wherethrough hee hath chosen vs to be his childrē heires for our Lord Iesus Christs sake That it may please him to grant this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. On Friday the second day of August 1555. The Lij Sermon which is the seconde vpon the seuenth Chapter 5 But thus shall yee doe vnto them You shall beate downe their altars and breake their pillours yee shall heawe downe their groues and burne their Images with fire 6 For thou art a holy people to the Lord thy God The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be his peculiar people aboue al the nations of the earth 7 The Lord hath not set his loue vppon you nor chosen you bycause ye were moe in number than all other nations seeing you be the least of all nations 8 But for the loue which the Lord beareth you to keepe the othe which hee sware to your fathers the Lord hath brought you foorth with a strong hand and deliuered you from the house of bondage euen from the hand of Pharao King of Egypt YEsterday wee sawe howe God forbad his people to aly themselues in any wise with the Infidels and specially with y e people that dwelt in the lande of Chanaan Exod. 25.8 29 45. Forasmuch as it was said that God had chosen that lande to the intent that his name should be worshipped there it was his will to haue it purged from all the filthinesse and infections which had reigned there too long time afore And after hee hath spoken of the folke he addeth also that he will haue all y e tokens and markes of ydolatrie that were in the countrie put quite away For like as it behoued the Iewes worship God purely without intermedling any of the superstitions of the heathen so did it also behoue them to keepe the order in such wise as God had set it downe and to put away al things that were contrarie to the true religion and seruice of God so as there might bee no mingling nor corruption Wee see now in effect that the doctrine which is conteined here is that forasmuch as God had giuen his people the land of Chanaan hee would haue it cleare from all abhominations and his seruice to be so set vp as all the ceremonies of the heathen and vnbeleeuers might be taken away and nothing be mingled with it besides his owne Lawe And y t is the cause why hee speaketh expresly of Altars and Groues For as wee see that men haue no end nor measure in deuising of fashions to serue God withall there was not that Groue but they made some deuotion in it And like as men builded Abbeyes Pryories and Chappels in the Popedome so went the worlde among the paynims and the Iewes followed the same trade as we see But that was not for want of warning for God had prouided sufficiently for them that they might not set their minds vpon such paltry But what Hereby it appeareth howe harde it is to holde men in the pure simplicitie of Gods seruice Neuerthelesse howsoeuer men fare it is tolde vs here that such as will serue God vncorruptly must abstaine from the thinges that are deuised and forged by ydolaters and stick to the pure doctrin which God hath ordeined and not adde any thing to it of their owne or which they find here there or which y e world hath folishly brought in All those thinges must bee laide down if we will serue God purely But yet let vs mark y t there were two reasons why God commanded the Iewes to break downe the heathen mens altars to destroy their ydols The one was to the ende that his people shoulde not bee prouoked and tempted to wickednes superstition by looking vpon them for we bee so fraile y t we be caried away as soone as we spie any mark of superstition I said euen now that it is a harde thing to hold men fast in pure obedience to god as in respect of his seruice Why so For their eares doe alwayes itch to heare some newe doctrine although none be brought them from elsewhere yet their minds are so rouing y t they euer couet some newe thing or other Now then if wee haue any occasion to tempt vs vnto euill or to any corruption of Gods seruice wee bee ouertaken by and by God therefore perceiuing that his people might bee inclined to ydolatrie and that they would yeelde to it out of hand assoone as they spied any occasion willed them to wipe away all such thinges Beware saieth hee that yee suffer not anye of the markes of the ydolatries that haue reigned hitherto there for if any of them come in your sight ye shal be as it were rauished and ye will be following of them So then suffer not any thing that may make you to stumble or that may comber you so as the way shoulde not be leuell before you Haue you none other signes than those which I haue appointed you and let them serue to confirme you in my worde Let the thinges which I haue taught you bee as a burning Lampe to giue you light and if yee haue neede of helpes let the Sacraments and Ceremonies conteined in my Lawe suffice you but take heede to your selues that yee haue no stumblingblocke For though ye haue nothing to hinder your going on in the right way yet may yee euen of your owne nature turne aside from it and what will yee then doe if any occasion of euill be offered you That is one point Another is That Gods will was to haue that Lande as it were dedicated to himselfe and y t his people should shew how much they abhorred ydols by suffering none of the things to remaine which the heathen men had kept before God then ment to trie the zeale of the Iewes when he commaunded them to make cleane riddance of the ydols and by that meanes he intended to inure them to abhorre ydols and all things that belonged to them so as they might shewe not onely that they purposed to worship the onely one God but also that they could not abide his glorie to bee any whit abated Nowe we see the two reasons that God had an eye vnto in this place And nowe must wee apply them to our owne benefite For although some woulde restraine this to the Iewes as though it belonged not to vs in these dayes yet was it not Gods intent to speake for any one time onely And indeede as hath beene declared in the fifth chapter let vs looke into our owne hartes and euery man examine himselfe whether hee finde himselfe more stedfast and strong to withstande ydolatrie than the Iewes and other Nations were For surely that cursed seede is so rooted in all men as there is none of vs all but hee may keepe a schoole of superstition without hauing any schoolemaster to teach him Wee be so frowarde that although no bodie seduce vs
raised him againe to make vs righteous beleeuing the same in his heart and confessing it with his mouth shal be saued And thereunto also doth S. Paul bring vs backe in the tenth Chapter to the Romanes Rom. 10.9 which is the verie exposition that will giue vs the vnderstanding of this place The righteousnesse of the law sheweth vs that we be all accursed that there is not any maner of way to saue vs so long as we stay there What are wee to doe then that wee may haue accesse vnto God Let vs with our heartes beleeue vnto righteousnesse and with our mouthes confesse vnto saluation that wee put our whole trust in him which hath acquitted vs towardes God his father and let vs imbrace the righteous obedience which he hath yeelded vnto God and likewise his sustaining of the curse which was due vnto vs to the intent to set vs free from it Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them better than we haue done that we may be more more touched with the true repentance which mortifieth all our fleshly affections and to draw vs from the delightes of this world and to lift vs vp into a true desire of giuing our selues wholly to his lawe so as wee may dayly profite thereby knowing that the true perfection of all faithfull folke is to know how farre they be off from perfection to the end that all mouthes may be stopped and none acknowledged for righteous but onely God and that when Christes righteousnesse once shineth vppon vs we shall not bee bereft thereof assuring our selues that therin lyeth all our perfection That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Tewsday the x. of March 1556. The CLiij Sermon which is the first vpon the eight and twentith Chapter IF thou obey the voyce of the Lorde thy God in keeping and doeing all his commaundementes which I commaunde thee this day then will the Lord thy God make thee head ouer al the nations of the earth 2 And al these blessings shall come vpon thee and inclose thee round about if thou obey the voyce of the Lord thy God WE haue seen heretofore howe God hath couenanted with his people of purpose to bynde them that euerye one shold know his duetie and bee the better disposed to doe the same Now he speaketh as a Iudge hauing all authoritie It skilles not whether folke doe pleade guiltie or no when they haue doone amisse for God giueth heere his determinate sentence though they consent not thereunto Neyther doeth the case concerne altogether the condemning of those that offend the lawe but he beginneth with another matter to wit with right amiable promises therby to allure and to win mens heartes vnto him Thus therefore doeth he say If ye hearken vnto my voyce to obey my commaundementes and bee carefull to keepe them you shal be blessed all maner of wayes and yee shall be enuironed through my fauour with all maner of welfare and prosperitie I haue already tolde you that GOD sheweth great goodnesse towardes men when hee goeth about by such meanes to winne them for it were sufficient for him to to say This is your duty and al creatures should tremble at his speaking Therefore when hee addeth any promises hee forbeareth part of his right and therein humbleth himselfe that wee should bee the more inclyned and better disposed to serue him If wee had doone all that wee can yea and more than wee are able is GOD bound to recompence vs Surely no. Wee must alwaies resort to that which our Lorde Iesus alleageth in Saint Luke Luke 17.7 namely That if a man haue a bond seruant and he send him to labour in the feelde all the day long when the seruant commeth home at night wil he say Wel nowe must I doe my turne thou shalt sit downe at the Table and I will prepare thy supper and giue thee thy meate and drinke bycause thou hast laboured for mee and my course is nowe come to serue thee Will the Maister say so No truly But when the seruant is come home the Maister will say vnto him Couer the table dresse my supper and giue me drinke Euen so sayth Iesus Christ When you haue doone all that is possible for you to do thinke not in your selues that God my father oweth you aught at all or that hee is beholden vnto you but proceede on still and acknowledge that all that euer yee can doe is but duetie towardes him And indeede seeing that God hath made vs what is hee that can do too much for the seruice of him We see then y t God might say playnly Thus it it pleaseth me this is my will follow you y t way And therfore whereas he telleth vs y t we shal be blessed not loose our labour but haue rewarde for our seruing of him It is not to be doubted but y t in so dooing hee forbeareth some part of his right In the meane whyle wee may see that he playeth the good and kinde hearted Father to win his Children For although a father woteth well that his children are bounde to obey him to the vttermost and that hee for his part is not any way bounde to them yet will hee not refuse to saye Loe I loue you and I desire but your owne welfare doe but so as I may haue lyking of you and I will not forsake you A father will be liberall of promyse saying Goe to yee knowe that all that euer I haue is for you for whome else doe I trauayle And to what other ende And if I see you take good wayes I will vse you accordingly Thus doeth the father that humbleth himselfe in his authoritie And wherefore Bycause hee woulde that his children shoulde serue him of free good will rather than bee compelled thereunto by rigorous extremitie Let vs marke therefore that all the promises contayned in holy Scripture be as it were so many testimonies of the fatherly loue of our GOD shewing himselfe to haue a care of our health and welfare in that hee vouchsafeth thus to apply and fashion himselfe vnto vs. By meanes whereof the Lawe of GOD becommeth the more amyable vnto vs for as much as wee see that in keeping of the same wee bee not disappoynted of a good rewarde yea farre greater than we can wish For vnder this woorde Blessing is comprehended all manner of prosperitie Moreouer whē God doeth make vs to prosper in this world it is for none other purpose but to giue vs a tast of his loue towards vs. Howbeit this is not the cheefe point whereupon hee woulde haue vs to stay but he leadeth vs euer further Insomuch that when we feele his goodnesse in this present life and that hee hath care of vs that hee reacheth foorth his hande to
the worde of God wee cannot doe amisse But on the otherside when wee will needes presume aboue our power then are we out of the way we take that vppon vs which God hath reserued to him selfe the secrete thinges belong vnto him And for a conclusion let vs take an example of that which is fittest for this purpose It is a wonderfull secrete of God and such a one as surmounteth all others that GOD hath chosen men as seemed good to himselfe and that before hee created the worlde hee determined in his euerlasting purpose whatsoeuer hee meant to doe choosing and electing some to himselfe and refusing the others Well then this is declared vs in holy scripture and wee ought to knowe it notwithstanding that these mastiue dogges doe barke against vs as wee see howe these wretches doe murmure against this doctrine yea and blaspheme it What say they It is too obscure a doctrine wee vnderstande it not Well admitte it bee straunge vnto you yet is it not to be graunted that it shoulde therefore take no place but howsoeuer it bee it is God that hath saide it and we must sticke to this saying And if wee will needes knowe wherefore as these pelting roges doe who in all matters behaue themselues spitefully against God saying I woulde knowe what is the reason vnlesse God is vniust O miserable creature whither runnest thou headlong God sheweth that wee must rest vpon his holy will and wee bee not permitted to seeke anie further but are commaunded to confesse that hee is righteous in all that hee doeth and that hee hath compassed all thinges in iust weight and measure so as nothing proceedeth from him which is not wholie ordered with infinite wisedome and equitie When we bee at that poynt wee must sticke to it and behaue our selues soberlie So then by this example wee see howe men ought to behaue themselues and what mean they ought to keepe It is not for vs to play the doltes as the Papistes doe but wee must vnderstand the things which God hath reueyled vnto vs and then we must in likewise take heede that vnder colour that God hath reueiled his secretes vnto vs we stie not vp into the aire seeking to knowe this and that and giue ouer our selues to fonde questions Let vs seeke that onely which GOD woulde haue vs to knowe and let vs be ignoraunt of all the rest yea and let vs be willingly ignorant of it knowing that our true wisedome is to be learned alonely in his schoole And further to the intent we may turne holy scripture to our more profite we must haue an eye to edification and referre all thinges to the learning of our saluation as we haue said alreadie Let vs nowe fall downe before the maiestie of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our sinnes beseeching him so to reforme vs as wee may not linger vntill hee sende foorth his horrible vengeance vppon vs but that we may preuent it and that forasmuch as we haue heretofore offended him so many wayes wee may returne vnto him at the least when hee prouoketh vs thereunto so as hee may be merciful vnto vs for our Lorde Iesus Christes sake and that we may haue our eyes open to beholde the doctrine which he setteth before vs and our eares vnstopped to hearken vnto all the counsailes corrections which he continually and incessantlie bestoweth vpon vs and that by this meanes we may be able to possesse all y e blessings which hee hath purchased for vs and which hee hath prepared for his children and for all them that loue him That it may please him to bestowe this grace not vppon vs onely but also vppon all people and nations of the earth c. On Saturday the xi of April 1556. The CLXIX Sermon which is the first vppon the thirtith Chapter 29 The secretes of the Lorde c. The thirtith Chapter WHen all these thinges bee come vppon thee whether it bee the blessing or the curse which I haue set before thee and that thou remember them in thine heart among all the nations to the which the Lorde thy God shall haue cast thee out 2 And doest returne vnto the Lorde thy God and obey his voyce according to all that I commaunde thee this day thou and thy children withall thy heart and with all thy soule 3 Then will the Lorde thy God bring againe thy Captiues and haue mercie vpon thee and he will gather thee againe from all people among whom the Lord thy God hath dispersed thee 4 Notwithstanding that thou were cast out into the farthest parts of y e hauen from thence will the Lorde thy God gather thee and from thence will hee fetche thee 5 And the Lord thy God will bring thee againe to the land which thy fathers possessed and thou shalt possesse it and he will doe thee good and cause thee to growe much greater than thy fathers WE must remember well what was treated of yesterday to wit that when GOD doeth imparte himselfe vnto vs by his worde wee must bee attentiue to receyue the doctrine that is conteyned in the same For although that all that is declared vnto vs in holie Scripture be a farre higher wisedome than our wittes are able to attayne vnto yet would not GOD that it shoulde bee kept hidden or secrete Wherefore For if we resort vnto him with lowlinesse yeelding our selues as scholers he will doe the office of a teacher in such wise as his will shal bee altogether open vnto vs nothing of all that is profitable for our saluation shall bee darke vnto vs so we suffer ourselues to be instructed of GOD. But there bee two thinges which we must obserue the one is that wee bee not possessed afore hande with ouerweening as a great sort bee which thinke thēselues wise enough to iudge receiue no more of Gods worde than is to their owne liking Let vs beware of such diuelish pride and let vs subdue all our wittes to GOD. And wee must also vnderstande that wee shoulde neuer conceyue the thinges which are deliuered vnto vs in his name and from him vnlesse hee himselfe inlightened vs for wee bee blinde wretches and there is nothing in vs but rudenesse and beastlinesse GOD therefore must in this case worke by his holy spirite On the other side when wee reade the holy scripture or come to heare the word declared vnto vs let vs seeke to be edified thereby and not goe about to satisfie our owne lustes and foolish appetites as manie people doe which vnhalowe the worde of GOD for they trouble themselues with manie vnprofitable questions and thinke that they haue doone much when they shewe them selues subtill But GOD woulde that his woorde shoulde profite vs and that it shoulde bee expressed in our life Let vs remember those two pointes and then wee shall see by experience that our LORD protesteth not in vaine by his Prophete Esay Isa. 45.19 that where hee saith Seeke mee it is in
very deede to seeke God to sticke vnto him And howe may that bee done Euen by obeying his voyce according as wee knowe also that obedience is the thing which God preferreth before all other sacrifices 1. Sa. 15. ◠Psal. 5◠◠And that is a thing worthie to be wel marked For Moses here setteth our two things The one is that when men bragge of their willingnesse to seeke God if they shewe it not in good earnest by their whole lyfe so as it may bee knowen by their fruites a men may well tell them that they lye and that they doe but mocke with GOD and the worlde when they say wee bee sorie for our sinnes That is the thing which wee haue to marke for one poynt Therefore let vs try our repentance by the said rule When wee seeme to our selues to seeke God let vs looke that it bee with liuely repentance not in feete hands or eyes but in y e reformation of all our affectiōs so as they may be giuen ouer all wholy to follow God his worde If it be not so with vs all y t euer we can say of repentance is but mockery Marke that for one poynt The other is the obeying of Gods voyce When as hee speaketh of the obeying of Gods voyce it is to exclude all the fond deuotions of mans owne inuenting For when men intend to serue God well how goe they to worke Mee thinkes say they that such a thing is good and thereupon they set vp goodly gay seruices Moses therefore excludeth all these thinges in saying that we must obey the voyce of our God Wherfore let vs see that wee submit our selues vnto him Because wee see the world is so greatly giuen to inuent fond deuotions let vs for our part learne to know that whatsoeuer is of mans deuising is playne deceit and euen the high way to leade vs to destruction and that the onely way to please God and to make our lyfe allowable before him is simply to obey his worde to submit our selues to him whē he prouoketh vs to repentance assuring our selues that it is the very meanes also whereby we may obteyne saluation though wee haue deserued to perishe a hundred thowsand times Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sins praying him to make vs feele them better than we haue done heretofore yea euen in such wise as hauing condemned our selues for them wee may not forbeare to rest vppon his promises and to resorte vnto him and to pray vnto him that hee may haue pitie vppon vs as hee that desireth not the death of sinners but that they should come home againe to him for asmuch as hee is ready to admit them to the saluation which hee hath promised to his children Wherefore let vs repayre vnto him euen in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and if wee conuert not at the very first as soone as hee chastiseth vs let vs pray him to make vs to proceede in true repentaunce from day to day by forsaking the vice that is in vs so as he may gouerne vs by his holy spirit and the worlde may perceiue that Gods word hath such authoritie ouer vs as we desire nothing but to fashion our selues all wholly thereafter That it may please him to grant this grace not onelie to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Tewsday the iiii of Iune 1555. The xxvii Sermon which is the ninth vpon the fourth Chapter 32 For inquire thou nowe of the daies past which haue beene before thee since the day that God created man vpon the earth and from the one end of heauen vnto the other if euer there were done so great a thing as this or if euer the like thing haue beene heard of 33 Was there euer anie Nation that hath heard the voice of God speaking out of the middes of fire as thou hast heard and yet continuest aliue 34 Or was there euer anie God that assaied to goe and take him a people from the middes of another people by temptations signes and wonders by warres and strong hand by stretched out arme and great terriblenesse as the Lord your God hath done in Egypt before your eies 35 He hath made thee to see them to the intent thou shouldest knowe that the Lord is God and that there is none other but onelie he ALthough that all the thinges that euer God did ought to serue for our learning wee knowe not any thing but by auncient stories yet the later that thinges were done so much the better ought they to touch vs. And although wee ought to profit our selues by Gods workes when wee beholde them a farre of yet ought they to moue vs much more when they touch ourselues and concerne our owne persons If a thing be tolde vs which wee neuer sawe yet ought the storie to serue to waken vs. But if wee bee able to beare witnesse of it ourselues so as our eyes haue seene it and wee haue not had it by other mens report but euery of vs is able to auowe it by his owne experience ought wee not bee much better and muche more assuredly taught by it In like case is it when any of vs shall haue seene or perceiued any worke of God for he ought to be touched so much the more to the quick In the selfesame respect doth Moses now speake vnto the people Looke about thee inquire of the auncient tymes see whether thou canst finde that euer there haue bin any such wonders wrought since the creation of the world as God hath done in thy sight Seeing it is so thine vnthankfulnesse shal be the more vnexcusable if thou acknowledge not so great a benefite by perswading thy selfe fully that there is none other God than the same that hath vttered himselfe to thee hath giuen thee so euidēt and infallible tokens of his maiestie Therefore haue a regard to serue the God that hath purchased thee for thou canst not henceforth alledge any cause of ignorance Now by the way we haue to marke y t the intent of Moses is to put a difference here betweene y e God of Israel all those that were worshipped for Gods in the world and not without cause For when men haue forged any God to themselues they may well toyle themselues to serue him but it shall turne to their condemnation Why so Because they rob God of the honor that belongs to him to giue it to a creature or rather to a shadowe For if wee make idols they bee not worthy to bee reckoned among Gods creatures If wee imagine of God after our owne lyking it is but vanitie and leasing So then when men worship the thing that they haue conceiued in their own fāsie 1. Cor. 8.4 they conuey the glory of y e liuing God not only to creatures but also to that which is nothing at all Therefore it is very expedient
follow the doctrine that our God hath giuen vs and whereby it is his will to draw vs to him Thus yee see that the meane for vs to put this saying of Moseses in vre is not to looke onely to the myracles that haue bene wrought for the ratifying of the Lawe but to goe to the Gospell and there to perceiue that God hath shewed himselfe to vs againe in farre greater perfection than he did to y e fathers of olde time Besides this let vs beare in minde the warning that I spake of afore namely that when we once knowe the myracles whereby God vouchsafed to confirme his Maiestie we must repaire to his worde assuring our selues that that is the verie meane whereby God draweth vs to him Therefore whensoeuer we haue Gods word preached vnto vs let vs vnderstand that it is a confirmation to assure vs that he raigneth ouer vs. And therefore let vs take heede that wee make our profit thereby seeing he graunteth vs this grace and priuiledge Eph. â—â—â— which as we see is not common to all men And let vs pray him to seale the doctrine in our heartes by his holy spirit which we heare with our fleshie eares that seeing he hath once called vs to the knowing of him he will increase the same more and more and so guide vs as we may rather looke vp to heauen than pore vpon the creatures and things that are mortall Therefore let vs haue a constant and inuincible fayth in God which hath once manifested him selfe to vs so as wee may defie Satan and all the abuses and errours that haue bene brought in by men According to this holy doctrine wee will cast our selues downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs so to feele them as it may bring vs to true repentance and wee therewithall acknowledge the grace and benefites which he hath powred out vpon vs so as we may know better to make our profit by them than we haue done and not bee negligent in considering his workes but diligent therein as becommeth vs and moreouer so receive the doctrine y t is dayly preached vnto vs as wee may apply our eyes to the discerning of the things that are dayly shewed vs and our good God make vs to finde his power and goodnesse by experience as he hath done to others in all ages that we may bee the better confirmed in the loue and obedience which wee owe him so as wee may neuer be turned from it whatsoeuer the Diuell practise to turne vs away from it That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the v. of Iune 1555. The xxviij Sermon which is the tenth vpon the fourth Chapter 36 He made thee to heare his voice from heauen to instruct thee withall and on earth he shewed thee his great fire thou heardest his words out of the middest of the fire 37 Because he loued thy fathers and chose their seede after them hee made thee to come out of Egypt in his presence by his great power 38 To driue out Nations before thee greater and mightier than thou to bring thee in and to giue thee their lands to inherit as is seene this day I Told you heretofore that if God had but only wrought myracles when he brought his people out of Egypt it would haue beene to small purpose for they had had no instruction to leade them to right knowledge But in asmuch as his word was matched with them now there wanted nothing at all And that is the cause why Moses exhorteth the people yet againe to consider howe it is long of none but themselues that they know not God yea euen to attaine to the heritage not onely of the land of promise but also of the kingdome of heauen Furthermore he telleth them that Gods word had such maiestie as the people had no cause to doubt but it was God that spake it Assure thy selfe saith he that the voice which thou herdest was not a humain or earthly voice but thy God spake as it were from heauen It is true that the voyce sounded from the middes of the fire that was seene vpon the mountaine but here Moses meaneth that the doctrine was not darke for asmuch as God gaue certaine signes of his maiestie to the ende that the peoples faith might bee assured throughly And for the same cause doeth he vse the worde instruction which signifieth not onely to teach with words but also to traine on with often chastisement As if he should say thy God in this case hath as it were helde thee in awe so as it is not nowe lawfull for thee to despise his lawe as though it came from an vncertaine place For why It hath soueraine authoritie thou canst not but thereby perceiue that God hath declared himselfe to thee to the inteÌ„t thou shouldest worship his maiestie and do him homage Now then we see that the effect of the thinges which Moses declareth heere to the Iewes is that God had giuen them visible signes at hande and as it were familiarly to the ende that his worde shoulde haue due reuerence and bee receiued obediently and all things bee done to the instruction of the people And although Moses rehearse but the things y t were done in mount Horeb where the lawe was put forth yet may we gather a general doctrine thereof For wee see howe God stoopeth to our infirmitie Because we cannot mount so high as to come vnto him he coÌ„meth down to our slender capacitie Seing that he doeth so ought not we to be the more prouoked to submitte our selues to him and if wee doe it not shall it not bee cast in our teeth that there was no lette in him that wee had not meanes and helpes to instruct vs with all But what for that In steede of comming to God we haue turned our backe vppon him and rebelled against him Wherfore let vs consider after what manner God applieth himselfe to our rudenesse that wee may bee the more moued to resort vnto him And besides that let vs referre all thinges to the same ende that Moses noteth heere which is y t forasmuch as God is so gracious to vs as to shewe vs his truth wee must imbrace it assuring our selues that it groweth not in the worlde but commeth from heauen Therefore let the doctrine of saluation be receiued among vs with al obedience For else it is to no purpose for vs to protest that we call vppon God and are willing to honor and serue him For the proofe that he requireth therof is that we should hearken quietly to his worde and that our faith should bee setled so as wee resemble not the vnbeleeuers who are alwayes doubting but stande vpon this sure foundation that it is God which speaketh it therefore it is not lawful for vs to reply against it
keeping of any way They hop they trippe they stumble and all to their owne ruine They haue no light but are as blinde wretches in the mids of darkenesse and in the meane while behold the Lord our God maketh his daysonne of righteousnes to shine vppon vs for Iesus Christ Mal. 4. ◠sheweth himselfe to bee our redeemer Sith it is so what ought we to doe Ought we not at leastwise to consider to what end and purpose Gods worde is preached vnto vs and euery of vs to gather vnder his hande to say Lord rule thou vs Yes but what There are verie sewe which thinke vpon that For we would be more afraide to defile our selues with the filthinesse of papistrie than we bee if this doctrine were well printed in vs that seing God hath separated vs from them if wee intermedle our selues with them newagaine it is all one as if wee mingled heauen and earth together of purpose to turne the whole order of nature vpside downe to make a hotchpotch of all things that there might bee a horrible confusion For surely there ought to bee a greater difference betweene Gods children and the vnbeleeuers than there is distance betweene heauen and earth True it is that we must be faine to be mingled together one with another as long as we liue in this worlde but yet is it not saide for nought that Gods children are citizens of heauen and 2. Cor. 〈…〉 pilgrims in the worlde Although they bee conuersant here beneath yet must they not be tyed to it but they must goe on still as in a straunge countrie knowing that their abiding place is aboue and that God hath chosen thē with condition that they should goe thither Therefore when such as haue knowen Gods trueth doe fall to mingling themselues with ydolaters and will not bee separated from them it is all one as if they went about to peruert the whole order of nature But this doctrine hath more neede to bee throughly well minded than to bee preached with long speech The thing then which Moses ment by these wordes is this Yee bee a people that is hollowed to the Lorde that is to say Although we were of Adams cursed race although we came of wretched Infidels yet notwithstanding our Lorde hath vouchsafed to drawe vs to him and to choose vs to bee of his housholde and therefore it is good reason that wee shoulde be separated from the rest Hath hee done so by making vs partakers of the doctrine of his Gospel Then his wil is to haue vs dedicated to himselfe and that wee shoulde bee his temples So then let vs looke well to it that wee continue in this state and that we doe not wilfully disanull Gods adopting of vs nor consent to any thing that may put vs out of his house For when wee forsake Gods Gospell through falshood wee doe what wee can to cut our selues off from the bodie of Iesus Christ and to disherite our selues of the heauenly kingdom and to banishe our selues from it when wee make no conscience nor remorse of intermingling our selues with ydolaters and with their defilings Whatsoeuer hee is that giueth himselfe the bridle to goe to the superstitions of the Papistes and to communicate with them it is alone as if he canceled the deede of the inheritance which God hath giuen him And y t deede is not written in paper nor in parchment but it is sealed by God in our harts Eph. 1.13 5.26 and it is his will that seales and markes therof should also bee in our bodies Then in so doing we blot out the writing wherby God adopted vs for his children heires and as I said we banish our selues out of his kingdom and cut off our selues from the body of our Lorde Iesus Christ. For if we be members of Gods son we must not goe do homage to ydols nor defile our bodies which are y e temples of the holy ghost 2. Cor. 6.16 with such filthines abhomination But as oft as we com to heare Gods word we must thinke thus with our selues Behold my God hath made me holy that is to say he hath separated me from such as are ouerwhelmed in their owne vncleannes and shall I nowe worke him spite What a condemnation wil it be to me y t my God hath so hallowed me and I on the otherside doe vnhallowe and defile my selfe with all leawdnes reiecting y e priuiledge that he hath giuen me Is it not a making of war against him when I will needs after that sort disappoint the good which hee had offered me of his owne infinite mercy Yes And Moses addeth expresly yet further That it was to the intent that this people should be separated from all the rest of the world If God graunted his grace commonly without exception to al people to haue his worde preached euerywhere yet ought we to be sanctified vnto him bicause he taketh vs out of the corruption of Adam and from the ruine wherin al of vs are by nature But when as he choseth one Nation and alyeth himself to y e same and in the meane while letteth all y e rest goe it serueth to giue the greater beauty to his goodnes like as nowadayes our hauing of y e pure doctrine of y e Gospel is as a corde whereby God draweth vs to him and whereby he vouchsafeth to be made one w t vs as I said afore The worlde seeth how he letteth the wretched papists run at rouers so as their eys be stopped they see not one whit nay rather they turne quite cleane away from the way of saluation We see it And what is to be done but y t inasmuch as god setteth such beawty vpon his mercy such comparison should make vs the willinger to serue him to liue the more warely for feare of turning away from him seeing he hath vochsafed to prefer vs before others though wee haue not deserued it But what So farre are we vnable to profite our selues by such goodnes of God y t we rather make it an occasion to take leaue libertie to do euill For whē we haue y e examples of the vnbeleeuers before our eyes we thinke we may do the same things that they do But that is far of from thinking vpon that which Moses saith here Your god saith he hath sanctified you aboue al other nations of y e earth As if he should say Who be you For ye be no better than other Nations and yet neuertheles your god hath vouchsafed to sanctifie you Now therefore be you the more carefull to bridle your selues to keepe you vndefiled and meddle no more with the wretched vnbeleeuers y t are wholly giuen ouer to their owne vncleannes because your God neuer drew them vnto him Thus yee see why Moses compareth here y e Iewes expresly with y e heathen Likewise in these days forasmuch as God hath preferred vs before y e wretched papists we
himselfe to deceite and extorsion or be ful of pride crueltie and malice or cast himself into whoredome and other filthinesse and infection God will surely punish him for it is too great a prouoking of him when wee desile our selues so after he hath sanctifyed vs. But if wee decline to idolatrie that is not a priuate offence springing onely of infirmitie that caryeth vs away but it is an vtterrenouncing of God it is a giuing of him ouer as though wee intended to haue no more to doe with him And wee must marke moreouer that although an vpright honest chaste and sober conuersation be a parte of Gods seruice yet the chiefe seruing of him is to put our trust in him 〈◊〉 22.37 â— to honor him to call vpon him and to professe him to bee our onely God But when wee fall to making of idols and set them vp in his place is it not a robbing of him of his Godhead Can wee make any more open warre against him Is it not all one as if we would plucke him downe from heauen and put him from the gouernment of the world Yes Seeing then that the corrupting of Gods seruice bringeth so horrible confusion let vs not thinke it strange that Moses should tel the Israelites here that if they gaue themselues lewdly to idolatrie God would consume them Yea and that not by gentle and fauorable meanes as in way of chastisement but by rooting of them out quite and cleane aâ— the people should be rooted out which had dwelt before them in the land that hee had promised them The â—hing was not yet don but yet Moses speaketh of it as of a thing that was most certeine to them And surely Gods promise ought to beare great sway with vs when hee behighteth vs any good and so ought his threatnings to bee taken to bee as sure when he cannot draw vs to him by gentlenesse And that is the cause why Moses sayth I protest vnto you this day Now by this saying we bee warned that God taketh as it were a solemn recognisance of vs when he sendeth vs his word and that the faithfull preaching thereof is as an open proclamation to summon vs and to cite vs. Lyke as when a man refuseth to doe his duetie then to the intent he may answere to the Lawe hee is cited and his aduersary commenceth sute against him euen so doth God deale with vs. For as I sayd afore hee desireth no more but that we should come to him by gentlenesse and friendly dealing But yet if wee bee slowe and negligent so as hee cannot allure vs to him theÌ„ doth he enter his sute and make protestation against vs after this maner wel then I haue done what I could to win you and yet notwithstanding yee haue bin stubborne still towardes me and therefore I protest against you He sendeth his ministers as his proctors yea and hee sendeth them with solemne commission as if some Notary were by to make a publike instrument as if hee should say I protest against you that it was not long of mee that yee were not rid out of the destruction wherein yee are if ye perish the fault is in your selues Wherefore let vs mark this well to the end that when wee come to a Sermon or reade the holy scriptures if we finde any sowrenesse or vehemencie that greeueth vs wee doe not therefore forbeare to receiue the thinges that are told vs in Gods name assuring our selues it is the greatest benefite that can befall vs to suffer our selues to bee so rebuked by Gods word forasmuch as it bringeth vs to him by repentance And therefore let vs see that we bee not bereft of such a benefite by our owne lewdnesse 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 we haue done so as we may be brought to true repentance to mortify all our wicked lustes that wee may be wholy subiect vnto him desiring nothing but to please him in al respects and to lead our liues according to his holy commaundementes and that although we be weake yet wee may not cease to goe foreward still towardes our wayes end through his power assuring our selues that hee will haue his hand continually stretched out ouer vs to strengthen vs vntill hee haue giuen vs full victorie ouer all assaultes and finally taken vs vp into the glorie which hee hath promised vs in the kingdome of heauen That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. On Tewsday the xxvij of August 1555. The Lxij Sermon which is the first vpon the ninth Chapter HEarken O Israel This day shalt thou goe ouer Iordan to enter possession vpon Nations greater and mightier than thy selfe and vpon Cities that are houge and walled vp to heauen 2 A people greate and tall euen the children of the Enakims whome thou hast knowen and of whom thou hast heard say who is hee that can stand against the children of Enacke 3 Knowe thou therefore this day that the Lord thy God goeth before thee as a burning fire he will destroy them and subdue them before thy face he will driue them out and rid them away as the Lord hath said to thee 4 And when the Lord thy God shall haue cast them out before thy face say not thou in thy heart The Lord hath brought mee into this lande to possesse it for my righteousnesse sake for the Lorde hath driuen out these Nations before thy face for their wickednesse 5 It is not through thine owne righteousnesse or for the rightnesse of thy heart that thou art come to the possession of their Land But for the wickednesse of those nations hath the Lord thy God driuen them out before thy face and to performe the word which the Lord thy God sware to thy fathers Abraham Isaak and Iacob 6 Knowe thou therefore that it is not for thine owne righteousnesse that the Lorde thy God hath giuen thee this good land to possesse for thou art a stifnecked people WE haue two extreme vices in vs. The one is that if God promise vs any thing and we find it hard we bee vtterly dismayed to our seeming there is no way for God to performe the thing that he hath spoken wherein we deface his power and yeelde him not his due honor For as soone as God hath sayd the worde although the thing seeme vtterly vnpossible Psal. 33.9 yet ought wee to conclude that hee will finde meanes wel ynough to bring it to passe And why For his power is infinite and ought not to bee measured after our imagination Rom. 9.19 Esa. 40.18 Therefore wee must glorify the Lorde saying Alas my God in deed I am at my wits end in this case but I leaue y e matter in thy hand thou canst worke after such a fashion as I cannot now comprehend
his will by their meanes Then if wee saye that wee knowe not Gods will you see here is wherewith to disprooue vs for God hath giuen vs his worde in writing so as wee neede not to seeke for it and therefore it ought to be sufficiently knowen vnto vs. Nowe then let vs also learne to receiue it with reuerence humilitie and when we heare mortal men speaking vnto vs let vs assure our selues that wee must not measure the maiestie of Gods worde by their persons But wee must haue an eye to him from whome it commeth and which is the author of it that wee may submit our selues wholly vnto it Therefore let vs not haue these diuelish fansies with vs as some dreamers haue which say O that God woulde speake to mee from heauen I woulde faine haue some reuelation Let it content vs that God coÌ„meth down vnto vs to make vs priuie to his will for that is it which Moses ment in saying that hee did set foorth Gods commaundements as if hee had saide that men neede not to goe farre to seeke him And in the ende hee sheweth that all this tendeth to the welfare of the people so as God seeketh not any benefite to himselfe Iob 35.7 Psal. 16.2 for he needeth not to borowe aught of vs neither can wee do him any pleasure wee can doe him neither good nor harme all thinges are his according to the eyght Psalme Psal. 8.7 50.10 and also the fiftith Psalme where it is saide that all the beastes in the feelde are in his possession and that if hee be hungrie or want any thing he needeth not to seeke it at our handes Why then requireth he to be serued of vs It is for our benefit for that there can not be a greater good turne vnto men than to be the seruants of their maker Then let vs vnderstand that whereas our Lord layeth not the bridle loose vpon our necke but gouerneth vs himselfe and holdeth vs vnder his obedience therby to moue vs to serue him the more willingly hee doeth it to our benefite and respecteth nothing but our welfare Yet notwithstanding it is true that the lawe will finde vs all giltie that when God hath shewed vs all that is good and right 2. Cor. â—â— 12 that doctrine doeth so litle benefite vs that it rather bringeth vs death and wee bee cursed by it For it is a looking glasse wherein to see that wee bee Gods enemies and it is a keye to open the gates of hell And how then commeth it to passe that God shoulde procure our welfare and yet notwithstanding wee shoulde receiue nothing but harme by it That is not of it selfe but it falleth out by another meane that is to saye by our owne fault Then let vs vnderstande that Gods lawe if wee consider it in it selfe is vnto vs a doctrine of welfare whereby God commeth neere vnto vs to bee our father and to make vs finde life in him that by his ruling of our life wee might sticke vnto him and thereby bee made partakers of his benefites in the ende attayne to the heritage of the heauenly life But herewithal we be so froward and ful of corruption that the law can serue vs to no other purpose but to curse vs to make vs perceiue how lothsome we be vnto God in as much as we be his deadly enemies so we haue double cause to be abashed afraid ashamed of our selues when we see y t the good is so turned to our harm it is more than if y e nature of y e sunne were changed by our infection Woulde it not make vs to loth our selues if we should find such foule vyle smokes in vs as shoulde darken and quench the light of the sunne yes verily Nowe we see that Gods law is the light of our life and yet we not only dim it but also turn it into y e darknes of death it is vnpossible y t it should stande vs in any other steed vntil our Lord Iesus Christ haue wrought in vs 2. Cor. â—â— reformed vs by his holy spirit by writing his lawe newe againe in our hearts For asmuch then as we see y t men turne life into death light into darknes benefit into bane alas ought we not to be exceedingly abashed yes but yet must not y t put vs out of conceit of y e doctrin of y e law so as we shuld not loue it howbeit y t we caÌ„not performe it vntil god haue chaÌ„ged our harts to cause vs to submit our selues vnto him and haue made vs newe creatures in our lord Iesus christ True it is y t the setting forth of y e law vnto vs is not for nought but yet must we needes perceiue by experience y t vntill God hath brought vs home again vnto him y e doctrin of his law wil serue for nothing but to coÌ„demne vs. But when he hath once wrought in vs by his holy spirit then shal wee perceiue that in setting forth his law vnto vs he procureth our benefite welfare according as is saide of it here by Moses And so you heare what we haue to gather vpoÌ„ this text But Moses doth yet better confirme the matter that wee haue seene which is that God helde not his people downe like slaues not handled them roughly to be reuenged of theÌ„ to make them feele the offence they had committed but that he handled them after a gentle and louing fashion Now then saith he hath the euerlasting thy God any neede of thee Behold saith he the heauens yea and the heauens of heauens are Gods As if he should say you think that God would fain haue a people as though he could not forbeare to be without them Hath not hee the skyes at commandement hath not he his heauenly host hath he not whole millions of Angels hath hee not peaceable dominion in heauen Yes and therefore ye must not imagine any more that his choosing of you was to better his owne estate by you If hee shoulde destroy you and make quite riddance of you should his raigne ceasse No no and for proofe therof he hath no neede of men Againe besides that is not the earth and all thinges in it in his possession Yes What is the cause then that hee hath not taken and chosen other nations to him as wel as you Is it for that you are nobler or mightier or worthier in any respect than the rest as it is mentioned in the seuenth Chapter Deut. 7.7 No. It is certaine that the Iewes were not better than the Gentiles insomuch that if they should haue beene compared with them they shoulde haue found themselues to haue bin neither nobler of linage nor richer in substance nor vertuouser in life nor to haue excelled them in any thing What is the cause then saith Moses that God hath vouchsafed to take you for his people and that he hath
pastime Yet did hee see all the worlde drowned and destroyed For hee sawe it by faith because God had threatened that it shoulde bee so Nowe the same threate haue we and therewithall wee haue the proofe of it also euen in this that our Lorde punished these nations that are spoken of here at the end of foure hundred yeares when they thought not of it ne tooke anie heed of it insomuch that if a man had then threatened them any such thing they woulde haue blurted out their tongues and shaken their heads at him But their inditement was framed in heauen iudgement was giuen vpon them alreadie and the Iudge had power might to put it in execution in spite of their wilfull stubbornesse And therefore let the sight hereof make vs to stand in awe of our God And when he letteth vs alone in quiet and spareth vs let vs not thinke our selues to bee scaped his hande but let vs enter into account and euerie man quicken vp himselfe and looke into his owne faults and that in such wise as we may preuent his wrath and let vs not tarie till he be armed against vs to proclayme war against vs but let vs preuent the rigor of his iudgement that by comming vnto him whereas we shoulde else finde him our Iudge in the end wee may finde him to bee our pitifull and kinde hearted father Nowe let vs kneele downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them continually more and more And for asmuch as there is none of vs which hath not prouoked his wrath exceedingly so as we be all guiltie before him let vs seeke to returne to the refuge of his mercie And seeing there is no meanes to come at him except he reach vs out his hande and drawe vs by his holy spirit let vs not refuse to goe to him when he calleth vs nor tarie till y e gate be shut against vs but let vs vse the opportunitie of the time when he causeth his Gospell to be preached vnto vs and let vs imbrace our Lorde Iesus Christ with the peace which he offereth vs resorting to his death and passion that we may haue him for the gage of our righteousnesse and the verie raunsome whereby to come in fauor with our God againe so as all our sinnes may be buried through his mercie and we labour to drawe others also vnto him that all of vs with one common accord may tend vnto our God and he be serued and worshipped of al mē And for the bringing hereof to passe it may please him to raise vp true and faithfull ministers of his worde c. On Fryday the xx of December 1555. The Cxix Sermon which is the fourth vpon the twentith Chapter 16.17.18 But of the Cities of c. 19 When thou shalt haue beseeged a Citie a long time in fighting against it to take it thou shalt not marre the trees therof by putting an Axe vnto them for thou maist eate of them and therefore cut them not downe for the life of man is the tree of the feelde to come with thee to the seege 20 Onely thou maist destroy and cut downe the trees which thou knowest to be no trees to eate of and thereof thou maist make bulwarkes against the Citie which holdeth warre against thee vntil thou haue wonne it YEsterday was shewed why God gaue so rigorous sentence against the Nations that had dwelte in the Lande of Chanaan It was tolde you that hee had borne with them ere that time and suffered them till such time as they were condemned and thereupon that we must benefite our selues by such examples partlie that wee abuse not Gods patience when hee spareth vs and delayeth the execution of his iudgements giuing vs leasure in the meane while to returne to repentaunce and partly that when wee see him execute so extreeme rigour vppon men Rom. 2.4 we shoulde assure our selues it is because hee knoweth them to bee vtterly past grace and haue heaped vp such condemnation vppon their heades a long time afore hande Now remaineth to note that GOD appointed the Iewes to bee the executers of the saide sentence so as the Chananites and such like were to bee rooted out by the hande of the Iewes And why It is saide expressely in the Text As the Lorde thy God hath commaunded thee Then was it not for the Iewes to enterprise it on their owne heade except they had had Gods worde for their warrant for it is not lawfull for vs to attempt anie thing vnlesse it bee our duetie and that God haue commaunded it And it is a generall rule for vs to beare in minde and to obserue all our life long For men may doe goodly and commendable thinges which notwithstanding shall not bee reputed for vertues before God when they passe their boundes that is to say when they holde not themselues within the listes of that which God hath vttered vnto them For if a man shoulde say It were good to doe thus and therefore I will applie my selfe thereto and yet in the meane while God calleth him not to it neither hath he anie word y t commands him to deale so his vnaduised aduēturing vpon things after that sort shall alwayes be condemned at Gods hand If we alledge that the deede is good and excellent of it selfe that is not enough for god wil be obeied at our hands whatsoeuer come thereof And therfore let euery man haue an eye to himselfe consider how farre his duety wil beare him If a man that hath but a little household to gouerne should take vpon him the office of a magistrate what were to bee saide vnto it There would be verie great confusion in that Likewise if he that is a seruant in a house should take more vppon him than belonges to him yee see that all were out of order Againe if the wife shoulde ouermaster her husband and make him her vnderling y e honestie of nature were quite goone So then it behooueth all men to holde themselues warely within their boundes and to followe what way soeuer God calleth them And when we haue Gods commādement we must not be helde back nor letted by men If God bid vs goe we must goe though all the worlde should set themselues against vs yet must wee not turne head but goe on still As for example in these dayes the Magistrates ministers of Iustice haue the sworde in their hand Rom. 13.4 and that not in vaine as saith Saint Paul for God wil haue them to punish offenders Now if they do nothing therein and yet in the meane season will needes alledge some excuse to God they deceiue themselues For in asmuch as our Lorde hath set them in office he hath tolde thē also that hee will haue them to be stout and full of courage in maintaining their state And so looke what commaundement was giuen to all the Iewes in olde time for
newes they wil shew thee that at such time as thy God diuided the nations of the world and made y e partitions betweene people people hee had a special regard of thee shewed playnly y t his adopting choosing of thee was not in vaine For the mark y t he amed at was to dedicate thee to his seruice to reserue thee for his owne inheritance Now thē is it not a peruerting confounding of y e order which he had set down to be inuiolable when thou turnest so away from him Yes for hee had shouled thee out from al y e heathē chosen thee as it were for his own portion That is the thing in effect which Moses meant to say vnto y e Iewes And this text ought to teach vs first to bee mindefull of the benefites which he hath done to our fathers although we haue not seene them in our owne time For that is a thing whereon we must set our mindes Hath God giuen vs wit and reason but onely to conceiue thinges present which we see with our eyes Nay our vnderstāding must proceede further yea and all must be referred to the honor glory of him which hath giuen vs that vnderstanding And it standeth vs so much y e more in hand to marke well this doctrine because we see men fickleheaded giuen to all vanitie fond speculations True it is that we would be loth to be as brute beastes and we would faine be as men of vnderstanding there is none of vs all but he laboureth for it And yet for all y t what is our vnderstanding but an inquiring of the thinges that passe our capacitie Men neuer cease to be inquisitiue of the thinges that are farre aboue their vnderstanding yea euen of thinges needelesse vnprofitable insomuch as they will needes knowe what God did afore hee made the world such other thinges Againe as touching stories if a man occupy himself in thē it is but to range abroad here and there without consideration of Gods doinges insomuch that God is quite forgotten thinges are not referred to their right and due vse Wee see then how men runne rouing so as they can babble well enough of thinges past that ye would take them to haue good knowledge of them But it is but in thinges vnprofitable in the meane while God is let alone they haue no regard at all of thēselues But contrariwise it is shewed here that when we talke of matters of olde time and enquire of thinges that haue bin done long agoe we must keepe this order of proceeding that we haue an eye vnto God how he hath gouerned y e world and alwayes shewed himselfe righteous faithfull vpright good and pitifull First therefore let vs consider that And afterwarde let vs come vnto our selues and sith we see that hee hath separated vs from the rest of the worlde taken vs for his children without any worthines of ours preferring vs before those which were no thing inferiour to vs for in deede we be no better than the rest of Adams children seeing say I such goodnesse of God towardes vs we ought to apply our indeuour to know the same wel and by inquiring of former yeres we ought to behold Gods working to the end he may be glorifyed at our handes for that we haue found by experience that we be so many wayes bound vnto him and that the infinite goodnesse which he hath shewed towardes vs may prouoke and inflame vs to yeelde ous selues wholy to the seruing of him If wee so doe wee shall not bee blamed for the vnthankfulnesse for which the people of Israell are blamed here by Moses For consequently all those whome God hath called vnto him shall be comprised vnder the same condemnation vnlesse they can skil to benefite themselues the better by his gratious dealinges But nowe let vs cast our selues downe before the maiestie of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs to feele them more and more so as wee may not onely condemne our selues with our mouthes but also vtterly mislyke of them and turne againe vnto him with a true meaning minde to obey him and to submit our selues to his good wil that therwithal he may so worke in vs by his holy spirit that sith he hath vouchsafed to begin to make vs newe creatures hee do also reforme vs to the full vntill wee be throughly clothed with his righteousnesse and that all our imperfections and vanities be mortified That it may please him to grant this grace not onely to vs but also to all people c. On Munday the j. of Iune 1556. The CLXXX Sermon which is the third vppon the two and thirtith Chapter 8 When the highest diuided to the Nations their inheritaunces and when hee separated the Sonnes of men then did he set the boundes of Nations according to the number of the children of Israel 9 For the Lordes portion is his owne people and Iacob is the meteline of his inheritaunce 10 He founde him in a desert Lande and in a horrible wildernesse where nothing was to bee heard but roaring He led him vp and downe and gaue him vnderstanding and kept him as the apple of his eye 11 As the Eagle stirreth vp her neast houering ouer her young ones and spreading out her wings taketh them vp and caryeth them vpon her wings WE haue seene already heeretofore howe the intent of Moses in this text is to shewe the children of Israell how greatly they bee bound vnto God in that he loued them and chose them out from among all the nations of the earth and adopted them to bee his children without any desert of theirs or without hauing any respect of their worthinesse only of his own meere mercie Now hereuppon hee sayth That when God distributed the world into partes assigning all Nations their Countries hee helde still this Lande for the heritage of his people True it is that notwithstanding this he did as it were lend the land of Chanaan for a time to the olde inhabiters thereof that is to the Hethites the Heuites the Pheresites the Chananites and such like His assigning of that Countrie to them was not for euer for hee reserued it till the time that hee should fetch his owne people out of Egypt And wee must marke that at that time Abraham was not yet borne neither was there then any people of Israel Howe can it then bee that God should bee prouoked by any desert seeing hee tooke the thing which as then had not any being Yea and let vs marke alwaies that the people which was to issue out of the stocke of Abraham had beene no better than other nations if God had not wrought in them Therefore it is to bee concluded that God vttered an infinite goodnesse towardes that people and that his will was that they should bee a looking-glasse of his grace to the whole worlde
so And therefore God coulde well roote vs out of the worlde at this day and on the otherside hee coulde well make the Papistes dumbe and altogether senselesse or else hee coulde make them blockes or stones or else he could vtterlie ouerwhelme them so as his name should not bee blasphemed by them and therewithall hee coulde raise vp a newe people which should glorifie him in his iust destroying and consuming of vs. God coulde well doe all these thinges but yet for all that hee holdeth still such order in his workes as hee hath determined vppon in himselfe That is the cause why on the one side hee spareth vs and on the other side giueth not occasion to the Papistes to blaspheme his holy name if hee shoulde vse extreeme rigour agaynst vs. And by the way here wee bee put in minde of the nature of man Indeede God speaketh of the aduersarie and enemie but yet vnder them he comprehendeth all such as haue not beene taught by his worde to yeeld themselues teachable vnto him And what manner of disposition attributeth hee vnto them That they estrange themselues that is to say that without inquiring or considering of Gods vengeaunce wherein he ought to be glorified they turne it into a slaunder and say It is not God that did it Let vs marke well then that if wee bee let alone to our owne nature and that God guide vs not by his worde and spirite to giue vs the true soundnesse of vnderstanding discretion and skill although hee worke after such a fashion as his righteousnesse power and wisedome may so appeare that wee must needes be conuicted by it yet we shal not cease to cast foorth blasphemie against him And why For wee shall bee as witlesse beastes And this saying For feare least the enemie shoulde estraunge himselfe is to bee well weyed For thereby God meaneth that men insteede of applying their wittes to the beholding of the thinges which hee sheweth them do wrappe themselues in ignorance wilfully Nowe it is certayne that although wee be blinde wretches and that although by reason of Adams sinne wee bee bereft of iudgement reason and vnderstanding yet there is malice still in vs so as our whole seeking is to bee ignoraunt of the thinges which our Lorde woulde haue vs to knowe Therefore whensoeuer men doe make a cloke of their ignorance they shall euermore bee conuicted to haue refused the knowledge of those thinges which might haue beene well knowen vnto them if they had set their minds vppon them And that is the verie cause why Saint Iude in his Epistle speaking of these heathenish folke which despise GOD and are grosse and dulheaded as folke that haue no knowledge at all Iude. 10. saith that they knowe not the thinges which they shoulde know because they haue no list to knowe them Then is it a cursed kinde of cloking whensoeuer men make not their benefite of Gods workes but applie them cleane contrarie to his meaning Now looke what is said here concerning the Infidels the same belongeth likewise vnto vs. And were it not that GOD bringeth the light vnto vs or vs vnto the light and opened our eyes to see the thinges which hee sheweth vs surely we should not onely continue stil blind but also it shoulde cause vs to become worse and worse accordingly as it is saide here that the Infidels shoulde haue blasphemed GOD saying Our hande is high and it is not God that hath doone this On the one side then we let God alone as though he had done nothing and on y e other side wee become so proude as to put ourselues in his roome For men content not themselues with their robbing of God of his power with their defacing of his maiestie but they will also needs deck thēselues with his feathers make themselues verie Idols and haue men to belieue them to haue beene the doers of the thinges which are peculiar to GOD. So then seeing there is such mad pride in vs and so grosse selfe weening wee ought to bee the more warned to yeelde our selues vnto GOD and to pray him not onely to shew vs his workes wherein his glorie may shine foorth and appeare but also to open our eyes that wee may see them in giuing vs skill and discretion by his holy spirit so as we may learne with humilitie to honour him and that when we haue confessed his iustice goodnes and mercie we may consider howe much we be bounde vnto him and that when hee punisheth other men we may be drawen to repentaunce by their meanes and vnderstande that he beareth with vs because he might well confounde vs out of hande were it not that he intended to vse fauour and goodnes towardes vs to the ende wee shoulde bee the more inflamed to honor him and to dedicate our selues to him in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ. Nowe let vs pray vnto him to vouchsafe to haue pitie vppon vs and not to call vs to account for the great number of misdeeds whereof wee be guiltie because wee knowe well that if hee listed to deale rigorously with vs we should needes be confounded yea and vtterly perishe and that although hee had not wayted for vs so long time yet he had iust cause to haue destroyed vs as often as wee prouoked him to wrath wherfore although we haue offended him without end or measure yet notwithstanding seeing hee hath shewed himselfe so kindhearted a father towardes vs alreadie it may please him to continue his mercie and fauour and therewithall to reforme vs so by his holy spirit that being guided and gouerned by him our whole seeking may be to frame ourselues to y e obeying of him suffering our selues to be ruled by his word and seeking nought else but to please him in all respects That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. On Saturday the vj. of Iune 1556. The CLXXXV Sermon which is the eight vpon the two thirtith Chapter 28 For it is a Nation voyde of discretion and there is no vnderstanding in them 29 But if they were wise they would vnderstande this and take heed to their ende 30 Howe shoulde one of them chase a thousande and two of them put tenne thousande to flight were it not that God had solde them and that the Lord had shut them vp 31 For their gods are not as our God and thereof euen our enemyes themselues are Iudges WE saw yesterday how God hauing a respect to the Infidels their blasphemies had spared the people of Israel And thereupon it was shewed that God doth oftentimes pitie vs not punish vs so rigorously as we deserue to y e end that his name should not be made a scoffing stocke a iesting stock among the wicked who seeke occasion of skorning when they see God chastice his Church thereupon they fall to rayling at the doctrine and Religion
borne in minde surely men woulde not bee so bolde to inuent things after their owne liking but woulde hold themselues soberly and meekely vnder Gods worde And so much the more neede haue wee to mind this texte because wee knowe there is no other wisedome in vs than to submit our selues teachable vnto God and to harken what hee saith to vs to sticke thereto quietly refusing all that euer we can conceiue of our owne head According wherevnto Sainct Paul saieth 1. Cor. â—â— 19. that wee cannot bee wise before God vntill wee be become fooles in our selues that is to witte vntil we know that there is nothing but vanitie leasing in our owne vnderstanding and therefore that wee must giue ouer all that we thinke good and not knowe aught but that which God commaundeth And therewithall as Moses ment heere to bereaue men of all selfeweening to the intent they shoulde stoope and submitte themselues vnto Gods worde so on the contrarie parte hee ment to shew that when men haue Gods Lawe for their rule they shall want nothing but all shall bee well and perfect That is a seconde point which we haue to note I haue told you alreadie that men must vnderstande that there is not one droppe of sounde iudgement in them but that to become wise they must yeeld themselues wholly vnto God It is not ynough to knowe this for wee might partly heere GOD and afterwarde adde thereto of our owne as we see the Papists haue done They will not saye that the Scripture is false howebit that they themselues doe falsifie it moste wickedly and yet for all that they bee inforced spite of their teeth to say still it is the worde of God But they woulde faine mingle their owne lawes with it whereby it is euident that they haue made such confusion as a man cannot discerne betweene the holy scripture and their fancies And why haue they done so Because that to their seeming there is some want in Gods worde and hee hath not taught thinges perfectly ynough but that is a cursed blasphemie For Moses to giue due authoritie to Gods worde saieth expreslie that it is the wisedome and vnderstanding of such as heare it and taste of the doctrine that is conteyned in it As if hee shoulde say couet not to knowe further than your God sheweth you Holde yee there for those are your boundes and listes and whosoeuer passeth them confoundeth heauen and earth together So then let vs learne that when God is so gratious as to teach vs it behoueth vs to yeelde simplie to that which he saith And how may that bee done Verily if wee take thinges whole as hee telleth vs them and not by halfe as wee see these braue laddes doe which would cut off Gods authoritie from him by the waste Well say they Let the Gospell be preached but if there bee any thing that wee mislike let that be laide away such doctrine must bee let alone Yea Shall God then be subiect to mens fancies so as they shall receiue nothing but what they thinke good themselues What a madnes is that Now when we see y t these rascals aduaunce themselues after that sort let vs on our side learne to giue eare to God in all points and to make no exception to restreine his authoritie but to receiue obediently whatsoeuer proceedeth from his mouth Let that serue for a principle And againe when we once know what is in the holy scripture let vs reiect all the rest as straunge and bastardestuffe For our Lorde hath not taught vs as it were an Apsie to sende vs to a greater and excellenter master than himselfe For what a presumptuousnesse were it to think that God hath shewed vs but onely the first enterances and that men must leade vs higher What a comparison were that And yet notwithstanding it is the thing that is done in poperie For the Pope saith that the lawes which hee hath made are the reuelations of the holie Ghost whereof our Lorde Iesus spake when hee saide to his disciples I haue many thinges to say vnto you Iohn 16.12 but yee cannot beare them all away as nowe Verily as who shoulde say that God had giuen but some small enterances in his Lawe and his Gospell and that the Pope were inspired aboue the Prophets and aboue Christ himselfe to bring a much more exquisite doctrine than theirs Wee see then that the diuell hath passed all measure in this behalfe Wherefore let vs learne to knowe nothing but that which we receiue from aboue and which it pleaseth God to shewe vnto vs. Take that for a principle Moreouer if this was verified of the lawe of Moses let vs assure our selues there is much more reason that it shoulde properly be iustified and verified of the gospel so as they which haue profited therein may assure themselues that they haue perfect learning wherein to beholde euen the heauenly giftes 2. Cor. 3.18 as Saint Paul speaketh of it And therefore let vs humble our selues when we see our Lorde so gratious to vs as to teach vs familiarly as it were with his owne mouth This is it in effect which we haue to remember vppon this streine In deede it deserueth well to be laide foorth more at length and I must touch it againe hereafter neuerthelesse I will now conclude with a complaint I see walkers yonder I knowe for what their comming is except it be to shew a contempt of God and his word which is an intollerable lewdenesse They come babling heere to the doore and that not twise or thrise but more than a doosen times It sheweth well that they despise God manifestly Such is the honour of Geneua that when the Gospell is a preaching men come euen to the Church doore to make a flatte mockerie of it and after the same manner also is baptisme honored heere and it is too common a dealing Therefore let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of the innumerable faultes which wee haue committed against his maiestie and for the which wee bee woorthy of eternall death if hee pittie vs not And therfore let vs pray him to shedde out his mercie vppon vs and that we may the better feele the same let vs beseech him to vouchsafe to traine vs so vnto him henceforth as hee subdue all our stubburnnesse and all the wicked lustes of our flesh and reforme vs in such wise to his obedience as wee may fare the better by the chastisements that he sendeth vs and therewithall graunt vs the grace to receiue our Lord Iesus Christ for our guide and shephearde and to heare him as our teacher and master like as hee speaketh to vs daylie by his worde That it may please him to graunt this grace not onelie to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth On Tewsday the xxj of May. 1555. The xxj Sermon which is the third vpon the fourth Chapter 6 Which you
shall keepe c. 7 For what Nation is so great that hath Gods comming so nie it as the Lord our God commeth vnto vs in all thinges that we call vpon him 8 And what Nation is so great that hath so righteous ordinances and lawes as all this lawe is which I set before you this day 9 Therefore take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the thinges which thine eyes haue seene nor let them depart from thy heart all the dayes of thy life but teach them to thy sonnes and sonnes sonnes 10 Forget not say I the day that thou stoodest before the Lorde thy God in Horeb when the Lorde saide to me gather me the people together IT was declared to vs yesterday that forasmuch as GOD seeth that we know not howe to liue hee taketh paine to teach vs and doth it in such sort that as manie as list to obey his doctrine haue a perfect rule to deale by And at this day it is long of none but our selues if we be not wise and well aduised to guide our selues For wee haue a God that will not faile vs and his worde is a sure rule for vs. But heere in wee see mens leawdnesse and vnthankefulnesse in that they cannot finde in their heartes to submitte themselues vnto God but will needes bee wise in their owne conceit and still follow their owne inuentions Yet notwithstanding this maxime cannot bee rased out by men namely that wee haue neither wisedome nor discretion except wee haue profited in Gods schole And therefore we be warned heereby to holde our selues simplie to Gods commaundementes For as soone as wee fall to adding of any thing to Gods worde it is by and by but corruption and when wee bee out of those boundes wee can doe nothing but stray Neuerthelesse a man might make a question heere howe Moses coulde say that the people of Israel should bee counted sage and wise among all Nations seeing wee knowe that the heathen did glorie in their owne follies and superstitions Rom. 1.22 euen in despite of the lawe Seeing the Infidels were so proude that they reiected the good learning of the Lawe and rested vppon their owne fonde toyes it shoulde seeme that this was not accomplished in such wise as Moses speaketh of it heere But wee must wey well the speech that is set downe heere that is to wit that the nations which shoulde heare the Lawes in such wise as God had giuen them shoulde say beholde heere an excellent and noble people Nowe as for those that held scorne of Gods law and were caried away with pride and ouerweening did they euer vnderstande what Moses had saide vnto the people No. So then yee see that the question is resolued in this wise namely that as many of the heathen as had knowen and tasted well the doctrine that God had deliuered to the people of Israel confessed as truth was that Gods chosing of a certaine people for himselfe was a great and singular priuiledge But verie fewe of them vouchsafed to consider that for all of them lay weltring still in their owne dung And although it was apparantly seene that the people of Israel had a seuerall lawe and Religion by themselues yet did all men shut their eyes and stoppe their eares And that was the cause why they made no reckening of so great a benefite Now herewithal Moses sheweth in two things how greatly the people ought to haue esteemed of the grace that was giuen vnto them For let vs saith he bee compared with the rest of the worlde and it shall not bee founde that those which worshippe Idolles doe finde such power among them as to bee succoured at their neede Psal. 50 1â— or that their Gods whom they call vppon bee so familiar with them There will no such thing be found For as soone as we pray vnto our God and resort vnto him wee feele him neere vs by and by Yee see then an inestimable benefite Againe wee haue his lawes and Statutes which hee hath giuen vs wee haue his righteous ordinances all others doe but goe astraie True it is that they weene they do wel but in the meane while they haue no certaintie in their religion for they haue no trueth concerning God Therfore let vs consider the good that hee hath done vs to the ende wee may inioy it For all this is treated of by Moses to the intent it shoulde bee applyed vnto vs and we learne to serue our God with y e greater zeale and to holde our selues in awe For the setting of his benefites and gratious giftes afore vs is one of the wayes whereby God intendeth to winne vs to him And it is a shame for vs if wee serue him not seeing hee hath chosen vs and adopted vs to bee his children Thus much concerning the first part where it is saide that other nations haue no Gods that come so nigh them This saying as I haue touched afore is meant of Gods helping of his people of Israel as ofte as they called vppon him yea and oftentimes also euen before they required it Esa. 65.23 after which manner wee see that hee dealeth with vs also Hee thinketh vppon vs whyle wee bee asleepe hee watcheth for vs and hee maketh vs to feele his succour at our neede Neuerthelesse in telling them that God will succour vs euen in all thinges that wee require at his hand his intent is also to incourage folk to call vppon God and to make them to blame themselues for their owne negligence whensoeuer they bee destitute of helpe and succour at Gods hande and to doe vs to vnderstande that Gods forgetting of vs is for that wee flee not to him for refuge as wee ought to doe ne seeke vnto him who is alwayes readie to helpe vs at our neede Thus yee see that the intent of Moses was to exhort the people to prayer and supplication and therewithal to shew that God had alwayes shewed himselfe at hande vnto such as had returned to him It is not so with any of the Gods of the heathen If this saying were well obserued the wretched worlde woulde not ouershoote it selfe so farre as it doeth Wee see what windlasses men make to seeke saluation but there are very few which goe right forth vnto God and yet doeth hee allure all of vs the way and the gate is open Whereof is it long that wee goe not on It is for that euen of nature wee desire to bee deceiued Wee see howe all men doe deuise patrones and aduocates to themselues and it seemeth to them that they cannot bee disappointed when they haue their owne deuotions after what sort soeuer it bee Thus doe men wilfully beguile themselues and runne gadding vp and downe But when they haue toyled them selues neuer so much in the ende they finde themselues ouer weried yet y t they haue gained nothing by all that euer they did Wee see them howe it is not