which were worthier to haue beene preferred than wee â— Pet. 1.10 Gal. 4.1 and yet notwithstanding God kept them vnder like litle children whereas nowadayes hee dealeth with vs as with perfect men of full age and grouth Seeing then that God vseth such goodnesse and liberalitie towards vs haue we not the more cause to honour him But nowe let vs come backe againe to the matter which I was in hand with afore and shew yet further howe all the saide thinges may redounde to the benefiting and profiting of vs as well in faith as in the feare of God I haue tolde you alreadie that whereas God did put a difference betweene beastes declaring some to be cleane and some vncleane it was to accustome the Iewes vnto the spirituall cleannesse euen in eating and drinking True it is that God inioyned them sobernesse and temperaunce therein but he had yet a further respect which was that in all thinges they shoulde haue a care to be vndefiled and to haue such a stay of themselues as they might not bee steyned with the vncleannesse of the worlde Gods intent then was to giue them as it were a kinde of exercise to keepe them the better in vre We knowe howe men do take too large scope in eating and drinking For whereas the rest of their life doth put them in minde to pray vnto God and to take paines and to discharge themselues of their dutie when they take their repast they giue them selues to mirth and reioycing And it is lawefull for them so to doe so they keepe measure But what They so ouershoote themselues in the turning of a hande as a man might wonder to see their excesse of mirth This was the cause y t God woulde haue his people put in mind of the sobernesse which we ought to vse in our eating and drinking al our life long that it might be as a bridle to restraine vs for after as our diseases bee so doeth God giue vs medicines for them Now as I saide afore there is more disorder in eating and drinking than in all our life besides And therefore it was requisite that our Lorde shoulde exercise his people in that behalfe And for the same cause did he deliuer them instructions to warne them that they ought to behaue themselues purely in all things and to put them alwayes in minde thereof Ye see then that the first point which wee haue to remember vppon this text is that God telleth the Iewes that forasmuch as hee had chosen them to be his owne inheritance they ought to dedicate themselues to him euen in things that concerne the outward conuersation and to absteine from worldly corruptions not intermedling themselues with the vices of the heathen after our common maner which we knowe to bee alwayes tending vnto euill Gods will was to holde them in that awe And nowe wee see howe it is no more than needeth For why True it is that the ceremonie continueth not nowadaies for our lord Iesus Christ hath set vs in greater libertie than the fathers were vnder the law Col. 2.14 but yet is not the pith of it put away that is to wit that we should liue soberly vnder the feare of our God cutting off all corruptions and abridging our selues of all libertie of hauing to doe with the lustes of the worlde What though the vnbeleeuers doe beare with themselues too much should we doe so too Seeing that our Lord telleth vs that wee be his temples so as he dwelleth in vs by his holy spirite 1. Cor. 6. â—â— Rom. 1â— â— 1. Cor. 5 1â— â— Cor. â— 1 and that he woulde haue vs to be as sacrifices vnto him so as wee shoulde offer vp both our soules and bodies vnto him dayly is it lawful for vs to cast our selues into the vncleannesse of the worlde without anie regard how to represse it Then let vs mark well that although the ceremonie be no longer in vre yet the lawe in it selfe is not doone away but that God inioyneth vs the same sobrietie at this day whereto he meant to leade the people of olde time by the meanes that were agreeable to that time Againe sith we see what priuiledge God giueth vs let the same mooue vs the more to yeelde our selues freely vnto him If we compare our selues with the fathers of olde time we shall finde that God led them but as yong babes and yet were they as Angels among mortal meÌ„ If we look vpon the life of Abraham what a perfection of holinesse shall we find there As much is to be saide of the rest of the Patriarkes and Prophetes and yet neuerthelesse yee see howe God held them in darkishnes giuing them but a small tast of his grace insomuch that his shewing of Iesus Christ vnto them was but a far off But we in these dayes haue much further preheminence for God sheweth himselfe fully vnto vs and we haue the spirite of adoption whereby we may crie with full mouth Rom. 1.13 Col. â— â— Eph. 12.13 that God is our father euen wee that come of the heathen and had no acquaintance with God but were vtterly vncleane and to be short were by nature cursed had none other heritage than death and damnation Nowe then is it not an inestimable priuiledge that God hath brought vs so neere to himselfe What is to be doone then Seeing that God allureth vs more freely than he did y e fathers let vs be the more earnestly minded to serue him He dischargeth vs of the burthen as concerning the shadowes and figures what is to be doone therfore We must haue this willingnesse of giuing our selues to y e spiritual sobrietie which he requireth continually now stil as wel as he required it then Therfore let euerie man bethinke himselfe and inasmuch as God giueth vs leaue to eate of all manner of meates freely without exception that is to say of all such as may serue for our sustenaunce let vs haue this consideration with our selues Alas my God yet must I not abuse thy goodnes How manie waies doest thou shewe thy selfe liberall to me Therfore doeth it become me to bridle my selfe of mine owne accorde and to cut off all the wicked affections that reigne in me And first of all let vs put the doctrine in vre which Saint Paul setteth down in the thirteenth to the Romanes Rom. â—1 â—â— which is that wee bee not carefull for our fleshe at leastwise to fulfill the lustes thereof for that is a gulfe that can neuer be filled but onely looke to the susteyning of our bodies so farre foorth as they may bee maintained in good plight so vse Gods creatures as wee defile them not For although Gods creatures are permitted vnto vs yet doe we not cease to defile them by our vnbeleefe intemperance gluttonie or other abuses which we commit GOD sheweth that as now we may eate both of the Hare and of the Connie as wel as of the
them that had refused to enter into the land of Chanaan Your carkesses shall rotte here in the wildernesse you be not worthy to possesse the inheritance which your God promised to his seruaunt Abraham Ye see then that when the people were after a sort renewed at the ende of fortie yeeres then did Moses set foorth the Lawe againe and speake to them according to Gods commaundement Nowe must we also apply this to our instruction That is to say when soeuer we haue bin so farre ouerseene as not to profit in Gods schoole so as we continue Asses still or at leastwise haue but pickled vpon the doctrine without suffering it to worke any true liuelinesse in vs if God subdue vs and prepare vs better by continuance of time to hearkē vnto him let vs aduise our selues to make our profit therof let vs not be vnamendable For what shal wee win by it in the end if we continue still vnruly and be so stubborne that God cannot ouermaister vs Shall it not turne to our confusion Therefore as well publikely as priuately let vs bethinke vs to profite our selues by this warning if wee haue ill receiued the doctrine that hath bin long preached vnto vs heretofore let vs consider that inasmuch as God doth not yet giue vs ouer but vseth such mercy towardes vs his desire is to drawe vs still vnto him and therefore let vs prepare our selues that we become not stubborne against him but rather let vs learne to bee meeke and let vs giue way to the doctrine that it may enter into our mindes and heartes Thus ye see how we ought to behaue our selues Furthermore when God visiteth vs and sendeth vs any corrections to humble vs and to abate our ouergreat vnthankfulnes and frowardnes let vs turne ouer a newe leafe and returne againe vnto him And when wee haue done so generally for the whole body of the Church let euery of vs do the like priuately on his owne behalfe If any man haue runne astray and neuer knowen God aright nor neuer submitted himselfe fully to the wholesome doctrine if God visit him by sicknes pouertie or otherwise howsoeuer it bee let him bethinke himselfe and say Alas the Gospell hath bene preached vnto me but howe haue I receiued it of all this while I knew not my God and although I professed my selfe to bee one of his nombers yet did it not touche me at the heart Howe shall I nowe doe therefore Sith it is Gods will to haue me to bee his scholler it is good reason that I yeelde my selfe wholly to him and that I reuerence him as I ought to doe my souereigne maister and teacher Thus ye see that the thing whereof wee be warned in this text is that when we see how our Lorde indeuoureth by all meanes to bring vs backe and is minded to beate downe the rebelliousnesse that is in vs by rebuking our vices that he gathereth vs home to him when he sees vs go astry to the intent to reforme vs we must not kicke against the spurre as I saide but rather meekely and mildely seeke to bee gouerned by him to profit more and more in his word Now let vs cast our selues downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of the innumerable faultes which we ceasse not to commit dayly against his Maiestie praying him to vouchsafe to wipe them out through his free goodnes and therewithall to bring vs home againe to him and to worke so in vs by his holy spirit as our consciences may be mortified from day to day vntill we be ridde quite and cleane of all the corruptions of our flesh to be clothed againe with his righteousnes And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the xxv of March 1555. Th second Sermon vpon the first Chapter 3 And it came to passe that in the fortieth yeere the first day of the eleuenth moneth Moses spake to the children of Israel according to all the things that the Lord had commanded him to say vnto them 4 After he had ouercome Sehon King of the Amorrhyts which dwelt in Hesebon and Og King of Basan which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrai 5 And so Moses began to declare the Lawe beyond Iordan in the lande of Moab saying 6 The Lord our God spake to vs in Mount Horeb saying you haue taryed long ynough at this mountaine 7 Turne ye and depart that ye may goe to the hill of the Amorrhytes and to all the Countries there aboutes in the plaine about the hill and in the lowe places towards the South and vpon the shore of the red sea in the land of Chanaan and in Libanus vnto the Riuer euen the great riuer of Euphrates 8 Looke about ye I haue set the land before you enter into it and possesse the land which the Lord God hath sworne to your fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob to giue it to them and to their seede after them I Haue tolde you alreadie that the doctrine which is conteined here is not the beginning of a matter as though it had bin new to the people and that God had not taught it them before but a confirmation of the things that Moses had spoken in Horeb bicause the people had not profited so well by them as they ought to haue done And it hath bin declared further that God had spent the space of fortie yeeres or thereaboutes in subduing y t people which had bin ouerstubborne euen at the very first could in no wise abide to take his yoke For this cause is the time set out here to the ende that wee might vnderstand y t the people ought to haue framed themselues to some obedience after so hard so long a chastisement as thy had endured Besides this there is one other circumstance which is that y e people had alreadie had some victorie against Og king of Basan and his neighbours wherein they had had experience of Gods fauour And I told you y t those things were worthy to be marked bicause they bee the two meanes whereby God draweth men vnto him to win them withal and to inioy them On the one side he chastiseth them to y e ende they may learne to obey him as being vnder his hand authoritie and on the otherside he vseth gentlenesse to make men in loue with him and to consider that nothing is better for them than to sticke to him at whose hand they looke for all welfare And both of these are expressed here by Moses namely that y e people had lingered in the desert fortie yeeres long feeling Gods horrible punishmēt for their shrinking away frō him yet neuertheles had ouercome Sehon Og such like kings howbeit not by their own power but by Gods helpe Wherefore let vs learne to profite our selues as well by Gods scourges when wee bee beaten with them for offending him as also by his benefites whereby he witnesseth that he
said expressely That the Lord was angrie with him for the peoples sake Deut. 1.37 as we haue seene alreadie heretofore Wherein he meaneth not altogether to iustifie himselfe but he doeth it to the end that the people should finde their owne fault and humble themselues vnto God If Moses had meant to vphold that he was not in any fault nor blame worthie he had couertly accused God Ezec. 18.20 For is it written that he that sinneth shall beare his owne punishment Then must it needes bee that Moses was not cleare or else that God did him wrong in punishing him for the peoples sake But I haue declared heretofore that he glorified not God as hee ought to haue done In deede this appeareth not by the storie for it should seeme there that he did his duetie as well as could be wished but only God is the competent iudge thereof Although Moses could not be condemned by his wordes nor by any outward signe it is ynough that God findeth fault with him and auoweth that he yeelded him not his due honour Ye see then that Moses was faultie and that Gods banishing of him out of the lande of promise was for his offences sake so as he coulde not say that he had not deserued such punishment Why then doeth he lay the blame vppon the people As I saide afore it is not to cleare himselfe but to make the people to knowe their own euill dealing yea and also to consider that seeing Moses being so excellent a man and a man chosen of God did suffer such reproch and dishonour they themselues ought to be the more cast downe Thereby then the people is warned to thinke the better vppon their owne faulte And in verie deede this offence of theirs was verie grieuous and exceeding great For we knowe that Moses had an earnest zeale to serue God and that it was his whole seeking Neuerthelesse the murmuring that rose among the people for want of water was as a tempest to carie Moses away Beholde Moses is as a rocke he is wholly setled in Gods seruice and therefore it must needes be that the peoples rising in vprore was with horrible violence euen as if a rocke were shaken with some tempest And so wee see that the people were vtterly destitute of all patience and as good as starke mad and that it could not be but that the diuell possessed them seeing that the fire of it did euen sindge Moses Also this punishment of his sheweth how great the peoples offence was What had Moses done For his owne part he desireth nothing but to liue die in glorifying God And yet notwithstanding God setteth a marke of infamie vpon him for all ages to see in restraining him out of the promised land Sith it is so what punishment doe the people deserue which were the cause of the mischief and the chiefe authors thereof Nowe to apply this doctrine to our vse let vs take good heede that we driue not others to doe amisse least the whole blame light vppon our owne neckes Not that our thrusting of any man out of the way can quit him for God will neuerthelesse correct him for it but howsoeuer the world goe we shall be guiltie of al the sinnes that wee haue occasioned This ought well to bridle vs to the ende that no cause of stumbling proceede from vs. And besides this let vs consider that if God haue giuen vs gouernours that labour to discharge their dueties if we vexe them in such sorte as they swarue or start aside from the right way wee shall yeeld account of it before God and at the last his curse will light vpon our heades Hereby all folkes are warned to liue simply peaceably in obedience to their superiors specially when they see them disposed to serue God to the ende that they may take courage and continue increase in goodnesse And if we fall to raising of trouble and disorder surely if they that haue committed but halfe a fault be corrected wee shall bee dubble punished and answere for all the inconuenience as of a trueth wee deserue well to bee charged with it before God Thus ye see what wee haue to marke vpon that speach where Moses telleth the people againe how it was for their sakes that y e Lord was angrie with him Nowe let vs returne to the matter which wee beganne withall that is to wit that although GOD chastised Moses by bereauing him of a temporall benefite yet was that no impeachment to his saluation And so meaneth he by these woordes Bee contented and speake no more to mee of this matter In saying bee contented he doeth him to vnderstande that he hath wherewith to content him forasmuch as God is still mercifull to him acknowledgeth him for one of his and taketh him still as of his housholde casteth him not out of his kingdome Seeing that all these thinges abide vnto him still hee sheweth him that he ought to rest without greeuing of himselfe ouermuch And it is a very notable and profitable point namely that we ought not to be too sorrowful and grieued out of measure so long as GOD bereaue vs not of the substaunce of our saluation Wee heare what answere Saint Paule had 2. 〈…〉 when he was afflicted yea and euen buffeted by Satan and God had cast him downe in such sorte that he was as one at the point to bee troden vnder foote Now he besought God to be deliuered from such temptations but answere is made him at Gods hand Let my grace suffice thee GOD telleth him hee will assist him but as for the comberance he must beare it still Therefore let vs learne to put a difference betweene the thinges that are of the substaunce of our saluation and the appurtenances which are in deede the tokens of Gods loue and goodnesse but yet may bee forborne of vs whēsoeuer God thinketh good whether it be to chastise vs or to trie our patience or to any other purpose that he deale so with vs. As for example the things y t are of the substance of our saluation are these that God forgiue vs our sinnes that he keepe vs vnder his protection y t he dwell in vs by his holy spirit y t the light which he hath giuen vs by his Gospel be not quēched that we may take him for our father to cal vppon him and to flee to him for refuge So then the substaunce of our saluation is y t the seede of faith abide continually in vs that God guide gouerne vs by his holy spirit and that he make vs feele his goodnesse so as wee rest therevpon But yet for all this many temptations may befal vs yea euen such as my pluck vs back from calling vpon God Not that they can shut vs quite out from him but yet they may so comber vs as wee shal not be able to resorte to God so freely as wee woulde Againe wee shall be tossed with many
and not to stand aloofe vnderneath the hill as is sayd heere And it is the same thing the Apostle sheweth in the Epistle to the Hebrewes when he sayth Heb. 22. â— that wee be not come to the mountaine where there was nothing but fire where nothing was heard but thundering and tempest where lightninges flashed where trumpets sounded and where there was nothing but terriblenesse wee be not come to that mountaine we bee not nowadaies called to bondage but wee bee heere in the presence of our God where we haue friendly felowship with the Angels wee be matched and knitte in companie with the holy fathers and with the soules whom God hath already taken out of the world and we be all called to the end we should with open mouth call vppon God as our father Then if we bethink our selues hereof let vs goe boldly to our God Moreouer let vs alwayes beare in minde how it is tolde vs here that Gods inioyning of vs to keepe his lawe is by way of couenanting with vs. And that ought to giue vs the more â—ourage True it is that if God did simply vse his authoritie euen in shewing vs our duetie towards him and delt with vs by playne rigor saying yee must obey mee spyte of your teeth yet ought wee to doe it and it were not meete for vs to gainesay him But now when wee see that Gods subdewing of vs vnto him is in such wise as hee vouchsafeth therewithall to be our sauiour and father couenaunting as it were by mutual consent with vs and binding himselfe to vs in requiring vs to come to serue him ought it not to moue vs greatly if wee were not woorse than blockishe Ought it not to prouoke vs to giue our selues ouer to our GOD seeing that hee vouchsafeth to ioyne with vs yes and therefore let vs alwayes marke well this word Couenaunt And that worde ought specially to touch vs to the quicke in these dayes when wee compare the lawe with the Gospell For if God in those dayes made a couenaunt with the people of olde time it is in farre other taking with vs nowadayes â—ebr 8.6 that is to say infinitly better And for proofe thereof the pledges of those times were earthly and serued to keepe folke alwayes in feare True it is that God did alwayes set to his mark so as the auncient fathers had an eye to the Lorde Iesus Christe â—â—b 11.2 and were not destitute of this warrant that hee of his free goodnesse was their Sauiour howbeit that was done but as yee would say aloofe But nowadayes God vttereth his couenant vnto vs so largely that wee be sure of the forgiuenesse of our sins and that although there be many thinges amisse in vs although wee haue a number of incomberaunces by reason of our infirmities although wee limpe and hang our winges yea and although wee stumble and take many a fall yet shall not all this let him to vse that inestimable goodnesse of his stil towards vs Iere. 31.9 whereof hee speaketh by his prophet namely that hee will not deale roughly with vs no more than a father doth with his children Seeing then that wee perceiue that our Lord of his free fauour accepteth our seruice though it bee vnperfect and full of faultes wee ought to bee the more willing to giue our selues vnto him euen with all our power And sith wee see it hath pleased him to stoope so lowe as to shewe himselfe to be our father and teacher dealing more familiarly with vs than hee did in old time with the fathers vnder the lawe let not vs on our side be slothfull in comming to him but let vs labor the more earnestly in his commaundementes and striue to withdrawe our selues so from the worlde as nothing may keepe vs from atteining to the holy vnion which is conteined in the couenant that God hath made with vs on the behalfe of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them better that wee may mislyke of them in such wise as after wee haue condemned our selues for theÌ„ our whole seeking may be to feele the mercie that hee hath promised vs not onely in not imputing our faultes to vs but also in correcting them by the power of his holy spirite that wee may all liue in his obedience And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the xxiii of May. 1555. The xxiij Sermon which is the fifth vpon the fourth Chapter 15 Therefore shall yee take good heede for your selues that yee saw no maner of image in the day that the Lorde your God spake vnto you in Horeb from the middes of the fire 16 That you marre not your selues ne make you anie grauen image or representation of anie portraiture bee it the likenesse of man or woman 17 Or the lykenesse of any beast vppon earth or the lykenesse of any byrd that hath winges which flyeth vnder the skye 18 Or the lykenesse of any thing that creepeth on the ground or the lykenesse of any fishe that is in the water vnder the earth 19 Also that when thou liftest vp thine eyes vnto heauen and beholdest the Sunne and the Moone and the starres with all the hoste of heauen thou bee not deceiued and bowe downe before them and serue them seeing the Lorde God hath imparted them to all people that are vnder the whole heauen 20 But as for you the Lord hath taken you and drawen you out of the yron fornace of Egypt to be vnto him a people of inheritance as you be this day WE haue seene already heretofore the care that God had of his people in willing them to take heede to themselues and to watch well for their soules For by those words he sheweth howe deare chare our soule health is vnto him Here we see the like againe Take heede to thy selfe saith he and keepe thy soule If God did not beare a singular good will to men he would not speake so And therefore wee haue a sure and infallible warrant that God seeketh our saluation to the end that we on our side shall thinke vppon it also But wee must marke therewithall whereof he treateth here that is to wit of the worshipping of God purely without disguysing of his maiestie Then is it a token that the same belongeth chiefly to our saluation and that wee runne to ruine and destruction when we swarue aside from the pure religion and fall to deuising of any thing that beseemeth not God If wee doe so the diuell reigneth among vs and GOD must needes forsake vs. Wherefore let vs learne that the holding of religion purely in such sorte as God alloweth it as a thing of no small importance For this kinde of speach were vnexpedient if to make images were either lawfull or but a small and light fault and surely God would not
but that he will maintaine his owne honour as good reason is that he should and in so doing he sheweth vs how dreadfull his wrath is Behold then here are two points which we must mark for a conclusion Not y t we can lay them forth at length as at this time but that it shall suffice to haue some foretaste of them Let vs marke then that the cause why God vÌ„ttereth himself vnto vs is y t hauing once knoweÌ„ his goodnes that he hath chosen vs called vs by his word we should couer nothing but to be quietly gouerned by him and acknowledge y t it is he to whom al honour praise belongeth therevpon apply our whole indeuours to the glorifying of his holy name That say I is the end why our Lord hath once called vs to his knowledge and why he calleth vpon vs daily and exhorteth vs still to come vnto him But yet let vs consider therewithall that if wee doe not serue and glorifie him as he deserueth and as wee bee bounde wee shall feele him a consuming fire that is to say wee shall feele that it is no dalying with such a Maister not that this is saide to make Gods Maiestie terrible vnto vs so as wee shoulde bee afrayde to come at him but rather that wee shall not bee a whit dismaied if we take him for our Father But if wee will not behaue our selues as children towardes him but continue vnamendable he will lay away the person of a Father and shewe himselfe to bee our iudge and that not such a iudge as needeth to make long inquirie to call the hangman to put his iudgementes in execution but if he do but cast forth the fire of his spirit or but his breath by and by the fyre is kindled as sayeth the Prophet Esay Esa. 5.25 so as wee must needes bee consumed by it So then if wee will not haue the Maiestie of our God terrible vnto vs but rather that wee may goe vnto him let vs looke that wee glorifie him in all our life and not giue him cause to kindle his wrath against vs Deut. 32.21 nor prouoke him vnto ielousie For then doeth he tell vs that he will prouoke vs to ielousie likewise Rom. 10. â—9 by casting vs froÌ„ him by taking another people in our place Wherfore let vs looke that wee persist in the vocation whereunto he hath called vs and that wee kindle not his vengeance against vs. And seeing he hath once vttered his goodnesse and manifested himselfe vnto vs in our Lord Iesus Christ let vs not doubt but that he on his side will continue to make vs feele the same still if wee on our side continue in glorifying him Now let vs kneel down before y e maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better than we haue done so as wee may bee sorie for them and depart from them by the power of his holy spirit And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the iij. of Iune 1555. The xxvj Sermon which is the eight vpon the fourth Chapter 27 And the Lorde God shall scatter you among the Heathen and ye shall remaine fewe in nomber among the Nations whither the Lord will bring you 28 And there ye shall serue gods which are the worke of mans hand wood stone which neither see nor heare eate nor smell 29 And there thou shalt seeke the Lorde thy God and thou shalt finde him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule 30 And when thou art in tribulation and all these thinges are come vpon thee in the end thou shalt returne vnto the Lord thy God and obey his voyce 31 For the Lord thy God is a merciful God he will not forsake thee nor destroy thee nor forget the Couenant of thy fathers which he sware to them WEe haue saide heretofore that Gods vsing of the similitude of fire is not to dismay vs in such sort as we should not come vnto him but contrariwise to make vs come to him with reuerence For what shoulde it boote men to bee striken in such terrour as shoulde make them shrinke away from GOD and loth to haue any thing to do with him Againe we know that our Lorde hath not any other marke or intent Ezec. 18.23 than to winne vs to him and to drawe vs to saluation Nowe the onely meane thereof is to goe right foorth vnto him and to bee ioyned vnto him Wherfore let vs beare well in minde this lesson that Gods intent is not to scare vs in such wise as we should shun him and that is the thing which we haue to gather at this time vpon that which is rehearsed here For the threate that Moses giueth here is hard but yet it serueth to bring the people backe to God If thou disobey the voyce of the Lord thy God saieth he thou shalt bee scattered Flatter not thy selfe w t his choosing of thee from among all other Nations to bee his inheritance nor with his giuing of thee this lande in possession for he can well ynough bereaue thee of all these benefites Yet notwithstanding hee addeth that if God see repentance in his people after he hath chastised them he will bring them againe deale fauourably with them so as they shall feele him to bee a mercifull God and such a one as powreth not out his rigor with extremitie vpon offenders when he seeth that they bee not vtterly past amendment What is to be done then First of all when wee heare this sentence which God gaue in olde time vppon his people let vs learne to beware that wee abuse not his goodnesse Let vs goe to him with all humilitie while he allureth vs by gentlenesse as the Apostle declareth in the Epistle to the Hebrewes He. 12.18.22 For there he saieth that wee bee not come to Mount Sinay where there was nothing but flashes of Lightening and Thundercraks and where the people were so amazed as they looked for present death What remaineth then Behold saith he God calleth vs by his Gospell to the intent wee should bee fellowes with the Angels with the spirits of the faithful and that we should bee verie Citizens of his kingdome Seeing it is so saieth he let vs enter into the heauenly Ierusalem for our God is a consuming fire It should seeme at the first sight that there is some contrarietie in these two sayings That wee should come boldly and after an assured maner to our God and also that he should bee a consuming fire But both these agree verie well togither For first the Apostle sheweth that wee ought not to be so afraide of the Maiestie of our God as that wee should shunne him but rather consider that there is nothing in him but gentlenesse But yet therewithall wee must knowe also that wee must worship him vnfainedly or else
in saying it is the loue of God For it is not ynough for vs to knowe that God hath chosen vs to himselfe but we must also know what it is that moued him thereto and how he was induced thervnto Did hee seeke the cause of it out of himselfe No but his owne loue was the cause that he chose vs. Nowe when the scripture speaketh of Gods loue it meaneth that free fauor which he beareth towards vs so as he respecteth not our persons nor seruices nor aught else that wee can bring Sith it is so let vs consider here Gods goodnes two wayes For first of al when we haue his Gospel preached among vs and his Sacraments whereby he gathereth vs as it were into his fold and sheweth himselfe to be our shepherd it is say I a choosing of vs for the which wee be greatly bounde vnto him in so much that our maliciousnesse must needes be cast in our teeth and bee called to account to receiue horrible veÌ„geance if we make no reckening of so great a grace as he hath bestowed vpon vs. Therefore let vs make much of the benefite that we inioy Deâ—â— â—â— that is to wit of Gods gathering vs heere together in his name to bee as his houshold folke But there is yet a seconde choosing which is when euerie of vs perceiueth that God hath inlightened him by his holie spirit and made vs to tast his worde so as wee sticke to it by fait and that hee hath graffed vs into the bodie of Iesus Christ Rom. â—â— Eph. 5â— to the ende we shoulde bee taken held for members of him which thing wee must vnderstand commeth not of our selues nor of our owne power but of Gods will which vouchsafed to marke vs out And why Let vs not make long circuits to finde some reason in our selues but let vs holde vs contented with the free loue of our God for hee is not bounde to any man Hee might destroye all mankinde by his iustice but yet for all that he hath pitie vpon vs. And wheras he pitieth not all alike but letteth whom hee list alone therein he intendeth to giue the greater shewe of his goodnesse as I haue said alredy to the ende that wee shoulde compare our selues with others and say Wherfore am I one of gods elect wherefore hath God chosen mee to himselfe I shoulde haue beene as other men are if God had not reached me his hand And what moued him to do it His owne meere goodnesse This comparison then must induce vs to glorifie our God when we see that he hath stretched out his mighty arme ouer vs. And so we see that that doctrine was not vttered onely for the instruction of the people of old time but that the same is common to vs also at this day Remember saith Moses that thy God hath chosen thee And why Because hee loued thy fathers And the same also is the cause why that in that high and excellent redemption which was made by our Lorde Iesus Christ the scripture sendeth vs to the loue of God for that is the onely welspring God so loued the worlde that hee spared not his onely sonne Iohn 3.16 What is the cause then that Iesus Christ is come to bee our Sauiour What is the cause that the saluation which he purchased for vs is preached nowadayes vnto vs What is the verie cause that faith is giuen vs and that God inlighteneth vs by his holy spirit We must alwayes resort to this grounde that it is because God loued vs. It is true that Saint Iohn saith generally that hee loued the worlde And why For Iesus Christ offereth himselfe generally to all men without exception to be their redeemer It is saide afterwarde in the couenant that God loued the world when he sent his only sonne but he loued vs vs I say which haue beene taught by his Gospel because he gathereth vs to him And the faithful that are inlightened by the holy Ghost Eph 1.9 Rom. 8.16 Gal. 4.6 Eph. 13.14 haue yet a thirde vse of Gods loue in that he reueileth himself more familiarly to theÌ„ and sealeth vp his fatherly adoption by his holy spirit and ingraueth it in their hearts Now then let vs in al cases learn to know this loue of God when we be once come to it let vs goe no further Thus we see three degrees of the loue that god hath shewed vs in our Lord Iesus Christ. The first is in respect of the redemption that was purchased in the person of him that gaue himselfe to death for vs Gal. 3.13 and became accursed to reconcile vs to God his father That is the first degree of loue which extendeth to al men inasmuch as Iesus Christ reacheth out his armes to call and allure all men both great and small and to win them to him But there is a speciall loue for those to whom the gospel is preached which is y t God testifieth vnto them that he wil make them partakers of y e benefite that was purchased for them by the death and passion of his sonne And forasmuch as we be of that number therefore are we dubble bound alreadie to our God here are two bonds which hold vs as it were strait tyed vnto him Now let vs come to the third bonde which dependeth vpon the thirde loue that God sheweth vs which is that he not only causeth the gospel to be preached vnto vs but also maketh vs to feel the power therof so as we know him to be our father sauiour not douting but that our sins are forgiuen vs for our Lord Iesus Christes sake who bringeth vs the gift of the holy Ghost to reforme vs after his owne image When as God doth so imprint in our harts the doctrine that is preached vnto vs by the mouthes of men let vs vnderstand that he sheweth vs a third loue True it is that to speake properly God hath not diuers affections wee must not imagine so but I handle these matters according to our capacitie and wee must consider of Gods loue according to our slendernesse because wee cannot attaine to his high maiestie as is said afore and therfore euen he himselfe also vttereth himselfe to vs according to our abilitie And so wee see now that Gods loue is vttered and shewed vnto vs euidently three wayes in our Lorde Iesus Christe Col. 3.10 the cheefe whereof are when wee haue the gospell preached and that faith is added vnto it therewithall And as I saide when wee once haue this free loue of God we must goe no further For we see what hath happened to all such as haue not held themselues in such sobernesse And surely when men are inquisitiue why God loueth some more than othersome it proceedeth of a certain pride and spyte in that they cannot abide that the whole praise of their saluation should rest in god alone Men seeke alwayes to challenge somwhat to themselues And therefore
specially wheÌ„ his word is preached as is said by the Prophet Esay Esa. 66.2.5 For so shall wee shewe not onely in wordes but also in deede that wee be true beleeuers and God also will auowe vs for his people and in the end gather vs into the heritage of the kingdome of heauen Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him not to impute those vnto vs which we haue committed heretofore but that it may please him so to reforme vs to himselfe as our whole seeking may bee to honour him and to giue our selues to his seruice y t he may dwell among vs and our Lorde Iesus raigne ouer vs both by his holy spirit and by his woord And so let vs all say Almighty God heauenly father c. On Thursday the xx of Iune 1555. The xxxiiij Sermon which is the fifth vpon the fifth Chapter 12 Keepe the day of rest to hallowe it as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thee 13 Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy businesses 14 But the seuenth day is the rest of the Lorde thy God Thou shalt not doe any worke therein AFter that he had spoken of the pure worshipping and seruing of GOD to the glorifying of his name without taking of it either in othes or in other thinges otherwise than in way of honour nowe mention is made of Gods seruice accordingly as he hath required it in his lawe and of the order which he hath set downe for the faithfull to exercise themselues in As for example the Sabaoth or day of rest was a figure partly to shewe that men could not serue God duetifully but by mortifying all that euer is of our owne nature and by dedicating themselues therewithall in such sort vnto him as they may bee as it were quite separated from the world Secondly the day of rest was a Ceremonie to bring the people togither that they might heare the Lawe and call vppon the name of GOD and offer the sacrifices and all other thinges that concerne the spirituall gouernment Thus then wee see nowe after what sorte the Sabaoth day was spoken of but yet would it not be well vnderstoode without distinction and without laying forth of the said two partes by peece meale Therefore we haue to note that the Sabaoth or day of rest was a shadow vnder the Law till the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ to doe meÌ„ to vnderstand that God requireth that they should vtterly ceasse from their owne workes and that is it which I meant in one word when I said y t we must mortifie all that euer is of our own nature if wee will conforme our selues to our God And that it is so Saint Paule declareth and besides that wee haue recordes ynow thereof in the newe Testament But it shall suffice to haue alledged that which is most apparant namely to the Colossians Col. 2.17 where it is saide that wee haue the substance and the body of the thinges that were vnder the Lawe wee haue it sayeth he in Iesus Christ. And therefore it was requisite for the fathers of old time to bee trained in this hope as well by the day of rest as by some other Ceremonies But nowe that the thing it selfe is giuen vnto vs wee must no more stay vppon the shadowes In deede the lawe is not so abolished but that we ought to holde still the substance and trueth of it Matt. 5.18 Eph. 2.15 Col. 2.14.17 but yet is the shadowe of it done away by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ If it bee demaunded how the fathers of olde time knewe that Moses hath giuen vs vnderstanding thereof as is shewed sufficiently in the Booke of Exodus Exod. â—â— 17. For God hauing set foorth his Lawe in the twentieth of Exodus which hee vttered vnto Moses telleth him to what ende it tended saying that he had ordeyned the Sabaoth daye to bee as a warrant of the sanctifying of the people of Israel vnto him It is sayeth he a badge of my holynesse which I haue ordayned among you Now when as the scripture speaketh to vs of being made holy vnto GOD it is to separate vs from all thinges that are contrarie to his seruice But where is such purenesse to bee founde Wee bee in the worlde and wee knowe that in the worlde there is nothing but vtter frowardnesse and naughtinesse as sayeth Saint Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle 1. Ioh. â—â—â— But men neede not to goe out of themselues to haue battell against God and his righteousnesse for all our senses and all our affections sayeth Saint Paule in the eyght to the Romanes are enemies vnto God Rom. â—â—â— When men giue heede to their owne thoughts desires likings and lustes they make open warre against God Wee knowe howe it is tolde vs in the sixth of Genesis that all that euer man can imagine is alwayes euill Gen. â— â— and that all that euer man deuiseth in himselfe and hath of his owne store is vtterly vntowarde and corrupt afore God So then wee see well that wee cannot bee sanctifyed to our God that is to say wee cannot serue him vndefyledly except wee bee separated from the defylings that are contrarie to him and that the thinges which are of our owne nature bee abolished Nowe it was requisite that all these thinges should bee figured to the auncient fathers bicause Iesus Christ was not yet fully reuealed vnto them But wee in these dayes haue the full accomplishment and performance of all thinges in Iesus Christ. And for proofe thereof Roâ— â—â— Saint Paule saieth that the olde man is crucified with him Whereas Saint Paul speakes after that sort of the olde man he meaneth the things that we haue from Adam all which must be rypened and done away Not as touching the substance of our bodie or of our soule but as touching y e naughtines that is in vs. The blindnes that maketh vs to go astray and the wicked lustes likings which are vtterly disobedient to Gods rightuousnesse must be beaten downe bicause they be drawen froÌ„ Adam And how is that done Not by our owne power or policie but by our Lorde Iesus Christ 1. Cor. â— who by dying for vs Rom. â—â— to wipe away our sinnes y t they might no more bee imputed vnto vs hath also purchased vs this prerogatiue y t by y e power of his holy spirit we be able to forsake the world our selues so as our fleshly affectioÌ„s shall not ouermaister vs. And although we be ful of disobedience yet shall Gods spirit ouerrule vs to hold them downe to keep theÌ„ in awe And therefore it is sayd y t wee be risen againe with him Col. 2.12 as S. Paul declareth lykewise in y e forealledged text to y e Colossians But this was not yet manifested vnder y e Law Therfore it was requisit y t the fathers which liued at
Christ that wee may bee renued to serue our GOD throughly But yet in the mean while we haue need of some policie and order among vs. Therefore it is expedient that there bee a day of rest for vs to meete together that we be confirmed in the doctrine of God and profite daily therein that is to say all the time of our life and also bee occupied in calling vppon his name and in making confession of our faith and that therewithall the residewe of the day be spent in considering the benefits that wee receiue from time to time at Gods hand that he may be the better glorifyed for them And now we haue to marke what is sayd in Moseses text Six dayes shalt thou labor sayth the Lorde This must not be taken as though God commaunded vs to labor It is true that we bee borne thereto and wee knowe that God intendeth not that wee should be idle while we liue in this world for hee hath giuen men handes and feete and cunning and wit Yea and euen before there was any sin Gen. 2.15 it is sayd that Adam was put into the garden to dresse it But the labor that men take now is a chastisement for sin For it is sayd vnto them Thou shalt eate thy bread in the sweate of thy browes that is a curse which is layd vppon all mankinde For wee be not worthie to inioy the state that was giuen to our first father which was to liue in pleasure without much troubling of himselfe Notwithstanding euen before sin came into the world and before we were condemned of God to this paynful and constreyned labor it behoued men to occupy themselues in some exercise And why For it is against our nature to be as vnprofitable blockes of wood So then it is very certeine that we must apply the whole time of our lyfe to some labor Neuerthelesse here is no precise commaundement giuen of laboring six dayes For in very deede there were other solemnities besides the Saboth day vnder the Lawe There were other feastes which might fall in the middest of the weeke But for as much as the number of them was small for they were but fower dayes in the yeere here is no mention made of them hee speaketh but only of the Saboth day And wheras it is sayd thou shalt labor sixe dayes our Lord sheweth vs that wee haue no cause to grudge of the giuing and bestowing of one day vppon him seeing he leaueth vs sixe for one As if he should say is it a great matter to you that I should chose out one day to be reserued wholy to my seruice so as ye shall doe nothing therein but reade and exercise yourselues in my lawe or heare the doctrine that shal be preached vnto you and come to the temple to be there confirmed by the sacrifices that shall be offered and to call vppon my name and to protest that you bee of the felowship of my people Shold this grieue you seing you haue sixe dayes free and whole to doe your businesse and affaires in Seing then that I deale so courteously with you as to require but one day of seuen is it not too great an vnthankâ—fulnesse if yee complayne of that time as though it were misbestowed as who shoulde say yee were so churlish and nigardly as to grudge mee the seuenth part of your time I giue you your whole life y e sunne neuer shineth vpoÌ„ you but you ought to consider my goodnesse that I am a freehearted father towardes you For I make my sunne to shine Psal. 104.22 â—3 to giue you light to goe by that euery of you might doe his businesse And why then should not I haue one day of seuen wherein euery man shall surcease from his owne businesse so as ye shall not be intangled in any worldly care but that ye may haue leasure to thinke vppon me We see then that this saying of laboring sixe dayes is not set downe as a coÌ„maundement but rather as a graunt that God maketh euen in way of vpbraiding men with their vnthankefulnesse if they doe not obserue the Saboth day and keepe it holy as is spoken of it here But hereof we may gather a good and profitable lesson which is that when we be slow to obey God we must coÌ„sider his benefits For what should more sharpen our desire to followe Gods commaundementes than to consider that hee dealeth not roughly with vs ne ouerpresseth vs not behold God coulde reine vs with a streite bit if it pleased him he could driue vs to so hard thinges as there should be no meanes to get out of them but hee hath a consideration to guide vs as a father doth his children Seing then y t he doth so beare with vs ought wee not to be the more prouoked to doe as he appointeth vs yes So then as oft as Gods commaundements are hard vnto vs or at leastwise seeme to bee so let vs assure our selues that hee doth not presse vs so much as hee could nothing neere For if God listed to vse his right with extremitie we should be tormented out of all measure Therefore let vs vnderstand that he beareth with vs and that hee vseth more than fatherly goodnesse in that behalfe It is true that the lawe of GOD is vnpossible vnto vs Ro. 7.14.15 insomuch that wee bee not onely vnable to obserue it throughout but also if a man would of his owne naturall power discharge himselfe to Godward he could not stirre one finger nor haue one good thought to know which way to begin And so farre off are wee from being able to obey GOD and to execute the thinges that are conteined in his lawe that all our thoughtes and affections are enmities against God Rom. 8.7 If men could through their owne power performe the Lawe it should bee sayd to them Labor thou But contrariwise it is sayd Rest yee to the end that God may worke The lawe then may well be vnpossible as in respect of vs but yet is it possible for GOD to printe it in our heartes and to gouerne vs by his holy spirit yea euen in such wise as it shall bee a sweete and light yoke vnto vs and there shall bee no hardnesse in it that may weary vs. Therfore when men haue looked well about them they shall finde that God beareth with them as a father that pitieth his children And therefore let vs learne to bee thankfull and to be the more forewarde to serue our God seeing hee commaundeth vs no such thinges as ought to seeme ouer bitter or paynefull to vs but hath a regarde of our abilitie Thus yee see what wee haue to marke vpon this text where our Lord sheweth that he leaueth men their commoditie True it is as was touched yesterday that wee ought to bee so spirituall as to assemble euery day to call vpoÌ„ the name of God and that we ought to mount vp to the heauenly lyfe leauing all
4.8.11 For in the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Apostle applieth this doctrine to all the faithful euen of purpose to withdraw them froÌ„ ouer great carefulnes he saieth Thy God will not forsake thee neither will he forget thee Now if we could once be throughly perswaded that God watcheth ouer vs and that he will prouide for al our necessities it is certaine that we should not bee so ouerplunged in our earthly affections wee should not bee turned away froÌ„ the seruing of him neither shold we be letted to minde the spirituall life but wee should passe through the world vse the creatures as though wee vsed them not bicause wee would consider that wee had yet further to goe Thus ye see the effect that we haue to gather of this lesson is that where our Lorde sheweth vs y t his commanding of the Saboth day to bee kept hath a spirituall meaning yet notwithstanding men shal not faile to finde the same profitable to them and that God will blesse them for it if they looke rightforth to him and be not too eagre in seeking their earthly commodities And by the way wee bee warned that if any haue authoritie ouer others they must not despise their neighbors though they be their inferiours And this reacheth very farre For wee must not interprete it onely of menseruants and womenseruants but also of the poore of such as are not of authoritie or estimation of all vnderlings subiects of all such as to our seeming are not worthy to be compared or matched with vs in respect of the worlde For wee see what the pride of men is Although there be no cause why we should aduaunce our selues yet doth euerie of vs couet some preheminence Now then if we be so high minded that euerie of vs could finde in his heart to ouerpeere his neighbour yea eueÌ„ though there be no reason why what will we do if we be aduanced in deede Looke vpon such as sit in seat of Iustice they beare theÌ„selues in hand y t the whole world as ye wold say was made for none but theÌ„ except God bridle theÌ„ by his holy spirit shewe them y t they ought to walke in all maner of mildnes not oppresse those that are vnder their charge but rather behaue theÌ„selues as fathers account of their subiects as of their children yea that bicause God honoreth theÌ„ therefore they ought to liue in the greater humilitie As for those that preache Gods worde and haue y e charge to direct others if they think they ought to bee exempted from the common sort despise other men woe worth them For it were better for them to breake their neckes in going vp into the Pulpit than not to straine theÌ„selues to be the first y t should leade a godly conuersation liue quietly with their neighbors shew theÌ„selues to be sheepe of the flocke of our Lord Iesus Christ. But yet for all this it is true y t rich men may well be serued by the poore If a man haue menseruantes womenseruantes for wages he will not set his seruant aboue himselfe at the table neither will he lay him in his owne bed but yet notwithstanding all superioritie we must come to this point Gen. 9.6 y t we be knit togither as one flesh that all of vs are created after the image of God If we considered that as many as come of Adams race are our owne flesh bone ought it not to moue vs vnto kindnes though we were as wild beastes one to another When the Prophet Esay ment to reproue men for their vnnaturalnesse Esa. 58.7 he said thou shalt not despise thine owne flesh There ought I to behold my self as in a lookingglasse namely in as many men women as are in the world Marke y t for one point But there is yet more namely that the image of God is printed in all men Therefore whensoeuer I goe about to oppresse any man I not only despise mine owne flesh but also hurte Gods image as much as in mee lyeth So then let vs mark well that by this text God meant to shewe to all such as are in authoritie estimation and to all such as are richer than others to all such as are in any degree of honour that they ought not to abuse those y t are vnder their hand nor to vex or tormeÌ„t theÌ„ out of measure but euermore to beare in minde how wee bee all descended of Adams race are all of one kinde yea that al of vs haue Gods image printed in vs. That is the thing which we haue to note specially now that our Lorde Iesus Christ is come downe to vs and hath abased himselfe to condemne all pride Phil. 2.7 and to shew that there is none other meane to serue God than w t lowelines 1. Cor. 12.13 Ga. 3.27.28 moreouer hath made vs all members of his body as well seruants vnderlings as maisters superiors so as there is no distinction in y t behalf When we come to our Lord Iesus Christ and haue an eye to him wee must follow him And seeing that all of vs both great and small are members of his bodie and hee is our head it is good reason that euerie of vs should fashion himselfe like to his neighbors And besides that seeing that God hath shewed himselfe a father more familiarly to vs than he did to them that liued vnder the Lawe let the same mooue vs to maintaine brotherly loue among vs. Thus ye see further what we had to remember vpon this place Howbeit there is yet one poynt more concerning Gods ordaining of this monument to put the Iewes in rememberaunce That they had bent as wretched bondslaues in the land of Egypt And wee knowe that they were naughtily and cruelly handled there Now forasmuch as they would faine haue bin borne withall in y e case and God hearkened to them wheÌ„ they sighed and groâ—ed Exod. â—â— therefore doeth he tell theÌ„ that they also ought to doe the like to others And this containeth a good lesson which is y t if wee consider our selues we may continually be induced to discharge our dueties On the contrarie part if we be cruell towards our neighbors it is bicause wee bee as ye would say besotted in our own ease think not vpon our wretchednes miserie He y t hath suffered hunger and thirst bicause he hath longed to bee succoured at his neede will thinke thus with himselfe when he sees a poore man Go to I my selfe haue bene in the like necessitie and I would haue bin glad to haue bin succored mee thought that other men ought to haue had pitie vpon me to releeue me Now say I if a man bethinke him of such things when he beholdeth a poore man in neede will it not make his heart to relent Yes verily but what for that When we be at our ease we
bicause wee bee so corrupt and frowarde that all our thoughtes and affections goe the contrarie way it may please him to reforme vs by his holy spirit and to draw vs in such wise vnto him as we renouncing the world and despising these mortall and transitorie things may mount vp to the heauenly kingdome where we shall haue all contentation and rest And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the iiij of Iuly 1555. The xl Sermon which is the eleuenth vpon the fifth Chapter 20 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour WEe haue seene heretofore that it is not lawfull for vs in anye wise to vexe our neighbours in their persons or to do them any domage in their goods Notwithstanding for as much as harme may bee doone by the tongue God hath vouchsafed to make mention of y t also in his Law as we see in this text Now then like as heretofore he forbad the doing of any outrage to our neighbors which thing he comprehended vnder y e word Murther likewise all grieuing of them and all anoying of them by any meanes in their goods so he sheweth here y t we must not speake euill of them nor vse any such words as may cast any blemish or staine vppon them It is true that he speaketh expressely of False witnesse howbeit that is according to the rule that I haue set downe namely y t he setteth forth the thinges formost which we ought most to mislyke to the intent wee shoulde mislyke the sinnes that come neere them Then if wee speake euill of our neighbors so as wee slaunder them although it bee not taken for a grieuous sinne before men yet doeth God take it for a false witnessing But here a mā might demaund a question why GOD speaketh here of false witnessing and periurie seeing he had alreadie said Thou shalt not take y e name of y e Lord thy God in vayne For it seemeth to bee a needlesse repetition For in so short a sum of y e law where there be not aboue ten sentēces it seemeth vnconuenient to repeate one thing twise But we must marke that the things which haue beene set downe heretofore concerning the not taking of Gods name in vayne were in the first table where GOD respected onely the Maiestie of his name to the intent it shoulde bee had in reuerence Therefore whensoeuer wee speake of God wee must thinke vppon the infinite glorie that is in him that wee may neuer open our mouth but with reuerence and humilitie And whether wee intend to sweare or to speake of him in any other wise wee must euer thinke that his name is to bee reuerenced and that wee must not fling it foorth at aduenture Thus much concerning the thinges that wee haue seene alreadie vppon this matter Now God speaketh of another thing namely of the not hurting or harming of our neighbours in any wise by our wicked tongue So then in as much as there is a dubble intent wee see nowe that these two sentences differ also that there is no superfluitie at all Wherefore let vs marke well that for as much as it is shewed here howe men ought to liue togither charitably and vprightly although Gods name be dishonoured by lewd witnessing yet the lawe is not superfluous which saieth That we must not beare false witnesse against our neighbours I tolde you before that Gods meaning here is to condemne generally all slaunders all false reportes all diffamations and all other such like things Leuit. 19.16 17. And for proofe therof it is expressely saide in another place Thou shalt not bring vp any euill reporte nor speake euill on thy neighbour to cast any blot vppon him If the Law of God containe all perfection of good life it insueth that this also is comprehended therein And where shall wee put it but vnder this sentence Therefore wee must conclude that although GOD haue peculiarly set down here the name of False witnesse yet notwithstanding hee meant to extend the doctrine thereof to all slaunders misreportes and crooked speeches that tend to the diffaming or defacing of our neighbours or to the hurting of their good name Wee see then that Gods meaning here is to keepe vs in good friendship one towards another and that so farre as he suffereth not any man to bee impeached any more in his name than in his person or his goods Therefore whosoeuer diffameth his neighbour or in any wise backebyteth him doeth to the vttermost of his power breake the bond of charitie among men and proclaime open warre And if we consider all thinges well it is certaine that sometimes misreportes slaunders and backebytings doe much more harme than robberies Wherefore let vs vnderstand that if wee minde to obey our God wee must maintaine the honestie and honour of our neighbours to the vttermost of our power For seeing he hath forbidden vs to hurt any mans good name it is his will on the contrarie part that wee should indeuour to preserue all mens honesties For it is not ynough to abstaine from dooing of euill Psal. 34.15 vnlesse a man doe good therewithall Now must we proceede by the degrees which God meant to set out vnto vs in this place speaking of False witnesse The first then is to beware that wee vtter not any false report Lye or periurie in place of Iustice whereby to hurt them whose honestie honour and welfare we be boūd to procure For hee that beareth false witnesse against his neighbour doeth kill him and robbe him as much as in him lyeth and doeth all the euill that may growe of his periurie In deede most commonly men thinke it not to bee so but yet is it so in trueth And for the same cause did God expressely command in his Lawe that the witnesse should be the first in executing the partie that was to bee punished for any misdeede Deut. 〈…〉 to the intent a man might knowe that their words and their tongues put him to death and that the witnesses themselues might stande the more in awe consider y t they should yeeld account vnto God of their witnesse bearing against any man Therfore when any euidence is to bee giuen it standeth euery man in hand to looke neerely to himselfe that he inlarge not his conscience but speake the thing simply plainly which he knoweth to be true before God But the case concerneth not onely the giuing of false euidence in matters of life death but also in all matters that touch mens honour honestie good name or goods Therefore let vs haue a care to preserue the honour and welfare of our neighbour in all respectes when we be to beare witnesse Yet notwithstanding wee must not vnder this colour cloake the offence of him that hath doone amisse or lye against God to maintaine his good state For if the honour of men bee precious vnto vs howe much more precious ought Gods
as wee bee when he seeth that wee haue no minde of him and that euen his benefites are an occasion vnto vs to dispise him so as wee turne them the cleane contrarie way frō the lawfull vse wherevnto hee had ordained them Might hee not iustly leaue vs in that state as cursed creatures and vnwoorthy that euer hee shoulde open his mouth to speake to vs Yes and yet for all that he commeth to seeke vs. Beholde saieth he I knowe yee bee inclined to forget mee when I haue fed you well and fat and the more abundance that you haue the more ye refuse to come to me and therefore ye deserue to be shaken off that I should neuer remember you any more Yet notwithstanding my desire is not that you should perish but that ye should returne vnto mee What naughtinesse or lewdnesse so euer I espie in you I am contented to take you still for my children I will preuent the vices whereto you bee giuen therefore take heede y t ye forget me not when you be at your ease Seeing that our Lord beareth with vs after that fashion ought it not to breake our hearts though they were harder than stone So then first of all let vs mistrust prosperitie In deede we couet it for the loue thereof wee shun the things that are hard and combersome If we suffer hunger and thirst it grieueth vs we neuer leaue storming vntill God haue prouided for it but yet for all y t it would be more for our profit oftentimes to indure hunger than to haue abundance Howsoeuer the case standeth whensoeuer God bestoweth his benefites vpon vs let vs haue prosperitie in suspitiō as I said afore Not that it ought of it selfe so to deceiue vs blindfold our eyes as wee should not knowe God but for that it behoueth vs to perceiue our owne nature to be so sinfull and euill giuen as we cannot profit our selues by any of the benefites which we receiue at Gods hand Yea and we see howe euen Salomon was afraide to bee ouerriche Prou. 30.9 for feare of aduauncing himselfe against God least he should despise him and forsake him See here howe Salomon who was indued with so excellent giftes of grace did neuerthelesse see the frailtie of man to bee such that when he had all y t his heart could wish yet he might forget himselfe be ouersotted as he should fall to renouncing of God by aduauncing himselfe against him Phil. 2.12 Now then let vs liue in feare and aw and if God giue vs not such aboundaunce as we would desire but doe cutte our morsels very small let vs vnderstande that the same is for our benefite in that wee haue neede to bee dyeted for feare least fatnesse stoppe our eyes and so make vs starke blinde If wee thinke well vppon this it will make vs to beare pouertie the more patiently When wee want our pleasures and delyghtes when wee want our delicate morselles and when wee want abundance to fill our selues withall let vs knowe that our Lorde hath a regarde to holde vs in awe by that meane for we shoulde bee in daunger of forgetting him if we shoulde growe too fatte And therefore when wee haue wealth at will let vs bethinke vs thus why was it sayde to the people of Israel forget not thy GOD when thou hast thy fill It was bicause men can not brouke their wealth in so much that if they haue all that they haue neede of yea and mor◠too they ouershoot themselues they play the loose coltes they arme themselues against GOD and they haue no more care of him Is the winde in that doore Let vs learne to haue God alwayes before our eyes so as if he deale graciously with vs and giue vs more than he doeth to other men wee may haue the skill to consider See howe my God commeth to me and to what intent but that I shoulde bee as it were brooded vnder his wings and liue obediently towardes him honouring him and referring my whole life to the glorifying of his holy name so as it may bee as a bond whereby to binde mee straytlyer vnto him than others on whome hee hath not bestowed the lyke benefites as he hath doone vppon mee Thus ye see that both poore and riche ought to tend to God-ward eche one according to his degree Againe the comparing of the people of Israel with our selues ought to quicken vs vp yet better to stand vppon our garde It is said when the Lorde thy GOD shall haue giuen thee thy fill And of what goods Of wyne which thou shalt haue gathered of other mens labours and of all other thinges to lyue by which thou haste not earned when thy God shall haue fedde thee so of his owne free goodnesse see thou forget him not If the people of Israel myght forget GOD hauing had most apparant recordes of the fauour that was shewed vnto them what will become of vs which are helde here vnder the common order of nature For wee haue no myracles to spurre vs foorth to Godwarde wee haue not a lande of Chanaan as a speciall elected and chosen dwelling place And therefore wee myght easilyer forget GOD than that people coulde if wee shoulde not remember this present lesson earely and late And for as much as wee see our owne coldnesse let vs learne to matche the spirituall benefites as well which God hath bestowed vppon vs heeretofore as which we looke for heereafter with the thinges that pertaine to the maintenaunce of this transitorie lyfe True it is that although wee thought vppon no more than the thinges that are giuen vs for this bodie yet were wee sufficiently bounde to God yea and a hundred folde more than wee coulde discharge our selues of Notwithstanding besides all this our Lorde giueth vs cause ynough to serue him in that he graunteth vs so many spirituall benefites that belong to the sauing of our soules whereof wee haue a portion alreadie Eph. 2.8 Rom. 7. For whereof commeth fayth wherof commeth it that wee bee graffed into the bodie of our Lorde Iesus Christ by being baptized in his name and that wee bee taken into Gods housholde to bee auowed for his children Whereof come these thinges but of his giuing of the spirit of adoption vnto vs Eph. 1.5 2 Gal. 4.6 Eph. 2.14 to the intent wee should call vppon him as our father bee assured of the heauenly heritage stande in awe of him and liue according to his woord And is not this dooing of his a speciall gift Yes and yet besides this there is a lyfe prepared for vs whereof wee haue but onely a taste as yet For wee haue receiued as yee would say some first fruites of it but wee shall not haue the full fruition of it vntill God haue taken vs quite and cleane away to himselfe it is ynough for vs as nowe that we followe after it aloofe Now then sith we see that besides y e
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
be of his Church in which respect we be say I more bound vnto him than were the Iewes Now it is true y t gods writing of his law in two tables of stone as I haue declared already heretofore specially in the first place was to y e intent y t his doctrine should abide sure For he had an eye to y e cōmon trade among men who vpon the making of leags alliances are wont to haue thē ingrauen in stone or brasse After y e same maner it was Gods wil y t his law should for y e better continuance therof be grauen in two stones Ye see then how God doth as it were passe a solemn couenant Neuerthelesse wee must therwithall also come to the figure namely y t the writing of the law after y t fashion in a cupple of stones serued to shew y t it was not ynough for folke to haue y e law giuen thē to vnderstand it vnlesse it were ingrauen in their hearts For we must come to y e similitude y t is made by y e prophets For although God shewed his law to be sufficiently authorised by vouchsafing to ingraue it so in these stones yet did he giue an incling y t that would nothing boote verily because y e true tables wherein it behoueth vs to write the doctrine of God are our harts howbeit not as they be by nature For what maner of ones are they Euē of stone as it is said of them in Ezechiel So then let vs marke that y e letter of y e law is nothing worth Ezec. 11.19 36.26 vntil god worke in vs by his holy spirit And that is the cause why he hath promised to make a newe couenant Ier. 31.32.33 not after the maner y t hee made it with the fathers for that continued not saith he And why Hee sheweth y t the blame fault therof is in men be cause they turne away runne at rouers as soon as God hath called them neuer follow him at all Although they pretend to make great account of his grace yet is there no stedinesse in them but rather vtter lightnesse for by and by they fling away after their own wicked affectiōs The couenant of God then yea though it were written in stones could not hold them in And why so Not for that God abode not faithful on his part or that hee persisted not to shewe that his choosing of Abrahās linage was not in vaine but for that they were bereft disappointed of that great benefite dispossessed of Gods freebestowed new againe But there were fourtie yeares betweene the one and the other For Aaron dyed at such time as the people had outworne their terme of fourtie yeares during which time god had forfended them the lande of promise Now in the ende of that terme Aaron was depriued of the dignitie of the priesthood and Eleazer his son was made highpriest in his stead But here Moses comprehendeth all that had bin done by the space of fourtie yeares from the publishing of the lawe vnto the verie same day that he exhorted the people to put themselues in better readinesse to enter into their inheritance than they had beene in at the beginning He telleth them that although there had happened many changes in the meane time yet had God in effect prouided that his lawe was to bee had alwayes in estimation to be honored and that the world might perceiue that his maiestie was therein that all men ought to submit thēselues thereunto And for that cause doth Moses say that hee had chosen the children of Leuye notwithstanding that Aaron had sinned For to what ende doeth Moses speake here of his brothers death Euen to make it knowen that God had shewed fauour towardes the trybe of Leuye as well as towards all the rest of the people The trybe of Leuye was chosen to offer sacrifice it was a prerogatiue which God had giuen them And were they worthie of it Could they boast themselues to haue beene more worthie than their brethren It is true that they executed vēgeance vpon the ydolaters but yet was Moses faine to call them to him and to command them to sanctifie their handes Exod. 32.29 Yee must hallowe your hands to the Lord sayth he howe in slaying those that haue so grieuously offended and been an occasion of turning all thinges vpside downe This day therfore it behoueth you to vtter what zeale ye haue towards the maintenance of gods honour and to sanctifie his name without sparing of your own brethrē or your neerest neighbours forasmuch as they haue so defaced Gods glorie to the vttermost of their power therefore they must be vtterly rooted out The Leuites did well execute the thing that Moses cōmaunded them Exo. 32.2.4 but yet did the high priest Aaron make the golden calfe True it is that hee withstoode it or at leastwise consented not to it but yet did he swarue at length by graunting the peoples importunate request and therefore was he faine to beare the punishment which GOD tolde him of saying thou shalt not come within the land which I will giue vnto my people Albeit that he represented the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ Hebr. 5.1 ◠and was a figure of him although he was a mediatour betweene God and men so as he made intercession for the sinnes of the people offered sacrifices for the reconciling of them to the maiesty of God yet was he banished out of that lande to his shame hee dyed hee was stripped out of his robes before his death hee was as a man disgraded and God left him as a dishonoured person and as a man defaced with perpetuall reproche Now if God extended such punishment vppon the person of Aaron what had they deserued which were inferiors to him So then Moses telleth them that Gods choosing of the trybe of Leuye to carrie the Arke and to be occupyed about his seruice was not for that they were worthie of it Deut. 〈…〉 but because hee was minded to shewe the same thing to the successours of Leuye which he had spoken of the rest of the whole bodie of Abrahams ofspring namely that they had all things of his only free goodnesse That is the cause why the death of Aaron is rehearsed here But by the way we see that Moses spared not his own brother For here he repeteth the sentence y t God had giuen also executed against him y t was not for y e honor of his own house But what His meaning was y t God should be glorified men condemned Yea we see that his intent was not to conceale his owne fault but to shew that God had punished him for it though there were great cause of excuse in him al the blame was to haue bin layd vpon the people because his ouershooting of himselfe was but in y t one case that not through malice but
forgiuenes of sins as if they should drawe the wretched captiue soules out of the bondage of hell Ye see then how our Lorde Iesus Christ hath vttered the grace that was vnknowen vnto vs before but wee take small profite by it For although wee were baptised from our infancie yet when wee come to yeares of discretion whereby begin we to shew our selues to haue some witte but by choosing the euill as though wee ment to spite God wittingly And againe beside this when our Lord teacheth vs and reformeth vs by his worde so as he ceaseth not to shewe vs our faultes to the intent to tame vs and to daunt vs and to drawe vs to repentaunce howe dull are we vppon the spurre After what fashion deale we Are wee not so spytefull and stubborne as a man can not by any meanes win vs yes and therefore he is faine to sende vs many chastisements to make this present life to be as a wildernes to vs to wander vp and downe in with y e feeling of his wrath For all the miseries wherewith wee be hemmed in are remembrancers to make vs hang downe our heades and to make vs perceiue that we be wretched sinners that we be worthy not onely of temporall correction but also to be sunke downe into hell Yet notwithstanding this serueth not to driue vs to dispaire for we may well assure our selues y t God will receiue vs to mercy so we flee to our Lord Iesus Christ. For if Moses were heard who was a wretched sinner Rom. 5.17 Col. 1.20 what shall he be who hath all righteousnesse perfectly in him and to whoÌ„ authoritie is giuen to make full attonement betweene God and man Nowe theÌ„ seeing that our Lord Iesus Christ is appointed to be our mediator let vs not doubt but that although God holde vs in this worlde as poore banished wretches and withdrawe himselfe from vs and shrinke aside to outwarde appearaunce yet we be not bereft of the inheritaunce which he hath promised vs and purchased for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ. But howsoeuer wee fare let vs not tempt him nor abuse his patieÌ„ce but let vs wey wel this speech where Moses saith that he was hearde for that time also For it serueth to holde vs in awe that wee flatter not our selues when God beareth with vs but that we shoulde looke about vs to amende our faults and to bridle our wicked lustes that we giue not ourselues ouer vnto euill but hate it and abhorre it so as God may goe on with the thing that hee hath begunne in vs vntill he haue ridde vs quite and cleane of all worldly lettes and put vs in possession of the euerlasting life If wee doe so wee may boldely protest that we haue praysed God and that we haue giuen him such glorie as hee deserueth and wee haue cause to reioyce in that we were able to ouercome all the temptations and distrustes that coulde happen vnto vs and therefore wee shall not neede to doubt but that our good God is and will be mercifull to vs though we be not worthy of it Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to vouchsafe to make vs so to feele them as it may serue to mortifie vs daily more more that when we perceiue his displeasure we may flee to his goodnesse and mercy to obtaine fauour at his hande that beeing rid quite and cleane of our vices and spoâ—â—es we may bee so gouerned by the power of his holy spirite as we may become true sacrifices vnto him by dedicating our selues wholly to his glory through newnesse of life And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the xij of September 1555. The Lxxj. Sermon which is the third vpon the tenth Chapter 12 And nowe O Israell what doth the Lord thy GOD require of thee but that thou shouldest feare the Lord thy GOD and walke in all his wayes and that thou shouldest loue him and serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soule 13 And that thou shouldest keepe the commaundementes of the Lorde and his ordinaunces which I commaunde thee this day to the ende it may goe well with thee 14 Beholde the heauens and the heauens of heauens are the Lord thy Gods and likewise the earth and all that is therein HEre Moses proceedeth with the matter that we haue hard these dayes past that is to witte that God had vsed marueilous fauor towards his people in forgiuing them so many and so greeuous offences It was verie much that they were receiued to mercy so as they were not dispossessed of y e heritage that God had promised them Now Moses addeth here an other respect which serueth to make Gods great and infinite goodnes yet better knowen to giue it the greater beauty which is that he not onely forgaue the people the faults that they had done but also receiued them againe with so gentle and friendly coÌ„ditions as might set al meÌ„ in a wonder to thinke vpon it If a Citie or a countrie haue rebelled against their prince so as they haue broken their allegeance although he list not to vse extreeme rigor by putting all to fire and sworde but be coÌ„tented to graunt them their liues yet will he bereaue them of all their priuileges he wil lay fines and exactions vpon them he will perchance depriue them of their ancient liberties so as the wretched soules shall grone vnder the burden haue cause to remember their offence a hundred yeres after But Moses sheweth here that God dealt not so with the Iewes For when he had once pardoned their offence he delt with them as if they had neuer done amisse their state was as pleasant amiable as if they had obeied him in all points as became them And so ye see the intent of Moses in this place He had reported heretofore how he had bin heard nowe he addeth here What is it that the Lord requireth of thee He chargeth thee not with any amerciaments he layeth no punishment vppon thee he layeth no burden vpoÌ„ thee to beare thee down w t his only desire is y t thou shouldest loue him that thou shouldest honor him y t thou shouldest keepe his commandements And is this any profit to himselfe No. Euerywhit of it redoundeth to thine own benefite Was it not ynough to make this peoples heart to melt though they had bin the wickeddest in y e world when they might say wheras we had forsaken y e Lord broken the couenant that he had made with vs choseÌ„ an ydol in stead of him he hath not only forgiuen y t so hainous cryme bin coÌ„tented to take vs stil for his children to leaue vs the inheritance y t he had promised vs but also he gouerneth vs after such a fashion as it might seeme we had deserued al y e
forbearing for so hath God ordeyned And if any man say it is crueltie let him finde fault with God for it and wee shall see if he can preuaile On the other side if wee may well spit in such mennes faces notwithstanding that they saye that their so doing is to maintaine Gods honor what is to bee doone to such as will needes after a sort deface it quyte and cleane But let vs come backe againe to the matter There is a man that goes about to peruert the trueth thorough fonde deuotion and to turne it into vntrueth the same man ought to dye There is a Royster that casteth forth lewd scoffes against the holy Scripture as doeth that diuelish fellowe which is called Pantagruell and all his filthie and ribauldly writings and this sort of men pretende not to set vp any newe Religion as though they were deluded by their owne foolish imaginations but like madde dogges they belke out their filthinesse against the maiestie of God and their meaning is to ouerthrowe all religion and shoulde such bee spared Why not for they haue the Cardinalles for their vpholders they bee fauoured and maintained by them in so much that the names of these Lord Cardinalles are blazed in those goodly bookes which serue to mocke God as well as Mahomet All is one all may bee abidden so the Cardinalles bee curryed it is welynough and it doth them good to bee so registred whereby a man may see that they not onely mocke at all Religion but also coulde finde in their heartes to abolish all religion quite and cleane But herewithall let vs also see howe wee may apply this to our owne vse for wee must not onely condemne those that haue shewed themselues such as I haue spoken of but wee must also fare the better by their example to the end wee may knowe howe it is too wicked yea and too diuelish a thing that when men go about to make some backeslyding or to set some trouble among vs and much rather to driue away all feare of GOD and bee fauoured or shrowded or harkened vnto or haue any gappe left open to them or be let alone vnpunished it is the next way to vndoe and marre all And yet wee haue seene examples of such as haue maintained so cursed thinges yea and of such importance as the verie Papistes themselues coulde not endure them For it is certaine that the two heretikes that were here did wrest the holy Scriptures much more than the Papistes As touching this Triacle maker who was the first of them hee maintayned free will destroyed Gods election and are those thinges maintained among the Papistes Neuerthelesse wee see how he was fauoured hee was held vp by the chinne as it were in despite of God Againe as touching the seconde we knowe how he was so horrible a blasphemer that al mē abhorred his leawde opinions and yet for all that had he not his maintainers and defenders Yes for men shewed them more fauour than if they had beene the neerest of their kin And yet was it not euident that they conspired continually against God and his trueth to wage battel against him Therefore let vs looke neerlyer to our selues to conclude let vs vnderstād that when God hath giuen vs the grace to haue the certeintie of faith so as we be grounded vpō his worde wee must holde vs to it after such a sort that whensoeuer we see any bodie go about to trouble the order which God hath set wee may all set our selues against it and not tary till al agree in one but that whosoeuer of vs doth first perceiue the mischiefe the same doe discouer it out of hande and euery of vs do his duetie in such wise as such plagie persons bee not nourished among vs. For as I haue declared alreadie wee see there is such frailtie in vs that a verie little leauen will sower our whole batche of dowe 1. Cor 5.6 Gal. 5.9 and as soone as wee giue eare to Satans iuggling trickes by and by wee bee ouer-throwen and so intangled that in the ende wee bee carryed quite away from our God and from the true religion God therefore beeing acquainted with our frailtie meant to prouide for it by shewing vs that it behoueth vs to cut vp the wicked weedes out of hand Accordingly also as the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes sayeth that wee must not suffer any euill weedes to growe Hebr. 12.15 for they will marre the good corne and if the time bee foreslowed it wil bee too late afterwarde Then must wee not driue off till to morowe but euery of vs must quicken and stirre vp himselfe following the exhortation that is made vnto vs heere Moreouer seeing wee bee commaunded to plucke vp whatsoeuer is contrarie to the maiestie of God and whatsoeuer may peruert or put away the true religion let euery of vs see that hee so offer and dedicate himselfe to our God as wee may not thrust one another out of the right way If any man goe about to thrust mee out of the way beholde God commaundeth mee to rise vp against him and though it were mine owne brother my sonne or my wife yet is it sayde that I ought not to spare them Now then if I my selfe thrust others out of the way is it not a farre more heynous crime I shal be taken for an accessarie if I doe but conceale another bodies misbehauiour and I shewe my selfe a traytour to Godwarde Nowe then if I my selfe bee an author of euill howe deepe am I in So then if wee will correct other folkes misdealings so roughly let vs beare in minde that wee must in any wise holde our selues in the feare of God so as in cases concerning his honour wee bee not a stumbling blocke to driue wretched soules to destruction but rather indeuour to gather home the stray sheepe into the flocke to bring back the wanderers into the right way and to maintaine and further such as are in the good way alreadie and all of vs lende our helping handes one to another that wee may goe serue our God with one common accord Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to receiue vs into his fauor and that although wee be wretched sinners and vnworthie to come in his sight yet notwithstanding it may please him to accept of vs and to refourme vs in such wise by his holy spirite as all our life may bee imployed to his glorie and our whole seeking hencefoorth may bee to aduaunce the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ his sonne And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the xxj of October 1555. The Lxxxix Sermon which is the fourth vpon the thirteenth Chapter 12 If thou heare say that in any of the cities which the Lorde thy God giueth thee to dwell in 13 Some wicked men are gone from among
to the seruice of GOD so nowadayes they that haue the charge of teaching in the Church ought to be maintained with liuing likewise God hath made an euerlasting law thereof But yet moreouer we haue to note that the tithes were allotted to the Leuites as in recompence of their inheritance whereof they were depriued For God had promised the Land of Canaan to all the linage of Abraham by reason whereof the children of Leuie ought not to haue beene bereft of their portion Yet notwithstanding God bereft them of it And why did he so To the intent they should not toyle themselues in tilling the ground as other men do but giue themselues wholly to his seruice as became theÌ„ In respect whereof it was good reason that they should bee recompensed after another manner Truly this matter cannot be discoursed at large as now and therefore wee will delay the going through with it till to morrowe taking this breefe summe of it for a conclusion that our Lordes meaning in this place was to set downe a Lawe for the maintenance of his seruice And for that cause it was his minde that the Leuites should haue whereon to liue for they were the parties that had the charge to maintaine the pure religion and for that purpose were they dispersed throughout the whole land of Canaan to the end they should keepe the people in the purenesse of Gods seruice as we see the prophet Malachy speaketh of them saying y t they ought to be expounders of gods law as at whose mouth men ought to seeke what is good and lawefull The cause then why GOD hath not onely set downe this lawe but also repeated it is for that he will haue his seruice mainteined And because men are negligent in yeelding him his dewe he hath vouchsafed to repete the law againe which he had set downe before and besides that his intent was also to put vs in minde to honour him with al the goods which he bestoweth vpon vs in this life For surely if men eate and drinke without yeelding any honor vnto God they defile y e things which they receiue For y e true meane to sanctify meates is by faith praier saith S. Paul Without faith and prayer all things become vnclean to vs. 1. 〈…〉 And now ye see here how god coÌ„maÌ„deth men to offer vnto him their first fruites and tenthes And why is y t Bicause that by y e meanes folke were prouoked to say True it is y t the earth bringeth forth her fruites wee haue a good haruest and vintage we haue store of Oyle and viâ—telles who is he that giueth vs all these things Hath the earth a soule to determine with it selfe to nourish vs No it is God our father that doth it and therfore it is good reason that wee should haue regard of him consider how much we be bound vnto him Thus ye see how y t in the tithes and first fruits there was a solemne protestation y t whatsoeuer we haue we receiue it at gods haÌ„d therfore we ought to do him homage sacrifice therewith Which thing is then done when we pray vnto him to blesse them all and when wee shew effectually by our almesdeedes and such other like thinges that we be willing to offer all things vnto him which hee hath put into our handes and to vse them in such sorte as wee may haue a care to follow measure and to frame our selues to the sobrietie which hee hath commaunded vs. Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to vouchsafe to behold vs with pitie and not to impute vnto vs the great number of offences whereof wee bee guiltie before him but that it may please him to rid vs cleane from them euen by forgiuing them and moreouer to drawe vs so vnto him by his holy spirite as our whole seeking may bee to dedicate our selues throughly vnto him continuing throughout in his holy calling to the end And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the xxiiij of October 1555. The XCij. Sermon which is the third vpon the foureteenth Chapter 24 And if the way be too long so as thou canst not bring them because the place which the Lord thy God shall haue chosen to set his name in is too far from thee and that the Lord thy God haue blessed thee 25 Then shalt thou make it into monie and take the monie in thy hande and repayre to the place which the Lorde thy GOD shall haue chosen for himselfe 26 And thou shalt giue the monie for whatsoeuer thy heart desireth whether it be oxen or sheepe wine or straunge drinke or any other thing which thy heart liketh of And there feede thou on it in the presence of the Lord thy God and bee merrie both thou and thy householde 27 And thou shalt not forsake the Leuite that is within thy gates for he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee 28 At the three yeres end thou shalt gather together all the tythes of thine encrease of that yeare and lay it vp within thy gates 29 And then the Leuite which hath no part nor inheritance with thee and likewise the straunger the fatherlesse and the widowe which are within thy gates shal come and eate and be refreshed that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in all the workes of thy handes which thou doest FOrasmuch as Moses in speaking heretofore of first fruites and offeringes 〈◊〉 12.3.6 and freewill oblations had commaunded that they should be offered in Ierusalem or else in the place which God was then to choose now hee addeth that if a man dwelt too farre off from that place hee might make mony of the thinges that were to bee giuen for an offering vnto God and after the sale thereof buy the lyke thinges againe which should be wholy dedicated to God whatsoeuer they were Now I haue tolde you already how it was not for naught that God would haue one certeine place wherin to offer solemne sacrifices vnto him and to worship him for it serued to mainteine the vnitie of faith Insomuch that if euery trybe or at leastwise euery citie had had an Altar by themselues it had bin enough to haue made hauock of all and men could not haue continued in concord and brotherly loue Therefore it behoued the Temple to bee a meeting place for Gods people to the intent they should altogether acknowledge themselues to be but one bodie and vnderstand that they were bound all to one rule which is the lawe and all of them obey the same without any diuersitie of opinions or straunge maner of dealinges or ceremonies among them And in the same respect also were they commanded to offer in the Temple to the end that euery man shoulde not behaue himselfe after his owne deuotion as they terme it For when men will needes serue God after
such as haue need of our helpe if we haue abilitie wherewith to do it And if men play the thankelesse churles with vs in forgetting the good which we haue done them it is enough for vs that God alloweth our dealing and putteth it into his booke of accountes Also let vs bethinke our selues howe glad wee woulde haue beene of releefe if euer wee were in necessitie that the same may mooue vs to pitie and that we be not blinded with our wealth I say to such as haue abundance let them not lie weltring in their pleasures and withdrawe their hand from succoring the poore but let them coÌ„sider that if euer they themselues felt the want of these worldly goods they woulde bee glad that euerie man shoulde reach out his hande to releeue them and therefore let they themselues doe the like Yea and although wee had neuer felt any want yet let vs consider that want may fall vpon vs hereafter For what are we No man can exempt himself from the stroke of God that he should not be driuen to begge his breade yea though he had all the goods of the world Hereof we see great store of examples Seeing it is so let no man be proude of his goods but let vs al consider that we be men and let vs not despise our owne fleshe Esâ— 52 â— as is saide in the Prophete Esay And let vs not say what be the widowes what be the fatherles children what be y e strangers to vs But seeing that God offereth commendeth them to vs let vs assure ourselues that wee cannot haue any folkes more nighe vnto vs to whome to doe good For when wee weene to bind men vnto vs to haue recompence at their hande wee shall be disappointed at all assayes and good right it is that it shoulde be so But as for the thing that is put into Gods hand that cannot perishe nor bee lost Let vs marke then that Gods offering of the Straungers the widowes and the fatherles vnto vs is as if hee shoulde say he made them his baylifes to take vp his Rentes and Reuenewes Mat. 6.4 And when wee bee to doe him homage for the benefites which wee haue receiued at his hande let vs assure our selues that hee accepteth and auoweth al that euer is done to those whome hee speaketh off here by Moses Nowe we knowe what was done in the feast of Pentecost Act. â—â—â— namely that the holy Ghost was sent down vpon Christs disciples and that there was a kinde of renewing of the worlde to exalte the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ for there he vttered his power yea more than hee did in his resurrection For what had we bin the better for Christs rising againe in his own person if he had not powred out the grace of his holy spirite vppon his Church to shewe that hee was set at the right hande of God his father to fill all thinges and to dwell in vs and that he hath such soueraigne dominion ouer all thinges that wee be in safetie when we be in his protection And if wee looke well vppon the matter we shall find that the lawe was giuen the same time as after the Passeouer Exod. 1â— â—â— For it is saide that the people came to Sinay the thirde moneth after their departure out of Egypte the same day that they departed from Raphidin Nowe that was the first day of the moneth and the foureteenth day was the day of the Passeouer And according as the moonethes were as then which went by the course of the Moones there was one whole mooneth added And so in effect there were fiftie dayes from the Passeouer to Gods setting foorth of his lawe vppon Mount Sinay so as the feast of Pentecoste or Witsontide was referred to that time Now we know that the lawe coulde do men no good if it were but onely giuen them 2. Cor. â— 6.7 Rom. 7. â— for it is a deade letter And againe it killeth vs because it sheweth vs our duetie and wee be all transgressors of it so as it condemneth and accurseth vs. What are men the better then for the publishing of the Lawe Nothing at all but that it sheweth them howe they bee bereft of all hope of saluation and that they be all damned before God And that is the cause why Saint Paul saith Rom. 8.15 that the Iewes at that time receiued the spirite of bondage in terrour and feare saith he Exod. 19.16 20.19 It is sufficiently shewed in the ninteenth of Exodus how the Lawe afrighteth those that receiued it For they went backewarde and entreated that God would speake to them by the mouth of Moses because they could not heare his voyce but they must needes die for it Ye see then that the Lawe taught men the will of GOD. But what Forasmuch as wee be cleane contrarie to his goodnesse and righteousnesse the lawe of it selfe can yeeld nothing but death accordingly also as Saint Paul speaking thereof in the seconde to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3.6 saith that it is a letter which killeth Therefore it behooued the lawe to be renewed and that God shoulde publishe it after an other fashion not writing it in tables of stone but in our heartes by chaunging them For by nature our harts are as hard as stone as it is said by the Prophet Ezechiel 2. Cor. 3.3 Ezec. 11.19 37.26 Therefore must God be faine to soften them to make theÌ„ plyable y t they may be obedient to his lawe Ye see then howe the lawe was published after an other fashion vppon Whitsonday than it was in olde time by Moses For it was not deliuered vs in tables of stone but God wrought so in vs by his holy spirite that wee were then renewed and the same continueth still at this day And therefore let vs marke that besides the admonishment which the Iewes had to doe homage to God for their haruest and for their bodily sustenaunce which he gaue them they had also a resemblaunce of the thinges which were fulfilled at the coÌ„ming of our Lord Iesus Christ at which time GOD made another manner of Whitsontide than had beene in the time of the figures For at that time he vttered the grace of the holy Ghost Yet for all this it is not meant y t we should keepe a feast of Pentecost it is cleane contrarie Seeing that the thinges which were figured vnder the law were fulfilled in our Lord Iesus Christ and that the figures themselues are ceased if we bring them backe againe wee doe wrong to him which hath brought the full accomplishment of all thinges If the shadowes which were vnder the lawe Col. 2.17 Col. 5.4 do come vp againe Iesus Christ is to no purpose So then let vs mark that the holy Ghost was not sent vnto vs to the ende that these figures should continue still but to shewe that we differ from the people of olde time True it
and susteined and not skanted of their liuing and he sheweth that seeing they are appointed of God to deliuer forth foode for mens soules it were an ouergreat wickednesse crueltie to abridge them of such wages as is due vnto them And heerewithall to make them the more ashamed which would play the niggardes in this behalfe he saith vnto them What God hath not onely ordained that the man which laboreth should be fedde and maintained but hee speaketh of oxen also Is it bicause he hath a care of them That is to say is it bicause that oxen are in the highest and most soueraigne degree No. For we know that the oxen were created for mēs sakes Let vs cast our eye on all things whether they be aboue or beneath in heauen or in earth and we shall see that all is for our vse and profit When God created the sunne it was not to lighten himselfe but to giue light vnto vs. As much is to be said of the Moone and of the starres they are ordayned to serue vs as it hath bin elsewhere already declared Agayne although the earth bring foorth herbes for the brute beastes yet neuerthelesse all is referred vnto men and God woulde haue vs to acknowledge therein his fatherly goodnesse and the great loue which he vseth towardes vs. Seeing then it is so that GOD hath neither created nor sustayned the brute beastes but onely in respect of referring all vnto the vse of menne Let vs knowe that when hee sayeth wee must not defraude the beastes which haue trauayled for vs but nourishe and sustayne them it is to the intent that wee shoulde learne to exercise all manner of kindnesse and that when men haue spent both their sweate and bloud in our seruice it standeth much more with reason that wee shoulde not deale niggardly with them by withholding from them their due wages but rather that wee shoulde sustaine them not onely by paying them their dayly wages and by giuing them sustenaunce and foode but also by giuing them wherewith to maintayne them for there are some which coulde bee contented at three dayes ende to haue a poore man killed when he hath serued them for all is one with them so they may reape any profite by him But contrariwise God sheweth vs that we ought to deale so friendly with those which labour for vs that wee grieue them not beyond measure but that they may continue and bee occasioned to giue GOD thankes in their trauayle For there is no doubt but God ment in this place to correct the crueltie which is in the riche who employ poore folke in their seruice and yet recompence them not for their paynes On the other side hee sheweth also that hee which is ydle and vnprofitable deserueth not to be nourished or regarded For we see that God hath commaunded euen the beastes to labour that they may be nourished Seeing it is so what shal be saide of men who ought to consider for what ende they are created A beast indeede hath his naturall inclination but hee hath no discretion to say There is a God which hath created mee There is no such thing in a beast And yet God putteth beastes in subiection vnto men to the intent that they should be vnprofitable Therefore if a man who hath reason and ought to thinke thus Gods will is that I should labour and it is a general law for all of vs that we must eate our bread in the sweate of our browes if that man for all this will be vnprofitable and not vouchsafe to put his fingers to any worke he is not worthy as saint Paule saith to be nourished and sustained So then on the one side let vs note that God meant to perswade euery man to vse equitie and rightfulnes towards men and not to tread them vnder our feete which serue vs nor to defraude them of that which appertaineth vnto them for that were crueltie And on the other side let vs note that those which haue not wherewith to finde themselues must take heede that they labour diligently euery one in his vocation so as they bee not condemned by the example of the oxen For if they doe not the brute beastes must rise vp in Iudgement to condemne such as bee ydle and employ themselues to nothing seeing God hath called them to serue their neighbours Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better than we haue doone in such sorte that returning vnto him we may craue pardon and mercie at his hands to the intent that being gouerned by his holy spirite hee may guide vs in all things according to his holy will vntill that hauing drawen vs vnto himselfe and ridde vs of our infirmities and vices hee cloth vs fully with his righteousnesse And so let vs all say Almightie God and heauenly father c. On Thursday the xiij of Februarie 1556. The CXLiij Sermon which is the second vpon the fiue and twentith Chapter 5 If there be two brethren dwelling together and the one of them die without children the wife of the dead shall not marrie abroade to a straunger but her brother in law shall come in to her and take her to wife and marrie himselfe with her 6 And the first borne which shee shall beare shall succeede in the name of his brother which is dead that his name be not put out of Israell 7 And if the man will not take his sister in law then his sister in lawe shall goe vp to the gate vnto the elders and say my husbandes brother refuseth to rayse vp vnto his brother a name in Israell and hee will not marrie with mee 8 Then the Elders of the Citie shall call him and speake vnto him if hee stand in it and say I will not take her 9 Then shall his sister in lawe come vnto him before the elders and loose his shoe from his foote and spit in his face and aunswere and say So shall it be done vnto the man that will not build vp his brothers house 10 And his name shall bee called in Israell The house of him whose shoe is pluckt off 11 When men striue together one against an other if the wife of the one come neere to ridde her husband out of the hands of him that smiteth him and put forth her hande and take him by the priuities 12 Then shalt thou cutte off her hande and thine eye shall not pittie her WEe haue heere a lawe which might seeme altogether superfluous among vs for as it is at this day out of vse so the reason also of it remayneth no longer And therfore we must take it patiently if all the thinges which are declared heere doe not wholly belong vnto vs or else if they bee not so fully vnderstoode of vs as were meete and yet for all that wee will assay to gather some profitable doctrine out of it For indeede God hath
am readie to couenant with you onely be you likewise disposed on your side When wee haue such a neare accesse vnto God and he acquainteth himselfe so with vs and woulde haue vs so ioyned vnto him are wee not voyde of al sense and reason if this doe not moue vs yea and inflame our heartes to giue our selues wholly ouer vnto God who vseth such so incredible gentlenesse towardes vs So then it is not without cause that Moses sayeth in this place This daye the Lorde thy God hath made thee to giue thy worde that is to saye hee hath made thee to couenant with him that thou wilt bee his people and thou hast made him to couenant with thee that hee will bee thy God Thou hast this libertie or rather this priuiledge to speake with thy God Goe to then let vs couenant togither let vs haue our mouthes open to demaunde and to aske seeing our Lorde stoopeth so lowe vnto vs. It is verie true that hee can owe vs nothing but yet neuerthelesse of his meere liberalitie hee will haue vs to aske him that wee may bee his hee will haue vs to require him that hee may bee our God and we his inheritance hee our King and we his people wee his children and hee our father Seeing then that wee may come so farre ought not the great pitifulnesse which our Lorde sheweth vnto vs to make vs ashamed What a shame were it if wee shoulde remaine so blockish as to bee nothing at all mooued after that God hath so allured vs and after that hee hath so preuented vs afore hande with his infinite goodnesse Nowe then to the intent wee may profite our selues the better by this place let vs note once againe this worde To day For Moses alwayes putteth the Iewes in minde that when the law was published God was present with them and called them to enter into couenant with him as I will declare anon But nowe as touching vs wee haue the Gospel wee see the time seasonable we see the dayes of saluation wee see the acceptable time of God let vs therefore make hast let vs enter in whyle the doore is open while the way is readie let vs goe forward in it let vs not foâ—eâ—lowe it for if God perceiue that wee despise his grace 〈◊〉 24 20 doutlesse hee can well ynough skill howe to withdrawe it as hee also threateneth to doe Let vs not therefore delay the time vntill to morrowe to followe whither God calleth vs but whyle he speaketh let vs be attentiue to heare him Thus yee see what wee haue to beare in mynde vppon this woorde To daye Moreouer it is true that in substance God maketh no other couenant with vs nowadayes than hee made in olde time with the Iewes but yet hee speaketh much more familiarly vnto vs hee sheweth him selfe to bee our God and our father and hath made vs a farre greater assurance thereof in our Lorde Iesus Christ than the Iewes coulde haue vnder the shadowes and figures of the lawe In deede the auncient fathers were saued by no other meanes than by that which wee haue to wit that they were the people of God for this betokeneth as much as that God held them for his childreÌ„ they had their saluation grounded in Christ Iesus as wee haue but that was after an obscure manner so as they behelde the thing afarre off which was presented vnto them As for vs seeing God is come so neere vnto vs in the person of our lord Iesus Christ that wee be vnited vnto him and haue the trueth and substance of the ancient figures wee bee so much the more surer y t God maketh vs to saye that wee are his people and that we make him to say that he is our God And how doth he make vs to say it Truly altogether of his owne good will without beeing tyed or bound vnto vs. For God hauing adopted vs for his children certifieth vs that the inheritance of heauen is made readie for vs and behold hee giueth his own sonne vnto vs for a pledge of his loue whatsoeuer our Lorde Iesus Christ hath is all ours with all the fulnesse of riches which wee reade was giuen vnto him And why Euen vnto the ende that wee shoulde bee enriched by them The obedience which hee yeelded vnto his father is our righteousnes To be short hee hath nothing whereof he maketh not vs partakers Seeing that he is ours and that hee is giuen vnto vs how shall not all the rest which hee hath be giuen vnto vs also with him as S. Paul saith in the eighth to the Romanes Rom. 8.32 Seeing theÌ„ that we haue this and that wee may make our God say that he is our sauiour and that nothing can be wanting to vs after hee hath receiued vs into his fauour and loue let it lift vs vp vnto heaueÌ„ so as euery of vs may forget renounce him selfe Let vs bid the world farewell and let vs be rauished to giue our selues ouer altogither vnto him who sheweth himself so liberall fauourable vnto vs. And let vs note that seeing we make God to speake so that is to say to graunt vs libertie to come vnto him to require him to accomplish his promises we must at leastwise be mutually bound vnto him he take promise of vs that we wil be his people that is to say that because hee hath redeemed vs by the bloud of his onely sonne we will liue no longer after our own lusts fleshly desires but be ruled by him that as he is our father so we wil be his children so as none of vs wil yeld to do wickedly but hold fast the seale of our adoption which is the holy spirite to be gouerned by him There must say I as leastwise be this mutual bonde betwixt vs that seeing God bindeth himselfe so vnto vs we also must come and submit ourselues wholly vnto him Now herewithal we ought to wey wel this word which Moses addeth He saith twise As the Lorde hath said vnto thee whereby he sheweth y t when we come vnto God we must not come vnto him with stoutnes pride as though he were beholden vnto vs but we must know that we come because he calleth vs. What mortall man will presume to present himselfe before God say bind thy selfe vnto me let vs couenant here togither y t thou wilt be my God that I shal be of y e number of thy people Were not men stark mad if they shoulde presume to speake so vnto God Now then let vs note y t it is for him to open our mouthes to giue vs such warrant And that is the cause why Moses sayeth that not once only but with a dubble repetition that it is God which hath spoken Therefore if men should of their own mind come vnto God say bind thy selfe vnto vs it were a diuelish rashnes but let vs wait vntil our Lord cal
confounde them no man can tell howe hee will destroy all their deuises and attemptes yea and when they bande themselues against vs haue neuer so great multitudes on their sides yet wil God scatter them Like as when we see a cloude threatening raine and it seemeth that all shoulde bee drowned God scattereth it and the tempest is gone euen so will hee deale with our enemies Thus yee see in effect what wee haue to remember concerning this text where it is saide that wee shall bee defended against all such as set themselues against vs and that our God will make them flee before our faces if we doe him the honour to acknowledge him to bee the Lorde of hoastes and that his power is infinite and that therefore the whole worlde can nothing preuaile against him Finally what haue wee nowe to doe but to submit our selues vnder the obedience of our God Also let vs vnderstande that all the misbeleeuing and all the despisers of Gods maiestie albeit that for a time their life may seeme happie are appointed to perdition and that all the goods which they possesse shal become a curse vnto thē so as they must needs be in a forlorn state according to this saying y t their very Table shal be turned into snares and gynnes wherewith to take them Psal. 69.23 and all the benefits of God shall become deadly poyson vnto them Lo what wee haue to carie in minde Moreouer so often as wee bee afflicted let vs humble our selues and acknowledge our sins bewaile them before God and in the meane space let vs not omitte to qualifie our griefes knowing that amidst the afflictions which hee sendeth vs there alwayes appeareth a certaine testimonie of his goodnesse and that it is necessarie that he should so holde vs in awe Yet notwithstanding we must not be cast downe nor be discouraged when we bee vexed and troubled though we be enuironed with neuer so many miseries And why Because God faileth not for all that to shew himselfe a father towards vs. That is the thing whereon we must altogether rest so as al the afflictions of this world may quicken vs vp to aspire to the heauenly heritage and when we haue bewailed our sins let vs not doubt but God of his mercy will blesse vs euen in Iesus Christ the fountaine of al goodnesse and blessednesse by whom all curses are quite taken away To proue that it is so what may bee the chiefe curse that is falne vppon mankinde but death And yet wee see that the same is become an entrance into life And wherefore For that in the person of Iesus Christ it is nowe made blessed Wherefore let vs learne to reioyce sith wee see that God hath so prouided for our saluation that although he make vs to feele our sins and would haue vs touched with some sorrowe thereby to bring vs to repentance yet hee ceaseth not amidst all these to shewe himselfe a father euermore by al meanes to aduance our saluation Now let vs humble our selues before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of sinnes praying him to touch vs to the quicke more and more that we may mislike them and that acknowledging the euill which is in vs wee may seeke his mercie not onely to forgiue vs the sins that we haue alredie committed but also to mortifie vs and by the power of his spirite to giue vs grace so to forsake our selues as wee may seeke his righteousnesse and more and more profite therein vntill it be perfect in vs at such time as hee shall haue taken vs out of this world And so let vs al say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the xij of March 1556. The CLV Sermon which is the third vpon the eight and twentith Chapter 9 The Lorde thy God will make thee a holy people to himselfe as hee hath sworne vnto thee if thou keepe the commaundements of the Lord thy God and walke in his wayes 10 And all the nations of the earth shall see that the name of the Lorde is called vppon ouer thee and they shall bee afraide of thee 11 And the Lord thy GOD will make thee to abound in substance in the fruite of thy wombe in the fruite of thy cattel and in the fruit of thy ground in the land which the Lord thy GOD hath sworne to thy fathers to giue thee 12 The Lord thy GOD will open vnto thee his good treasure euen the heauens to send downe raine vpon thy land in due season and to blesse all the worke of thy handes and thou shalt lende vnto many people and borrowe of none 13 The Lorde God will make thee the head and not the tayle And thou shalt be onely aboue and not beneath if thou obey the commaundements of the Lord thy God which I commaund thee this day to keepe and to doe them 14 And that you swarue not neither to the right hand nor to the left from any of al the wordes which I commaund you this day in walking after other gods to serue them MOses continuing the matter which was handled yesterday sheweth vppon what condition GOD choseth vs when hee taketh vs to bee of his Church that is that wee should bee separated and set far off from the common curse of mankinde True it is that Gods goodnesse extendeth ouer all the men of the worlde wee see how all are fedde and maintayned by his liberalitie but in the meane while wee see to how many miseries men be subiect For this cause it behoueth vs to bee sundered and that God watch ouer vs and beare vs a speciall loue as to his owne children for without that all our lyfe is confused as it is seene howe the wretched infidelles albeeit that GOD bestowe neuer so many blessinges vppon them yet can they not profite by them but they stand alwayes in doubt and not without cause For wherevppon may they repose their hope seeing they bee not certifyed of the loue of GOD How can they holde him for their father Therefore it is a worde well worth the marking where Moses sayth that GOD hath separated vs from all other nations of the worlde It is certaine that this worde holynesse doth importe that the image of GOD shoulde shine forth in vs and that wee should serue him purely in vertuous conuersation but yet from thence hee proceedeth farther as hee doth in this text namely that God will giue vnto his people a certeine marke to shewe that they bee priuiledged aboue all other folke Therefore in beholding what the state of man is in this present lyfe let vs learne to resorte alwayes to this promise that God hath not onely created vs after the common course of the brood of all Adams children but that hee hath also chosen vs to himselfe for his heritage And let vs not doubt at all but that he watcheth ouer vs and wil make vs to perceiue that wee be of his housholde and that he
bee chaunged to serue our GOD. The same was likewise in Circumcision and Moses doeth shewe in this place that it was not a vayne figure It was not a marke that GOD had set vppon his people but onely to say You are a chosen people and in the meane whyle they shoulde haue thereby no promise not warrant of their saluation nor of any thing that was spirituall But contrariwyse in saying that GOD will Circumcise their heartes hee sheweth that this Sacrament this visible signe of Circumcision declared vnto them that they ought to bee chaunged and that they ought to be a holy people vnto their GOD. And therefore let vs learne that Baptisme at this day succeedeth circumcision like as Saint Paule sayeth in the Epistle to the Colossians Col. 2.12 After hee hath shewed that Circumcision remayneth not at this day as touching the outwarde vse hee sayeth that wee bee Circumcised not by the hand of man but in that wee bee buried in the Baptisme of our Lorde Iesus whereby the olde man is mortifyed that from hencefoorth the spirit of God may gouerne vs. Thus yee see what we haue to obserue in this place as touching the first poynt Therefore let vs marke that although the fathers which lyued vnder the Lawe were as little children vnder their Tutors and Ouerseers Gal. 3.23 4.2 yet were they the children of GOD as wee are and had the verie same promise of saluation and the Sacramentes which GOD deliuered them tended to the selfe same ende and so consequently were spirituall Thus much concerning one point Nowe furthermore it is heere shewed vnto vs that Circumcision did not onely signifie vnto the Iewes that they shoulde bee a holy people vnto GOD and that they shoulde change the malice of their hearts but it shewed also that God would do them the fauour to regenerate them by his holy Spirit As at this day in Baptisme when the water is powred vppon the head of a little childe it is not onely to signifie that beyng come to mans age hee must serue GOD and yet notwithstanding is not able to doe it vnlesse it bee giuen him from aboue but the infant is baptised by the hande of another and the hand of the Minister is as it were the hand of Iesus Christ to whom onely it doeth appertaine to Baptise as Saint Iohn sayth Wee in deede doe Baptise with water but his office is to Baptise with the Spirit and with fyre Therefore let vs marke it well that when the Minister layeth the water on the childes head therein hee representeth the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ witnessing thereby that our Lorde Iesus will bee so gracious to as many as beleeue and are chosen of GOD his father as to drawe them to him and to gouerne them so as they shall become newe Creatures And euen so is it with Circumcision Abraham in deede was circumcised but that was after an extraordinarie manner But yet ordinarily it behooued men to bee circumcised by the handes of them that were appointed thereunto and those did represent the person of God It was therefore a testimonie that men of themselues could not be circumcised but that it was necessarie that God shoulde put his hande thereto and that he should change them Seeing it is so let vs marke that in all the Sacramentes wee bring nothing of our owne but that wee doe rather come to receiue that which is offered vnto vs in the name of GOD. The Sacraments then be not meritorious matters that men might alledge any seruice that they had doone but rather come to seeke that which they want Whereby wee see the foolishnesse that is in the Iewes for they boast themselues of Circumcision as if it had beene a great vertue and woulde needes bring it in reckoning as if God had beene beholden vnto them bycause they were circumcised To bee short whensoeuer deseruing and grace came in question the Iewes pretended that they were not saued by the free goodnesse and mercie of God And wherefore To what end serued y e circumcision It serued for a testimonie for an earnest for a visible signe to declare y t it is God that doth all in vs. But these miserable beastes vnderstand not that See here I pray you the vnthankfulnes of men which hath taken place not with that nation onely but among the christians also where y e goodnes of God hath bin vttered much more at large Behold our Lord Iesus Christ calleth vs vnto him Col. 2.10 he telleth vs that we must seeke all our welfare in him yet the Papistes haue not ceassed to distinguishe and to seeke out a woorke which is wrought on mans part as they terme it They haue yeelded that the principall part of the Sacramentes is a diuine worke but yet neuerthelesse they sticke not to say that men doe bring thereunto somewhat of their owne And no maruaile For we see to what point they are come namely that they haue chaunged the Supper of our Lord Iesus Christ into a charme and a diuelish sorcerie Thus saide Iesus Christ Take Matt. 26.26 Eate he commandeth vs to receiue it the Papistes make God to beleeue y t they do offer it vnto him And further they stablish thereupon a worke of merite euen the most excellent y t euer they could dreame of But yet for al that we see how y e diuell hath bewitched them so as they haue changed y e whole order of nature For in sted of receiuing y t thing with humilitie which God offered them they haue presumed to offer vnto him the things which they haue forged in their owne braine doe make themselues beleeue that all those things are acceptable vnto him yea and that he is very much beholding to them for so dooing So much the more therefore doth it stand vs in hand to mark that which is spoken here namely The Lorde thy God will circumcise thy heart So then seeing God hath shewed vs what Baptisme doeth signifie let vs vnderstande howe it is our duetie to reforme vs and to renounce our owne nature to serue GOD. But doe wee once knowe that Then let vs proceede to the promise that is giuen vs which is that bycause wee can doe nothing GOD sayth that he will put to his hand that wee may bee chaunged and become new creatures through his holy spirite This is in effect that which wee haue to obserue in this place Nowe Moses addeth That thou mayst lyue not that God dealeth with vs according to our deseruings but bicause wee be slouthfull therefore he addeth this promise namely that wee shall be blessed of God and whatsoeuer he hath sayd to make vs to walk in his obedience it is to shewe vs that wee must walke in such sort as wee prouoke not the vengeaunce of GOD against vs if wee will bee blessed of him It is true that hee may alwayes punish vs by good right and that although hee guide vs and
giue ouer himselfe to all manner of loosenesse as some are seene to do or rather as the common manner is that as soone as GOD giueth men that which they doe long for and desire they become drunken and doe lose both wit and reason if a man say I doe then ouershoote himselfe after that fashion when GOD dealeth with him so gratiously is not his sinne so much the more haynous Yes certainely That is the thing which Moses meant to declare in this place where he sayeth They shal come into the Lande which I haue promised them there will I sustaine them there shall they bee filled and made fatte and then will they turne away after straunge goddes By these woordes we are made to vnderstande that the more our Lorde maketh vs to feele his fauour and fatherly goodnesse the more ought we to be allured to rest wholly vppon him that hee may possesse vs and the more ought all our wittes and affections to bee stayed vppon his loue so as the diuell may not finde any breach nor gap open to deceyue vs for so much as GOD hath so wonne vs vnto himselfe That is the instruction which we must learne by this text otherwise the complaynt that GOD maketh against the Iewes by his Prophet Ieremie shall lyght vppon vs. 〈…〉 25. My people sayeth he what haue I doone to thee Heere GOD entereth into disputation with the people bycause they were so defiled with Idolatry and had peruerted all together Goe to saith hee let vs nowe pleade together my people what haue I doone to thee that thou shouldest complaine I haue brought thee out of the lande of Egypt I haue stretched out my mightie hand to deliuer thee from thence I haue ledde thee and directed thee I fedde thee in the wildernesse I caused Manna to come from heauen I gaue thee the foode of Angels and when thou wast come into the lande which I had promised thee I fought against thine Enemies and I gaue thee victorie against them all But these bee not the cheefe matters I haue moreouer giuen thee my Lawe which is the couenant of lyfe and saluation I haue giuen thee my Sacrifices to the intent thou shouldest haue a Testimonie that it is not without cause that I would haue you to my selfe Also I haue made thee to finde so great riches of my bountie that it is impossible to value the benefites which I haue bestowed on thee and doest thou nowe fall to despising me and to breaking thy fayth and to turning away after straunge Gods Is this the recompence that I looke for If a man doe plant him a vine and tend it he meaneth to eate and drinke the fruit thereof And if the vine do yeeld a strange and a bitter fruite to choke the maister withall what wil come of it Deserueth not such a vine to be quite plucked vp Let vs therefore bethink our selues and not tarie till our Lorde accuse vs to haue greeued his holy Spirite but let vs turne this text to our profite And for as much as we knowe by experience that he is a liberall father vnto vs let it mooue vs to soften our hearts how heard soeuer they bee that wee may learne to giue ouer our selues wholly to him Thus ye see whereto this Text ought to serue vs where it is sayde I will set them in the Lande which I haue promysed to their fathers they shall bee nourished there and made fatte and they shall turne away vnto straunge gods And therefore seeing that GOD maintaineth vs let vs suffer him also to guide and gouerne vs vntil he hath brought vs to y t eternal inheritaunce which he hath promised vs and which we looke for Yet moreouer hee saith that this song shall aunswere them as a witnesse because it shall neuer depart from their mouth Hereby we do see how it is our Lordes will y t his word should serue not to some one vse onely but also for a continuall instruction euen vnto the end that the fathers should conuey it ouer to their childrē And the chiefe succession which we ought to leaue to them that come after vs is that when God hath once vttered his will vnto vs wee must beware that it be not buried so as none of vs bee so fond as to hold himselfe contented with his owne only knowing thereof as though the light of saluation ought to die with vs but rather that they which come after vs may inioy it also And therfore when we our selues haue knowen God and haue had his trueth preached among vs wee must to the vttermost of our power indeuor that it may continue after our death and that our children may come to receive y e doctrine which we haue followed And if the word of God slip away and men think not thereon as it is come to passe in the Popedome as it was afore time it commeth of their owne leawdnesse and they must needes yeelde a reckoning for their disanulling of so great a benefite Wee see that the law was lost for a time amongst the people of Israel and this song was out of the mouthes of both great and small but yet God at the last did not suffer the people to continue in such ignoraunce but it was his will that the Lawe was founde and that the people came with great solemnitie to receiue it and hee tolde them that they were woorthy of blame for defacing the doctryne of Saluation and therefore hee willed them to repent Nowe seeing it is so as I haue already touched when GOD hath once taught vs his will let vs learne as I sayde afore not onely to profite therein for the present tyme or for the tyme of our owne life but also to procure as much as in vs lyeth that our Children after our death may still enioy the same Religion and that the name of GOD may euer bee had in remembraunce And although there be many that cannot profit themselues thereby yet shall it turne to their condemnation and God shall not fayle to bee glorified For surely Moses speaketh in this place not onely of Gods elect and of such as were the true seede of Abraham but also of such as were willing to take profite by the lawe and were not altogether reprobates For seeing it was Gods will that this song should bee in their mouthes thereby wee ought to be so much the better aduertised that our Lord doeth oftentimes leaue his worde to the worlde to bee a message and a testimonie of his loue and goodnes howbeit not for the saluation of all men but for the condemnation of the greater part Wee see that euen among the Heathen there remained alwayes a remnant of the trueth wee see such sentences vttered by the heathen as it is impossible for a naturall man to thinke the least of them which they haue alleaged By what meanes then did they it It was Gods dooing who brought them so farre foorth to their greater
set our mindes vpon the end which God hath promised vs. And therwithall let vs also haue an eye to his threatenings and let them hold vs in awe And although the wicked prouoke God and are not rebuked for it at the first bycause God seeth that they be not worthy to be chastised by his hand yet notwithstanding let not vs bee astonished therat but let vs vnderstand that Gods threatening of the transgressors of his Law after that fashion is not in vaine And therefore let vs frame our owne inditement that we may preuent the condemnation which otherwise taryeth for vs. That I say is the thing which wee haue to remember vpon the word End wherof Moses hath spoken heere And therwithall we see the goodnesse of God heere expressed after a wonderful maner in that he entereth into a complaning and sorrowing as if he were a man that could suffer O that this people saith he had bin weladuised True it is that our Lord is not subiect to our passions but he vseth such form of speech to shew that the loue which he beareth vs surmounteth the loue of all earthly fathers And therefore it serueth in effect to doe vs to vnderstand that when we goe wilfully into destruction and reiect the grace which was offered vs to our saluation then doe we grieue the spirite of God as is said in the Prophet Esay and it is al one as if we strake God with a dagger as he complayneth also by his Prophet Zachary That is one thing in effect which we haue to remember vpon this place And were all this well grauen in our heartes I pray you woulde it not make vs to abhorre all our sinnes When a man is tempted by Sathan to offend his God if hee would bethinke himselfe of this point and say How now Thou grieuest thy God thou giuest him cause to enter into complaint and sorrowe like a father that conceiueth griefe and anguish of mind when hee sees his children vnruly and vnreformable It is a wounding of him at the heart and so likewise God telleth vs y t we grieue his spirite If a man I say would bethinke himselfe throughly of these things although he had a heart of stone yet would they breake it and soften it And this is the cause why that throughout all the holy Scripture hee complaineth of this that we greatly grieue him whē we are so wicked vnruly Therefore let vs aduise ourselues wel for as much as hee is desirous to be our father let vs bee to him as children For it must needes be that Sathan hath more than bewitched vs that hee rageth most terribly in vs if we be not moued at such kind of dealing And it behoueth vs so much the more to marke well this text bycause our Lord condemneth men for that they are too senselesse and brutish and telleth them that they be too too blockish in that they haue not eye to their ende but specially for that hee proceedeth so farre as to cloth himselfe with our humane passions and lamenteth to see vs perish wilfully and that we cannot abyde that hee should deale like a father with vs. That is one thing more which we haue to marke vpon this text Now if any man alleage that God seeing men so destitute could wel giue them vnderstanding as we haue seene heeretofore where it is sayde God hath not yet giuen thee a minde and heart to vnderstand Deut. 29.4 We must mark that God hath his secret purpose which he reserueth to himselfe For he sheweth fauour to whom he listeth Exo. 33.19 Ro. 9.15 and he hath pitie on whome he hath pitie and it is not for vs to enter thereinto but rather to doe him the honour to confesse that he is the fountaine of al goodnes of al power of al wisedome and of all Iustice and vprightnesse Yet notwithstanding we must make hast when hee calleth incorageth vs by his word For if we come not ne hearken to the things that are set forth to vs in his name to receiue them obediētly by faith we shal be condemned as persons that haue grieued his holy spirite by rebelling against him and shewed our selues to be vnreformable children that haue disdayned our father and made our selues straungers to him and to his house That is the thing which is set forth vnto vs in this text Therefore whereas God vpbraideth vs with our grieuing of him let vs beware that wee enter not into these needeles curiosities but rather let it suffice vs to behold him in his word where he sheweth himself and where he sheweth himselfe in such wise as we shall finde that all they which frame themselues thereafter shall haue a happy end that is to wit that for as much as they bee adopted of God afore they cannot perish and on the coutrary parte that they which turne their backe to God when he sheweth them his face and which kick and spurne against him shall for their sturdinesse reape nothing but confusion That is the thing in effect which we haue to gather vpon this place Now Moses addeth consequētly Were it possible for one man to chase a thousand or that two should put ten thousand to flight vnlesse the Lord had inclosed thē and that their mightie one did hold thē captiue Here he sheweth by effect y t God had sufficiently warned his people if they had but one spark of reason in them And thereupō it is to be concluded y t there was no more excuse of ignoraunce for y t people but y t they were conuicted ouermuch to haue hardened their hearts euen of wilfull malice so to haue withstoode God to haue letted him y t he should not bring thē backe into the right way That was y e meaning of Moses Now let vs mark y t when God vouchsafed to shew his fauour towardes the people of Israel then was his promise performed y t is to wit y t as soone as the people did but as ye would say remoue thēselues by by their enemyes were ouercome We knowe what ouerthrowes they gaue and by what meanes y e same came to passe For we heare how it is said by y e Prophet Esay Esa. 9.4 y t whensoeuer God listeth to succour his people to vtter his power in their defence it shall fall out w t them as it did in the voyage against Madian Iudges 7. for at y t time Gedeon gate not the victorie by mans policie neither by vailancie or strength of hand but it was the sword of God of Gedeon that did the deede And yet it was so done as it might seeme to be a play of young children But our Lord saith y t he will maintaine his people after y t fashion Againe in other texts he declareth that his sauing of his people shall be neither by sword nor by speare Osee. 1.7 but by his owne only hand Ye see then how God
and to serue him with the earnester good will and that by these transitorie benefites we may be put in minde to seeke all things in him which belong to y e heauenly life knowing that we shal be vtterly destitute barreine of them vntil he vouchesafe to impart them vnto vs at leastwise according to the measure portion of his meere goodnes because that wee on our side deserue not any thing at all That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people nations of the earth c. On Fryday the iij. of Iuly 1556. The CXCVI. Sermon which is the sixth vpon the xxxiij Chapter 18 Also he saide of Zabulon Reioyce thou Zabulon in thy going out and thou Isachar in thy Tents 19 They shall call the people into the mountaine where they shall sacrifice the sacrifice of righteousnes For they shall sucke the abundance of the sea and the hidden treasures of the sand YEsterday in the blessing of Ioseph we saw how Moses referred all things to Gods grace which men are cōmonly wont to attribute vnto fortune And it is a doctrine well worthie to be marked because of our vnthankfulnes For vnlesse wee bee enforced to acknowledge Gods goodnes it shall alwayes lye buryed for vs and wee seeke things here belowe to busie our wits vpon in so much that when God shall haue giuen vs neuer so sufficient occasion to magnifie his grace yet do wee make none account of it Therefore it behooueth vs to be warned to lift vp our wits and mindes aloft that wee may doe homage vnto God for all the benefites which we receiue at his hand Also we haue to marke herein the thing that is set downe by Moses He sayeth that all the good which Ioseph and all his whole Image shall haue shall come of the free fauour of him which dwelt in the bush And no dout but that therby he meaneth God Why then doeth hee mention the bush here For at the first sight it seemeth a fond thing seruing to no purpose but to leade the ignorant and the weaklings into superstition We knowe that the holy scripture speaking of God sayth that hee dwelleth in heauen Psa. 115.3 oft elswhere Not that his maiestie is inclosed there for his beeing is infinite it contayneth all creatures as is sayde in other textes 2. Chro. 6.18 But this worde Heauen serueth to plucke vs from the worlde when wee thinke vppon God to the intent that when wee goe about to worship him wee imagine not any earthlinesse in him but consider that hee surmounteth all things and that wee ought to thinke of him farre otherwise than wee can conceiue Nowe seeing that the holy Scripture pitcheth Gods tent in heauen to the ende wee should be lifted vp aboue all the worlde aboue all creatures when wee thinke vppon him why doeth Moses in this place set him in the Bush It is because God had there shewed himselfe vnto him And it behooueth vs to note that ther are two dyuerse fashions of speaking in the holy scripture when God calleth vs vnto him Neuertheles this diuersitie is not to draw vs into contrary opinions they meete both in one As how Sometimes God sheweth vs what his glorie is to the intent wee shoulde bee fully resolued of this poynt that hee is incomprehensible and that wee ought to worship him with all humilitie that we must not looke to forge him after our fancie or to make him like to ourselues by transforming after our own imagination Therfore when the holy scripture setteth foorth Gods maiestie so high as we be abashed at it Esai 6.2 yea euen y e very Angels of heauen accordingly as it is said that the Cherubins hyde their faces because they cannot abyde to looke vppon the maiestie so great and infinite as it is in God therein it is shewed vs that wee must needes stoope vnder such greatnesse and highnesse But yet therewithall God considereth how it is for our benefite to haue some familiaritie with him thereupon he yeeldeth to our rudenesse and taketh vppon him as it were a newe shape howbeit not which is contrarie as I said afore but to the intent that wee shoulde not bee scared nor take occasion to shrink from him Now then he allureth vs gently and therwithal hee stopeth to vs maketh himself as it were meane vnto vs. And to that end haue the sacramentes bin referred at all times Like as at this day still in Baptisme we see the water and in the Lordes supper we see the bread the wine And what is the cause that our Lorde Iesus Christ Col. 1.15 2.9 who is the liuely image of God his father in whome dwelleth the whole fulnesse of the godhead bodily what is the cause say I that hee sheweth himselfe to vs in corruptible things and in the elements of the world It is for our infirmities sake because we cannot approch to his spiritual power That is the very cause why he figureth his graces vnder the visible elements in them ought we to behold the heauenly power of his holy spirite That is the seconde fashion which God vseth in reuealing himselfe vnto vs the which is answerable to our rudenesse But wee see howe hee shewed himselfe to the fathers of old time vnder certeine shapes As for example when he talked with Iacob in Bethel it was because Iacob needed such confirmation Gen. 28.13 True it is that he ceassed not to looke vp to heauen stil when he worshipped God But yet for all that he had the more familiar accesse vnto God by his comming downe so lowe at that time And for the same cause also when Iacob was to remoue from one place to another Gen. 35.3 he offered sacrifice to the God of Bethel Why to the God of Bethel Was there a God shut vp there No for we see that euen they which would needes make a God in Bethel Amos. 4.4 that is to say which would haue builded vp a temple there offered sacrifices there were abhominable vnto God Insomuch that God sayth that it is Bethauen the place of wickednes Osee. 4.15 and no more his house he forsaketh disclaimeth it vtterly euē because they abused the reuelation that was giuen to their father Iacob in that place As for Iacob he knewe howe to benefite himselfe by it For he knewe that God had not changed his nature ne was inclosed in any certaine place but that by that meane he meant to draw him vnto him familiarly Iacob then receiued the gage that was giuen vnto him to the intent it might be knowen that he worshipped not some God at aduenture as the Heathen did but that his faith was sure and vnfallible That is the cause why he expresly mentioneth Iacobs worshipping of the God of Bethel that is to say not a God which was vnknowen to him nor a God that was forged
Moses had laide his handes vppon him Heere againe the people are put in minde that God had not forsaken them though they were worthy of it And it is a very profitable lesson for vs to know that God gouerneth his Church and neuer forgetteth it For without that what faith coulde be in vs Wee shoulde bee as folke forlorne For as long as God gouerneth vs if wee rest vppon him wee boldly proceede and keepe on our course But if God withdrawe his hand and we perceiue not that hee guideth our steppes or that hee hath a care of vs and that we be vnder protection wo will be vnto vs and men are too dulheaded if they be not then vtterly dismayed Behold then our happinesse is to haue God to be our watchman and to be gouerned vnder his hand and protection Indeede hee appeareth not alwayes visiblie to shewe his presence but he giueth vs men to be the ministers of his grace True it is that at that time there were visible signes to shewe that he dwelt among his people Neuerthelesse as he had bin serued by Moses so was it his will that Iosua should succeede in his place And in that respect is it saide that hee was filled with the spirit of wisdome to doe vs to vnderstand that God hath alwayes shewed himselfe mercifull to his Church and that as a father hath a care of his children prouideth thē all things meete for them so God hath alwayes prouided aforehande for the necessities of his people This doctrine as I said doeth concerne vs also For wee haue a promise that God will neuer faile vs if wee be of his flocke and come to him to shrowd our selues vnder his wings that wee may be guided by him and we knowe hee hath giuen that office to our Lord Iesus Christ. And for the same cause also hee saieth to his disciples Matt. 28.20 that hee will bee with them to the worldes ende and that saying extendeth to the whole bodie of the Church Seeing then that our Lord Iesus Christ hath said that he will neuer bee separated from vs let vs knowe that in him wee haue God who will vtter forth all his power to maintaine vs But yet it is verie much that besides the promises we haue moreouer testimonies thereof so as hee pointeth vs with his finger to the thing performed as it is spoken of heere where wee reade that Iosua was filled with the spirite of wisedome For to what end was that done It happened not by chaunce neither had God regarde of Iosua alone but it was because he would shewe himselfe to bee the safetie of the Iewes We nowadayes are in the same taking For if they had abidden in Gods house we should haue bin ioyned w t thē And because they bee banished thence and cut off as rotten members we take their place as saith S. Paul Rom. 11.24 Now then let vs assure our selues that God will neuer suffer vs to want any thing requisite for our saluation but continually shew his loue and fauour towardes vs and prouide vs of the thinges that are for our behoofe if wee flee to him for refuge yea euen though wee bee not worthie thereof For as for this people we knowe what manner of folke they were and howe many faultes and offences they committed so as it had beene no wonder though God had vtterly destroyed them But nowe seeing hee prouided them of men that were fit and meete to defend them therby we perceiue that God stroue with his mercie against the malice of that people So then whensoeuer wee bee tempted to distrust because wee bee rebuked for our sinnes let vs resort to Gods mercie and pray him not to looke vppon our sinnes but to proceed continually in his goodnesse and fauour towardes vs whatsoeuer vnworthinesse there be in our persons Thus much concerning that point Heere is nowe a question that might be demaunded howe it is saide that when Moses had laide his hands vppon Iosua hee was filled with wisedome whether a mans handes haue that power or no No. but when the signe of a thing is spoken of wee must go to the thing it selfe Wee knowe that in all solemne blessings there was this signe of the Laying on of handes Nowe this was not an inuention fondly contriued after the manner of men which haue many Apes toyes but it was a recorde allowed of God as if an oblation had beene made of the partie that was so blessed When the holy Patriarks blessed their childrē it was as though they had giuen them assurance that the inheritance of saluation belonged vnto them that the promise should stand abide in full force to their posteritie Likewise at this day when a man selleth lande or house one putteth a fether into his hand and he deliuereth it ouer to the purchaser and in some countries the custome is that he which selleth any inheritance and maketh the surrender deliuereth a sticke or wand to the purchaser in token that he may thence forth possesse and inioy the same And euen after the same manner was it with this signe of laying on of handes For as I saide it was not a fonde and foolish deuice but it was Gods will that it should be a kinde of warranting to the intent that the faith of the fathers might be the better helped That is the cause then why it is saide in this place that God gaue the spirit of wisedome vnto Iosua because Moses had laid his hands vpon his head Nowe in so doing he inuested him in the charge that was committed vnto him Let vs nowe see first of all whether Moses chose Iosua vppon his owne heade or no. No but he knew him to be first chosen of God And afterward when he laide his handes vpon him did he attempt any thing vpon his own fancie No but contrariwise God only was the orderer or disposer thereof He knew that Iosua was to be set in his place And this is spoken not of that man onely Act. 19.6 but also when the Apostles did lay their hands vpon the faithfull by and by the gifts of the holy Ghost were made visible to the eye After that manner did the faithful receiue the gift of tongues y e interpretation of tongues the healing of diseases and the raising of the dead And how receiued they it They did but lay their hands vpon them Yea but had that Ceremonie such vertue No but because it was Gods will to haue his grace so declared that y e laying on of hands was as a gage of it it was not a vayne and vnprofitable thing And in that respect is it that saint Paul saith vnto Timothy That he should make the grace auailable which was giuen him by laying on of his hands 1. Tim. 3.14 Seeing it is so saieth hee looke that thou indeuour thy selfe to serue God and labour to builde vp the Church and that the grace of God which is giuen thee
Iewes to haue their golden Calfe 424. a. 40.50.60 Of Moses and Aaron and Gods punishing of them 1178. all 1179. all What we haue to note vpon the priestlie apparell of Aaron 1199. a. 30.40 c. What we haue to note vppon Gods choosing of Aarō to the priesthood 1198. all The triall that God tooke of Aaron in Massa c. 1201. a. 40.50.60 b. all Aaron banished out of the Lande of Chanaan 1201. a. 60. b. 10. Of Aarons Mitre wherein Gods name was written 1199. a. 30. c. Why Aaron was exalted to the high dignitie of Priesthood 1200. b. 50.60.1201 a. 10.20 looke Priest and High-priest Abasing A description of Christes Abasing of himselfe with other necessarie doctrine therupon depending 196. a 60. b. 10 The Abasing of God in the person of his sonne diminisheth not his glorie 185. b 60 The Abasing of Iesus Christ the infallible euidence of Gods mercie 186. a 10 Abhomination Of Abhomination before God committed about a counterfait seruing of him 631. a 20.30 c. b 10 Of the word Abhomination and what the same betokeneth 671. a 40 Abhominations The Abhominations of the heathen papists discouered 523. b al 524. a all Of the word Abhominations and what it signifieth 732. a 30.40 Abilitie Euerie man must haue an eye to his owne Abilitie and thereby rule his desires 510. b 60.511 a 10. c. 50.60 Whether God chargeth a man with any thing that is aboue his power and his Abilitie 911. b 60.912 a 10 God in his law respecteth not our Ability but our duty 945. b 50.60.946 a 10 What this word power or Abilitie doth comprehend 369. a 30.40 That we haue no Abilitie in our selues to performe Gods lawe and whence we must fetch a remedie 260. a 60. b all Abilities What we shall finde in our selues if we examine our own abilities 112. a 40. We must not measure Gods law by our owne power and Abilities 244. b 50.60 245. a 10. b 50. Looke Power How Gods law passeth all our Abilities reade 273. a 30.40.50 Abound Saint Paules meaning in saying that he could skil to Abound 1127. a 10 Abraham Abraham had not any possession in the land of Chanaan yet was he Lord maister thereof 10. a 10.20.30 The matching of Abraham with Agar was not a lawful mariage c. 63. a 30 How Abraham the Patriarch was persecuted and vexed of the Amorrhits 303. b 10 A commendation of Abrahams faith 337. b 20.30 How basely an heretike iudged of Abraham saying that he had but a shadowe of the heauenly life 1055. a 30.40 Abstinence Of the Abstinence of the Paistes from meats and drinks and what we are to gather thereupon 558. b 10 Abundance How they that haue plentie and Abundance of all things are affected 571. b 30.40.50 How we must behaue our selues in the time of Abundance 354. a 10.20.30.40 Euen in our Abundance wee must be mindfull of aduersitie read the manner how 368. b 30.40 Howe some do abuse their Abundance in vanitie c. 369. a 60 That he which hath Abundance of fare must not glut himselfe therwith 511. a 10 What God doth giue vs to vnderstand in giuing vs Abundance 511. a 30.40 Against such as abuse their Abundance and how the same should be rightlie vsed 469. a 60. b 10. An admonition to such as haue Abundance of Gods blessings and likewise of the contrarie 1126. b 60.1127 a 10.20 Howe insolent and pert men be when they haue Abundance of corne wine c. 993. a 40.50 Howe the abundance of Gods benefits maketh men insolent proud loftie and rebellious 1125. b all 1126. all An exhortation to rich mē not to trust in their Abundance 354. a 40.50 looke Plentie Riches and Wealth Abuse Of the Abuses yea euen of such things as of themselues be good 1223. b 50.60 c. The common Abuse of Iustice in cases of sute noted 873. a all b 10 That common Abuse cannot excuse vs when our account shal be giuen to God 811. b 60. 812. a 10. That the wicked always seeke to Abuse the thinges that are ordeined for the succour of good men 694. b 20.30.40.50.60.695 a 10 Accessaries Who be Accessaries vnto euill and in what respect 692. a 60. b 10. looke Partakers Accursed Two places reconciled y e one auowing Christ to be Accursed and the other blessed 764. b 10 The meaning of the Scripture in terming vs Accursed 766. b 10.20 Christes being Accursed for our sakes did nothing abase his maiestie 765. b 10. After what manner Christ became Accursed to set vs free from the curse 766. b 10 Christ did hang vpō the tree to be Accursed and how 765. b 60 Howe is it y t Iesus Christ was Accursed seeing by him the father was pacified 765. b 10.20 Looke Cursed Accusation The punishing of Offences must not be forborne for feare of false Accusation 787. a 50.60 Three things whereupon the Accusation of Sodome and Gomorrha was grounded 1154 a 40.50 Accusations Against wrongfull Accusations such as prefer them such as deserue them yet iustifie themselues and y e charge of iudges in this case Reade sermon 128. beginning at page 785. all 786. al c. Looke Wrong Acknowledgement What we haue to learne in that GOD required of his people a solemne Acknowledgement howe much they were bounde vnto him 920. a 60. b 10 Touching the Acknowledgement of Gods benefits Reade the whole 146. Sermon Adde What Moses condemneth in saying that it is not lawfull for vs to Adde any whit to the things that God commaundeth 526. a 20. c. Howe the Papists Adde to Gods words and put somewhat of their owne to his seruice 525. a 60. b 10 c. al the col That we must not Adde nor take from Gods worde wherein note the doctrine well 525. a 50.60 c. Adopted That we be the Adopted children of God and wherein the Iewes and we differ 913. b 10.20 The preheminence of them that are Gods Adopted children 956. a. 10 To what end purpose God hath Adopted vs. 1147. b 20. Looke Chosen Adoption Touching our Adoption Reade page 913. b 10.20.30 and the seale of the same which is the holie spirit ibid. b 50 Gods Adoption of the Iewes abode still in the Iewes though they were ouerruled by tyrants 1136. b 30.40 50. c. 1137. a all With what condition Gods Adoption is ioyned 1134. a 50 Of the principal end of our calling and Adoption 1125. b 20.30 The bodie of the tree and roote of our Adoption what it is 1133. a 30.40 Inuincible reasons proouing that the Adoption of the Iewes to bee Gods children was of his owne free goodnesse 1116. a 40.50.60 Whereuppon Gods free Adoption is grounded 1118. a 20 God gaue the Iewes a marke of his free Adoption vpon the eight day 1083. b 10 The possession of the land of Chanaan a token to the Iewes of their Adoption 1049. b 10.
ought thereby to learne to apply the same to the certainetie of our fayth and not to regarde though the faithlesse doe sooth themselues and boast of their abhominations because we knowe well that GOD condemneth them altogether and that wee ourselues may be iudges thereof forasmuch as we haue the worde whereby the worlde must bee iudged In dooing heereof Moses keepeth heere a certaine manner of proceeding which is worthey to bee noted saying That neither man nor woman house nor tribe ought to turne away or goe to serue straunge Goddes Nowe he doeth vs to witte that when mischiefe is begunne and a breache made the deuill will finde meanes to spreade his poyson farther if it be not preuented and remedyed in dewe time and place When some one man steppeth vppe to peruert the pure religion it seemeth at the first to be a matter of nothing but if it be let slippe that one man will leade a whole house and that house will leade the Tribe and so at the length the whole people is peruerted So much the more vigilaunt therefore shoulde wee bee specially seeing that the Spirite of GOD doeth stirre vs vppe wee ought to bee moued to keepe good watch in this behalfe for we cannot bee too diligent therein Nowe then let vs not foreslowe the redresse of any manner of corruption bee it neuer so small When wee see a wicked man that goeth about to infect the flocke let him not be suffered for if wee suffer him the corruption will foorthwith spreade it selfe both into smal and greate After one man followeth a whole house and after a house goeth a whole kinred and woulde GOD there were not so notable examples thereof But what Albeit that GOD doe shewe vs this by his worde and although experience ought to make vs wise yet is it not regarded For men doe euermore beare with some euill or other and suffer it to slippe And why It is not yet common say they it is not yet hurtfull No but they foresee not the daunger Neuerthelesse there is a daunger which I pray GOD wee feele not in the ende too much to our cost So much the more therefore ought we to marke well this doctrine where Moses sayeth not at the first dashe Looke that all the people swarue not or that one Tribe giue not ouer it selfe to the superstitions and Idolatry of the heathen but he beginneth at one man alone and then setteth downe the woman and after proceedeth to the whole house and consequently to all the people For if there be but one serpent he poysoneth all thinges out of hande with his onely byting And if Serpents can also infect the ayre with their verie breath surely when men are poysoned by Sathan they carrie abroade so much the more venemous corruption insomuch that if anie bodie come nygh them be it neuer so litle it is a wonder if they be not infected and marred with the very breath of them Seeing then that wee haue made a couenaunt with our GOD according as hee hath gathered vs into his flocke and doth dayly make it manifest to our eyes y t we be his church let vs continue in that obedience and let euerie of vs first of all watch ouer himselfe according as is seene heereafore where it is sayde Take heed to your soules let vs take good heed for euery man is commanded of God to watch ouer his owne soule Deut. 4.9 But yet thereuppon wee must yet goe further namely to haue care of our neighbours that euerie man helpe to amende them that haue doone amisse without any bolstering or bearing with the euill committed Otherwise it is a wonder to see howe that after one man hath once infected his wife or familie the corruption will spread it selfe ouer a whole people in such wise as the mischiefe can not bee holpen any more because it hath gotten so farre And Moses doeth purposely vse a similitude which is worthy to bee well weyed where hee sayeth that there be not founde among you any roote that bringeth foorth woormwoode and gall Whereby he warneth vs that as often as Sathan sendeth foorth his vnderlinges to turne vs away from GOD and wicked people goe about to bring Religion into contempt and to bring to passe that all thinges may be so turned vpside downe and mingled together as there may be nothing any where but vngodlynesse it is all one as if there were some secrete roote which afterwarde will sprout foorth and wee must needes be poysoned with the fruite which it shall yeelde Nowe therefore let vs in good time plucke it vppe We see whereto this similitude tendeth Let vs adde thereto the exhortation which the Apostle maketh in the Epistle to the Hebrues Hebr. 12.15 for he hath respect to this text and expoundeth it and applyeth it to our instruction Forasmuch sayeth he as the despisers of GOD which goe about to seduce the people and to turne them out of the right way be bitter rootes we must not looke y t they shall yeelde foorth good fruite For we can not easily plucke vppe an euill weede when it is ouerspred so as it hath choaked and corrupted the good seede because it was not taken in time Lette vs therefore bee diligent and carefull to plucke vp euill rootes and when wee see any bitter weede although it beare no fruite yet let it be looked vnto in due time For GOD worketh a great miracle when hee deliuereth his people at such time as they be carelesse And woulde GOD that the examples thereof were not so common in the worlde as wee see them For then would not men giue so much libertie to the wicked nor suffer them to preuaile so mightily When they haue infected al then men sigh and lament but in the meane while they seeke no meane to prouide for it So then let vs marke well that as the Apostle telleth vs wee must not bee carelesse and slowe in this behalfe but as soone as we see any leaude-disposed folke which obey not the direction of GOD ne yeelde any reuerence to his worde let them be cutte off If we see them sow abroad wicked matters as cockle or darnell to make men to swarue which were in the good way let vs resist them with all our power and let them y t be in authoritie bende all their force and diligence thereunto and let euery man in likewise apply himselfe to further the same so as we may be the true seede of GOD and continue in the puritie of his Gospell and bring him foorth such fruite as he may be glorified throughout all our life Nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our sinnes beseeching him to make vs so to feele them more and more as wee may bee touched with true repentaunce and we come vnto him not onely to obtaine foregiuenesse of the sinnes that wee haue committed but also to bee gouerned by his holy Spirite and to
bee kept in such sorte by him that albeit Sathan fight against vs yet neuerthelesse wee may continue in the seruice of him which hath once called vs and purchased vs for himselfe And therfore let vs al say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the ix of April 1556. The CLxvii Sermon which is the fourth vpon the nine twentith Chapter that there bee not among you any roote that bringeth foorth Gall and woormewood 19 And so it come to passe that some man hearing the woordes of this curse doe blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace notwithstanding that I walke after the purpose of mine owne heart and so put drunkennesse vnto thirst 20 The Lorde will not agree to forgiue him for then the wrath and Ielozie of the Lord will kindle against that man and heape vpon him all the Curses that are written in this booke 21 And the Lorde wil wype out the name of him from vnder the heauen and the Lorde will shoole him out from all the Trybes of Israell to mischeefe according to all the Curses of the Couenaunt that is written in the booke of this Lawe WEe beganne yesterday to declare wherefore Moses dyd put foorth this similitude of the euill roote which bringeth forth bitternesse and gal For we do not perceiue at the first sight when the diuel beginneth to worke in vs vntill wee be corrupted and marred yea and â—â—at the thinges bee past remedie which at the first might haue bin taken away Therefore wee cannot be too circumspect in keeping ourselues seeing that of nature wee bee inclined to euill and we bee so fraile that ere wee bee aware the diuell taketh possession and then euery man infecteth his neighbour and so the corruption is spred throughout all Heere hee sheweth the principall daunger that men ought to beware of which is that they become not hard hearted against the threateninges of GOD. For it must needs be that we are altogether senselesse when wee feele no more any remorse or griefe of conscience but rather doe spyte God through diuelish pride For men to ouershoote themselues it is too ordinarie a matter to be slowe when they are driuen and pricked foreward is yet a common fault againe not to beleeue good counsell at the first is a thing to bee seene dayly But if a man become a scorner and take the bridle in the teeth to dally with God perswading himselfe that all the threatenings which are layde before him bee nothing and that all is but a fable whatsoeuer is sayde concerning the iudgement of GOD so as hee taketh leaue to doe what hee listeth and will bee ordered by no meanes but followeth his owne swindge lyke a horse that will not bee tamed and resisteth all that may bee doone vnto him when a man ouershooteth himselfe so farre it must needes be that hee is like a desperate creature Thus yee see whereof Moses admonisheth the people in this place Let a man beware sayeth hee that when hee heareth the curses which are set foorth in the Lawe hee say not Well yet shall I not fayle to haue peace still although I giue my selfe ouer to all mine owne wayes and followe my lustes In deede GOD saieth that I shall bee accursed but I see it not I will abide the hazard come what will in the meane while I will not vexe my selfe with melancholy I will make meerie come what come will When men iest thus desperately they bee vndoone and they become altogether vnreformable Nowe first of all let vs marke howe it is sayde heere that when wee haue heard the curses that are contayned in the Lawe it is a token of a spitefull and bitter minde to say Tush I care not a whit what God speaketh Albeit that we were not taught by any doctrine yet haue wee a witnesse within vs which speaketh vnto vs namely our owne conscience whereby euerie of vs is reprooued and driuen to vnderstand that God is our iudge yea euen when wee bee absolued by men as they bee which escape by bribes presentes fauour sleightes and suttelties who being absolued by men faile not to beare their condemnation still about them in their owne hearts But if when God sheweth vnto vs that we must come to an account and wakeneth vs vp by confirming and ratifying that which wee doe alreadie knowe and perceiue concerning the difference betwixt good and euill if wee then continue still hardhearted is it not to bee sayd that wee bee as good as bewitched by Sathan and that hee hath bereft vs of all vnderstanding and reason To bee shorte let vs learne to walke in feare and carefulnesse whensoeuer our Lorde speaketh vnto vs and quickeneth vs vp by good warnings and admonishmentes Let vs beware that wee stand not stubbornly against him for wee see what they gaine in the ende which bee so cankerhearted against GOD. Therewithall let vs call to minde that which I haue sayde alreadie namely that the hyghest poynt of all wickednesse is when men blesse themselues in their heartes that is to say when they beare themselues in hand y t all shal goe well with them notwithstanding that God doe threaten to bee their enemie and to make them to feele his wrath And this is written more at large by the Prophet Esay For there GOD complayneth of such as scorned the Prophetes for there were in those dayes the lyke scorners that are to bee seene in these dayes Tush say they let vs make good cheere Isa. 22.23 wee shall die to morrowe They had made that saying a common prouerb Therefore when the Prophetes perceiued that all things were so far out of order as was horrible to see and that iniquitie was become lyke a waterfloud so as men kindled the wrath of God more and more they dyd not cease to crie Wo wo it is impossible that GOD should forbeare vs or suffer vs any longer he hath vsed so long patience that now wee must needes perish all of vs. They hearde nothing but dreadfull threatenings When the Prophet spake to them it was not to qualifie the plagues but as it were to say you doe not yet heare the hundredth part of the punishmentes that shall come vpon you and for so much as you make none account thereof but shew such hardnesse of heart and stubbornnesse against GOD and his Prophetes you must bee all confounded These Galantes scoffed at such threateninges saying Loe wee must dye to morrow let vs therefore make good cheere to day Loe at what poynt they were Would GOD that such scorning of GOD and his worde were not yet still in the world But our Lorde addeth saying I haue called you to sackcloth and Ashes I required nothing but your repentaunce and amendment Isa. 22.12 that yee might obtaine mercie Howsoeuer the case stand I am desirous to soften the cursed hardnesse and stubbornnesse of your heartes and you hold on still and scoffe out all thinges But as truely as I