleth vs that the corrupting of his seruice is a great misdeede yea and so horrible a thing as might make the hayres to stand stiffe vpon our heades That is one point which wee ought to marke And herewithall we haue to marke also that the rigour of this Lawe is not to be obserued of from point to point as it is commaunded heere to the people of Israell But yet the substance thereof abideth still in force as I haue declared heretofore intreating of ydolatry Deut. 12.2 where I told you that wee were commaunded to put away all places that haue serued to superstition Nowe then we in these dayes be not in such thraldom but that we may vse a Church that hath beene one of Satans brothelhouses Ydolles haue bin worshipped heere and GOD hath beene blasphemed heere and yet for all that wee bee nowe come heere together in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ. This place then is newe dedicated according to the saying of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 4.5 that all thinges are sanctified vnto vs by faith and by calling vpon the name of God And therefore if a place be put to such vse that God is honoured there it is a kinde of hallowing of that place But vnder the Lawe God helde the people in greater and more slauishe bondage commaunding them to make cleane rid daunce and vtter dispatch of all thinges that had beene vsed in the seruice of ydolles So is it in this text where GOD commandeth that the whole Citie shall bee rased and neuer inhabited anie more And the straitnesse of this bonde serued for the time wherein the fathers were gouerned like litle children Gal. 4.1 But yet doeth the substaunce thereof abide
with vs still and wee haue to gather of this text that our Lorde abhorreth ydolatry aboue all thinges and that if other offences bee to be punished this is not to be indured in any wise but that we ought to abhorre it And because wee be too colde in that behalfe we be warned to quicken vp our selues and to take the meanes which wee knowe to be fit for it to the ende wee may bee the forwarder in causing God to bee serued purely among vs and open no gap to deceiuers ne make any way for superstitions and ydolatrie that might bereaue vs of the pure trueth and drawe vs vnto lyes Thus yee see what we haue to remember vpon this text But heere a man might aske a question howe Moses may say that all the thinges which shal be founde in such a Citie shal be accursed and yet they must bee put ouer vnto God as an offering or sacrifice Yet doeth GOD speake after that fashion in manie places and not without cause For it is an offering of sacrifice vnto him when we protest that only he ought to be worshipped and when we make as it were a solemne homage vnto him And againe when other appurtenances come in place as when men sacrificed vnder the Lawe they protested that they were worthie of death and yet notwithstanding they had a warrant of their reconcilement vnto God by the sacrifice that was to bee offered Also men offered of their goods vnto GOD as who shoulde say Lorde all that I haue commeth of thee and it is alwayes at thy commaundement Yee see then that sacrifices were blessed and yet neuerthelesse there was a kinde of cursednesse in the sacrifices that were offered for sinne In the Firstlinges Tenthes and such other like things there was nothing but the praising of God and giuing of thankes vnto him but as for the sacrifice that was offered for sinne it behoueth Gods curse to be thereupon as who shoulde say Loe this is hee that shall aunswere for all To the ende that men may bee acquit and deliuered from death this sacrifice must answere for them And therefore those sacrifices were called sinnes and the same name is attributed to our Lorde Iesus Christ because he bare our curse in his person Leuit. 7.2 2. Cor. 5.21 But heere is an other kinde of cursednesse namely that GOD is honoured and homage is doone vnto him by rooting out the thinges that hadde defaced his honour before Therefore when a Citie is destroied that had erst beene a denne of ydolatry and all the spoyle thereof is set on fire it is a sacrifice that God liketh verie well of And why so Because it is a protesting that wee be not willing to suffer any thing that impeacheth the honoring of him at all mens handes and that all men shoulde submit themselues to him and his maiestie be knowen as it ought to be Nowe then we see howe it is not without cause that Moses commaunded sacrifice to be done vnto GOD with the vtter destruction of all thinges that had beene infected and defiled with ydolatrie And hee sayeth expresly to the ende that the wrath of God bee not vpon thee Whereby he confirmeth the matter that ◠haue touched already which is that we must beware that wee wrap not ourselues in other mens sinnes For they that correct not euill dooinges when they may and when their office requireth it are giltie of it themselues As for example if a preacher winke at the vices that reigne surely he is a traitour and vnfaithfull for he shoulde keepe good watch and waken such as are in daunger of vndoing Then if I beare with the euill wittingly or through negligence I am the first that shal be condemned Likewise if they that holde the sworde of Iustice execute not the rigor which they ought to redresse mēs misbehauiours surely the wrath of God is vpon them continually yea and vpon y e whole country because no man is found that complaineth of this that the mischiefe was so borne withall One good zealous man is ynough to turne away the wrath of God for hee will inforce others that were negligent But when no man beginnes the daunce but all men drawe backe and euery man sayes What nowe If all the rest put not to their handes what can I alone doe Surely none of them all can exempt themselues from condemnation before God when euerie one of them speaketh so Not without cause then doeth Moses here wrap vp a whole Countrey vnder condemnation if a wicked deede bee borne with or not punished when it commeth to knowledge And hereby we be put in minde to be more diligent than we are wont to bee in ridding away of all filth and vncleannesse from among vs. For it is all one as if we shoulde lay wood vppon the fire that is kindled ynough and too much alreadie so as we shall all of vs be consumed with it in the end and yet wee doe so euen wittingly and wilfully Why then doe wee not open our eyes sith our Lorde sheweth vs the daunger so euidently and warneth vs to prouide for it aforehande Why doe wee not thinke vppon it Nay wee be well worthy to perish and to be vtterly confounded because wee haue not vouchsafed to receiue the counsell that God hath giuen vs. After that Moses hath thus threatned vs now he addeth a promise that God will blesse his people if they obey his voyce doe the thinges that are right before him Our Lord indeuouring after his manner to winne vs to him alwayes by gentlenesse and friendely dealing when hee hath doone threatning of vs in this text doeth also attempt the contrarie way saying If ye finde the meanes to haue my seruice purely mainteyned I will be with you yee shall finde that my seeking is but to increase the benefites which I haue begonne already to bestowe vpon you yee shall inioy the Lande that I haue giuen you to inherite ye shall perceiue that my promising of my fauour and mercie to your fathers is not in vaine And let vs marke that heere it is our Lordes intent to drawe vs to a willing seruing of him True it is that yet for all this wee must not forgette his threatenings seeing we be so slowe in resorting vnto him Then lette vs be afrayde of them and consider that wee shall not scape his vengeaunce except we maintaine his seruice But yet howsoeuer the worlde goe with vs lette vs not doe it by constraint but let vs goe to worke with a free courage And howe may that bee doone Euen by beeing drawen by the gentlenesse that Moses sheweth heere vnto vs as if he shoulde say goe to happie will our state bee if we serue our GOD and euerie man endeuour to drawe his neighbours with him and suffer not any man as farre as lyeth in vs to peruert or trouble our state when it is well setled If we doe so our Lorde telleth vs that hee will be