be out of hope of our saluation and giue ouer the promises thereof that haue bin made vnto vs. Thus doe we now see the meaning of Moses and also in how great stead his doctrine may stand vs if we can haue the skill to apply it well to our vse Now it is said for a conclusion Ye people or nations prayse ye the people of God Here Moses directeth his speech to all infidels and heathen folk to the intent that the exhortatioÌ„ which he hath set downe heretofore may haue the more force Hitherto he had spoken to the belieuers and to such as haue eares to heare God withall and to such as he calleth to his schoole Howbeit forasmuch as there is so much troublesomnesse and scrupulousnesse in vs as is pitifull to see Moses meant to giue vs yet one meane more for our better confirmation in respect wherof he sayth Consider my friends see how your God comforteth you in the middest of the chastisements which he sendeth you Although ye haue offended him deserue to haue extreme rigor vsed towardes you without any abatement of his corrections yet notwithstanding to shewe that hee would not haue you to perish nor y t you shoulde feele him but as a Iudge onely he sheweth again that he will haue pitie vpon you and repent him of his smiting of you after that fashion and that he will withdrawe his hand And if you beleeue not this yet neuerthelesse y e infidels must needs beleeue it Although they be destitute of reason although there be not one sparke of light in theÌ„ although they be as brutish as beastes that neuer heard speaking of the liuing God yet shall they perceiue this and their experience shal be such Psal. 32.12 that they shall be driuen to say Blessed is the people whose father sauiour God sheweth himselfe to be Euen they I say shal blesse you Now when the dumme are able to speake the blinde to see the deafe to heare shoulde not they that haue bin inlightned by Gods word to whom he hath giuen tongues to magnifie his name should not they see nor perceiue a whit What excuse then shall there be for them Now then wee see why Moses hauing exhorted the faithfull to repentance hauing shewed them that God will haue pitie mercie vppon them after he hath corrected them for their faultes offences turneth his talke to such as were blind had not any knowledge or tast of the trueth namely to the heathen of purpose to make vs to perceiue the better after what sorte God causeth vs to feele his goodnes euen by experience sealing it vp in our harts by his holy spirit which is named the â—arnest penny and the seale of the hope of our saluation 〈◊〉 1.12 the causer of vs to take hold of all the good thinges which we receiue at Gods hand Now then if we know nothing therof that the infidels by beholding Gods wonderfull working after a manner vnaccustomed among men be inforced to say O what a thing is it to be of the number of Gods people ought not we to haue a more liuely knowledge thereof such as may comfort vs in our afflictions so as we may not cease to call vpon our God to hold vs continually vnder his obedience and to haue alwayes wherwith to asswage the bitternes of our sorrowes Truely the thing that Moses rehearseth here is shewed vs in the example of Balaam For he was a false Prophet hee was an enemie of God hee was such a one as had his tongue to sale and his heart vppon his powch seeking to turne the trueth into falshood and yet for all this as though God had held him vppon the rack he was inforced to vtter this speech Let my soule dye the death of the righteous 〈◊〉 13.10 He speaketh there of the people of God saying Who art thou Israell Who is hee that can doe any thing against thee seeing thou standest in the fauor of thy God Was a deceiuer and an vnderling of Satan faine to say so Yea verely For it is Gods will that his will which hee hath witnessed already to his people by his lawe and by his word should be knowen and further confirmed euen by the mouth of his open enemie Balaam was faine to say that the death of the Iewes was more to be desired than the life of all other men because God held them for his people So then let vs marke well that whereas Moses sayth Ye Nations or ye Gentiles prayse yee the people of God it is as much to say as declare ye that God hath wrought after such a fashion as it is not for men to doubt any more but that for his adoption sake in that he hath voutsafed to choose the linage of Abraham he will haue it knowen that therein he hath layd forth the infinite treasures of his goodnes And forthwith he addeth that hee will reuenge the bloud of his seruauntes and requite vengeance to his enemies but bee mercifull to his land and to his people Here are three thinges in effect which I wil touch in few words and it wil be enough to conclude this song withall The first is that God sayth He will reuenge the bloud of his seruantes Now vnder this saying hee sheweth vs that wee may well be afflicted for a time so far forth that euen our very bloud shall not be spared whether it be that God punish vs for the faults which we haue committed against him or that his will be to try our patience The thing then whereof wee bee warned is that if God thinke good to haue our bloud shed we must not thinke it straunge nor shrinke from the promises which he hath made vs in auowing himselfe to bee our God and the defender of our lyfe Neither must we think that those promises are disanulled though our God suffer vs to be handled so cruelly But let vs tary the time till he reuenge our bloud for hee will then shewe how deare and precious our lyfe is vnto him Thus much coÌ„cerning the first point As touching the second he sayth that God will requite his enemies with the lyke to the ende wee should knowe that all the felicitie of the wicked and of the despisers of God shall be accursed Psal. 37. â— therefore that we must not repine at them therfore Now then if wee see Gods enemies to bee rich to haue their ease in this world and to welter in all pleasure let vs let them alone and not be drawen do spire them or to intermeddle our selues with theÌ„ For why God 's vengeance which is yet vnseene must come before our eyes be considered by faith we must also remeÌ„ber how it is said Luke 6.25 Cursed be you y t laugh for ye shal weepe Forasmuch then as the laughter of y e despiserâ— of God must be turned into mourning weeping and gnashing of teeth let vs
that it seemed to yeelde some benefite vnto them insomuch that when they were once touched to the quicke then they vttered their poison to abolish the name and maiestie of God ouer-reaching themselues so far as to say that there is no God at all After that manner doe all Idolaters and all vnbeleeuers deale vnlesse our Lorde take vppon him to worke and restraine them by his holy spirite And that is the knowledge which Moses speakes of Let vs marke wel therefore howe it is not saide here barely that God would vpbraide the Iewes with their yeelding of themselues to their Idols in vaine and that their Gods in whom they trusted had stood them in no steede but that hee addeth Beholde howe it is I my selfe and there is no other God with mee To bee shorte it booteth vs not to knowe all the abuses and foolishe fancies wherewith men beguile themselues but wee must also returne vnto God And indeede what a sorte of skoffers are there noweadaies in the worlde which make a skorning of all the dotages of the Papistes and yet in the meane while are worse themselues than dogges so as it were much better for them that they were Papistes A man shall see I say the despisers of all Religion which will say according as they thinke that all the Religion which is in the Popedome is flat mockerie and a verie childishe toye But what They haue no feare of God nor reuerence of his worde it beareth no sway at all with them Nowe as I haue saide afore it were much better for such that they were Papistes And so let vs marke well howe it is to no purpose to knowe Idolatrie and to perceiue and beleeue that all that euer is doone without the warrant of Gods worde or contriued by man is but abuse filth and corruption vnlesse which is the principall poynt wee returne vnto God to doe homage to his maiestie and come ashamed before him acknowledging our faultes crauing pardon at his hande so as euerie of vs accuse himselfe and humble himselfe in such sorte as there bee no more replying in vs but that wee yeelde ourselues to him with true repentance That is the cause thē why Moses hauing spoken of sacrifycing to Idols and vpbraded the Iewes with their defiling of themselues with their abhominations in eating the bloude and drinking the wine of their offeringes and in intermedling themselues with the filthinesse of the heathen after hee hath said all these things and shewed that in all those things there is nothing but illusion and deceitefulnesse he addeth Beholde I am hee Nowe God presupposeth that they which are so subdued with maine blowes haue their eyes well opened Hee had cast them in the teeth afore Deut 〈…〉 that they were vtter blindfoolded as it had beene with a towell but nowe that they shall see themselues starke naked now they shall see themselues vnarmed their eyes shall be opened there will be nothing to hinder their knowledge any more What is to bee doone then They must consider that there is but one onely God and that it is he to whom we must turne againe euen to craue forgiuenes of our sinnes at his hande and consequently to put our whole trust in him contenting ourselues with his protection without troubling of ourselues to trot vp and downe as the wretched vnbeleeuers doe who neuer haue any rest but are tossed and turmoyled with continuall vexations Therefore let not vs bee caried away with such vnquietnesse but let vs conceiue a right assurance so as wee may rest all wholie vpon our God The rest that followeth cannot be dispatched as now and therefore it shall bee reserued til to morow Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to vouchsafe to make vs so to feele them as hauing perceiued howe farre we haue ouershot ourselues wee may seeke earnestly to be reformed by his hand and that if it please him to chastice vs wee may patiently abide all the corrections which hee shall send vs or rather it may please him to make his worde to profite so much in vs as wee may not tarrie till hee lift vp his hande to punish vs but receiue the warninges that are giuen vs in his name to reclayme vs wholy to his will and that in the meane while he beare with vs in our infirmities till hee haue rid vs quite and cleane of them and in such wise reformed vs to the obedience of his righteousnes as our whole seeking may bee to glorifie his name euen till wee come to the immortal glorie which is prepared for vs in heauen was purchased for vs by our Lord Iesus Christ. 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 Wednesday the xvij of Iune 1556. The CLXXXVIII Sermon which is the eleuenth vpon the two and thirtith Chapter 39 See nowe howe it is I euen I that am God and there is no God with mee It is I that kill and make aliue againe I wounde and heale and there is none that can deliuer out of my hand 40 For I lift vp my hande to heauen and as for mee I liue for euer 41 If I whet the edge of my sworde and my hande lay holde of Iudgement I will execute vengeaunce vpon mine aduersaries and pay them their hyre which hate mee 42 I will make mine arrowes drunken with bloude and my sworde shall deuoure the bloudie flesh of the slaine and of the prisoners at the beginning of the vengeance of the enemies 43 Yee nations prayse you his people for hee will auenge the bloude of his seruauntes and yeeld vengeance to his aduersaries but he will be fauorable to his owne lande and to his owne people WE sawe yesterday howe it is not enough to knowe that there is nothing but vanitie and leasing in Idols and in al y e superstitions y t men haue deuised of their owne heades but that the cheefe point is to knowe God to do him homage to walke in his feare and to consider howe dreadfull his maiestie is Nowe heerewithall wee must marke also that when we once knowe God to be too great a Lorde to bee dalied withall if he chastice vs for offending him we must taste of his mercie to returne freely vnto him beeing throughlie perswaded and resolued that wee shall finde mercie at his hande though wee be vnworthie of it And that is the cause why he saith That it is hee which killeth and quickeneth and that it is hee that woundeth and healeth againe Nowe wee haue alwayes these two thinges to marke The one is that wee shall bee helde in awe by considering as I saide afore howe dreadfull Gods maiestie is according to the Apostles treating thereof in the fore alleadged tenth chapter to the Hebrewes Hebr. 10.31 That is the thing which maketh vs to liue in awe
vnderlings but for the common welfare and benefit of all men Then if gouernours vnderstand not that they be bound by Gods will and by the order of nature to them of whom they haue the charge they must be faine to yeeld an account vnto God for their abusing of his gift and of the honour that he bestowed vppon them Thus much concerning the first point that we haue to marke here And herewithall let vs marke also that if they bee so greatly bounde vnto men much more straitl are they bound vnto God If a man be grieued in a matter of fiue shillings or lesse and the iustice cause him not to haue right we see what is sayd here But now if the name of God bee blasphemed if his honour bee defaced if wicked and detestable thinges bee done and they that sitte in the seate of iustice and beare the sworde in their hande withstand it not but are carelesse what iniurie bee done vnto God are they to bee excused No for if they suffer but a poore man to bee troden done so as he haue but one penny losse they shall bee blamed for it before God But yet much more precious is the Maiestie of God and the thing that concerneth his honour and seruice Sith it is so that Magistrates bee bounde to minister right to euery man in thinges that are small and in maner of no valew let vs marke well that they ought in any wise to procure the maintenaunce of Gods honor more carefully without al comparison specially when the case concerneth the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ wherevnto all the whole world is not to bee compared in as much as Gods glorie shineth forth there And that is the second point which we haue to marke vpon this streine Againe whereas it is sayde that the Magistrates must accept no mans person it betokeneth that they must not bee mooued with any mans riches or pouertie or byrth or friendship or any thing else For in the holy scripture this worde Person is taken for any qualitie in man which may purchace him grace and fauour or disgrace and disfauour When wee speake of a person in our common speache wee meane a man or a woman but the Scripture meaneth a more speciall thing namely that there should no regard be had what maner a one the man is whether he bee our neighbour our friend a riche man able to doe vs good a man of credit and authoritie able to reuenge himself of vs or a poore man a man of no allyance or kinred or I wote not what else All these accidentes which serue but to induce vs to liking or misliking of the partie and to make vs swarue from the right way are comprehended in the Scripture vnder the worde Person as if wee should vse the word Vizor And in very deede all these accidentes which bleare our eyes and beguile vs to make vs start out of the right way are but as vizors If a man come before vs without any qualitie very well we would heare him simply and wee woulde not bee corrupted to iudge amisse But if there happen any stoppe by and by wee bee ouerraught and our reason is so troubled that wee iudge not any more as wee ought to doe That therefore is a vizor which yeeldeth foorth such a qualitie to bee seene in the partie as maketh vs eyther to fauour him too much or else to mislike him out of measure so as wee keepe not an vpright and euen hand betweene the great and the small And truely Moses declareth the same very well in this text in that he sayeth Thou shalt heare the small as well as the great for it serueth to expound the word Person and there needeth none other glose from elsewhere And it is a phrase of speache which wee shall see in other textes hereafter Therefore it behoueth vs to acquaint our selues with the termes and phrases of the holy Ghost that the thinges which are contained here may not seeme straunge vnto vs. Howbeit by the way that wee may fare the better by the things that are declared here let vs marke that the chiefe reason and ground of this doctrine is bicause there is no accepting of persons before GOD. For the same cause ought Iudges to haue a stay of themselues and to keepe them cleare from all considerations that may thrust them aside or make them to swarue one way or other â—â—m 13.1 â—â—ut 10.17 namely say I for that they represent the Maiestie of God in as much as he hath made them his officers Now then there is no accepting of persons before God that is to say when he iudgeth he hath no respect to the thinges that men regarde and wherewith they bee drawen too and fro so as they iudge not vpright any more bicause their excessiue affections doe ouer maister them And this saying that there is no respect of persons with GOD extendeth very farre For when as Saint Peter speaketh of it first in the tenth of the Actes 〈◊〉 10.34 â— Pe. 1.17 and afterward in his Epistle he sheweth that God chose whom he listed out of the whole world in so much as he passed not whether they were Iewes or Gentiles Whosoeuer doeth good saieth he shall haue the fauour of God and as for Circumcision or vncircumcision they shall none of them both bee made account of True it is that God must bee faine to looke mercifully vpon vs before we can do any good For of our owne nature wee bee vtterly froward and there can nothing come from vs but all maner of naughtinesse insomuch that God should hate and abhorre the whole world and cast vs away euery chone if hee should tarie till any of vs gaue himselfe to well doing for our nature driueth vs alwayes vnto euill But God chooseth his without any abilitie of deseruing aforehand on their behalfe and yet notwithstanding after he hath marked them to bee of the number of his flocke he auoweth them loueth them as his children and houshold folke yea euen without regarding of what nation or state they be whether they be riche or poore or in credit or indued with any good qualitie and handsomnesse or any other thing God then doeth as it were shut his eyes against all the respectes which are had in so great estimation For he hath an eye to nothing but to soundnesse of heart he doteth not vpon these vizors that are seene to the eye 1. Sam. 16.7 according to this saying in an other place namely that the outward showes deceiue not him but that he looketh vpon that which is within Thus much concerning the first point But wee must apply this texte to the same vse that Moses putteth it which is that after the example of God wee must haue this vnpartialitie in vs so as wee will not bee drawen one way nor other by the thinges that appeare in men And this is a very profitable or rather needefull doctrine
and they be worshipped with great pompe so as they bee throughly perfumed besenced painted and a nomber of ceremonies are done vnto them there is great solemnitie with goodly chaunting on the one side and with ringing of peale vpon peale vppon the belles on the otherside there is scudding froÌ„ aultar to autar there is fasting on this day and forbearing of flesh on that day there is trotting to shrift and gadding on Pilgrimage men found Yeeremindes and cause Masses to be sung by note Thus y e world raunging away from GOD will neuerthelesse needes seeme to be duetiful towardes him And all is bicause we be so froward that we couet nothing but to mocke God with our hypocrisie and that he should hold himselfe contented with our dooings which are no better than rattlebagges to please babes withall So then let vs mark that in stead of worshipping God the world is giuen to fondnesse and superstition and yet notwithstanding that it doeth it not so much of meere ignorance as for that it cannot abide to be obedient as were requisite and therefore it goeth to worke by windlasses and seeketh by all meanes to stray from the right way To be short we shall finde that men are alwayes guiltie of wilfulnesse in committing idolatrie and that it is vaine for them to shrowd themselues vnder pretence of simplicitie For contrariwise they bring it with them of nature and they will needs be deceiued and so they be And therefore doeth God blind them also Rom. â—â— For as saieth S. Paul it is reason that such as list not to serue their maker should bee vnderlinges to the creatures and that such as cannot finde in their hearts to beare the yoke of God should indure the tyranny of the diuel as is come to passe and as we see accomplished stil at this day in the vnhappie Popedome Now therfore let vs mark wel the thing y t I haue said alredie y t is to wit that meÌ„ insteed of being thankfull to God for the good y t he hath done theÌ„ do turn his creatures to their own decay condeÌ„nation falsely abuse them for they peruert y e vse of theÌ„ cleane contrarie to Gods meaning And this is seene to be done not only in the Sunne and the Stars according to that which Moses saith here but also in all other things whatsoeuer So much the more therefore behoueth it vs to watch and to stand vppon our garde as it is saide heere to the end that in vsing of gods benefits we may euer haue our eyes vpon him to doe him homage for them and neuer be turned away from him Moreouer let vs marke the saying that Moses setteth down here namely Least thou fal least thou be prouoked Hereby he sheweth y t wee haue in vs the seede of falling that is to say y t we haue such a crabbednes in vs y t as soone as we haue neuer so smal an occasion by by we be downe yea we do euen seeke occasion when none is giuen as I said afore Wheras god hath ordeyned his creatures to do vs his seruice and the same should be a help to guide vs vnto him so as we shold be the more prouoked to loue him because he sheweth himself so good louing a father towards vs we take occasion therat to stumble His dealing is as though he should set vp a ladder for vs or make a paire of stayers for vs to goe vp vpon we fal to iustling against it Greeces stayers are made to helpe vs but if a man fal to rushing dashing against theÌ„ he may hap to break his legs to hurt himself he shal rather be hindered thaÌ„ helped vp by them Euen so deale we For gods meaning is to draw vs to him by his creatures and we fall to rushing against them wilfully and as it were in despite Now then it staÌ„deth vs on hand to mark will this saying y t we may looke the better about vs to profite our selues by the thinges that God giueth vs for our helpe and furtherance to bring vs vnto him Thus ye see what we haue to beare in mind But now we see that Gods goodnes extendeth euen to the vnbeleeuers infidels according as it is written Matt. 5.45 that hee maketh his Sun to shine both vppon good and badde Likewise in this place Moses saieth that God hath imparted the light of the Sunne and the Moone together with their influences and properties not onely to such as vse them well but also to all folke vnder the cope of heauen Nowe wee knowe that at that time all Nations were ydolaters and there was no truth nor knowledge of God among them and yet notwithstanding God ceased not to do theÌ„ good for al that And it is an excelleÌ„t token of his goodnes aboue all y t he sendeth them the light of the Sun maketh the stars to do them seruice TheÌ„ let vs marke wel that although god was neither worshiped nor knowen of the heathen yet failed he not to do the office of a father towards them and alwas to their condemnation For inasmuch as they abused his benefites in such wise could not finde in their hearts to looke vp vnto him it must needs be y t they were y e more vnexcusable But yet herewithal let vs mark wel the condition y t Moses setteth downe here As for thee saith he thy God hath rid thee from the yron furnace of the thraldome of Egypt to the intent that thou shouldest be vnto him a sure people an inheritance Although y t Moses haue declared that the vse of the sun of the stars is common to al folks yet doth he shew that they bee specially appointed to the people whom God hath chosen As if he should say that the order of nature is common to al y e world we see that both great smal are partakers of y e benefites that God bestoweth the earth bringeth forth corne wine and al other things to susteine both y e faithful the vnfaithful the wicked the despisers of God do eat drink as wel as we nay which more is we se they abuse gods creatures with al excesse haue more abundance of them than y e faithful for he that knoweth y t God susteineth him wil vse his meat drinke and al other things soberly measurably he wil consider y t he must not vnhallow the things which god hath ordeined to a good moderate vse But what do the wicked There is nothing with them but craÌ„ming as if they were minded to spyte God of set purpose But yet for al y t it is Gods will that the propriety of his creatures shoulde belong to vs. And after what sort Euen to vse theÌ„ as his true lawfull heires and to haue them so warranted as we may auow y t the things which he giueth vs are our own belong vnto vs of right
not enough for vs to confesse y t he doth it iustly but also if he commaūd vs to execute his iudgemēts wee must doe it we must shut our eyes at all thinges For as for him y t will be more pitiful thā God although he be cōmended of men that his doing haue some shewe of vertue Yet doth he most leawdly blaspheme him which is y e fountaine of all goodnesse The man y t pretendeth to be more mercifull than God is worse than the diuell For why What are we Let vs make comparison between God vs. Behold God will haue vs to execute rigor we will needes call him back to mercie now is not that a spiting of him as though wee would spit in his face if we could Yes for there is nothing more peculiar to him than his goodnesse Let vs take away his goodnesse from him he is no longer God Shal we imagine God to be but some dead thing Nay when we speake of God we must vnderstād y t al goodnesse is in him that we haue none at al in vs but by smal peeces such as it pleaseth him to bestowe vppon vs. Now then if a man wil needes say I wil vse mercie when God forbiddeth him what a presumptuousnesse is y t So then let vs marke well in this text that it is not enough for vs to confesse that God doth iustly punish whom he listeth but also y t if he list to giue vs the charge cōmission to execute his iudgements we must goe through w t it w tout skanning or gainsaying And therefore in matters of Iustice men must forbeare their own opinions wils not be so ouerweening as to take leaue to do what they think good or to turn aside one way or other but haue a regard to followe the rule that our Lord giueth them assuring themselues that the authoritie of Iustice is tyed to the thing which he sheweth and that his putting of them in that commission is to the intent they should represse punish euil doers and maintaine defend good folke Seeing it is so it is meete y t y e vse therof should be thereafter Moreouer as cōcerning these nations whom Moses speaketh of Let vs marke that besides the other crimes enormities which they had cōmitted there was also a contempt of God which was vtterly intollerable In deede wee will make no great reckoning of that but yet doth GOD make reckoning of it and hee passeth not what we haue imagined for all our imaginations are corrupted Whē God doth once set vp his iudgment seate we may well put forth our opinion but y e thing which God hath ordeyned must stād not be repealed Now thē let vs note y t whensoeuer Gods honor is lightly estemed then must rigor be vsed rather thā mercie in y t behalf And we must call to minde y e example y t is rehearsed in y e first booke of kinges 1. 〈…〉 namely of Achab who would needs shewe mercy to Benhadad king of Syria And there is expresly this saying that whē Benhadad came to him to sew for mercie al that euer he said vnto him was no more but this that the kings of Israel were mercifull and kind hearted And behold that goodly vertue of clemencie ouer came his heart by meanes wherof wheras God commaunded him to execute rigour he shewed mercie But it happened vnto him as he had deserued And why For the Syrians had cōmitted horrible blasphemie against God scorned him saying He is y e God of y e mountains but if we come into y e plain grounds we shal haue victorie he can do nothing there Thus were idols set vp in Gods place And therefore it was saide to Achab that the king of Syria should bee vanquished rooted out Now it came to passe that his aray was put to flight but yet they founde a shift by by to make peace And why For this goodly commendation liked Achabs eares well when they called him a mercifull Prince By meanes wherof he was dandled a sleepe so as he made sale of the blasphemie y t was committed against God as it is a common matter with vs to bee pitifull in cases where God is offended For this cause a Prophet was sent vnto him bringing his badge with him that is to wit that he had bin woūded by the commandement of God and the first man who had refused to do it was deuoured of a Lion out of hand Yet notwithstāding the Prophet came to Achab wounded and disfigured and said vnto him I tooke a man to keepe and he that deliuered him to mee bad mee I should not let him goe vpon paine of my life Neuerthelesse while I turned mee too fro he scaped from me And thou must answere him vpon thy life quoth Achab. Then answered the Prophet vnto Achab it is thy selfe that this toucheth This message is sent to thee of God to shewe thee that for as much as thou hast spared the king of Syria whom God had put into thy hand to be reuenged of him for the outrage done to his Maiestie thou must answere for him lyfe for life and thy people with thee So then we see that if Gods honor be impeached it is not for vs to let things slip but we must vnderstand that if wee make light of such a crime God will surely make the vengeance to light vpon our selues To be short let vs marke well that if such as haue commission to punish offenders doe it not there will bee no excuse for them For y t which is written will not be repealed for mens pleasures that is to wit that he which iustifieth or acquitteth y e guiltie person Prou. 17.15 is as abhominable before God as he that condemneth the innocent If a poore innocent bee oppressed men can skill to say there is no reason in it and that the matter must come to account before God And here God addeth the second part that is to wit that if an offender be quit and Iustice and equitie so turned vpside downe it must come to account as well as the other Yee see then howe it is a lesson which all those ought to beare in minde whom God hath commanded to punish mens offences that they must bee well ware to vse one rule and one egall measure For if a man punish one offender and pardon another and thinke to goe halfe quit for it before God it is cleane contrarie And for proofe thereof let vs consider the example that is set downe in Hoseas concerning king Iehu Osee. 1.14 God commaunded him to destroy all Idolaters he did it partly but not altogither for hee destroyed those whom he stoode in feare of and he did it for his owne vaine glory and suertie God did him the honour to make him king he considered it not But when he came once to y e kingdome O he must maintaine himselfe in it
reason that the preachers of the Gospell shoulde bee mainteined lykewise at this day 1. Cor. 9.14 as Saint Paul speaketh thereof howbeit not for his owne aduauntage sake but to the intent there should not bee so great vnthankfulnesse among those which name thēselues Christians as to defraud those of their bodily liuing which preach to them the word of lyfe bring them the spirituall foode of their soules The thing it selfe then remaineth still but that it should be taken vp in this kinde or in that kinde that is not so it is not so sayd by Gods Lawe and therefore what shall become of Tythes Let the possession continue still and let the vse of them be amended That is to say because mē see euidently that Tythes haue bin wrongfully vsurped and that the parties which holde them in their handes haue wrested them by superstition let vs now consider the right vse of them And to say the trueth looke how many Priestes there are in the Popedome so many theeues are there I say not this according to the holy scripture but according to their own Canons wherby they bee all excommunicated for theeues robbers For their Canons commaund them to part their Church goods in such sorte as the poore haue one fourth parte of them and strangers another fourth part To be short the one halfe of the Church goods ought to be bestowed in almes vppon the poore and vpon straungers Who sayes this Not Gods word for the Papists make none account of that but their owne Canons haue so decreed Ye see then how al the Byshops Chanons Pryors and Abbots in the Popedome are excommunicated euerychone from the highest to the lowest euen by their owne Canons so as there is euery where most horrible confusion among them I meane euen according to their owne orders But it is not enough for vs to condemne them wee must also haue an eye to our selues and see that the right vse of the thinges which haue bin dedicated to God bee set vp againe And that where any abuse hath beene the same bee redressed And how may that bee Wee see it was Gods will that the poore should bee found and mainteined by a part of the tythes that is to say of the offeringes which were made in those dayes After the same maner must wee come to the vse of Gods Lawe at this day and forasmuch as Tenthes or Twentithes were left euen in old time to Princes and chiefe Lordes and that the same order was set downe for the benefite of the Church Let vs consider how it may bee imployed to the benefite of the Church at this day It is not meant that such as beare the name of Prelates and Pastors shoulde glutte themselues with them nor that when they haue sotted themselues in their pleasures and delights and spent more than needeth in prodigalitie and ydle expenses they shoulde haue wherewith to maintaine whoredome and other stumblingblockes as wee see that the Churchgoods are commonly wasted in such thinges For we knowe that such doings are against the order of nature and therefore can in no wise be iustified by Gods word What is to be done then Let the possession remaine quietly and in the meane while let men returne them to their right vse Let thē be mainteined whome God hath commaunded to be maintayned And let the thinges be continued which are requisite for the well ordering of the Church Moreouer Let the poore and needy be pityed Let men knowe them to be the takers vp of Gods rents Hebr. 13.16 and that it is an acceptable kinde of sacrifice vnto him when such are releeued as ought to be succored After that maner wee may iustly condemne the Papistes at this day yea and take them for Churchrobbers and theeues by reason of their wrongfull chalendging of the thinges to themselues which belong not to thē And wee on our side shall not bee condemned for the lyke if wee runne backe to Gods will and dispose the Church goods in such wise as the poore bee not defrauded of them but that such almesdeedes be done with them as the necessitie of those bee relieued whome God commaundeth vs to succour and whom he offereth vs as in his owne stead according to this saying of his that looke whatsoeuer wee doe to the poore hee taketh it as done to himselfe Sith it is so Matt. 6.4 25.40 let vs folow that rule For we see how this lesson is greatly for our behoof nowadayes and how we may put the same in vre Let vs marke well then that it is not onely sayd y t the Leuites shal come and gather vp their right but also it is added y t the widowes the fatherlesse the strangers shal be susteined lykewise Yea verily Albeit that the strangers were not some times of the body of y e Israelites nor of their religion yet was it Gods will y t they should be pityed Not to nourish any silth vncleanes thereby for if folke might haue resorted thither from all nations and haue dwelled there it had bin the next way to haue turned the people away vnto wickednesse but it serued for trauellers for such as had intercourse of marchandise with them whome Gods will was to haue succored when they fel into any aduersitie Now seeing that the Israelites were to relieue those that were not so neere neighbors vnto them what ought wee to doe to our brethren and to such as are all of one selfesame faith and Religion with vs If we shake thē off suffer them to pine away for pouertie how greatly shall wee bee to blame seeing that God cōmendeth vnto vs y e poore strangers yea euē which haue no acquaintance w t vs in the seruing of the true God But howsoeuer y e case stand let vs remember in generall that of the goods which were consecrated in those dayes vnto God part was to be imployed not onely vppon the Priestes and Leuites but also vpon the reliefe of the poore so as it behoued them to haue a part with the priestes so farre foorth as the tenthes woulde yeelde What is to be done then nowadays Forasmuch as the Ceremonie of bringing of our Freewill offeringes to a place chosen for that purpose is done away if wee intend to offer such sacrifices as may bee acceptable to GOD euery of vs must doe almesdeedes according to his abilitie and thinke thus with himselfe Go too my God hath giuen mee chaunge of meates I eate one kinde of porredge to day and another kinde to morrowe and yet might I content my selfe all my lyfe long with bread and water But God of his bounteousnesse giueth mee moreouer what meates soeuer I lyke of best yea and chaunge of them also so as if I bee weary of one meate I may take another according to my abilitie Seeing then that he dealeth so with me what an vnthankfulnesse is it for mee to despise him that sheweth himselfe so
let vs be throughly perswaded in our selues that if we will prosper the onely blessing of God must suffice vs though wee haue not all things at wil. When we haue taken neuer so much paines yet must we not trust in the strength of our owne hands nor bee so blinded with fonde presumption as to say I am an able man I am politike can take paines But let euerie man referre himselfe to God knowing that it is he which giueth him sustenance And although I take neuer so much paines to get my liuing yet must I haue it at his hand and when I haue asked my ordinarie breade to day I must doe the like to morrow too and yeeld my selfe to the wil of him that giueth it mee Thus much concerning the first point where mentioÌ„ is made of Gods blessing of the workes of mens hands And therewithall let vs call to minde what hath beene declared therof more at large heretofore where our Lorde willeth men to consider how it is onely hee that beareth the sway in making our labours to prosper Let that serue for one point And nowe let vs come to the seconde point which is that if wee desire to bee partakers of Gods blessing we must first yeeld him his right for if he be defrauded of it he wil reuenge it vpon vs. 〈◊〉 3.8 â—â— And that is the cause why hee saith by his Prophet Do ye complaine that ye be afflicted Consider the cause saith hee Yee haue defrauded mee Whereof Of my Tythes Firstfruites and all other thinges Yee beare your selues in hande that yee increase your selues greatly by robbing of mee and that ye gaine much by defrauding mee of my right The people of Israel were so wirlesse that they stole the tythes or if they tythed they did it but by halues and likewise of their firstfruits in steede of making good fulsome sheaues and bundels vnto God they gelded them and made them verie thinne and lanke and yet these miserable wretches bare themselues in hande that they benefited themselues greatly by laying vp some little quantitie more than they ought to haue done Contrariwise our Lorde saieth vnto them Goe to sirs shoulde yee haue either tithes or firstfruites or any croppe at all but by my blessing And think ye that your filching away of any of y e things that belong to me shall boote you No no ye must needes be wasted and dye for hunger by reason of your vnthankfulnesse Therefore let vs learne to yeelde God the things which he reserueth to himselfe and then will hee blesse vs. As howe When we bee to be sustained the firstfruits that God requireth of vs are that we should waite vpon him and sue to his meere gracious goodnesse for all thinges requisite to the maintenance of this flightfull life And afterward when he hath giuen vs whereon to liue we must vse the same soberly that our life being ruled after that fashion may be as another sacrifice to him and consequently that we giue our neighbours part with vs. Let such as haue wherewith imparte to the poore that want and let euerie man beware that he filch away none other mens goods and let vs bee contented with our competent foode and raiment as God listeth to bestowe vpoÌ„ vs and in so doing we shal be blessed at his hand But what Our distrustfulnesse our excesse and our vnsatiable lusts cause God to withdrawe his blessing from vs and that we are as it were dried vp Also it is seene that in steade of going forwarde we goe backeward and what doe wee thereupon Such as haue plentie can no skil to vse it according to Gods ordinance and to bee thankfull to him for the abundance which hee sendeth them but they woulde still haue more more O say they this is not ynough for me though it be ynough for me yet it is not inough for my children And so wee fall to gathering of more more But to consider how we come by it and whether it bee lawfull before God or no we neuer hearken after it we goe to it by hooke and by crooke and wee neuer thinke that wee shall come to a reckening for it before God To this point I say are we come nowadayes And therefore it is no wonder though wee feele no blessing of God but that wee bee faine to be set besides it Againe we may see hereby how colde and faint our prayers are for our asking of our daily breade at Gods hand is but from the teeth outwarde and therefore it is good reason that wee shoulde receiue as skant and slender frute as appeareth that we do Wherfore let vs mark that if wee intende to feele Gods blessing and that hee should continue the same towardes vs wee must offer vp our selues in sacrifice and all that euer hee giueth vs so as all may be wholly dedicated vnto him And when wee see the vse that he alloweth of let euery of vs behaue himselfe thereafter that God may be glorified by vs as his intent is to be Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to graunt vs the grace to come to him with humilitie sorie for prouoking him so many wayes as wee doe without ceasing and to vouchsafe so to burie our offences as wee preace into the presence of his maiestie by meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ to bee guided by his holy spirit and to be confirmed more and more in this that hee holdeth and auoweth vs for his children 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 Fryday the xxv of October 1555. The XCiij Sermon which is the first vpon the fifteenth Chapter AT the terme of seuen yeares thou shalt make a yeare of Freedome 2 And the maner of the freedome shal be after this sort Euerie creditor shall release the debt of his hande which he hath lent vnto his neighbour and he shall not constreine his neighbour nor his brother for it is called the yeare of the Lords release 3 Thou maist compell a straunger but as for thy brother forgiue him 4 In any wise let there bee no poore bodie among you for the Lorde will blesse thee in the Lande which the Lorde thy God giueth thee for an heritage to possesse 5 Yea if thou obey the voice of the Lord thy God in keeping and performing all his commaundements which I commaunde thee this day 6 For the Lord thy God will blesse thee as he hath promised so as thou shalt lende vnto manie folke and not borrow of any Thou shalt reigne ouer many Nations and they shall not reigne ouer thee WE haue here a Lawe for the releasing of such as were indetted Now wee knowe that GOD gouerned y e Iewes according to their owne rudenes insomuch that he graunted them a tolleration in many thinges because they were a people
maketh them at their wittes ende Therefore if wee intende to inioy the greatest and most desirable benefite in the worlde that is to say to liue in peace and rest let vs learne that wee must not prouoke our God to make him our enemie For as long as wee prouoke his wrath all thinges must needes goe against vs. That is the thing which wee haue to gather vppon this place And we must not thinke that wee haue profited anie whit when wee haue put God out of our minde or when wee haue turned our backes vppon him for a time as these skorners doe which in such times doe take their pleasure in sporting with GOD at the full Therefore let not vs deale so hardheartedlie for there is not a worse thing than to haue rocked our consciences asleepe after such a fashion that wee haue no more remorse nor heartbiting in vs. But let vs set our mindes to haue peace with God that is to say to resort vnto him in such wise as we may feele him to bee our father and seeke to stay our selues vppon his goodnes that our so doing may keepe vs in rest Thus yee see in effect howe wee haue to applie this worde Feare or Terrour wherewith Moses threateneth here the transgressors of Gods law and such as stand against him to the vttermost He saith further that God will destroy euen the sucking babes and the olde men which are alreadie gray headed so as hee will not spare neither sex nor age nor anie thing else for hee speaketh of young folke and of maydes that are to bee maried Nowe as I sayde afore wee must not thinke it straunge that God shoulde vse such seueritie but wee must call to minde the vnreformable stubbornesse which was in the people afore For wee knowe that Moses wrate this song to shewe the people their malicious and frowarde nature yea and vtterlie vnamendable in so much that when God had by all meanes vttered his goodnesse and mercie towardes them they drewe all to the worst and shewed themselues too too vnthankefull shrinking continually away from him and marring themselues with superstition and Idolatrie so as the Prophetes streyning themselues to the vttermost coulde not bring them backe againe into the right way Is it then anie woonder that GOD after so long wayting shoulde vse so great extremitie as wee see No. For after that GOD had winked at them their iniquitie came to the full growth according to the fore alledged text of Genesis which saith Gen. 15.16 that the wickednesse of the Amorrhites was not yet full growen but within fourehundred yeares afterwarde they shoulde bee vtterly rooted out And why was that For it was too much that those people were hardened alreadie in the time of Abraham But when as at the ende of fourehundred yeares more they were become yet worse and ceased not to increase still the great heape of Gods vengeaunce was it not meete that hee should then make them to pay the whole arrearages as they say And seeing that the children of Israel comming into the same place and hauing so fayre a lookingglasse before their eyes in those Nations whome OOD had vtterlie destroyed did neuerthelesse giue ouer themselues to the same superstitions and thereby defiled the lande which God had appointed to his owne seruice was it not meete that they also should be made an example to others Nowe this ought to serue vs. For wee be in possession of the inheritance which God promised to the children of Abraham I meane not the land which they dwelt in but the inheritāce which was betokened by that land as by a gage and figure Gods will therefore is that we nowe shoulde bee his householde and that we should bee gathered together into his Church and flocke vntil he take vs into his kingdome Nowe if in steede of honouring him and of yeelding him his due seruice we become vnrulie folke giuen ouer to all leawdnesse and moreouer doe match the same with wilfull stubbornesse so as there is no meane to bring vs backe into the way of saluation thinke wee that our Lorde will not bee reuenged of such vnthankefulnesse Furthermore let vs not thinke it straunge that the young babes are here spoken of For as touching maides that are to bee maryed young men and olde folkes if a nation bee corrupted and the mischeefe haue once ouerflowed his bankes as they say they also must needes bee infected as well as the rest and the worlde sees it is so For when olde men are once saped in naughtinesse and inured by custome to offend God they wil rather haue their skinnes plucked off from their backs a thousand times if they had so many skinnes than once to be reclaimed For they become so blockish or els so inraged that their is no way to deale with thē As for young folke we see they be as it were set on fire to make war against God Againe wheresoeuer wickednesse reigneth and all thinges are peruerted there the young women become as wilde as Roes so as there remayneth not anie honestie and much lesse anie feare of God in them This is apparant to all men And therefore it is not to bee woondred at though God doe threaten both young and old But as touching little babes that may seeme the more crueltie because they haue not offended like the others For will God punish the guiltlesse Doth hee not say by his Prophet Ezechiel that the parties which haue sinned shal beare their owne punishment 〈◊〉 1◠20 and that the Childe shall not bee punished for his father Yes but we must marke that God hath a reason of his iudgementes though it bee vnknowen to vs. Wee then may thinke some chastisements of Gods to be ouer-rigorous but yet doeth he knowe why he doth so and it becommeth vs to reuerence the things with all humilitie which are incomprehensible to vs. For what a thing were it if wee should measure all Gods workes by our wit Can wee attaine to them Howe farre extendeth our vnderstanding Let vs consider howe weake and small it is and what rudenesse is in vs. But on the other side what are the iudgementes of God Euen a deepe gulfe vnpossible to be gaged 〈◊〉 11.33 〈…〉 33. 〈◊〉 11.34 they be vncomprehensible as saith the scripture Agayne whom did he euer cal to counsel Therefore let vs content our selues with the thinges which God hath opened vnto vs and be mindfull of the thing which wee haue seene not long since Deut. 29.29 namely that the secrete thinges belong to our God and that the thinges which are in his Law belong to vs and to our children that is to say y t we must hold vs to the measure which God giueth vs and not be inquisitiue without ende more than is lawfull for vs to know but receiue the doctrine which hee giueth vs assuring our selues that the same is sufficient for our saluation Also let vs bethinke vs howe it is