vs a greater priuiledge than he gaue to y e Patriarkes Prophets After y e self same maner is it w t the things y t Moses addeth here For yesterday he treated of the meats y t were foule and vncleane in those dayes And hee sorted them into their seuerall kindes You shal eate of such beastes sayd he but in any wise beware y t ye touch no swine nor any such like things Nowe he treateth of strangled meats as of flesh y t dieth alone w tout killing and w tout letting of it bloud And no doubt but y t his setting downe of this is to shew that in so doing there is a double abhomination according to y e lawe For first formost when a beast died so alone of it self it was vnholy aforehand the very only touching of it was able to make a mā vncleane And y t was the cause why God did so forbid his people to eate therof Again the bloud of it was setled in it we haue seene already how it was not lawful for y e Iewes to eate bloud that was bicause y t in the bloud wee haue as it were a liuely image of y e soule of the life Gods meaning was to teach his people to abstaine frō all crueltie And hereof we haue y e reason expressed in Genesis Gen. 9.4.6 at such time as Noe and his ofspring were forbidden to eate bloud where it is added y t we must spare men bicause a man is y e image of God whosoeuer doeth any outrage vnto him shal not scape vnpunished Now then Gods care was not for the beasts when he forbad y e Iewes y e eating of their bloud but his intent was to teach them by y t meanes to abstaine from all crueltie so as they should be loth to do any outrage and specially any murther But as for vs in these days we bee not in such bondage Col. 2.14 For our Lord Iesus Christ hath freed vs by his death and passion Neuerthelesse howsoeuer we fare y e groundwork abideth still so as a man may forbid a little child to handle a knife least he should hurt himselfe w t it and yet an elder body also is to be foresended from hurting of himselfe wheras yet notwithstāding the handling of a knife were not euill for a child but in respect aforesaid Gal. 4.1 And therfore God who tooke y e Iewes as little children forbad thē streitly the things y t are permitted vs at this day Howbeit the finall end is all one both to them vs insomuch that we must consider that if Gods wil was to haue the Iewes kindharted to know y t the shedding of bloud is a detestable thing the same ought also to be regarded of vs at this day although the figure therof be abolished True it is as wee reade in y e xv of the Actes y t the Apostles forbad y e Gentils to eate bloud or any thing that is strangled Act 15.20.21 but y t was not for any sin y t was in so doing It was to auoide occasion of offence bicause as it is there alleaged Moses was read openly the law was published abrode in all Cities so as they heard it there forbidden The Iewes could not abide at y e first to see them eate bloud which named themselues Christians for y t was a lothsome thing to them Therefore men were faine for a time to forbeare y e libertie that God giueth nowadayes to al the faithfull accordingly as S. Paul speaketh therof 1. Cor. 6.12 10.23 saying that the things which are lawfull for vs are not alwayes expedient for they edifie not We haue in deede our consciences free before God but yet if I see my brother offended it behoueth me to beare w t him if his so doing be through infirmitie and in any wise I must haue a consideration whether a man be already throughly instructed in the faith or no. The intent of the Apostles then was not to make a grounded law wherewith to tie mens consciences to hold thē in bondage but only to auoide al occasion of causing folk to stumble But this hath bin ill marked of a great sort of ignorant persons For they haue thought it to bee deadly sinne to eate y e bloud of any beast as wee see it mainteined still at this day and that was a foolish beastly superstition For as I said afore our Lord Iesus Christ hath cancelled the obligation of the Lawe of Moses so as we be no more bound vnto it Col. 2.14 But yet for all that it behooueth vs to liue in concord one with another and to haue a regarde what our neighbours are able to beare There is not the like reason for vs noweadayes to forbeare the eating of fleshe vppon frydayes for it is a meere deuotion and it was forged and inuented without any likely hoode of reason yea and it was matched with a kinde of Idolatrie for as much as the Papistes haue surmised themselues to serue God by that meanes in forbearing to eat fleshe vpon certaine daies which was too grosse a folly Neuerthelesse if a christenman shold come among the Papistes and goe about to teache them that are yet altogether blinded the point y t he should begin at must not bee the eating of flesh vpon frydayes for that would scare them quite away bicause they neuer heard that it is lawful to do it and therfore could neuer conceiue the truth of it and besides that they should see him go about to breake a law which they take to be most holy without informing them of the true meaning of the whole Such dealing therfore should be contrary to Gods meaning and to Christen liberty And therefore order and measure are to bee obserued in those cases But by the way let vs remember that wee haue cause to giue thankes to our God for exempting vs from y e bondage that our fathers were subiect to vnder the law that we must also benefite our selues by those figures by learning to liue friendly with our neighbors abhorring all murthers and outrages not onely actual murthers but also hatred which is likewise condemned for murther before God though it be neuer so secret and close kept as saith S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 3.15 That is the thing which we haue to note when it is sayd vnto vs that God vttereth his will without any shadow and not in darke speeches as he did to the fathers but as one that speaketh with open mouth and therefore let vs hold our selues contented therewith Now after this commaundement Moses addeth that wee must not seeth a Kidde in his dammes Milke but woorde for woorde it is but in Milke It hath beene commonly vnderstoode that a man shoulde not seeth a Kid in his dāmes milke or make sawce with Goates milke to eate Kiddes fleshe withall And thereuppon the Iewes who will needes bee alwayes adding of
offences of our fathers that haue doone amisse yet shall they not fayle to remayne still of record in his registers if we hold on and continue like vnto them Will we then haue the sinnes of our forefathers buried and y t God should forget thē and not call vs to account for them Let vs looke that we be the carefuller to keepe our selues from being like to them And so ye see how it is expedient for vs to thinke vpon the sinnes that haue bin cōmitted before we were borne Let vs consider thus Alas I was yet vnborne at that time but howe shall I do if my forefathers haue done amisse and that I for my part bee put in among them For it is saide that God gathereth together the sins of the fathers vnto the third fourth generation to let them fall vpon their children Then doe we deserue to be destroyed and to perish if God listed to vse rigour towardes vs. For the saide threat of the law is rightful and might iustly be executed vpon our heads and if he spare vs it is of his owne mere goodnesse For to what purpose should we put ouer the fault to our fathers of prouoking Gods wrath both against themselues and vs when we our selues continue in their wickednes Ought not the vengeance to be dubble when we on our part haue cleaued to their sinnes as well as they Thus ye see what we haue to remember vppon this place where Moses doeth not onely blame them that liued in his time for the things then presently committed but also moreouer charge them with all the transgressions that their fathers had committed from their comming out of Egypt vnto that day Nowe then the thing that we haue to marke heere in effect is that men doe not onely marre themselues by bearing themselues on hande that they bee righteous for want of considering their sinnes throughly but also that they puffe vp themselues with pride so as they will needes make God beleeue that blacke is white And therfore let it prouoke vs to condemn our selues willingly according to this doctrine of Moses So then let vs acknowledge our sinnes truly and vnfeynedly y t we may so mislike of thē as there may not one drop of fond presumptuousnesse remain in vs but that we may be vtterly cast downe and acknoweledge that there is nothing but vtter wretchednesse in vs and that we be beholden to God for all goodnesse so as we haue it of his free gift and not as in recompence of any reward for any merit or desert of ours but onely of his own free mercy which he hath vsed towardes vs. So farre then must we come of necessitie And for performance hereof let vs euening morning inforce and indeuour our selues to call to minde the faults that we haue committed And that we may enter into this triall and examination of our selues let vs bethinke vs both of our owne sinnes and of the sinnes of our forefathers and let vs assure our selues that if God woulde play the Iudge with vs wee shoulde not onely bee vtterly rooted out for our owne faultes which are yet freshe in our rememberance but also all the euill that hath beene committed before we were borne might iustly be called backe againe vpon our heades seeing wee be wrapped in the same offences that our auncetors were Therefore let vs thinke well vpon these things that wee may magnifie the goodnesse of our God in bearing with vs. And to the intent wee play not the hypocrites let vs marke well how it is sayde that it is ynough to haue prouoked GOD alreadie For when they haue fought against God and his worde and haue behaued themselues lewdly all the time of their lyfe yet at their death they make no conscience to say I thought I did as wel in fighting against God as if I had fought against the Pope and the Masse What a thing is it to vse such speech Is it not apparant that such folke are vtterly past recouerie as haue their consciences so dulled and that the diuell carieth them away so as they can no more be sorie for their sinnes which as sayeth S. Paule 1. Tim. 4.2 is the full measure of all confusion when such gracelesse creatures will needes iustifie themselues after that sort with so vaine couertures Let vs marke well then that wee must not alleage I thought so but it is ynough that we haue prouoked our God And if moreouer our owne conscience accuse vs thereof what will become of vs Will God in the meane while become as a dead idoll which seeth not our offences at all A man thinketh his owne wayes to bee good Prou. 16.9 sayeth Salomon but our Lorde holdeth the balance in his hand and weyeth our woorkes And Saint Iohn telleth vs that if wee feele any heartbyting in our conscience 1. Iohn 3.20 the same iudgeth vs alreadie and what will become of vs then when wee come before God Doeth not he see clearer than our owne consciences Yes and therefore let vs marke wel that we shal win nothing by flattering of our selues but God must be faine to woorke so in vs as we may bee ouermaistred and vtterly cast downe to say Alas if GOD should not spare vs wee were vndoone And moreouer let vs knowe that our true righteousnesse I meane not to glory of it but to seeke it to our benefite is to beare Gods yoke so as wee liue not after our owne lustes and lykinges but that if it please GOD to exercise vs with afflictions wee shewe by all maner of patience that wee haue a necke plyable vnder him Finally for as much as his lawe ought to serue vs for a brydle let vs suffer our selues to bee ruled and gouerned by his hand so as we be not giuen to our owne foolishe deuotions ne come replying to him with this and that but be contented to let our GOD try our obedience seeing hee hath giuen vs his lawe Then let vs see that our life bee framed according to his will which is the onely rule of well dooing and let vs submit our selues wholy thereunto as we see we be warned heere by Moses Nowe let vs kneele downe before the maiestie of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to vouchsafe to touche vs with them to the quicke and to take from vs all blynde foldinges of hypocrisie that nothing may keepe vs from being ashamed and cast downe in our selues vntill wee bee raysed agayne by fayth and hope of his goodnesse and mercie praying him also that when hee hath once made vs to feele our diseases it may please him to fill vs with the grace of his holy spirite so as wee may liue according to his good will And so let vs all say Almighty God heauenly father c. On Thursday the xxix of August 1555. The Lxiiij Sermon which is the third vppon the ninth Chapter 8 Also ye prouoked the Lord to anger in Horeb
e Heathen wrate of y t matter they spake after this maner the Lawe punisheth not the euentes of thinges but the intentes of them And when the Philosophers wrate thereof they could wel skill to say there is neither vice nor vertue which proceedeth not of the will Yet for all this we cease not to bleare our owne eyes neither doe we thinke our selues to haue offended vnlesse our handes bee bloudy or that there appeare some euident token to the worldward or to be short y t we be conuicted of the doing of some wicked deed But y t is against my former saying y t is to wit that all sinnes proceede of the wil. Therefore when wee intend to examine our selues throughly let vs learn to begin at our wils And if we finde no euil deed in our selues y t is to say neither malice nor euil wil thē is it no crime And whereas I say that euill affection is willing yet for all that I exclude not mens inquiries for it is not for naught that God hath distinguished sinnes and misdeedes into two sortes whereof the one sorte are called crimes and the other sorte are called ignorances Although then that men haue no intent or meaning to doe amisse yet is it not to bee sayd that therefore they bee righteous But my meaning now is that there be no wicked affection or desire in vs so as wee bee not disposed to it of any will but that the whole matter standeth vppon mischaunce that insueth And I call it mischaunce after the custome of common speach For it behooueth vs to referre all thinges to Gods prouidence and not to thinke that any thing can fal out through fortune Neuerthelesse it is a common manner of speach among vs to say that a thing happeneth by chaunce or fortune when it commeth to passe on our side That then is the thing in effect which we haue to note in that our Lorde sayth that there shall no iudgement of death passe vppon a man that shall haue giuen his neighbour a deadly blowe without any malice borne to him before but that hee shall bee quitte if his stryking of him were without forepurpose or intent of will And furthermore wee see here in few words how our Lorde meant to forbid vs to be moued to anger one against another and hath voutsafed to beare with our imperfections so farre that to eschew greater inconueniences hee will haue the guiltlesse person to get him out of the way for a time True it is as I haue declared heretofore that his intent is also to shewe how greatly wee ought to abhorre murther But howsoeuer the case stand yet it doth behooue vs to marke well Gods gratious goodnesse in mainteining peace and concorde by all meanes possible Were wee such as wee ought to bee there shoulde bee as it were but one common league of fellowship among vs but now are wee faine to be separated asunder so as euery man getteth himselfe alone euery man hath his goods by himselfe euery man hath his possessions seuerall and euery man hath as it were a proprietie alone and that is because of our infirmitie And true it is that this Lawe might bee generall but there are many other meanes whereby God sheweth vs how he beareth with our infirmities Is it not a pitious case that two brethren cannot liue quietly together without contention and strife and that euen the father and the sonne also should be at the same point These are shamefull thinges and vtterly against nature so as it may well bee sayd that we be worse than wilde beastes seeing that euen they which are linked together in so neere and holy bond cannot beare one with another that they might liue together infriendship But what The vices of men are so great that to eschewe greater mischiefes sometime the parties that ought to be neerest together are faine to be set furthest asunder And the same maner of dealing doth God vse in this place Hee will haue a man to forsake his owne house and possessions and to goe into a straunge place And wherfore To the end that the partie which was mooued to wrath for loue of his neighbour should haue no occasion to doe worse nor bee prouoked by seeing him before his eyes Now then sith wee see this let vs briefly market the goodnes which God vseth towardes vs which is more than the loue of a father in that hee beareth with vs in our vices and findeth fit meanes to keepe vs from flinging out at randon and moreouer giueth vs warning by his owne example to preuent or cut off all occasions of euill Therefore let vs beware for the diuell is alwayes watching will soone take vs in a trip if we admit neuer so small an occasion of dooing euill So then let vs bridle our selues short and be well aduised saying thus to our selues O if I commit such a thing I may bee tempted with such an euill and therefore I had need to labour to keepe my selfe from it For why The diuell is ouer wylie for me and if I cast my selfe once into his nettes what will become of mee For God sheweth vs howe we ought to liue and howe to cut off all occasions of euill and that if there bee any thing that may leade vs to any euil we must shunne it aforehande Seeing then that God hath sung vs such a lesson let vs take heede not onely that wee absteine from all euill deedes whereby wee may corrupt and defile our whole life and vtterly cast our selues into all disorder but also that wee eschewe all thinges that may leade vs to euill by any indirect wayes Nowe let vs kneele downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them more and more that euerie of vs may so bethinke vs of our sinnes as wee become our owne Iudges and learne to condemne our selues that wee may obtaine forgiuenesse of the heauenly Iudge so as hee may pitie vs and bury all our transgressiōs by which we be guiltie before him and that wee may examine our sinnes narrowly dayly more and more to the ende that being mortified vnto them wee may dayly draw neere to his righteousnesse whereunto hee calleth vs by his worde 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 Friday the vj. of December 1555 The Cxiij Sermon which is the second vpon the nineteenth Chapter 8 And when the Lorde thy God shall haue inlarged thy borders as hee hath sworne to thy fathers and hath giuen thee all the lande which he promised to giue to thy fathers 9 Condicionally that thou haue an eye to all his commaundementes to doe them which I commaunde thee this day and that thou loue the Lorde thy God and walke continually in his wayes then thou shalt adde three other townes to those three 10 To the intent that innocent
whom we haue misused doe forgiue vs yet will God euer be a Iudge to vs vntill we haue acknowledged our faults and indeuour to amend thē Insomuch that although his wrath appeare not towardes vs that our wrong dealing haue lyen long concealed so as it seeme to bee starke dead quite forgotten yet notwithstanding the rememberance thereof is alwayes fresh before God Let vs consider this and let euery of vs in true repentance rebuke himselfe and amende his misdoings indeuoring to liue quietly without doing any harme And for the doing thereof let vs thinke vpon the outcrie whereof the Apostle speaketh in the Epistle to the Hebrues saying that the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ cryeth much better than did the bloud of Abell Heb. 12.25 Not to aske vengeance of God against vs so we receiue him in such wise as our sins bee washed clensed away For to that purpose was that holy bloud of his shed True it is that the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ shall cry out for vengeance against all the faithlesse and froward sorte against such as haue refused the doctrine of y e Gospel troden it vnder foot made a skorn of it al prophane folk for al such shal be guilty of the bloudshed of our Lord Iesus Christ. But when we receiue his bloud by faith know y t it ought to serue vs as a purgatiō to make vs righteous and innocent before God let vs assure our selues y t the same bloud hath his cry And in deed we see how the Gospell soundeth and ringeth in our eares to y e intent we should know the vertue of y e bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. For it is no dead thing but it is euer fresh as the Apostle speketh of it in another place Heb. 10.20 Yea it is so fresh y t it hath his liuely force continually to reconcile vs vnto God Therefore let vs rightly weigh this inestimable benefit receiue the peace of the Gospell whereby God witnesseth vnto vs that he admitteth the bloud of his sonne for our washing that we may appeare before his maiestie with full hope Now let vs cast our selues downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgmēt of our faults praying him to make vs perceiue thē more and more Yea and let vs confesse not only the faultes which we know by our selues and which we perceiue whereof we ought to be ashamed before men but also our ignorances our secret sinnes whereof we be now guiltie And forasmuch as we know how there be many vices and infirmities in vs let vs mourne for them before God and let it make vs to proceede more and more in true repentance And in the meane while let vs not continue wilfull but let vs take courage to turne vnto him and let vs not looke to haue a bullock or a brute beast to answere for vs nowadayes as though the bloud thereof should serue vs for a sacrifice but let vs resorte to our Lorde Iesus Christ that seeing hee hath offered vp the onely and euerlasting sacrifice in his death and passion once for all to set vs free from all our debtes and that hee calleth vs dayly vnto him by his Gospell wee seeke not any other meane to serue God withall but proceede in all purenesse vnder his hand guiding 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 xxv of December 1555. The Cxxi Sermon which is the second vpon the one and twentith Chapter 10 When thou goest to battell against thine enemies and the Lord thy God hath giuen them into thy hand and thou hast led them into captiuitie 11 Then if thou see a woman among the prisoners that is faire to looke vpon and thou fall in loue with her and canst finde in thy heart to take her to thy wife 12 Thou shalt cary her home to thine house and there shee shall shaue her head and pare her nayles 13 And thou shalt strippe her out of the apparell wherein shee was taken prisoner and keepe her close in thine house and let her bewayle her father and her mother by the space of a moneth And after this thou shalt goe in vnto her and so be maried vnto her and shee shal be thy wife 14 And if it fall out that shee like thee not thou shalt let her goe where she listeth but thou maist not sell her for money nor make marchandise of her because thou hast humbled her HAd the Iewes held thēselues within the rule which God gaue them they should rather haue taken them wiues of their owne tribes that they might not in any wise haue intermingled thēselues with the idolaters But forasmuch as mens lusts can hardly be bridled God graunteth heere a toleration that when a man which hath taken a heathen woman prisoner by the law of armes and is minded to take her to his wife ere he so doe hee shall cause her to mourne for her father and her mother as though they were dead to the intent shee may forget both her countrie kinred whereof she came as though she were made new againe and graffed into the body of the people of Israell Therefore let vs marke that in this text GOD meant to restreyne the lustes of such as had no hold of themselues in the time of war but would needes take straunge women that had serued idols afore Now the meane was as I haue sayd afore that the women should bee as it were chaunged so as they might no more remember their former lyfe And that is the cause why hee sayth that they should shaue their heades and par◠their nayles Some translate it and make their nayles for so is it word for word that is to say let them growe that they might become greate to disfigure them And they thinke that by that meanes God meant to bring their husbandes in mislyking of them But it is cleane contrarie For lyke as in French they say commonly to make heare and to make a beard when they meane the powling or rounding of the hayre and the shauing clipping or trimming of the beard so doe the Hebrewes vse the selfe-same phrase of speach And Gods appointing of this ceremonie to be vsed was to take away all vncleanes as who should say that if it were possible for them to scrape off their very skins they should doe it to the intēt they might no more be the same that they were before but rather vtterly renounce their own by rthright become Iewes to serue y e god which gaue his law by y e hād of Moses To the same end also tended the sorrow which they were to make in mourning for their fathers and mothers Thus we see now to what end this Lawe was giuen Now remaineth to gather the instruction that is conteined therein For we see what
certeine that euery of vs woulde rest vppon him wayting to receiue all goodnesse from him which is the thing that shoulde encourage vs to serue him and to direct ourselues after his will But although euery man seeke and desire his owne ease yet wee vnderstand not that GOD is hee from whom wee must looke for it Wee can say it well ynough but the thing it selfe sheweth that wee can not iudge nor conceiue it to bee so Euery man woulde bee riche by leawde practises euery man setteth his felicitie in offending God Wee must needes therefore bee without sense and reason seeing that this article wherein wee should bee resolued cannot bee imprinted in our mindes to witte that all welfare proceedeth from the hande of GOD and that there is no meane to prosper but by giuing ouer our selues vnto him and vnto his seruice Yet notwithstanding GOD hath alwayes left this engrauen in the heartes of men that the wretchednesse and miseries whereunto wee bee subiect doe proceede of the corruption of mankinde insomuch y t the very Paynims haue had the same opinion common amongest them It is certaine that they were not taught concerning the fall of Adam they vnderstood not howe all mankind was accursed for the diuel through his wilinesse had put that out of knowledge Yet notwithstanding it was vnderstoode among them and written and these thinges were common vnto them namely that all the sickenesses and wretchednesse that men indure all the famines and plagues and such like things proceeded of this that men will needes robbe GOD of more wisedome than is belonging vnto them They knew not y t this came from the tree of the knowledge of good euill they wist nothing of that Neuerthelesse God hath not permitted that knowledge so wholly to be buried but that it remained amongst the Heathen and Infidels so as they vnderstoode that because man woulde haue vsurped vnto himselfe more knowledge than was lawfull for him that now all thinges are confounded in this worlde and the life of man is become miserable and so subdued to so many aduersities as is horrible Now this is sufficient to make vs altogether vnexcusable but yet will God haue vs vs I meane whome God hath chosen to be of his housholde to bee more familiarly taught This doth god speak as it were mouth to mouth and looke what the Infidels had but by imagination the same doeth he tell and testifie vnto vs I say he telleth it vs that we might know it familiarly he testifieth it vnto vs that we shoulde be thereof assured That is the cause why hee saith that he woulde make all maner of felicitie to reigne vpon vs so we would hearken to his voyce Wherby he sheweth that if it were not long of our selues he were readie and forwarde to entreate vs as a father doth his children and that hee delighteth not to vex vs with multitudes of euils but that hee meaneth rather to make vs feele his goodnesse in all respectes Let vs therefore be aduised to walke in the obedience of our God if wee meane that he should powre vpon vs the treasures of his grace in such wise as all our life may bee blessed Neuerthelesse it is certaine that God oftentimes afflicteth his people for other causes than their sinnes as we see it happened to Iob which is a notable myrrour for vs. Wee see the like in the holy Patriarks who although they did endeuour and trauaile to serue God yet were they in as great troubles and griefes as could be The same is yet more manifest in the newe Testament For seeing that God hath reueiled more fully what is the perfect happinesse of men It behooueth the faithfull to bee exercised vnder many aduersities in this transitorie life But let vs marke first of all that if God doe not punish the sinnes of the faithfull hee doeth it to preserue them as the Physition that waiteth not alwayes till the sickenesse do appeare but if hee perceiue any likelyhood that a man is in daunger he will preuent it God then in not punishing the sinnes that be presently committed by his children doth vse chastisements towardes them as preseruatiue medicines It may euery day fall out that a man hath not offended against God in some particular sins But what If he were alwayes in prosperitie he woulde forget himselfe God therefore doeth cure such diseases by withdrawing his blessings hee will not suffer the fat to blinde mens eyes or to hinder our comming vnto him least it shoulde stay vs too long in this worlde he will not suffer vs to bee so intangled in our delightes as to fall altogether on sleepe in the same There is yet a seconde point to wit that when God forbeareth to punish vs for our sins it is not that hee hath not alwayes iust cause so to doe if he listed Let the perfectest folke in the worlde bee chosen out and yet if GOD woulde deale with them by rygour he shoulde lay many harde knockes vppon their pates But truely wee thinke it not so for wee bee not so sharpe sighted as to knowe the faultes which God doth marke But yet must wee assure our selues that GOD vttereth his patience and goodnesse in that hee spareth men and punisheth them not I meane the most righteous that can bee founde As for example when Dauid was cruelly persecuted of Saul and of all his enimies when Abraham was stinged and vexed so many wayes likewise when Isaac and Iacob and al the Prophets were afflicted by the wicked and by the despisers of God euen to the verie death and finally when the Apostles and all the faithfull were cruelly delt with it was not for their sinnes No verily But had it pleased God to haue called them to account hee might haue punished them an hundred times more and they shold haue had no cause to haue accused him of crueltie Hee spared them and in so doeing hee did them the honour to suffer for his name or rather hee tried their obedience killed their carnall affections and drew them neere vnto himself As for example wheras it pleased God to make Iob a myrrour of patience yet neuerthelesse he made him acquainted with his owne frailtie but howsoeuet it were yet was it his intent to make him to serue for an example to vs all Wee perceiue then that God hath other meanings in afflicting his people than onely to punish their sinnes neuerthelesse he ceaseth not to vpholde them euen by his own meere grace And yet must wee on our side resort backe to this point that the originall of all the miseries that we suffer in this present world doth proceede of sinne And why so For were not this corruption in our nature which God condemneth and of the which also wee be conuicted wee shoulde inioy heere a blessed life all this whole worlde should be vnto vs an earthly Paradise For we must not thinke that Adam was cooped vp in a little corner for himselfe
againe notwithstanding that they haue bin as folke forlorne and past hope of recouery For God speaketh not to such as had committed but one onely fault or some two or three faultes or to such as hauing done amisse did not wholy giue themselues ouer to wickednesse but he speaketh vnto such offenders as had made warre long time against him and despised his word and bin deafe to all his warnings and had made but a mock of them Yet notwithstanding he doth not cease to threaten them stil. And to what end and purpose Euen to winne them by his amiable goodnes So then although we haue bin misaduised for a time yet is it better for vs to turne late than neuer and so shall wee fare the better by that which is shewed vs here by Moses Now consequently hee sayth That God will cause the plagues of Egypt to turne vppon the Iewes Wee vnderstand that God did so afflict the Egyptians as that they were a terror vnto his own people insomuch that the Iewes themselues were astonished thereat notwithstanding that they were exempted from the euil When the Egyptians were oppressed to the vttermost thereby the Iewes vnderstoode that God spared them and that hee held them in his protection because hee smote their enemies and in the meane space did keepe thē in peace and rest And this wee see chiefely in his killing of all the first borne of Egypt For GOD had commaunded that the doore postes of the houses should be marked with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe Exod. 12.7 There God gaue a singular testimonie vnto the Iewes that hee woulde spare them and during that while he turned his wrath and vengeance against their enemies But now he saith here cleane contrary That God will cause those very plagues to returne backe For the worde that Moses vseth doth importe as much as if he shoulde say Thy fathers sawe howe God turned his wrath against the Egyptians but nowe they must returne backe againe vppon thee because thou makest none account to honor and serue him which hath loued thee so much and to whome thou art so greatly bound By this saying we be admonished that when God hath forborne vs for a time and moreouer for the loue that he beareth towardes vs hath punished our enemies and shewed himself a contrarie partie against them for to maintaine vs wee must not therefore flatter our selues but rather bee more diligent to walke in his feare For when we will not acknowledge such grace but rather abuse it quite contrarie it is good reason that our Lorde should cause the thinges to returne backe vppon vs which hee had sent vppon our enemies thereby to shewe vs that hee held vs in his defence and safegarde It is sayd that the people of God shall bee as a fyre kindled to consume all the wicked and vnbeleeuers And God will shewe the same in very deede But if we will needes kindle his wrath through our sinnes and transgressions then the fyre that shoulde haue bin vppon the vnfaithful must fall backe vppon our selues and we must perishe therewith Let vs therefore consider well of this worde and let this which is recited concerning the land of Egypt be vnto vs a myrror and a learning that we at this day may apply it to our owne vse according as all these thinges bee written for vs. Let vs marke I say what our Lorde did in olde time for the Iewes and let vs vnderstand that thereby he gaue record what loue hee beareth to his Church But yet therewithal let vs take warning to yeelde our selues in such wise obedient vnto him as he may continue to doe vs good and that this couenant may be confirmed betweene him and vs Exo. 23.22 Namely I will bee a friend vnto thy friends and an enemy vnto thyne enemyes It is certaine that this promise was giuen to Abraham howbeit to the ende that wee also should inioy the same Now if we cānot suffer God to be our friend but rather wil make war against him and breake the faith and aliance that is established betwixt vs then whereas afore hee did set himselfe against our enemies now hee must be faine to fall vpon vs and to make vs to feele his infinite power vntill wee be quite confounded and brought to nought Therefore while our Lorde spareth vs let vs acknowledge his goodnesse and not prouoke his wrath to make vs to feele his power in smiting vs. And moreouer when as we see that whereas the vnfaythful shoulde be striken at his hand wee feele the first blowes let vs acknowledge that it is meete it should be so because we haue broken the peace which he had made with vs. Let vs not thereupon be discouraged howsoeuer the worlde goe but let vs stick to him stil. Furthermore let vs not tary till he proceede to extremitie And if we be not so wise as to haue that discretion at the first yet at leastwise let vs benefite our selues by the aduertisements which are set down in this place After that manner shoulde wee put this text in vre Now Moses saith expresly that the Iewes feared the plagues of the Egyptians and that they had good cause to stand the more in dread of them for that in beholding them vpon their enemies they were then astonished at them therefore it was good reason that they should magnifie the goodnesse of God but howsoeuer the case stoode the plagues which God sent vppon the Egyptians were so great and so horrible that the Iewes must needes be amazed at them albeit that they themselues were free from thē because they beheld such an alteratiō of nature Nowe if they feared the wrath of God whilest it was vppon their enemies and had therein a testimonie of his loue goodnesse what ought they then to doe when God rusheth vpon their heades and that they must be faine to feele the selfe same plagues which came vppon the Egyptians Must they not needes be doubly dismaied Yes and therefore we see that this threatning is not superfluous but serueth to waken them according as we haue sayd herebefore and as experience sheweth that we be too much deafe yea and as it were senselesse when God doeth warne vs and that he must smite vppon vs as it were with a hammer or else will wee neuer vnderstand what he saith And so ye see the reason why this word is expresly set downe Now when we see that God punisheth the wicked let vs learne to haue such feare of his vengeance as we doe not tarie till he wrappe vs vp amongest those whom wee haue seene punished afore vs. This is the thing that S. Paul meant in saying Deceiue not your selues neither let any man abuse you with vaine words Eph. 5.6 for the wrath of God hath bin woont to fall vppon the vnbeleeuers disobedient for such offences Hereby S. Paul sheweth to the faithfull that they shoulde not feare the hand of God alonly when
beastes forbidden to bee eaten in the olde lawe and why 515. a 60. b 10.20.30 God at this day giueth vs leaue to eate the Bloud of beasts 516. b 30.40 and how the Apostles taught that it was lawefull so to doe ib. 50 God desireth not to haue mans Bloude sacrificed vnto him this is prooued by the storie of Abraham and Isaac 525. b 20 Why the Iewes might not eate Bloude of beastes 559. a 60. b 10 Why the Apostles forbad the gentiles to eate Bloud or any that is strangled 559. b 40.50.60 The fault of some noted y t haue thought it deadly sinne to eate the bloude of any beast 559. b 60. 560. a 10 Noah and his ofspring forbidden to eate the Bloud of beastes and what we haue to learne thereby 559. b 10.20 Who be sayd to bring Bloud vpon their house 777. a 40.50.60.778 a all Howe precious mans Bloude is in the sight of God 686. a 20 c. Why it is saide in scripture that Bloude doth cry to God 692 a 10.20 Why it is said that the Bloud shal be vpon a whole nation when men haue not bin helde short that they might not commit murthers 691. a 50.60 b 50.60.692 a 10 Of the crying out of Bloude and howe the bloud of Christ shall crie out for vengeance against all the faithlesse 742. a 10 That when any Bond passeth betweene man and man the same must be indifferent for both parties 881. a 10 Blouddinesse Why the prophet Esaie vpbraided the Iewes with the Blouddinesse of their handes 516. a 60. b 10 Bloudshedde Expiation for Bloudshed wheÌ„ the murtherer is vnknowen that did it 736. all c. in the sermon Who they be that shal be guiltie of the Bloudshed of our Lord Iesus Christ. 742. a 10.20 Looke Murther Bodie Of the Bodie of Moses whereabout the archangell fought with Satan and that no man to this day knoweth where the same was buried 1238. all 1239. all 1240. all Bodies Why God commandeth vs to keepe our Bodies cleane 492. b 60.493 a 10 Our Bodies make wee neuer so great account of them are but as arbors made of leaues 616. a 50.60 and why they are so compared ib. 10.20 Our Bodies are our best and chiefest houses and of building the same 616. a all The great care that GOD hath ouer these our mortall Bodies declared 777. b all Boldnesse Of a kinde of Boldnes which faith doth ingender and breede 914. a 40.50 Bond. Of the vnseparable Bond between God and man and what it is 1147. b 30 Of the Bond that wee haue made with God in baptisme 1029. b 30 The sum of the Bond passed betweene God and vs. 1028. b all and what doctrines depende thereupon 1029. a all When God maketh vs to passe any solemne Bond with him hee bindeth himselfe first and what wee haue to learne thereby 1028. b 10.20 Looke Couenant What is the chiefe and principall Bond in mariage 882. a all Bonds What vprightnesse ought to bee vsed in Bonds 880. b 40.50.60 That God couenaunteth w t vs as if two parties should meete to passe Bonds on either part as for example 912. b 40.50.60 Looke Couenants Bondage The cauâ—â—s why Moses termeth Aegypt the house of Bondage 185. a 20 To what 〈◊〉 Gods deliuering of the Iewes from the Bondage of Aegypt did tende 160. b 10 Into what Bondage the Pope and his rable labor to bring the Church 389. a 60. b 10 What Gods purpose was when he deliuered the Iewes out of the Aegyptian Bondage 1014. b 40.50.60.1015 a 10 At what time such as yeelded theÌ„selues into Bondage for the discharge of their debts were released 572. b 50.60 Slauish Bondage not vtterly abolished among the faithfull professors 587. b 20.30 The Bondage of seruauntes and bondslaues among the Iewes the heathen and the terme of their time 587. a 60 In what countries the Bondage vsed among the Iewes is still retained 589. a 10 No more such Bondage among vs as was among the Iewes and heathen 589. a 10 Though a seruant were set at libertie at the seuenth yeare yet were his children faine to abide in Bondage still 592. a 10.20 Of the Bondage whereout Iesus Christ hath deliuered vs whereof wee are not yet quite discharged 605. b all 606. a 10 The horrible Bondage of the Iewes in Aegypt 895. b 40.50.60 The forme of proceeding and vsing of such as did yeeld theÌ„selues into Bondage in the time of the lawe and was therewith contented 591. a 50.60 b 20 Deliueraunce from Bondage promised to the Iewes after foure hundred yeares 896. b 40.50.60 Howe GOD warned such among the Iewes as had bin misaduised to beware howe they did cast themselues into perpetuall Bondage 592. b 10.20.30.40 The full terme of the Bondage of a bondseruant among the Iewes and the yeere of his release 91. a 20 Bonfires Bonfires on midsommer night in time of poperie for expiation 668. a 10 Bondseruants God will haue the Iewes giue their Bondseruants somewhat wherewith to set vp their trade after their sixe yeeres seruice 588. a 10. and why 20 60. b 10.20.30 Release giuen to Bondseruants a peece of the Iewes acceptable seruice to God 588. a 10 Bondseruants euen among Christians and howe they are to be vsed 587. b 10 The Iewes refused to giue freedome to their Bondseruantes 589. a 10 Demonstratiue perswasions vsed by God to the Iewes that they should giue their Bondseruantes somewhat to their setting vp after their time of seruice expired 588. b 10.20 A hard vsing of Bondseruantes and indeede an indirect meanes to holde them in bondage still 588. a 60. b 10 Men in old time might kill their Bondseruantes and aske leaue neither of lawe nor magistrate 588. a 40 A prouerbe how many Bondseruantes a man had at home so many enimies had he and howe that byworde did rise 588. a 40.50 How Bondseruantes are to be vsed like hirelinges and not like oxen asses 588. a 20 or rather like freemen ib. 30 Bondslaue How these wordes are meant he that consenteth to bee a Bondslaue shall abide in that state for euer 591. b 40.50 A Bondslaue an hireling compared and why a bondslaue deserueth the better wages 594. a all Bondslaues Bondslaues released vppon a certaine qualification 587. b 30 How the heathen vsed Bondslaues and howe the ciuill Lawes determine touching them 588. a 10.20.30 The peculiar marke that voluntarie Bondslaues had in the time of the Lawe 591. a 50.60 b 20 How gently and courteously the Iewes vsed their Bondslaues 592. a 10.20.30 Why God putteth the Iewes in minde so often that they had beene Bondslaues in the lande of Aegypt and what we haue to gather thereby 610 a 20.30 Looke Seruants and Slaues Borders Why the Iewes were commaunded to make fringes or Borders at the neather partes of their garmentes 783 b all 784. a all Looke Garments Boring of eares Of Boring bondseruantes through the eare with an aule