respect of his owne auncetrie for as we see he is not led by fleshly affection and that doth the verie thing it selfe shewe insomuch that all the malicious sort and all the skorners of God must needes haue their mouthes stopped heere considering his wonderful prouidēce in cutting off occasion of all slaunder as I saide afore Moses then had none other respect but that God shoulde he honoured that the doctrine of the Lawe should be receiued with al reuerence and that forsomuch as Leuie was chosen thereunto and the Priesthood was to continue in his house those which were so set in office shoulde not be hindered in their proceedings for the building vp of the Church nor haue any blemish in their persons which might diminish the authoritie of the doctrine which they brought That is the thing in effect whereat God amed But nowe let vs lay forth the whole by percelmeale He saith first of all Thy Thumim thy Vrim I haue tolde you already that these two words betoken Gods perfections and his lights or doctrines Now in effect we be done to vnderstande heere that Aarons apparell was no vaine thing it was not an attyre to giue a glittering shewe to mens eyes but God intended to figure a greater and more excellent thing thereby which is that the Priest should not be as a common man but should haue in him things which could not be comprehended And in very deed his bearing of Gods essētial name in his Mytre Exod. 28.36 serued to shewe that hee surmounted all the worlde and al the creatures therein There was in his Mytre The Euerlasting and that name agreed to none but to God himselfe Needs then must it bee that the highpriest was a figure of our Lorde Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 3.16 who is God manifested in flesh God therefore intended to shewe that none of all the Ceremonies of the Lawe were as toyes for babes to play withall like the trash of the Papistes who haue a great sort of pelting gewgawes and in all their Ceremonies doe nothing but make as it were may games or stage-playes after which manner the heathen folke also haue store of murlymewes and trifles and yet all is but a hotchpotch And why For there is no doctrine there is nothing but daseling of mens eyes it cannot bee saide vpon knowledge that God hath commaunded them or that hee hath appointed them to such ende or such vse I graunt that the Papistes contriue good store of gay thinges in their Masse as who would say this figureth such a thing and this such a thing And yet for all that all is but leasing for they haue forged them of their owne heads But God had as it were his lampe lighted in all the Ceremonies of the Lawe to the intent that the people shoulde be furthered by the helpe of them insomuch that they knewe wherefore Aarons Brestlap was named Rightfulnesse and why these parts of Thumim and Vrim were named Perfections and lights It was to doe vs to wit that God tooke no pleasure in outward things for hee is not like men which are rauished with the outwarde appearance and gay shew of things God hath no such thing in his nature But by those Ceremonies he meant to betoken farre greater things vntill the trueth of them appeared in Iesus Christ. Likewise all the things that were done in the Lawe had a respect to the paterne which Moses had seene in the mountaine Exo. 25.40 Heb. 8.5 and so consequently all things were spirituall as is saide of them in the 25. of Exodus Let that then serue for one point Much more reason is it that we nowadayes shoulde abstaine from all trifling Ceremonies because our Lorde Iesus Christ is come hath brought vs the trueth of the things which were set downe in shadowes vnder the lawe In the time of the Lawe it behoued the highpriest to bee appareled after his peculiar manner yea and all the whole lyne of the priestes had certaine markes to be knowen by as who woulde say We be sanctified to God But specially when the highpriest was to go into the sanctuary hee was then as it were to bee altogether disguised there were not the thinges to bee perceiued in him which had beene in men afore and that order was to bee obserued in the absence of our Lorde Iesus Christ. But nowe all those thinges are abolished Nowe if men inuent thinges of their owne fancie as we see there is an infinite gulfe of gewgawes in the popedome what will become of it The things which God inioyned with his owne mouth tooke their ende at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And why For we haue no mo lightes or teachings in pictures wee haue them not any more in Aarons brestlap Exod 28.12 Colos. 1.15 but wee haue them in our Lorde Iesus Christ who is the liuely image of God his father in beholding of whom face to face we bee there as it were transfigured into the glorie of God 2. Cor. 3.14 As sainct Paul saith there is no more any veyle in the Gospel as there was in the Lawe Moses was to haue his face couered with a veile to shewe that the Lawe did not yet discouer things so plainly as the Gospel doth at this day If men thē take vpon them to inuent figures of their owne braine what can they be but illusions from Satan Wherefore let vs conclude that when the Priestes do apparell themselues with their trinkets in the popedome they be but maskingtoyes and whereas in so doing they will needes resemble the Iewes it is all one as if they trode Iesus Christ vnderfoot or else would burie him that men might no more looke him in the face nor he be neere vnto vs nor wee any more perceiue the worthines that is in him and in his office That is the thing which wee haue to remember vppon this text where Aarons ornamentes are termed perfections and teachings And it is said that his perfections and teachings are of God to shewe that in the gouernement of the Church it is not for vs to inuent what seemeth good vnto vs but that that matter lyeth simply in the will of God and that whatsoeuer he ordeyneth ought to bee held and that it is not lawfull for men to attempt any thing in that behalfe yea and that such additions and minglinges are mere corruptions Therefore when Moses sayeth Lord God thy Thumim and thy Vrim thereby he openly witnesseth that when men do so farre passe their boundes as to frame a gouernement after their owne fancie and to ordaine laws and statutes in the church to say this is good for it liketh me well It is but a tradition that commeth from some one man and when men do so presume of themselues it is a taking away of Gods right and a committing of diuelish trecherie And why Because the Thumim and Vrim belong to none but God If the figures of the law which seemed
yet shall we not cease to goe on still And why Because the hope which wee shall haue gathered of Gods former making of vs to feele his goodnesse will serue to carie vs ouer all tempestes in the middes of the sea it will be as a boate or as a shippe or as a bridge to conuey vs safely ouer To bee short wee shall haue wherewith to strengthen vs continually so wee shutte not our eyes at the assistance which God sheweth vs dayly Thus you see generally what wee haue to gather vppon this saying of Moses A non the matters shall bee layde out more particularly by similitudes Let vs proceede to the things that he addeth namely that being come to the hill of the Amorrhytes he saide Let vs possesse the Lande which the Lord our God and the God of our fathers promised vs. For it is here before vs that is to saye at our commaundement as hee had said afore for this is but a repetition of that which were haue seene already And heere Moses setteth forth the promise that God had made vnto the people to the end to assure them of the Land in such wise as they shoulde bee out of all doubt that it was their owne And why Because it had bene promised them of God Beholde saith he thy God ment not to lye to thee nor to beguile thee and therefore thou maist assure thy selfe that the thing which hee hath spoken shal be performed Marke that for one point Neuerthelesse to the ende that the people may the better vnderstande that they were not to possesse the lande for their owne deserts sake hee telleth them expresly It is the God of your fathers that doth it For the Lande was promised as well to Abraham as to Isaac and Iacob before the Iewes which then liued were borne Therby then are they put in minde that they had not deserued such a benefite at Gods hande but that it proceeded wholly of his free goodnesse And so much the more were they to blame in that they had felt such experience of Gods goodnesse and their sinne also was so much the heinouser in that they acknowledged not the mercie that he had vsed towards them That then is the effect of Moseses meaning heere But we haue to note herewithal that although the promise was then growen olde yet had it not lost his force neither ceased it to liue still though Abraham Isaac and Iacob were deade True it is that the promise which had beene made was not spoken to them that were presently aliue at this time they to whome it was spoken that is to wit Abraham and the Patriarks were all deceased But Gods promise his truth die not with men they haue not the course of a transitoritie and flightfull life as wee haue Therefore let vs marke well that whereas God had promised the lande to Abraham for him his heires and successors that shoulde descende of his race although Abraham was rotten in the earth and they that followed him together with all the Patriarks were consumed to powder and dust yet the worde that GOD spake continued still and forewent no whit at al of his force This I tell you is a point which wee ought to marke well For it is nowe long ago since the Lawe was giuen so that if we haue an eye to the oldenesse thereof it will seeme to vs to bee an outworne and deade thing About a two thousand yeares after that the Gospel was published to the worlde and wee see that manie yeares yea many hundred yeares are passed since Then if wee shoulde measure Gods trueth by time wee might thinke it to bee a thing as good as buried and quite and cleane forgotten Moreouer they that first caryed the Gospell abrode are deade long agoe but yet must we beare in minde that Gods trueth is euerlasting and that although men be corruptible and passe and vanish away yet the doctrine of saluation abydeth alwayes vnappayred so as the force thereof abateth not at all That is it say I which we haue to beare in minde For although it was in olde time that GOD spake to Moses and the Prophetes and although it bee nowe long agoe since the Gospel was delyuered to the Apostles yet must we receiue the doctrine therof nowadayes as being in full force still And that so much the rather in respect of this saying of the Apostle Heb. 10.20 that our Lorde Iesus Christe hath made the way fresh by his bloude They that liued vnder the Lawe and the Prophetes ought not to haue despised the trueth that had beene manifested to their fathers though it was done long time before and yet did not God discouer it so openly to them as hee doth to vs. It is not for nought then that the Apostle saieth that the way which Iesus Christ made is freshe And why sayes hee so His meaning is that the bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ cannot drye nor putrifie but is alwayes freshe in rememberance before God to the ende that wee shoulde bee assured of his trueth which hee hath sealed with his death and passion Seeing then that we haue such a pledge we ought to be so much the forwarder to receiue Gods truth forasmuch as wee perceiue that the force and vertue thereof dureth for euer Nowe must wee marke further howe Moses saieth heere Thy God hath promised thee the lande It is before thee possesse it By these wordes he betokeneth that wee must rest wholely vppon that which God saith and not stande scanning after our owne fancies For if men content not themselues with the thinges that God speaketh to them where shall they seeke for greater certeintie Or when they haue sought it where shall they finde it But it is an offering of too greate wrong to our GOD when wee bee not satisfied with his vttering of his will and with his warranting of the same vnto vs. For if therevppon wee bee still wauering and doubtfull what else is such vnbeliefe but a replying against Gods trueth as though hee were not faithful or as though he went about to abuse vs by alluring vs with vaine hope So then let vs marke well that all our life long wee must content our selues with Gods worde and when we haue it wee must followe it without seeking any further For looke howe many doubtes and mistrustes wee conceiue so many ouerthwart nippes and priuie vpbraydings doe wee giue vnto GOD as who shoulde say there were no certaintie in his saying But wee knowe that nothing is more peculiar to him than his trueth And so as much as in vs lyeth wee make it a thing of nothing Therefore it is a verie profitable warning when hee saieth The Lorde thy God hath promised thee the Lande For hee speaketh still in generall meaning that we must all our life long hold this rule of sticking simply to the word of God A non the things shal be laide foorth particularly as I saide afore But let vs marke
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
shall keepe c. 7 For what Nation is so great that hath Gods comming so nie it as the Lord our God commeth vnto vs in all thinges that we call vpon him 8 And what Nation is so great that hath so righteous ordinances and lawes as all this lawe is which I set before you this day 9 Therefore take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the thinges which thine eyes haue seene nor let them depart from thy heart all the dayes of thy life but teach them to thy sonnes and sonnes sonnes 10 Forget not say I the day that thou stoodest before the Lorde thy God in Horeb when the Lorde saide to me gather me the people together IT was declared to vs yesterday that forasmuch as GOD seeth that we know not howe to liue hee taketh paine to teach vs and doth it in such sort that as manie as list to obey his doctrine haue a perfect rule to deale by And at this day it is long of none but our selues if we be not wise and well aduised to guide our selues For wee haue a God that will not faile vs and his worde is a sure rule for vs. But heere in wee see mens leawdnesse and vnthankefulnesse in that they cannot finde in their heartes to submitte themselues vnto God but will needes bee wise in their owne conceit and still follow their owne inuentions Yet notwithstanding this maxime cannot bee rased out by men namely that wee haue neither wisedome nor discretion except wee haue profited in Gods schole And therefore we be warned heereby to holde our selues simplie to Gods commaundementes For as soone as wee fall to adding of any thing to Gods worde it is by and by but corruption and when wee bee out of those boundes wee can doe nothing but stray Neuerthelesse a man might make a question heere howe Moses coulde say that the people of Israel should bee counted sage and wise among all Nations seeing wee knowe that the heathen did glorie in their owne follies and superstitions Rom. 1.22 euen in despite of the lawe Seeing the Infidels were so proude that they reiected the good learning of the Lawe and rested vppon their owne fonde toyes it shoulde seeme that this was not accomplished in such wise as Moses speaketh of it heere But wee must wey well the speech that is set downe heere that is to wit that the nations which shoulde heare the Lawes in such wise as God had giuen them shoulde say beholde heere an excellent and noble people Nowe as for those that held scorne of Gods law and were caried away with pride and ouerweening did they euer vnderstande what Moses had saide vnto the people No. So then yee see that the question is resolued in this wise namely that as many of the heathen as had knowen and tasted well the doctrine that God had deliuered to the people of Israel confessed as truth was that Gods chosing of a certaine people for himselfe was a great and singular priuiledge But verie fewe of them vouchsafed to consider that for all of them lay weltring still in their owne dung And although it was apparantly seene that the people of Israel had a seuerall lawe and Religion by themselues yet did all men shut their eyes and stoppe their eares And that was the cause why they made no reckening of so great a benefite Now herewithal Moses sheweth in two things how greatly the people ought to haue esteemed of the grace that was giuen vnto them For let vs saith he bee compared with the rest of the worlde and it shall not bee founde that those which worshippe Idolles doe finde such power among them as to bee succoured at their neede Psal. 50 1â— or that their Gods whom they call vppon bee so familiar with them There will no such thing be found For as soone as we pray vnto our God and resort vnto him wee feele him neere vs by and by Yee see then an inestimable benefite Againe wee haue his lawes and Statutes which hee hath giuen vs wee haue his righteous ordinances all others doe but goe astraie True it is that they weene they do wel but in the meane while they haue no certaintie in their religion for they haue no trueth concerning God Therfore let vs consider the good that hee hath done vs to the ende wee may inioy it For all this is treated of by Moses to the intent it shoulde bee applyed vnto vs and we learne to serue our God with y e greater zeale and to holde our selues in awe For the setting of his benefites and gratious giftes afore vs is one of the wayes whereby God intendeth to winne vs to him And it is a shame for vs if wee serue him not seeing hee hath chosen vs and adopted vs to bee his children Thus much concerning the first part where it is saide that other nations haue no Gods that come so nigh them This saying as I haue touched afore is meant of Gods helping of his people of Israel as ofte as they called vppon him yea and oftentimes also euen before they required it Esa. 65.23 after which manner wee see that hee dealeth with vs also Hee thinketh vppon vs whyle wee bee asleepe hee watcheth for vs and hee maketh vs to feele his succour at our neede Neuerthelesse in telling them that God will succour vs euen in all thinges that wee require at his hand his intent is also to incourage folk to call vppon God and to make them to blame themselues for their owne negligence whensoeuer they bee destitute of helpe and succour at Gods hande and to doe vs to vnderstande that Gods forgetting of vs is for that wee flee not to him for refuge as wee ought to doe ne seeke vnto him who is alwayes readie to helpe vs at our neede Thus yee see that the intent of Moses was to exhort the people to prayer and supplication and therewithal to shew that God had alwayes shewed himselfe at hande vnto such as had returned to him It is not so with any of the Gods of the heathen If this saying were well obserued the wretched worlde woulde not ouershoote it selfe so farre as it doeth Wee see what windlasses men make to seeke saluation but there are very few which goe right forth vnto God and yet doeth hee allure all of vs the way and the gate is open Whereof is it long that wee goe not on It is for that euen of nature wee desire to bee deceiued Wee see howe all men doe deuise patrones and aduocates to themselues and it seemeth to them that they cannot bee disappointed when they haue their owne deuotions after what sort soeuer it bee Thus doe men wilfully beguile themselues and runne gadding vp and downe But when they haue toyled them selues neuer so much in the ende they finde themselues ouer weried yet y t they haue gained nothing by all that euer they did Wee see them howe it is not
without cause saide that if wee looke well to our selues none of all the wretched vnbeleeuers which torment themselues to atteine vnto God and holde not the right way thither haue such aduauntage as wee haue For whensouer we call vpon God simplie and according to his worde wee be neuer disappointed Psa. 145.18 But now let vs come to that which Moses addeth concerning statutes and laws which is the principall point of this sentence What people is there saith he which hath so rightfull statutes and ordinances as we haue Truely if a man would haue beleeued the heathen they thought verie well of themselues in their owne dotages and they bare themselues in hand that there was nothing but sounde perfection in them But yet for all that it is a wonder to see howe they became so dull They that otherwise were of great skill and sharpewitted were become so brutish in their superstitions as euen little children might iustly haue beene ashamed of them But the light must be faine to shine in the darke or else it will neuer bee possible to discerne a right And for proofe thereof what is the cause that the heathen are so hardened in their owne dotages It is for that they neuer knewe Gods Lawe and therefore they neuer compared the trueth with the vntruth But when Gods lawe commeth in place then doeth it appeare that all the rest is but smoke insomuch that they which took them selues to be maruelous wittie are founde to haue beene no better than besotted in their owne beastlinesse This is apparant Wherefore let vs marke well that to discerne that there is nothing but vanitie in all worldly deuises we must knowe the Lawes and ordinances of God But if we rest vppon mens lawes surely it is not possible for vs to iudge rightly Then must wee needes goe first to Gods schoole and that will shewe vs that when wee haue once profited vnder him it will be ynough That is all our perfection And on the otherside wee may despise all that euer is inuented by man seeing there is nothing but fondnesse and vncertainty in them And that is the cause why Moses termeth them rightfull ordinances As if he shoulde say it is true indeede that other people haue store of ceremonies store of rules and store of Lawes but there is no right at all in them all is awrie all is crooked True it is that they perceiue it not and what is the cause thereof but for that it is not possible for them to discerne good from euill without Gods worde which is the trueth Howesoeuer wee fare wee cannot do the thing that is iust or right except wee haue first learned it at Gods hande And if wee haue beene so farre ouerseene as to allowe our owne doings let vs not goe on still for God will disallowe euerie whit of it because wee must take all our rightnesse at his trueth In this case it is not for euerie man to bring his owne weightes and his owne balance but wee must hold ourselues to that which God hath vttered and doth vtter True it is that Moses doeth greatly magnifie the people of Israell heere but yet neuerthelesse we must vnderstande that the priuiledge which is so greatly magnified heere did nothing aduantage those which reiected the lawe and profited not themselues thereby The Iewes are termed heere a wise and skilfull people a noble people a people that hath nothing but excellency and worthinesse in them And why so Because God had chosen them and vttered his iudgementes and righteousnesse vnto them Esa. 42.18 But yet for all that on the other side they be termed blinde and deafe And why Because they did what they coulde to haue quenched the light that God had kindled for them We knowe that they were taught by the doctrine which conteined their whole wisedome And therefore when they despised it they coulde not be but dubble blinded insomuch that the ignorance of the heathen and infidels was nothing in comparison of theirs that had so reiected Gods grace when it was put into their handes And that is a point well worthie to bee weyed The Iewes do arme themselues yet still at this day with the same texte when they list to commende themselues Tush say they it is saide that wee bee men of vnderstanding a people of great wisedome a people of passing nobilitie and worthinesse This is true if they had helde fast the treasure that God gaue them and kept it well But seeing they bee fleeted away from the law or rather y e a veyle is cast before their eyes 2. Cor. 3.14 16. because of their reiecting of Iesus Christ yea and seeing that euen before his comming they disobeyed the Prophetes and became hardharted against the doctrine of saluation that was brought to them it coulde not bee but that as I saide afore they must needes become more ignoraunt than all the rest of the worlde For if the heathen bee as good as destitute of reason because they haue not beene in Gods schoole needes must they to whome GOD hath spoken Eph. 4.18 and yet are disobedient therevnto needes must they I say bee striken with the spirite of disinesse and bee caried away by the diuell and become as wilde beastes so as they shall not offende of simple ignorance as they doe which neuer hearde any thing but of wilfull rage more than beastly Euen after that manner is it happened to the Iewes And it is the verie same thing wherewith the Prophete Esaye vpraideth them in his two and forteeth chapter saying Hearken ye deafe Esa. 42.18.20 see yee blinde And why speaketh hee to the deafe and blinde to heare and see well Hee addeth the reason by and by saying yee haue seene ynough and yee haue hearde ynough but yee haue not regarded it Also God complayneth of his paines taken in teaching of his people and of losing his labour therein For saieth hee haue not I done workes ynowe among you Yes but what for that You haue had neither eares nor eyes And nowe if yee bee compared to the rest of the worlde yee passe all the heathen and vnbeleeuers in blindnesse And why For yee haue had teaching ynough and too much And his vpbraiding and blaming of them is not for that they had not sufficient experience whereby to haue beene dewly taught but for that they did shut their eyes and woulde not profite themselues by the thinges that GOD shewed them Seeing that the Iewes are thus blamed by the Prophet notwithstanding that Moses had reported them to bee a people of wisedome and vnderstanding let vs come to our selues and consider that if this bee happened to the naturall braunches what shall become of the impes that are grassed into the tree as Saint Paul speaketh of it in the eleuenth to the Romanes Rom. 11.17 It is certaine that the Iewes went before vs in preheminence or at lestwise they had the birthryght in Gods Church
him and called vs to his throne there to appeare euerie man for himselfe to yeelde account as before our iudge And as I told you this importeth much For wee bee greatly destitute of wit and reason if this mooue vs not to heare Gods worde with other reuerence than wee haue done If we considered well that when wee come to a Sermon or when wee take the Byble in our handes to reade God citeth and summoneth vs so as wee cannot cast our eye vppon his word nor receiue so much as one worde that is vttered to vs in his name but that his Maiestie is present there with it and wee our selues are present in his sight If wee thought well vppon that I pray you should wee not bee otherwise prepared and humbled to yeeld our selues teachable Should wee not bee in another manner of forewardnesse than wee are seene to bee Therefore if wee come hither with such coldnesse as it were but for orders sake or when in reading of the Byble some of vs are caryed awaye with fonde curiositie some thinke them selues discharged to Godwarde with the hauing of two or three sentences and othersome make but a pastime of it doeth not this dealing of ours shewe well that wee neuer tasted of this saying Namely that if GOD speake vnto vs wee must come before him and feele his Maiestie to be as it were beaten downe vnder it to the ende to submit our selues the better to his woorde That is one principall point Besides this there is also an assemblie that Moses speaketh of howe he was commaunded to gather the people togither For it hath bene Gods will to keepe that order from the beginning for the better exercising of vs in the vnitie of faith True it is that he could well teache vs euerie one alone by himselfe and in deede he vseth that way too so that whether he instruct vs by teaching or giue vs grace to profite by reading it may well bee done by our selues alone but yet therewithall there is the common order which he will haue to continue inuiolable And why Eph. 4. â— Forasmuch as wee haue all one faith and haue neede to bee tyed and knit togither in one GOD vseth this meane of teaching vs all as it were by one mouth and maketh vs to meete togither as it were in one bodie and that not onely to the ende that a great multitude may take profite at one mans mouth but to the ende wee shoulde knowe that there is but one rule one trueth one God that speaketh and which causeth vs to bee of one accorde and one melodie in that behalfe in so much that when euerie maÌ„ holdeth in with his neighbour it is bicause there is a right conformitie That then is the thing whereunto Moses had respect in saying that God commaunded him to assemble the people as he that was his Leiuetenaunt Hee gaue the Lawe generally to the intent that the people might by that meanes bee taught to thinke thus with themselues beholde our God will haue vs to bee of one accord in him and to bee one bodie wholly conformable to his worde so as euerie man shift not for himselfe like bandes that were scattered and put to flight in battell but linck togither in one right and holy vnion And this is not for one time onely but it must be put in vre vnto the worldes ende For it is Gods will that his Gospell should bee published Matt. 1â— Luk. â—â— And how Not in hudder mudder and in folkes eares but he will haue men to bee taught openly and to meete togither yea and their meeting to bee to the ende that he bee preached so as there may be a good vnitie of faith that the mark whereat all of vs doe shoote may bee to bee gathered and knit togither in our head Iesus Christ Eph. 4. â—â— who is the bond whereof S. Paule speaketh which proceedeth of the common preaching Wherefore let vs learne that wee can not bee rightly of Gods housholde nor of his flocke vnlesse wee meete togither and that our meeting be not only a comming togither in the Church but also a continuall linking togither in vnitie when we be gone thence and when euery of vs is alone by himselfe from companie so as wee shewe that Gods gathering of vs togither vnto himselfe is not in vaine but that there is a right brotherhood among vs to come all vnto him in y e name of our Lorde Iesus Christ. For the diuell seekes by all meanes to breake that bond as wee see he hath laboured in all ages to stirre vp sectes to rend asunder the bodie of the Church and it is the thing that he striueth to doe in these dayes more that euer he did erst And if hee cannot obtaine that false doctrines may haue their full scope to make hauocke of all thinges yet will he sowe darnell among vs so as in stead of being vnited wee shall bee heauing one at another or at leastwise as good as drawen a sunder so as our bond shall not bee straite and well knitte togither When wee see the matter in that taking let vs vnderstande that it is a practise of the diuels driuing And why Gods intent is that we should bee gathered togither before him yea euen before him For the wicked wil wel ynough make leagues and confederacies howbeit that is but to spite GOD and in verie deede they turne their backes vppon him and hide themselues from him and by all meanes possible eschew to come at him for they haue no liking at all of him But wee on our side must come togither in the presence of our God Sith it is so let vs afraide to shrinke a sunder and let not the Diuell separate vs as wee see hee laboureth to doe and he knoweth that hee shall haue ouerthrowen the principall point of our saluation if he may winne that at our handes And therefore let vs abhorre all such sowers of discorde in the Church of God Wee see nowadayes that in stead of assembling togither there are diuerse which seeke nothing but to scatter Gods flocke and wee neede not to goe any further than to this present place We perceiue howe these rascalles doe now adayes serue the diuell as though they tooke wages of him or were vtterly solde to bee his seruauntes A man may see whereat they shoot There needeth no gessing or coniecturing there needeth no great inquirie of the matter let a man but looke vppon their doings and he shall finde that their whole seeking is to breake al vnion and to pluck asunder the things that haue beene knitte togither in the name of God If GOD did euer worke myraculously in any place he woorketh here as myraculously as in any place of y e world and hee sheweth the power of his woorde as mightily as may bee Goe wither ye will and such as are scattered from all other places resort hither to shrowde themselues as it were vnder
shewed himselfe to our face and vouchsafed to bee knowen of vs familiarlie Now we we see what Moses ment For his meaning is to set forth the greeuousnesse of the peoples sin if it should so fall out that they shoulde turne away from the purenes which they had learned in the lawe As if he should say True it is that euen from the creation of the worlde most men haue not ceased to ouershoote themselues into a number of errors and follies but that came to passe because they had not so special a teaching as you haue whereby they might haue had certeinetie of faith to rest themselues vpon Therefore the wretched infidels went astray but yet was not their sin so greeuous and outragious For although they were vnexcusable yet had they not any such teaching as you But as for you yee haue had Gods couenaÌ„t wherby ye were brought into his house hee hath shewed himselfe as a father towards you taught you as his childreÌ„ this is that holy band wherby god hath tyed him selfe to you now then if you should turne backe againe and become like those wretched beastes which neuer knew nor tasted of gods truth what a thing were it Might you pretende them for a shrowding sheete and say other men do so as wel as we Yea but yet had not those othermen such teaching as you haue had Nowe therefore acknowledge the grace that God hath bestowed vppon you in shouling you out from all nations of the earth in coming so nigh vnto you And in deed y e same is the very cause why y t when the heathen are condeÌ„ned in their supertitions it is said on the contrarie part that y e Lord dwelleth in Sion his maiesty is knowen there After that manner doth the Prophet Abacucke speake in his second chapter Abac. 2.20 and it is a doctrine that is rife ynough euery where As if it were saide The world runnes at randon and euery man forgeth and setteth vp some God priuately to himselfe but as for the God which hath shewed himself to bee the true liuing God his voyce soundeth in mount Sion where the temple was builded TheÌ„ sith it is so although the whole world bee caried away go wandering in the darke yet must not we be remoued forasmuch as he hath set vp his seat among vs and we know him by his voyce by his word And here we see why it is said in the Psalmes where Gods kingdome is spoken of in such wise as it was to bee stablished in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ Psal. 97.1.3 5. 115.3.4 as wel in the fourescore and sixteenth psalme as in other psalmes The Lord reigneth Let y e far countries reioyce therat let all ydols be confounded and let all that is set vp by men be throwen downe For when wee haue the truth which driueth away al darkness ignorance then haue we the verie meane to destroy al superstition And to the same purpose also is there this like saying in Esay Esa. 19.1 when the Lord reigneth then shal al the ydols of Egypt fal And why For the wretched Infidels weene they doe well and thinke they do God good seruice in following their fond superstitions But when God is once set afore them then his maiestie bereaueth them of all excuse and he must needs as then be magnified And that is y e cause why it is said in another place Esa. 25.9 This is the Lord this is the Lord. The prophet in the person of all the faithful defieth the ydols with their abuses because GOD should be knowen accordingly as al things were accomplished at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Now then the thing y t we haue to gather vpon this tâ—xt is that when we once knowe God by his word wee must be so fully resolued and assured thereof that although the whole wretched world run rouing after their owne abuses and superstitions yet we must keepe on our way still that seing we haue a sure foundation which cannot be shaken that is to wit gods infallible truth wee must let those blinde wretches breake their necks sith we cannot remedie it and in y e meane while we must go forward still as the Lord commaundeth vs seing he hath reached vs his hand to draw vs to him And although this was spoken to the Iewes by Moses yet it perteineth eueÌ„ now vnto vs. For wee see what fauor God hath shewed vs aboue others All the worlde is full of error and diuelish imaginations wretched men are become brutish in their ignorance But what Neither hath the doctrine of life bene preached vnto them neither haue they euer in good earnest vnderstood what God is Indeede they can speake of him but that is but at randon without order But wee haue the scripture declared vnto vs and by that mean God communicateth himself to vs and allureth vs so sweetly vnto him as he could not doe any more for vs except hee should take vs into his lap and yet we see he applieth himselfe to our infirmitie he chaweth our morsels to vs he feedeth vs with pappe speaketh to vs like a nurse Now when we see that our God manifesteth himselfe so familiarly vnto vs there is no more excuse for vs wee may no more mingle our selues in the order or ranâ—ke of vnbeleeuers For our state is cleane contrarie Rom. â—â—â— God is hidden from them and yet shall they not faile to perish in their ignorance as they be worthie But as for vs if we be so stubborne against God that euen of a spitefull malice wee will not obey the things that he sheweth vs but wil play the wilde beastes with him so as hee cannot reclaime vs to himselfe and that euen when we knowe him and do vnderstand that it is hee which ought to be honored yet wee be so vnconstant and wauering still as to turne away after our owne dotages shall we not bee doublie condemned Shall not horrible vengeance hang ouer our heades Then let vs beare in mind that in asmuch as our Lorde hath made a couenant with vs that is to say hath called vs into his Church to be taught by his worde that this is the onely meane wherewith wee may bee armed and fortified against all superstitions This is one point And let vs also marke therewithall that horrible condemnation hangeth ouer our heades if we wander away and hold not our selues to the simplicitie of Gods doctrine but bee carried away hither and thither by our owne lusts These are the two pointes which we haue to marke vpon this text Wherefore let vs learne to make our profite and commoditie of the worde that is preached vnto vs for the same purpose That is to wit albeit that all bee full of corruption and errour yet let not vs bee shaken downe nor bee wauering as manie men are to saye yea marie but there is so much disagreement that
I wote not what to doe Let vs not alleage this â—sa 25.9 but let vs say with the prophet Esay Behold this is our God behold this is our God And by that means let vs defie all that the diuell can set before vs to turne vs aside Yea let vs not make any reckoning at all of it And why Because the light that God giueth vs is strong ynough to driue away all darknesse and the truth is strong ynough to beate backe all lies Thus see yee I say what the power of faith ought to be When wee haue well printed in rememberance the doctrine that is preached vnto vs and yet notwithstanding continue still for all that in blindnesse and bee still as reedes shaken with euerie winde Let vs vnderstande this that we knowe not God nor yet euer vnderstood of what great value his couenaunt towardes vs was nor euer were knitte to him as we shoulde be but that there was hypocrisie insteede of that protestation that we made to followe his worde But let vs marke herewithall that our condemnation shal be doubled if wee runne astray after wee haue knowen the truth For if Gods couenant cannot hold vs in obedience must it not needs bee that wee bee as cloudes And what an vnthankefulnesse is that Indeede many will say I haue not beene sufficiently confirmed I vnderstande it not but those are fonde shiftes We neede but to open our eyes and our eares seing wee haue Gods worde preached and our Lorde will certeinely make it of power and force so as we shal haue sufficient instruction by it seeing he regardeth vs especially and therefore wee must needes be founde blameworthy if we swarue one way or other after that God hath shewed vs his truth And this much then concerning the couenant that Moses speaketh of here Howbeit to set forth the heynousnes of their crime the more he addeth that hee taketh heauen and earth to witnesse that if the people turne away from the lawe and inuent or set vp any newe Religion they shall perish out of hande and not possesse the lande any long time which should be giuen vnto them Now this serueth to waken such as are puffed vp with vaine presumption vnder colour that God is gratious vnto them and hath giuen them some priuiledge aboue others And it is well worthie to be noted For although we cannot exceede measure in trusting in God yet doe wee see that a greate number doe falsely abuse Gods name If they bee once baptised and taken into the companie of the faithfull it seemeth to them that God is greatly bounde vnto them Whereas they shoulde consider that they bee called of his free goodnesse and ought to giue ouer themselues to walke in feare and warenesse beholde they be puffed vp with pride and vaine ouerweening and beare themselues in hande through fond hypocrisie that they bee scaped out of Gods hande and in the meane while they doe but dalie with him Ye see then what the pride of men is howe that when God sheweth himselfe bountifull towardes vs and vttereth the great and infinite treasures of his mercie they thinke still that hee is greatly beholden to them and therevppon doe ouershoote themselues and take leaue to doe amisse According as wee see that the greatest strife which the Prophetes had against the Iewes Ierem. 7.4 was for that they bragged of their hauing of Gods Temple and of his sacrifices and of such other thinges Nowe according hereunto Moses saith in this place It is true y t ye doe now enter into possession of the heritage which God promised to your fathers it is true that therein you haue an excellent warrant of his preferring of you before al other nations Surely it is a great and inestimable dignitie that your God should purchase you with his owne hande and driue out the inhabiters of a countrie to set you in their place yea and that when you bee in that lande you shal be sure to be of his housholde and that he dwelleth among you and that his so doing is to take you vp into his euerlasting kingdome Surely it is a singular benefite which your God hath vouchsafed vppon you but yet for all that deceiue not your selues to despise and reiect his worde or to shrinke away from him to corrupt his seruice For like as now he performeth the promise that he made to your fathers so can he also driue you out againe when he hath setled you there and he can well ynough weede you againe out of his heritage so scatter you abrode that you shal be dispersed euery where Now then the more that your God doth presently increase his goodnes towards you the more deligeÌ„t be you in seruing and louing of him and hold your selues vnder his shadow and beware that ye alter not any thing in the religion that hee hath ordeined for you Marke that for one point And now furthermore whereas Moses calleth heauen and earth to witnes it importeth yet a greater vehemencie True it is that some take this for Angels and men But y t is not the meaning of Moses as we shal see by the like maner of speach hereafter in the 32. Chapter Deut. 32.1 where he will say Hearken O yee heauens what I say and let the earth here the words of my mouth And so saith the Prophet Esay Esa. 1.2 Hearken ye heauens and let the earth giue audience vnto mee for the Lorde hath spoken Beholde I haue nourished children brought them vp and they haue despised me When God calleth heauen and earth to witnes after that maner it is to rebuke mens brutishnes so much the more For we be created after Gods image to haue reason vnderstanding where to shoulde wee applie such giftes but to knowe God and to giue our selues wholly vnto him Shall men haue wit ynough to comprehend the whole order of nature and shall they in y e meane season despise the Lorde It is all one as if a man shoulde thinke himselfe well forwarde when hee hath toyled in traueiling and running all day long and hath wandered all the while without keeping any path And is not the knowledge of our God the finall ende of all our perfection Yes and therefore when God inteÌ„deth to shew men that they bee more than blockish and that they bee so marred as they bee not worthy to be taken any more for reasonable creatures then doth hee direct his speech to heauen and earth As if hee shoulde say I haue not nowe any more witnes in y e world for I chose these to be knowen of them but herken you to me yee heauen and earth hearken yee to me I say nowe yee that are vnreasonable creatures for I shal finde more reason in you than in those to whom I haue giuen witte and knowledge to discerne betweene good and euil and to haue skil not only of this present life but also of the immortalitie of heauen
iudges seeth for you yea and that he seeth clearely and writeth y e things in his Registers which you forget and wilfully ouerslip and he will put you in rememberaunce of them to your cost For when so heynous offences are committed our Lorde will not haue them let slip vnder colour of simplicitie or pretence of ignorance but he wil haue them sifted out and information given of them the truth tried by all meanes possible so as mē may not say where are we nowe What is to bee done And when it commeth to iudgement he wil haue y e matter laid forth handled plainely so as the truth of it may be knowen and after al this diligence vsed he will haue sentence giuen according to y t which is knowen That is the first point namely that wee suffer not faultes and crimes to slip for want of due inquisition and examination how the case standeth There is a second point which I haue touched alreadie and that is y t God would there should bee some correction for such as commit manslaughter vnawares And thereby he sheweth as I said afore that he loueth mankinde dearely in so much that if wee offend that way although it be not of malice but by chaunce as they say in such wise as the lawe which he hath ordained meaneth although we ment not so to do yet neuerthelesse we must feele by experience see with our eyes howe deare mans life is vnto him This is another thing which wee haue to marke vpon this place And herewithall let vs marke also y t God intended to preuent y e daungers as we haue said y t the kinsfolk might not be prouoked for we bee too much subiect to our passions therefore he purposed to cut of occasions obiectes as they terme them In deede it is a wicked imperfectiō in me it is a vice worthie to bee condemned when I hate one y t hath slaine my brother or my neighbour vnwillingly or when I beare him any grudge And why For the poore mā is not blame worthy bicause God acquitteth him there is no fault in him And yet for all that I can not finde in my heart to looke vppon him but if he come towards my heart riseth against him I am mooued at him Therefore am I to blame Neuerthelesse GOD seeing our frailtie hath vouchsafed to beare with vs in y t behalfe hath not left vs without a remedie for it Now wee are warned thereby to eschew the occasions of al euill to the vttermost of our power if God on his part haue vouchsafed to deliuer vs from such temptations do not they ouerthrow themselues wilfully which thrust thēselues into them Sure this lesson is verie profitable extendeth verie farre For we see how a great nōber sticke not to fling out at randō to offēd God And wherby Through rashnes To their owne seeming they be able to resist whatsoeuer cōmeth in their way thereupon they step forth boldly and without discretion they maruaile greatly y t God shold disappoint their ouerlustinesse so as they neede not any thing else to make them to stumble yea and to tumble into some grosse fault Seeing then that we be ouer hardy in hazarding our selues against a nomber of temptations let vs learne y t God by giuing vs such a lawe doth warne vs generally to walke in feare It is true y t if God call mee to any thing all the daungers in the worlde must not hold me back nor stoppe me For why God calleth mee and he will shield mee But if I of mine owne foolish rashnesse will needes aduenture vppon a thing that God commaundeth mee not if it fall out to my harme what is the cause thereof but the ouerweening presumptuousnes wherewith I was puffed vp For I considered not mine owne frailtie that I should haue humbled my selfe before God to haue walked in his feare Then let vs marke well that wee must not cast our selues ouer boldly in daunger and promise our selues this and that as we see a nomber doe which say as for mee I can well serue God Although other men misbehaue themselues yet may I liue vertuously euen among the wicked It is true but art thou sure y t thou doest it No but this lustie gallant that speaketh thus stoutly intermingleth himselfe with the wicked and with their abhominations If he heare Gods name blasphemed and outrageously misused a hundred thousand times he winketh at it and vaileth his bonnet if he see any loosenesse and vnhonest pranckes hee intermedleth himselfe with them and if he happen not to giue his full consent to them yet he withstandeth them not Thus ye see how that vnder the colour of hardinesse mē cast themselues into daungers which they ought to shunne considering that God warneth them of them after that sort And herewithal Moses here setteth down the inquisition that was to bee made that is to say Whether there were any hatred at that present time or before Wherein he sheweth y t it is not ynough to heare a mans confession and his protestation y t he did it not vpon any malice wee must not stay there For if the offenders may bee beleeued there shall neuer be anie hanged they will well ynough cleare themselues and it is a common rule among them but the iudge must be of wisedom to bowlt out things to seeke out the truth some where else than at the mouth of the offender True it is that the confession of offenders ought to be takē but if a mā should tarie til they vtter things of their owne accord condemne themselues it were too great a mockerie Therfore they must be straitened and constrained to say the truth and triall must bee made by other meanes that men may be assured and vtterly out of doubt of it And euen verie nature it selfe sheweth it vs though there were no lawe written by Moses Thus ye see what we haue to remember vpon this place Whereas it is said that inquisition must bee made whether there were any malice borne to day or yesterday or of any time afore it is a manner of speache that is rife in the Hebrew tongue whereby is meant whether any hatred or rancour were perceiued to haue bin betwixt them at any time before And why For it is to bee presumed y t where there is any hatred the partie goeth to worke w t malice And contrariwise if it bee found y t there was no quarell no ill will no hatred no rancour can it bee saide that the manslaughter was committed of malice and set purpose No. And hereby we be put in minde that the life and conuersation of a man ought to direct and leade vs to the finding out of the matter True it is that we ought alwais to iudge of matters without respect of persons and we must euer haue an eye to the deede to the desert of the case as
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
to the end we should learne to serue him as he commaundeth vs and not lyke well of any thing but that which he alloweth for good Thus ye see whereto this saying is referred that God wrate the lawe in two tables And his wil was to write it in two tables of stone purposely to the intent it should continue For it was not giuen for any little time neither is it transitorie True it is that the ceremonies had an end 2. Cor. 3.11 Gal. 3.19 He 7.18.19 and 9.8.10 Ephe. 2.15 Col. 2.14.17 And in that respect the lawe is called temporall namely because the order that had bin stablished among the people of olde time to continue till the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ was then abolished and thinges were made perfect so as wee be no more vnder the shadowes figures which serued for that time Neuerthelesse the substance and trueth of the lawe serued not for that one age onely Matt. 5.18 but is a thing that shall indure for euer and neuer faile Wherfore let vs learne that Gods setting forth of his wil at the going of his people out of Egypt and his speaking to them vppon mount Sinay was after such a sorte as he prouided and tooke order therewithal that his doctrine should stand in force for euermore And for that cause did he set downe his lawe in two tables of stone and not write it in barckes of trees as the maner of wryting was in those dayes or as we might say nowadayes in paper or parchment but his will was to ingraue it in stone as an euerlasting monument to confirme vs the better in the thinges that he had sayd For he was not satisfied with the speaking of it for that onely day but by ingrauing it in stone his intent was that wee all our life long should giue attentiue eare to heare what he tolde vs. Yet notwithstanding surely Gods ingrauing of his lawe in stone after that sorte would serue to small purpose vnlesse it were also ingrauen in our hearts 2. Cor. 3.3 What is to be done then Let vs assure our selues that the doctrine which God setteth downe vnto vs is behoofefull and necessarie for vs and yet it should stand vs in no stead vnlesse hee added a second grace which is y t the thing which he hath vttred be forthwith printed in our heartes and bowels Then lyke as God wrate his lawe at that time in two tables of stone with his finger that is to say with his power so now he must be fain to write it with his holy spirit in our heartes which are stony and hard as the prophet sheweth where he prayeth God to giue vs heartes of fleshe that may be soft lythe and plyable to receiue whatsoeuer he shall say Nowe then seeing that God hath shewed vs visibly y t it belongeth to him to write his Lawe that it may be well knowen let vs beseech him to vouchsafe to write it in vs now adayes by the power of his holy spirit to the end wee may holde it fast as the diuell may neuer wype it out of our rememberances doe what he can And herewithall Moses concludeth that the Lawe was deliuered vnto him to bee the preseruer and keeper therof and to bee the minister and dealer forth of it to the people so as euerie man might acknowledge him for a Prophet For otherwise he could not haue executed his office nor haue builded Gods Church except meÌ„ had knowen that that charge had bin committed vnto him Likewise now adayes if we were not perswaded that it is Gods will y t his Gospell should be preached by the mouthes of men and that there should be Shepheardes in his Church to beare abrode his worde who would vouchsafe to come togither Neither I nor any other creature is of abilitie to traine men to come to receiue the thinges that are to be vttered by my mouth When I speake here in the name of God and men giue eare to the doctrine to submit themselues to it and to doe him homage it is more than all the lawes and proclamations of kings and Emperors can doe Is the mortal man the doer thereof No. But when we once knowe it to be Gods will that this order shoulde bee in his Church and that it should bee kept vnuiolably namely that there should bee sheepheards to beare abroad his worde and to expounde the same which should be as messengers to bring tidings of the forgiuenesse of sinnes in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and to rebuke reproue comfort and exhort when we I say doe vnderstand it to be Gods wil that there should be such gouernment in his Church then are wee ashamed to withstand him y t hath created and fashioned vs. So then ye see now why Moses sayd in this text that God deliuered him his lawe for himselfe Trueth it is that God gaue it for all the people in generall as I sayd afore Why then is Moses now the possessor of it It should seeme that God meant to bereaue all his people thereof and that none should bee priuiledged but Moses so as the lawe should be restrained vnto him and the residewe be as it were shut out from it But it is not so For although the Lawe was giuen for all the people yet was Moses made the protector of it And looke what God hath spoken of him we must extend it yet further accordingly as we heare that the prophets were put in the same commission Deut. 31. â—er 1.5.7 â— 2 to bee as it were disposers or dealers foorth of the treasure of saluation and of Gods couenant so as their office was to shewe Gods will from time to time and to bring vs worde of it in his name And the generall rule which Saint Paul giueth vs â— Cor. 4.1 is that men must esteem vs as Gods ministers as dealers forth of the secretes which he sendeth to the world Now whereas Saint Paul sayth wee bee dealers forth of Gods secretes he sheweth vs thereby that it is not enough for vs to haue the holy scripture and to reade it euery man at home in his house but it is required that it should bee preached vnto vs that wee should haue this order of being taught by the mouthes of men and that there should bee shepheardes to serue Gods turne to the ende y t by giuing care vnto them wee might profite more and more in the doctrine of saluation And for the same cause doth Saint Paule say in another place 2. Tim. 3.15 that the Church is the piller of trueth and as it were the ground and standard of the trueth The Papistes alledge this textfull doltishly to clayme priuiledge to themselues to deuise newe articles of fayth and to lode men with lawes at their owne pleasure But Saint Paul meant the cleane contrarie For hee saith that the Church is the piller or ground of Gods truth because that seeing God hath
messengers hee hath respect to our benefite and commoditie and therefore it proceedeth of a foolish and inordinate lust in vs to desire that hee shoulde appeare to vs from heauen or that hee shoulde worke any visible miracle for wee cannot comprehend his glory and maiestie Furthermore although the proper nature of the lawe bee to fray folke yet notwithstanding the same may also bee verifyed of the Gospell For wee must take it for a generall rule that as soone as wee perceiue Gods presence we must needes bee abashed Wee see how the very Angels doe hide their eyes Esa. â— 2 because Gods glory is too great for them and they be driuen to confesse that they bee too feeble as creatures And what will become of vs then For wee be inferior to the Angels and besides that wee holde not still the vncorruptnesse of our nature Wee be not as wee were created that is to say we be not earthly men as our father Adam was but wee bee vtterly corrupted so as there is nothing but sinne in vs and therefore God is faine to be as an enemie to vs and wee bee faine to shunne his throne as offenders shunne the seate of the Iudge to the vttermost of their power To bee short we be but wretched wormes and caryons Nowe then looke how soone God commeth neere vs wee must needes be dismaied yea and vtterly stryken downe And therefore as I haue touched already it is to our benefite that God sheweth himselfe after that fashion that is to wit by the meanes of men so as hee appoynteth men to shewe vs his will as well as if hee spake himselfe and hee will haue vs to receiue his word with as great reuerence as if we heard him thundering from heauen But yet it will bee good for vs to vnderstand more at large the thing that I haue touched in one worde namely that the Lawe frayeth vs far more in comparison than the Gospel as is declared also more at length elsewhere And why is that Because that in the Lawe God requireth that which is due to him at mens handes But now let vs see if wee be able to discharge our selues of it No but contrariwise wee bee lyke wretched detters which haue not one dodkin nor dodkins woorth Now then wee be vtterly vndone For whatsoeuer come of it God dischargeth vs not but sheweth vs that wee deserue to bee cursed and damned at his hand And for the same cause after he hath shewed how the lyfe of man ought to bee ruled he addeth this curse thundering downe vpon them That they be all accursed which performe not all the thinges that are conteined there As if hee should say All men must bee faine to yeelde themselues guiltie in this behalfe and from the greatest to the least they must all knowe that they be in my daunger and that I may sinke theÌ„ downe to the bottom of hel I doe already pronounce this sentence there is no man able to reply against it Behold then ye are all lost and condemned This is the language of the Lawe and the speach that God vseth there and now must not all men needes quake at it Yes So then it is not sayd for nought that the lawe frayeth vs and that we must needs bee forlorne so long as God listeth to demaund his due at our handes with rigor But the case standeth not so with the Gospell Eze. 11.19 2. Cor. 3.3 For there God beareth with vs and not onely forgiueth vs our sinnes but also wryteth his lawe in our heartes And moreouer although wee serue him but by halues yet doth hee pardon vs our defaultes and as it were winke at them And lyke as a father will not presse his childe too straitly so doth God vse a fatherly gentlenesse towardes vs in the Gospell to the intent wee should not bee afraid to come vnto him In respect whereof the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes He. 12.18.20 sayth that wee bee not come to this smoking mountaine wee be not come to mount Sinay to bee astonished at the sight of burning fyre and at the sight of the lightnings and of all the other thinges that were done there to abash the people but that wee heare a gratious and pleasaunt melody wherein we be accompanyed with the Angels of heauen with the soules of the holy patriarkes and other fathers that liued vnder the hope of lyfe notwithstanding that they had as then but darke shadowes of it and so GOD coupleth vs with those that waited in olde time for the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Seing it is so we must not recoyle backe but goe still on foreward with a chearefull courage to heare our God because he speaketh to vs so kindely and with so fatherly speach as doth not scarre away his children but rather as ye would say allure them This difference then is to be marked well that it may make the Gospell amiable to vs in comparison of the Lawe But yet for all this we must come backe againe to the generall principle which is that it is much better for vs that Gods word should be preached vnto vs by the mouthes of men than y t God himself shold thunder it down from heauen And why For let vs but here the naturall thunder and by and by we be astonished and yet is nothing expressed there God doth but as yee would say braye with a confused noyse What would come of it then if hee should speake to vs shew vs his glory We feele such a weakenesse in all our senses that we cannot so much as looke vpon the sunne which is a corruptible creature and how then can we beholde gods maiestie if it shewe it selfe to vs playnely and in full perfection And therefore it is sayd that no man liuing can see God and not dye and bee vtterly consumed Trueth it is that God shewed himselfe to Moses and that not as he did to the prophets not in dreame nor in vision but with a speciall priuiledge and as it is sayd in Exodus face to face as a man speaketh to his friend â—xo 33.11 and with so great familiaritie that he was after a sort exempted from the companie of men that hee might become the more familiar with God But yet for all that the trueth is so that GOD shewed himself vnto him but in portion measure For had he shewed himselfe in his infinite being what grace of the holy ghost soeuer Moses had receiued hee must needes haue bin vtterly ouerwhelmed In deede once in his lyfe God shewed him his glory more fully than euer he did but yet for all that he sawe but as it were the backe parte of him In the which similitude is expressed vnto vs that when wee see but the backe of a man wee see not the chiefe part of him for the chiefe sight of a man is in his face so although Moses had speciall familiaritie with God insomuch
name should be magnifyed in all ages and that wee shoulde indeuour to the vttermost of our power that it decay not with vs but continue still vnappayred and florishe and reigne euen after wee be dead The other reason is that hee intended to quicken vp the Iewes to serue God with the better courage by putting them in minde of the deliuerance which God had wrought for them for needes must they haue bin too vnthankefull if that had not prouoked them to serue God Now then the intent of Moses is that those to whom he had declared the Lawe should not onely indeuour themselues to serue GOD during their owne liues but also finde the meanes that their children and successors should followe them in the same trace And this lesson belongeth to vs as well as to them For wee know that God calleth vs with the same condition not onely that we our selues should serue and honor him to our liues end but also that we should haue a care to cause them that come after vs to doe the lyke Verily there are very few that dischardge themselues in that behalfe but yet are we bound vnto it and there will be no excuse for vs if wee doe not our indeuour Therefore let euery man haue an eye to himselfe and let vs not thinke it enough to haue serued God so long as wee our selues liue but that we must also findy y e meanes that his name may continue for euer and that his trueth may alwayes bee knowen so as although wee bee taken out of the world yet they that come after vs being taught by our meanes may linke in with vs into the same fayth and so fashion themselues thereunto as God may alwayes be gloryfyed honored vnto the worldes end And specially they y t haue children ought to thinke that it is they to whom this warning is giuen True it is that euery one of vs is bound thereto for himselfe yea and we must teach eueÌ„ the most straungers so as the man needeth not to be my sonne or my nephew or my kinseman whom I should indeuour to cause to serue God to be of the same faith and religion that I am of but yet they which haue children ought to consider that they shall yeelde account for it if they doe not what they can to hold them in the feare of God and to see them so instructed and stablished in the pure doctrine as they may continue in it and as the knowledge of Gods trueth may still be conueied ouer from hand to hand Thus yee see what we haue to remember vppon this place where Moses sayth If thy childe aske hereafter what these commaundementes statutes and ordinances meane Now there is also a second poynt which is that Moses intended to stirre vp the people to honor God and to obey him because they had bin deliuered by his mighty hand Therefore it is all one as if hee should say Bethinke your selues well of the good which your GOD hath done for you for he hath shewed himselfe to be your redeemer hee hath smitten the realme of Egypt a people that did set greatly by themselues yea and which was rich and wealthie and where was nothing but all maner of pompe and glory to the worldward and yet notwithstanding your God hath loued you so dearely that he hath not spared the Egyptians for your sakes but hee hath smitten them with plagues and powred out such vengeance vpon them as is horrible to thinke of Hee hath stretched out his strong arme to bring you to this land which hee promised to your fathers Seeing then that God hath shewed himselfe so gratious and liberall towardes you and preuented you of purpose to be your father is it not reason that you should giue your selues to him all your lyfe long and indeuour to serue him and at leastwise shew that yee haue not forgotten his so great and inestimable benefites Yes And so wee see that forasmuch as the Iewes might bee negligent in keeping Gods lawe Moses renewed the rememberaunce thereof and set their deliuerance before them that they might bee the better minded and consider that they were bound at leastwise to serue GOD in such wise as they might acknowledge themselues to bee the same people whome hee had once deliuered after a maruellous fashion and with wonderful power Like as at this day if a man should speake to vs of the Christian religion and say Beholde our GOD hath vouchsafed to make vs partakers of the redemption which hee wrought in the person of his Sonne and therefore it is good reason that wee shoulde bee gathered here together vnder his worde to take him for our father and Sauour because hee hath chosen vs to bee his people And whereas Moses declareth that the Iewes were deliuered out of Aegypt hee meaneth to doe vs to witte that God intended to shoule them out from all other nations specially by assigning them the inheritaunce of the Lande which hee had promised to their fathers Yee see then how they should haue sanctifyed themselues to the seruice of God and haue held theÌ„selues in obedience to his law because he suffered them not to be intermingled with y e infidels but made a seuerall nation of them alone by theÌ„selues And hereupon we haue to note y t such as seeke counsell at Gods law doe alwayes finde instruction our Lord procureth them ayde help to bring theÌ„ to the knowledge of the truth It is sayd If thy sonne aske thee what meane these statutes He presupposeth that the children are not so brutish as at leastwise not to be willing desirous to knowe why they vse such maner of seruing God And wee see it is Gods ordinance that the fathers should helpe their children True it is that the fathers ought not to â—ary for that but if they see their children to be despisers of God or vnruly and carelesse both of the saluation of their owne soules and of all Christianitie and fayth they ought to correct such vices But the matter which wee treate of as now is that if children bee willing to learne and to profite God here assigneth them their fathers to be their teachers and schoolemasters to shewe them why the lawe was giuen Herein then wee see that if wee haue any good will to knowe the trueth our Lorde will not suffer vs to bee disappoynted but wil finde the meanes that wee shall know whatsoeuer hee thinketh profitable for our saluation And although hee appoynt not mortall creatures to teach vs yet will hee worke in such wise by his owne power as wee shall not bee destitute of knowledge But our owne slothfulnesse is the cause that GOD shutteth the gate against vs and that wee abide still in darknesse lyke blinde wretches For what is hee that vouchsafeth to seeke after the will of his GOD Wee bee giuen to worldly thinges to our owne pleasures to our owne vanities and to all manner of worldly businesses
touching the Lordes supper if it bee inquired of vs why wee come together to receiue a bit of bread and a draught wine it is in way of acknowledgement that our soules haue neede of foode no lesse than our bodies and that as there is such frailetie in this present lyfe as it cannot continue without the helpes of meate and drinke so must our soules also bee mainteined after lyke sorte by reason of the infirmitie that is in them Neuerthelesse our soules are not nourished with the corruptible meates of this world Iohn 6.53.54.55.56 but it is the sonne of God that is our foode Matt. 26.26.28 Wee then haue Iesus Christ who is our lyfe it is hee of whome wee haue sustenance and nourishment â— Cor. 11.24 forasmuch as hee was offered in sacrifice for vs and the bloud that he did shed for our saluation is our drinke Thus ye see how we nowadayes may learne whereunto y e ordinaÌ„ces to teÌ„d which God hath stablished in his Church and to what end they be to be referred In lyke case was it vnder the lawe For God ordeyned not the ceremonies without further consideration of some reason in them It is true that hee meant to separate his people from all the heathen and vnbeleeuers of the earth Deut. 4.8 but yet in the meane while Heb. 9.10 10.3 11.12 the washinges which they vsed were done to shewe that they were full of naughtinesse as well as wee and that it stood them in hand to seeke the meanes to bee made cleane The sacrifices were a witnesse that they were worthy to bee condemned to euerlasting death and that there was none other shift for them but to flee to the sacrifice wherby they should bee reconciled to God The Sanctuary betokened that no man but onely Iesus Christ might enter into Gods kingdome Heb. 9.7 â—0 18 nor come nye it and that by his meanes all nations haue accesse thither and that all such as are vnworthie in respect of their owne persons are brought in thither by that mediator To be shorte Heb. 7.19 all the ceremonies of the Lawe had some certaine vse and serued to trayne the people to put their trust in the redeemer that was promised them Heb. 8.5 And that was the cause why Moses was commaunded to make all things according to the spirituall patterne which hee had seene on the mount For Moses builded not the Tabernacle otherwise than GOD had giuen him the patterne of it And all was to shewe that there was a conformable resemblance betweene the outward thinges and the trueth which was to bee manifested in our Lord Iesus Christ. But in the text Moses speaketh but of the first and that is the cause why I sayd that it be behoued vs to haue an eye to his meaning For it was enough for him to say go too my friendes you which haue seene the redemption that GOD hath wrought you say I ought to consider how much you bee bound vnto him Therefore make account to the doctrine of the Lawe and frame your whole lyfe therafter that it may be as an acknowledgement of the deliuerance which you haue receiued at his hand And when ye shall haue walked thereafter all the time of your lyfe looke well to it that you teach your children also so as Gods seruice may continue among you and neuer decay nor bee abolished That is the playne meaning of Moses Furthermore let vs vnderstand that wee must consider that the Lawe was not inuented at the pleasure of men neither was it founded by them but God was the giuer thereof who holdeth vs vnder his gouernement and it is his trueth which we followe so as wee holde not any whit of thinges inuented by men That is the thing whereon wee must rest that we may not bee alwayes wauering and doubtfull And hereby wee knowe how wretched the state of the papistes is for they bee stubborne and wilfull in their own imaginations If a man aske theÌ„ of whoÌ„ they hold their superstitioÌ„s they alledge their fathers they alledge long antiquitie they alledge y e common fashion of y e whole world but in y e meane while they haue no certeintie y t their doinges please God or y t he alloweth theÌ„ whereas in very deed the thing y t God leadeth vs vnto is y t we should be sure that haue not ne holde not any thing y t is brought vs at al aduenture but y t the doctrine of our faith is y e pure truth Seeing then that God commaundeth vs so to doe let vs assure our selues y t to liue as becommeth vs wee must haue this certeintie y t wee be gouerned by Gods word that y e same is y e rule of our fayth that y e religion which wee sticke vnto is y e true religioÌ„ Now therefore we may profite our selues by this text sith we se y t y e meaning of Moses was y t the people should know y t the Law was not deuised by men but that God was the author of it And euen at this day the Lawe must beare this sway with vs y t wee must know to what purpose it was giueÌ„ Besides this although there be nothing set down here coÌ„cerning y e end wherunto Gods ordinances doe tend yet must we looke thereat For all things are not spoken in one place wee must take things in such order as God hath set them downe In other places hee will teach vs what marke it behoued the people to shoote at in keeping the lawe Rom. 3.20.21 4.15.16 Gal. 3.19.22 but here the case concerneth the continuall seruing of God with reuerence so as the people may knowe themselues to bee wholly at his deuotion and that therwithall he reserueth to himselfe the authoritie of gouerning his people and of holding them in subiection Those are the thinges which we haue to beare in minde Now let vs come to that which hee addeth in the conclusion that is to wit That God hauing deliuered his people and brought them into the land that hee had giuen them appointed them all his commaundements Hereby wee see that when God sheweth vs this grace to gather vs into his Church hee calleth vs not to bee idle but at the least to the ende wee shoulde glorify him as the thing whereof the whole Scripture speaketh And these sayings Esa. 12.5.6 Psal. 107.14.15 80.16 Behold I haue purchased a people that shall sing my praise Behold I haue planted a vine and I wil be glorified therby and such other are so often beaten into the peoples heads by the Prophets as it ought to be a doctrine wellinough knowne among them Nowe therefore Gods speaking after that maner is to shewe that his intent in chosing that people was to be honoured at their hands And this belongeth much more to vs forasmuch as God hath vttered a farre greater power in deliuering vs from the dungeons of
good vse For otherwise the Papistes might starue vs. They would fall to making of their coniurings vpon Corne and wine now if we might not be so bolde as to eate of the Corne that were so charmed or to drinke of the wine that weere so coniured if we might not touch any thing which they had defiled with their pelting trash wee should be faine to starue for hunger But they haue not any power ouer the creatures of God in so much that they continue pure of themselues spyte of all their abhominations Neuerthelesse it was Gods will to hold the people of old time in awe after the maner of yong children as I said afore But he hath giuen vs greater libertie at this day And what maner of libertie Not a licentious libertie do what wee list for S. Paule addeth the exception that although we haue greater libertie nowe adayes than the Iewes had yet must wee not therefore lay the bridle in our neckes but wee must haue a speciall care to behaue our selues honestly and to be constant in seruing GOD purely For as I said wee shall alwayes be weake and may easily swarue aside to idolatrie and therefore wee must cut off all occasions thereof And yet notwithstanding wee may vse y e things that are good of themselues yea so wee doe it without giuing any cause of offence and beware that wee wipe away all that may induce vs to euill and to the corrupting of Gods seruice That is the thing which wee haue to remember vpon this place For it behoueth vs to mark well the resemblance that is betweene vs and the Iewes and the diuersitie that is betweene the libertie of the Lawe and the libertie that God giueth vs now a dayes But yet must wee moderate this libertie in such sort as it turne not into loosenes to giue ouer our selues to euil knowing that we bee but too much inclined thereunto and wee should be yet much more prouoked vnto it if we would needes haue furtherances and seeke occasions thereof And in this respect was Achan stoned to death for stealing of the baggage that was about the puppets of the Chananites Surely his intent was not to builde any altar with them but hee was led to it by his couetousness which made him beleeue that if he could filche and conuey them away cleanly hee should saue so much by it But all the people were faine to be accursed for it vntill it was bewrayed Lottes were cast and when Iosua had made him to hold vp his hand to put him to his othe saying My sonne giue glory vnto God immediatly vpon his confessing of the crime wherof he was accused hee was stoned to death onely for stealing of certeine of the thinges that had bin forbidden Yet had hee not robbed any person hee might well haue sayd who can complayne of me But hee had done against Gods commaundement Therefore let vs marke well that wheras GOD dealeth more freely with vs nowadayes so as we may vse the thinges y t were earst defiled by y e vnbeleuers which haue bin applyed aforetimes to superstition we neuerthelesse must cast away all that euer may drawe vs vnto euill For if wee should keepe stil images such other lyke thinges it were the next way to pull to vs still some euill inconuenience so as mē might conceiue some hope of returning againe to the superstitions of the time past And therefore let vs beware of all such thinges Now whereas it is sayd Beware thou bring not cursednese into thy house herby we be put in minde y t in stead of going foreward and of profiting our selues we not onely go backe but also worke our owne ouerthrow when we vse vnlawfull meanes such as displease God And y t is a very notable rule Trueth it is that the matter which Moses speaketh of here is idolatrie he sayth y t whosoeuer they be which take to thēselues the golde the siluer y t hath serued to that purpose they shal defile their howses prouoke Gods wrath and in stead of gathering treasure to their profit they shall but rake vp a fire to consume all y t they haue in the end That is Moseses meaning But we both may and ought to gather a generaller doctrine vppon this matter namely that whereas it is sayd that it is a bringing in of cursednesse into our howses it serueth to shewe vs y t when men imagine to benefite themselues by it they doe but prouoke Gods wrath against themselues throw themselues headlong into destruction As how They that heape vp goods by hooke by crooke they that pill poll they y t eate vp deuoure they that filch al y t come in their way they y t vse craft and subtiltie to rake other mens goods vnto them doe beare thēselues in hand y t they worke wonders that they shall builde them houses and make immortall monuments not onely of wood stone but also of euerlasting renowne so as their children shall haue whereof to triumph after their decease But yet for all their gathering heaping vp of goods what do they they doe but pile vp a stacke of wood and coale whereunder lyeth Gods wrath as a fire hidden within it In deede it shall not kindle at the first day but in the end the flame will burst out so as all shall be consumed anon after Now if wee did marke this well surely wee would not bring Gods curse into our houses as we doe and as most men doe What is to be done then First and formost let vs marke that all such as defile themselues with Churchtheft cannot scape the punishment which Moses denounceth in this place I say that all they bee Churchrobbers which haue taken to them the goods of the Church of which sort are the priestes the Monkes and the rest of the stinking rable of the popish cleargie who haue deuowred and still doe deuowre all that was dedicated vnto God Now then if we also doe the like shall it not be y e next way to bring Gods curse into our howses Yes surely Therefore let not vs offend in the same thinges which we haue condemned in thē y t liued amisse but let vs keepe our selues from them And if we intend to prosper let vs assure our selues there is none other meanes thereof than the blessing of God Psal. 128.2 But we know that God hath not promised his blessing to any other thā such as trauell faithfully for their liuing earne their bread with rightfull labor which offer no man wrong but content themselues with their meane state so as if they be rich they couet not more and more or if they be poore they be contented with their estate To such folke hath God promised his blessing Now if I doe otherwise so as I beguile my neighbor so as I deale crookedly so as I labor to inrich my selfe by violence and robberie what doe I
to whom the glorie of that benefite ought to bee yeelded And when wee haue bread to eate it is not the bread that sustaineth vs but it is God who powreth out his goodnesse continually vpon vs. Although he apply those meanes to our vse yet is it he himselfe that worketh it is he that is the author of them And in that respect is it that hee saith hee will breake the staffe of breade 〈◊〉 4.16 â—â— 16 〈◊〉 28.23 〈◊〉 2.21.22 True it is that hee threatneth to shut vp the heauen as if it were iron and to make the earth to bee of brasse so that when the earth crieth out to the heauen the heauen shall not heare it God then when he intendeth to send barrennesse vppon a land vseth such meanes as he thinketh good by reason whereof wee haue not wherewith to sustaine our selues in so much that when the grounde hath borne a haruest good and great ynough yet wil God wel ynough diminish it and make it to moulder away yea and when the corne is caried to the mill it shall consume in the grinding and when it is brought from the mill to the ouen if it bee measured or weied againe Leui. 26.26 it shall not hold full weight and measure Howbeit we must come to this point that the strength which bread hath is not of y e bread it selfe but of Gods breathing of this woord into it whereof Moses speaketh here that is to wit that when God will haue vs to bee nourished and susteined by the bread he vttereth his goodnesse towards vs by making vs to feele his blessing which sheadeth it selfe into it after a secret fashion Albeit that we behold it not with our eyesight yet must wee be throughly perswaded of it by faith Then let vs marke well that when wee haue whereof to feede we must not be so doultish as to think that the power is inclosed in the breade or in any other vittles or drinkes but that therein God vttereth his goodnesse towardes vs and sheadeth it into vs as we see the raine come from heauen which moisteneth y e earth and giueth it strength On the other side if wee haue want let vs vnderstand that God can sustaine vs by turning bread into Manna that is to say if all ordinarie meanes fayle vs God will prouide for vs after another fashion as wee see hee remedied the necessitie of his people when they were in the wildernes Matt. 4.4 And for y e same cause did our Lord Iesus Christ answere Satan it is written that man liueth not by bread only but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of God For Sathan tempted him to distrust vnder colour that in the wildernesse God sent him not the thinges that were expedient to liue withall He had not any foode there and yet in the meane while he was pinched with hunger as a mortall man for he vouchsafed to become subiect to our passions or sufferinges Now heere vpon Sathan taketh occasion to enter vppon him saying Seeing thou art the sonne of God shouldest thou want any thing Is it not reason that all creatures should serue thee yes for thou art the heire of the world Thou hast no bread and therefore thou must be faine to try the power of God that these stones may bee turned into bread or else thou seest how thy God forsaketh thee for if he had a care of thee thou shouldest perceiue his blessing and fauour so as thou shouldest haue heere wherwith to susteine thee Now theÌ„ seeing thou wantest such helpes it is a signe that God hath no regard of thee But Iesus Christ aunswereth hereunto I shal be susteined well enough though bread faile mee And why For the life of man dependeth not vpon these meanes And surely God were of very small and weake force if hee could not helpe a man but by breade he should be no better than an earthly man A riche man can doe welinough if hee haue wherewith but if he fall into pouerty he must be faine to begge a good heart to call vpon God and commit our selues vnto him assuring our selues that he will neuer faile vs. That is the care which God willeth vs to haue Neuerthelesse wee must also put the thing in practise that is spoken here that is to wit that God will giue vs sufficient to serue our turne so as if we want cote or shooes he will either prouide vs of them or else make one paire of soles to doe vs more seruice than a doosen when it pleaseth him And we may see this with our eyes For they that are warmest clad fayle not for all that to bee as it were halfe dead thorowe colde and on the other side whereas it seemeth that poore folke should starue and bee frosen with yee a hundred times ere the yeere goe about God warmeth them yea and they bee so preserued as though he kept them in a stooue or as though some PhisitioÌ„ were alwaies at hand with them ministring good remedies to them to saue them from the colde After that maner doeth God worke And that is the cause why that in the time of the Law God commanded that all newe things should be blessed Leui. 23.10.14.19 23. Num. 15.20 to the ende that men should thinke vpon him consider thus with themselues Go to I haue a newe garment and I must looke that I thanke him for it which gaue it mee For seeing it pleaseth my God to clothe mee thus and to giue me this apparell to vse it as mine owne it becommeth me to acknowledge that it is of his goodnesse and mercie that I am so prouided for Yee see then that the intent why he caused all things to bee dedicated vnto him which men should occupie was that they should acknowledge the giuor of them and that if he blessed not the helps which he had giuen them all was nothing and noughtwoorth And as for now adayes although wee haue not the like Ceremonie yet must we hold still the truth thereof Nowe for a conclusion Moses addeth Knowe thou in thy Heart that as a father nurtureth his owne childe so hath thy God nurtured thee In deede the hebrew woord that Moses vseth in this place signifieth sometimes to Chastise and therefore it might be taken as if he sayd thus Know thou that the intent of thy God in all the afflictions which thou hast indured hath beene to correct thy faultes that like as a man intending to reforme his child when he hath doone a misse taketh the rod by and by in his hande so likewise thy God hath chastised thee not suffering thee to become an vnruly and froward child but holding thee alwaies vnder awe And this doctrine were very good but the same woord doth by a similitude betoken likewise all instruction and good gouernment No doubt but the intent of Moses in this place was to make a generall conclusion of the matters that hee had treated
doone but onely meant to pray God that he being but one man might perishe rather than the whole people shoulde perishe so as hee himselfe might aunswere for all the euill that had beene doone if it were possible And besides that wee haue to marke here that Moses matched Gods glorie with the welfare of the people to whome the promises were giuen For he perswadeth himselfe that it was not possible that that people shoulde bee vtterly rooted out but that Gods trueth must bee abolished therewithall because God had bound himselfe to the ofspring of Abraham and therfore that if that people had beene cut off God shoulde haue seemed to be variable He coulde well haue found out some meane incomprehensible to man but Moses coulde iudge no further than he was able to conceiue Now then forasmuch as he was at his wittes ende in this case and God was to be found faithfull and soothfast by performing of his couenant therefore doth he forget himselfe and is caried away rather to offer himselfe as it were in a sacrifice of cursing than that Gods name should be blasphemed or that it might be said that hee had not kept promise or that he had changed his purpose Hereby we see that Moses might pray faithfully and yet notwithstanding not looke simplie alonely to the right of the case How might y t be done He was moued thereto by a passion howe bee it not by a cholerike and fleshlie passion but by such a zealous passion to Godward as caried him aboue all state of man Neuerthelater as I have said afore these things must not bee drawen to a generall rule for we haue not the spirite of Moses but yet must we goe so farre with him as we had leauer that the whole world shoulde goe to destruction than Gods glorie should be defaced or y t he should not be worshipped or that the honour of his iustice wisedome goodnesse and power shoulde not bee reserued vnto him To be short we ought to prefer Gods glorie not onely before all bodilie goods but also euen before the saluation of our soules And although that that bee harde for vs to doe yet must wee inforce our selues vnto it We see how Saint Paul did the like for the Iewes and he was lead by the same reason which led Moses Rom. 9.3 I could finde in my heart saith he to bee accursed for my kinsefolkes sake It was not humane pitie that mooued him thereunto but his eye was alwayes vppon the promise that had beene made to the ofspring of Abraham in respect whereof it behoued God to keepe still some remnant of that peoples seede or else the infidels and vnbeleeuers would haue reported him to haue bin a lyer and they would haue skorned the law al the promises Wherefore to the ende that Gods name shoulde not come to such reproch Saint Paul offereth himself to be accursed if need be and yet was hee well assured that God woulde neuer suffer him to scape out of the hande of his Leader who had taken him into his keeping But it is not for vs to enter into such disputatioÌ„s For as I saide Moses is contented to be rauished with such zeale as hee had leauer that both himselfe and all the worlde beside shoulde perishe than to see Gods name skorned or that the vnbeleeuers should haue their mouthes opened to blaspheme him That is the thing which wee haue to marke vppon the prayer of Moses But yet therewithall let vs come backe againe to that which is rehearsed here concerning his breaking of the two tables Herein we see that how pitifull soeuer Gods seruantes are towardes the wretched creatures which perish yet must they not vse anie such mercie as may nourishe the euill but be careful to doe the thing that God coÌ„maundeth them without swaruing one way or other Sometimes men are so moued with foolishe pitie that they offende God and vpon opinion to doe good to those whome they beare with they increase the euil still in them and are a cause of their greater decay To be short men stand so much in their owne conceits that they wil needes exceede and go beyond God in mercie And this is seene in all cases Howbeit if a man examine their affections narrowly he shall find that their so doing procedeth not of louing kindnes for one while they be sharpe rough and there is nothing with them but destroying and anon after in y e turning of a hand ye shal see them in another moode so as they wil needs be verie pitiful But after what maner In going beyond their dutie without regard what God hath ordeined and which worse is they will needs be alwais shewing of mercy where there is no repentance whereby they cast wood into the fire to make gods wrath burn y e whotter against theÌ„ And therefore when they whome God hath put in office do see offences committed they must not in any wise leaue them vnpunished For why If they suffer the mischeefe to settle to fester it will grow worse and worse till it become vncurable For ye see howe diseases become vncurable when the parties be not purged in due time and place We must remember how the Apostle saith Heb. â—â—â— y t we must beware we suffer not euill weeds to grow but we must pluck them vp betimes for if we doe not they will so euergrow vs as we shall not be able to destroy them when we would but they will stoppe our eyes and so keepe downe y e good seede as it can neuer thriue After that manner will God punish our negligence when we be not diligent in doing our duetie to rid away euill from among vs. Thus ye see what we haue to marke But let vs also applie this lesson to our instruction Let such as haue the charge of teaching 〈◊〉 neerely to themselues and thinke well vppon it and beare in minde what God commandeth theÌ„ that they may discharge themselues thereof or else they may well make couerings but God will ask them an acoount of y e things that he had inioyned them Againe on the otherside when we heare our vices and sinnes sharpely rebuked by Gods worde and rough threateninges against vs so as it may seeme that our teachers intend to deliuer vs into Gods hande to bee punished by him according to our desertes let vs not thinke it straunge as a number do who would haue vs but onely to grease and annoynt their scabs in steed of handling them as they should be cannot abide to be rebuked roughlie But what They would be flattered to the end they might perishe without feeling of it Contrariwise we see y t to be taught aright we must be rebuked and threatened yea and that with such sharpenesse and vehemencie as wee may bee driuen to bethinke vs of our offences and to humble our selues before God as becommeth vs. That is the thing which wee haue to remember in that wee see
that Moses was so chafed at the peoples transgression that hee brake the two Tables immediately and afterwarde drewe out the swoorde to punishe such as had so violated Gods seruice and incouraged his tribe to doe the like Let vs not thinke but that Moses was wounded to the quicke with greefe and compassion when hee was faine to doe execution with his owne hands For wee knowe he was a meeke and kinde hearted man and inclined to good and holie pitie aboue all others But yet doth it behooue him to discharge his duetie or else hee had beene vnfaithfull towards God Moreouer whereas he saith I looked beheld you had offended your God by making your selues a calfe of mettall and yee were turned out of the way which he had appointed you this looking of his was because God had certified him thereof but yet behoued it him to beare witnesse of their deede with his owne eyes And whereas Iosua sayde it seemed to bee some battell Moses aunswered that it was not so â—xod 32.17 for as much as some of them made not signes of mirth and othersome signes of feare and sorrowe but all the whole multitude was merrie and ioyfull and therefore quoth hee there must needes bee some other matter in it At his comming downe hee sawe them dauncing as it were vppon fond deuotion according to the maner of Idolaters who think themselues to serue their Gods very well by such foolish and wanton toyes And so y e Israelites tooke this dancing of theirs to be a peece of Gods seruice wherfore Moses executed the punishment afore mentioned But as touching this text the onely thing that we haue to marke is the thing which we spake of euen now and which we haue spoken of afore namely that hee vpbraydeth the Iewes with their suddeine starting aside from the way which GOD had shewed them For the welspring of the mischeefe was that they held not themselues to the rule that is conteyned in the Lawe Wee see then that the cause of all ruine and destruction is our ficklenesse in turning away from Gods woorde For as soone as wee passe those boundes swarue neuer so little aside by and by wee runne astray into vtter destruction And therefore it standeth vs so much the more on hande to holde our selues warily in obedience to our GOD specially when hee hath beene so gracious vnto vs as to set vs in the righte way For hee vouchsafeth not so to guide all men Trueth it is that all men yea euen those which neuer hearde one woorde of teaching haue inough to make them vnexcusable 〈◊〉 2.20 But as for vs wee ought to make singular account of this priuiledge that GOD calleth vs to him that hee taketh vs into his gouernment and that hee sheweth vs the way of saluation Sith wee haue that wee cannot goe astray so wee hearken to the doctrine that is set foorth to vs in Gods name But if wee despise such a benefite then are we worthy of too too much blame And therefore let vs learne to submit our selues simply to Gods word or else wee shall open the gate to all wickednesse accordingly as it is sayd that men marre all and turne all vpside downe when they start aside from the said way 〈◊〉 9.12 Then is there but one way to walke well and rightly in which is to obey our GOD and not to giue any credite to our owne wit and imagination nor to giue heade to our own inuentions but to abide as it were fast linked to the thinges that GOD commaundeth and appoynteth vs. Those are the thinges which wee must sticke by and if wee doe not wee bee vnhappie and forlorne creatures For we shall go on from euill to euil and there will bee no ende nor measure of our disorderednes as we see it be fell to this people who hauing once let go Gods woorde fell into so grosse and beastly superstition as to woorship a Calfe of their owne making 〈◊〉 32.2 and they became so madde that they spared not any thing so fouly to defile themselues in offending God after that fashion For when Aaron willed them to bring him al their ornaments and Iewels it was to the ende to haue made them loth to haue had an Idoll of that price But there was neither man nor woman which brought not their ornamentes and all the costly Iewelles which they had Those gracelesse wretches were so caryed away and the diuell possessed them with such furie that they passed not to spoile themselues of all their substance nor cared what cost they were at so they might haue an ydoll And by this example are wee warned to raine our selues short and not to let our selues loose least we happen to start neuer so little aside from Gods pure doctrine from the Religion which he sheweth vs in his woord There is yet another thing to bee noted in y e breaking of these Tables which is that GOD intended to shewe by way of a figure that his once writing of his Lawe was not ynough for vs but that it behoued vs to haue it double ingrosed Trueth it is that Moseses rehearsing of it in this text is to another end but yet is there no inconuenience in this also Likewyse when Moses tooke a veyle or scarfe to put before his face bycause the people coulde not abyde the glorie and great brightnesse that shone therein Exod. 34.30.33 it was to magnifye the Lawe according as Saint Paule declareth and the verie storie it selfe sheweth sufficiently 2. Cor. 3.7 that it behoued Moses to be knowen thereby to bee as an Angell and not to bee taken any more to be within the common state of a mortall man in somuch that his countenaunce shone as bright as the sunne which the people could not abide that was to put them in minde of their owne weakenesse and frayltie That was the cheefe cause why Moses wore a veile to hide his face withall But yet herewithall Saint Paule sticketh not to say that God shewed euen then aforehand by way of figure that there should befall such a dimnesse and blindnesse vppon the Iewes that whensoeuer they red the Lawe or heard it preached they should haue as it were a veile before their eyes so as they should not see a whitte And Saint Paule sayth that this thing was accomplished euen in his time among the Iewes 2. Cor. 3.13.14.15 For they red Moses continually in their Synagogues and yet they continued as starke beastes as the heathen so as they became brutish through their owne foolish fancies and could not perceiue Gods trueth at all For Saint Paule telleth them that all the Lawe is nothing without Iesus Christ it is but as a dead thing bycause Iesus Christ is as the soule and perfection thereof So then as touching the breaking of the Tables Col. 2.17 it was the foresayd cause that moued Moses to doe it that is to wit to shewe the people
vs to the intent y t wee shoulde loue him againe His meaning is y t we should followe him the same way that he hath led vs afore But now it is certaine y t although God require nothing of vs but to haue the reuerence y t hee deserueth yet can we not serue him honour him vntil he haue reformed our harts And therby it appeareth what frowardnesse there is in all men by originall sinne Behold God commandeth vs but to loue him to yeeld him honor that is all y t is conteined in his lawe And yet we come all of vs so farre short of the perfect performāce of the thing y t is commanded that we cannot so much as thinke a good thought but we indeuer by all meanes possible to withstande whatsoeuer God commandeth Therefore let vs learne to be abashed ashamed of the crabbednes of our nature seeing we be so wayward as to striue against our God his righteousnes yea euen though y e things that he requireth be more than rightfull And so ye see what we haue to marke when wee feele such a law in our selues Rom. 7.23 contrary to y e lawe y t God hath giuen vs. And hereby wee be warned that it is in vaine for men to make protestation as a number doe which go about to excuse themselues y t they can not giue themselues to God because of y e weaknes sinfulnes of their nature Verily as who would say that the euil which is in vs shold serue vs for our defence Were not that a mocking of God Shal a man be acquit at his iudges hand by confessing himself to be giltie But here it is shewed vs that al y e hardnes that we haue in vs to obey God yea euen though it be impossible for vs to moue forward to the performance of the least commandement of the lawe will not serue to iustifie vs. Why so Let a man looke well to it he shal find that the fault is not in the lawe for it requireth no more but that wee shoulde serue our God therewithal loue him by yelding him his dew reuerence and what is it to do that let vs knowe therfore that the whole fault is in our selues y t we obey not our God that although we haue no power at all to performe our duetie yet doth not that discharge vs seeing that God demādeth nothing but y t which is right reasō By the way we must call to minde what hath beene declared heretofore Deut. 6. ◠namely that as concerning this text where Moses sheweth y e meane how to fulfill the law aright it is not meant that we must but onely haue our eyes hands feete well ruled but that wee must begin at the reformation of our harts Thou shalt loue thy God sayeth he serue him And howe With all thy soule with all thy heart Then let vs learne y t if we do the things by compulsion which are cōmanded vs it is nothing woorth we may not thinke that it shall passe in account And in deed there are diuers that beare countenance faire ynough afore men so as they cannot be accused of theft murther or whoredome but in y e meane while they be full of wicked lustes so as they bee readie to burst with them it is a corsie to them to obey God neither finde they any taste in his commandements And therfore al is but hypocrisie all is but a faire pretence shewe to the worldward to be short all is but vanitie and leazing till the heart be wonne vnto God vntill we be fully minded bent to do as God cōmandeth vs. That say I is the ende that wee must beginne at if we will accomplish the lawe throughly Wherefore let vs not beguile our selues any more as the hypocrites do with desire that men only should be contented Let vs vnderstand y t we haue to do w t the heauēly Iudge who admitteth no eyeseruice Ier. 5. ◠but looketh to the trueth of y e heart Therfore let vs giue our selues to God with hartie affection not content our selues so with y e outward workes y t the intent of doing wel shold not also be groūded in our harts Besides this Moses telleth vs y t God will not only be serued honored but also loued And here are three words the one is Loue the other is Reuerence the third is Seruice Now as touching Reuerence or Feare for he vseth the same term of feare it is not a slauish fearefulnes but it is y e seruiceablenes honor which we yeld vnto god in submitting our selues vnto him because we be throughly persuaded that forasmuch as he hath all soueraintie ouer vs it is good reason that we should be subiect vnto him First formost therfore let vs consider that although God had not spoken to vs to persuade vs to this reuerence surely euen nature sheweth it vs sufficiently and it is welynough proued vnto vs in our selues For although it were neuer told vs that the lewdnes of men is such as they seeke nothing else but to turne away from God to become beastlike by al meanes they can deuise yea euen wittingly wilfully yet our heads harts are stuffed so full of that lesson as we cānot be ignorant of it And therfore it standeth vs greatly in hand to beare in mind what this word reuerēce or feare importeth that is to wit that God ought to be honored of all his creatures that seeing we be his wee ought to offer our selues to be subiect to him Also it importeth that when we thinke vpon God wee should hallowe his name that is to say not imagine any thing of him to the derogation of his glorie but yeeld honor to his righteousnes wisdome power This is the first point which Moses setteth downe here cōcerning obedience and the right obseruing of the Lawe Now this reuerence requireth also loue For God wil bee honored with harty affection If we reuerence his maiestie yet stand in feare of it so as it is a terror to vs then would wee wish that there were no God at all and wee coulde fynd in our heartes to plucke him out of his seate if it were possible As many as woorship God vppon no further grounde but for that they are sure they cannot scape his hād because they know him to be their maker those say I being not touched with any free loue wil shunne God and when they heare any speaking of him it grieueth them insomuch that if it were in their choyce power they woulde plucke him out of his seat if they could as I said afore So then it is not possible for vs to feare God I meane to yeelde him right reuerence so as we beare a hartie god will to him haue a feeling of his goodnes towards vs y t he is the place where we must seeke
name should be called vpon there so as he offered the promises of saluation to them that descended of the same race and linage the redeemer y t was to be sent into the worlde was set forth vnto theÌ„ that they might be gathered together vnder him Loe here I say a general election that belonged to al the children of Abraham and yet was that grace to be confirmed by faith but in a parte of them in some of them For we see that many of them were cut off not for that they were not Abrahams children in respect of the fleshe and the worlde But for that they were not his children in spirite and before God which was the chiefe point Rom. 2.28 9.7.8 as S. Paul declareth As for those which were vnbeleeuers and vnthriftes and imbraced not the promise that was made vnto Abraham with true faith those were set beside the inheritance In deede they were accounted for his children howbeit that was but as Ismael was who was not lawfully begotten Now then Gods generall election which extended to the whole people was not sufficient But it behoued euerie man to be partaker of it in his own peculiar behalfe And how was y t to be done by faith But let vs see from whence faith proceedeth but only of Gods wil in that he vouchsafeth to confirm his fauor towardes whoÌ„ he thought good Therfore chose he whom he listed out of this people Eph. 1.13.14 and sealed his promise in their hearts by his holy spirite so as they were made partakers of his trueth it tooke full and perfect effect in them Lo here the double election of God The one extendeth to the whole people because circumcision was giuen indifferently to all both smal and great and the promises likewise were common But yet for all that God was faine to adde a seconde grace by touching the hearts of his chosen namely of such as he listed to reserue to him selfe and those came vnto him he made them to receiue the benefit that was offered them And in deede we see that the greatest number of that people haue bin cast off and as it were banished from Gods fauour so as there remained but a small remnant of them not onely at some one time but also euen after the captiuity of Babilon according to this foresaying of the prophet Esay Esa. 10.22 Although thou wart neuer so many in nuÌ„ber so as thy folke were as the sande of the sea yet shall the remnant of you be very small y t God wil saue For the hypocrites abused Gods promise falsly And because it was sayd y t the people shold be in multitude as the sande of the sea they bragged at the sight of a great number and in the meane while dispised God But he telleth them that he coulde aswell diminish them as he had multiplied them so as there should remaine but a small portion of them And so it came to passe insomuch as the prophet sayth Esa. 1.9 y t if God had not reserued some seede the countrie of Iuda had bin as Sodom Gomorre God had vtterly rooted them out as they had well deserued Now is this very profitable for vs. For nowadayes when it is tolde vs y t we haue the pure doctrine of y e Gospell preached vnto vs we haue the sacrament of baptism for the warrant of our saluation y t is one choice that God maketh of vs. We be no better than other men y t are drowned in ydolatrie abhominations on whoÌ„ God hath not vouchsaâ—ed to looke w t such pity as to make y e truth of his gospel to shine vpon theÌ„ but hath let theÌ„ alone as destitute of all things so as there is nothing but horrible coÌ„fusion amongest them yet in the meane season he taketh vs between his armes and into his bosome vouchsafing to cause his word to be preached vnto vs whereby we see Iesus Christ who inlightneth vs as y e day-sun of righteousnes we haue the sacramentes whereof we knowe the vse Lo here one choise y t God maketh of vs which is well worthy to be esteemed wherin it behoueth vs to coÌ„sider Gods only infinite goodnes for y t he espieth nothing in vs for y e which he should preferre vs before such as are nobler thaÌ„ we haue much more thaÌ„ we to outward appearance But yet is it not ynough for vs to be so choseÌ„ of God as y t he taketh vs into his house admitteth vs to bee of his flocke dwelleth among vs euery of vs must haue an eie to himself so as y e gospel be not preached in vain nor we beare the bare name of Christians without shewing y e effect of it in our deedes For vntil our adoptioÌ„ be sealed by y e holy Ghost let vs not thinke y t it auaileth vs any whit to haue herd the word of God but it shal turne to our double condemnation because y t when God had chosen vs we offended him wheÌ„ he had entered into a couenant with vs wee brake our faithfull promise which wee had made plighted vnto him and therfore me must be punished y e more greuously But wheÌ„ we haue once a warrant in our hearts y t his promises belong vnto vs are behighted vnto vs by reason y t we receiue them w t true obedience sticke to our Lord Iesus Christ suffring him to gouerne vs 1. Pet. 1.10 y t is a sure seale of Gods chosing of vs so as we not onely haue the outwarde apparance of it before men but also the truth of it before our God And like as AbrahaÌ„ was made the father of all y e faithfull before God Rom. 4.11 so are we made his children in spirit truth and not only as in respect of adoption to y e world Thus we see what we haue to gather vpoÌ„ this text vpoÌ„ this declaration y t Moses maketh here to the Iewes And for the same cause he addeth the exhortation which we haue read in that he willeth the Iewes to circumcise their heartes and to beware that they harden not their neckes any more Good reason it is that men should submit themselues to God after y â— maner by forsaking theÌ„selues seeing that his seeking to win vs to him is not for any coÌ„moditie to himselfe as was shewed yesterday but because hee is desirous of our welfare so as hee putteth vs not to the doing of any thing which redoundeth not to our own benefit profit Seeing then y t God respecteth nothing but vs in his alluring of vs to come vnto him should we drag backe in that case Or should wee haue proude and loftie heartes to aduaunce ourselues against him Nowe for the better vnderstanding of this doctrine let vs note that Moses had an ey to the outward signe that was giuen at that time to the Iewes after the same maner that wee haue
baptisme at this day For circumcision serued to two endes First God thereby condemned all mankinde and all that is of mans owne nature shewing them thereby that all of it is euill And secondely he gaue hope of saluation in y e seede of Abraham accordingly as he had promised To this purpose say I serued y e figure of circumcision namely to put the Iewes in minde y t frō their mothers wombe they brought nothing with thē but condemnation that all y t euer was of man was cursed before God because it had nothing in it but sinne corruption Secondarily againe they were comforted forasmuch as they sawe that God promised them saluation Eph. 1.3 by the seede of man and y t he receiued them into fauour and iustified thē of purpose to haue them separated frō all y e rest of the worlde Gen. 1◠1◠Seeing the Iewes had this prerogatiue surely if they had not ment to deface Gods power as much as in thē lay they should haue made their circumcision auailable by cutting off al y t euer was of their owne nature assuring themselues y t men can not please God Rom. 1. ◠vntill they haue giuen ouer the thinges y t were their owne Hereunto had Moses an eye when he sayd Circumcise your heartes this day For their obseruing of y e figure was nothing except they cōsidered to what end God ment to lead them by it They beguiled themselues with y e visible signes and y t was ynough to thē for Satan hath alwaies this policie with him to make men busie their wits about the thinges y t they see with their eyes as whereunto he seeth them inclined For all our seeking is to content God with faire couers and though we neuer come nie him in verie deede yet would we fain pay him with a sort of pelting trifles The Iewes then esteemed their circumcision ynough too much but yet in so dooing they abused it because they regarded not y e thing y t God ment to shew thē therby but were tied altogether to y e visible signe Therfore doth Moses rebuke them saying thinke not y t the hauing of circumcision in your bodies is all y t you haue to doe for Gods giuing of y t signe vnto you was to help your infirmity of purpose to leade you further therby namely to bring you to true repentāce For when ye once perceiue y t al y t euer is of your own nature bringeth nothing but cursing you shall see that all of it is to be done quite and cleane away Therefore bethinke ye to mortifie your selues as if he should say Circumcision consisteth not in the outwarde paring away of the fleshe but the trueth thereof is within it is your heartes that must bee circumcised Moses his meaning hereby is not to condemne the outwarde signe but to shewe the true vse of it which folke had corrupted through superstition and hypocrisie Accordingly whereunto Ioell sayth Ioel. ◠◠Rend your heartes not your garments Wherin his meaning is not that men should no more shew any token of repētance by humbling themselues before God but to shew that all that euer men do by outwarde signes as by rending of the hayre from their heades and beardes by much weeping by knocking vpon their brests and by al other maner of gestures that may shew them to be abashed in maner out of comfort before God is nothing except y e hart be broken afore Euen so circumcision is vtterly vnprofitable vnles y e hart be circumcised as wel as y e body Now we see the meaning of Moses but it will become the plainer easier vnto vs if we come to our baptisme I haue already touched the likenesse that is betweene these two sacraments and it is all one as if a man should say vnto vs nowe adayes if you would y t God should take you for his people and heritage yee must be baptised in your soules What baptised in our soules Yea for south For the water that is cast vpon our bodies is nothing if wee haue not the trueth of it namely that we be so plunged vnder the water as if we werein a graue Rom. 6.4 Col. 2.12 that is to say y t it maketh vs to die in our selues so as our owne affections our owne thoughtes our owne witte our owne reason and our owne wisedome beare not any more sway in vs but y t we suffer our selues to be gouerned by God so as all our fleshly lustes bee subdued and held in captiuitie vnder him and vnder his yoke Therefore if a man would shew vs the true meaning of our baptisme he shoulde say looke that yee be baptised within And for the same cause also doeth Saint Paule in the seconde to the Romans Rom. 2.28 sette downe a difference betweene the circumcision of the letter and the circumcision of the spirite And he sayeth that the one is inwarde and the other outward Whereas he termeth it the Circumcision of the letter it is by a similitude for he hath an eye to the worde To what purpose serueth the reading of Gods Law and of the Gospel if it touch vs not inwardely Verily if euery of vs haue his Bible in print and yet let it alone what doe we else but make it vnholy by our not applying of so great a treasure to our vse by our not imploying of the same to our profite according to the intent of our God Euen so standeth the case with the sacramentes sayeth Saint Paule For they be but as a dead letter so long as wee haue no more but the visible signes it is but a gay appearance and shew before men But the whole matter consisteth in hauing the trueth before God Wil we haue the true Circumcision then must it be inwardly that is to say in the Spirite That is to say God must worke there So we see nowe that the meaning of Moses was that folke shoulde not boast vainely of the bare name of God nor of the wearing of his badge without the trueth of it so as they could shewe the power thereof but that they should fare the better by the signe that is giuen them to warrant their adoption to the entent it might appeare that God hath not without cause separated them from the heathen which were as good as banished out of his church had no acquaintāce at al with him Againe we see that this doctrin toucheth and concerneth vs nowadayes because we haue baptisme which serueth to the same vse y t circumcision did namely to lead vs to repentance Therfore must we apply it to our vse And forasmuch as God hath vouchsafed to giue vs a seale of the fatherly loue which hee beareth vs and that it pleased him to gather vs into his Church and to shew y t he hath taken vs vnto himself to be heirs of his kingdome Let not vs disappoint our selues of such a benefite through our
owne lewdenesse and vnthankefulnesse but lette vs endeuour to fare the better by it by beeing washed in our soules that is to say by mortifying our owne imaginations reasons and lustes and by offering vp of our selues in sacrifice vnto god to the ende that he may renewe vs and that nothing else but his spirite may reigne in vs so as hee may beare the whole swaye This exhortation is made vnto the Iewes because it was their dutie to apply their sacramentes vnto such ende Neuerthelesse let vs marke that it is not in our power to performe the thing y t is required here For although the Iewes ought to haue bin circūcised in their heartes yet was it verie necessary that God should worke in y t behalfe Likewise it standeth vs in hande nowadayes to mortifie our selues we be cōmanded so to do but yet must wee be faine to resort vnto God who reserueth to himselfe y e office of renewing our soules And that is the cause why it is sayd y t our Lorde Iesus Christ is only he which baptiseth with fire the holy Ghost Iohn 1.33 For if a man y t ministreth baptisme had power to regenerate then had he in himself the power maiestie glory which is giuen to y e sonne of God But our baptising is only with water y t is to say we haue but the signe of baptisme cōmitted vnto vs yet notwithstanding our doing is not in vaine for we must needes be faithfull witnesses of God And forasmuch as we doe it in his name we must not thinke y t the thing is voide vnprofitable But yet for all that it behoueth vs to resort to our Lord Iesus Christ and to consider y t our ministring of baptisme in his Church is by his authoritie therefore that it belongeth vnto him to make it auaileable that it is only his spirit wherby we be regenerate For if euerie man could wash his own soule it might be sayde that the minister baptiseth with water and y t euerie man baptiseth himselfe with truth but it can not be sayd so for that were as much as to robbe Gods sonne of the thing that is peculiar vnto him He hath reserued that honour to himselfe neuer giuen it to any creature no not vnto y e Angels of heauen Therefore let vs vnderstand that nowadayes when it is tolde vs that we must make the outwarde signe auailable vnto vs by being baptised in our soules we must therewithall immediately submit our selues vnto God praying him to performe the thing by the power of his holy spirit which he representeth to vs outwardly by the figure thereof and to mortifie and renewe vs in such wise as we may haue the trueth of baptisme sealed vppe and ingrauen in our soules In like case was it with the people of olde time True it is that here Moses exhorteth y e Iewes to Circumcise their heartes but yet we shall see hereafter Deut. 3◠6 howe he will say the Lorde our God themselues so ill as it was verie requisite for thē to be done to vnderstand that it was but a fondnesse for them to boast themselues to be Gods people Nowe to the intent we may learne to put this doctrine in practise as it ought to be Let vs vnderstande that such as will needes harden them selues in naughtinesse shal be destroyed by God who will make them to feele y e force of his power according to this saying of his If ye fall to stubbornes with me Leuit. 26.23 24. I will deale stubbornly with you againe And it is all one with this saying of the xviij Psalme Psal. 18.27 With the frowarde I wil be froward and I wil deale roughly with such as harden thēselues against me Then let vs learne that Gods intent is to lay a yoke vppon our neckes by his worde of purpose to bring vs in subiection to his righteousnesse And all is for our benefite Insomuch that although it bee so vnpossible for vs to fulfill the Lawe that wee can not so much as put foorth one of our litle fingers to the furtheraunce of it no nor once thinke a good thought yet is that yoke gentle amiable of it selfe and all the harme of it commeth of our selues For if wee will not bowe downe our neckes but strout them out as hard as if they were steele or brasse so as in steede of being as Oxen to labour or as sheep to heare the voyce of our shepherd we become sturdy buls and fall to striking with rage furie to shake off the yoke so as we not only followe not the worde but also shake off all subiection and inharden ourselues against God what excuse will there be for vs seeing wee yeelde not ourselues vnto him willingly to be taught at his hande Yet for all that we see how the world goeth God therefore must be faine to ouermaster vs to tame vs by maine hande And in verie deede looke what afflictions soeuer light vpon vs we ought to take thē as strokes of Gods hād to make vs bowe our neckes vnder him and to become tractable and obedient But when we go awke and cleane contrary after that fashion thē doth he threaten vs thus by Moses I will deale stubbornely as well as you He vseth that terme of purpose to the intent y t men should not dally with him For at the first blush the saying might seeme straunge which I alledged out of the xviij Psalme Psal. 18.27 namely that hee will deale frowardely with such as are froward For howe can that be Can God be frowarde No But it is all one as if he shoulde say yee shall finde in me a greater hardnesse than yours is Let vs incounter together and see which of vs is stoutest and best able to holde out I tell you it is you that are like to be confounded and go to wrecke And therfore let vs leaue our naughtinesse and repaire vnto God while he calleth vs and when we be come to him let vs suffer ourselues to be gouerned by his holy spirite which is the spirit of meeknesse that we may submit our selues obediently vnto him And for perfourmaunce thereof lette vs marke the lesson that Moses addeth immediatly The euerlasting thy God sayeth he is the God of Gods a great a mightie a strong God yea but let vs marke also that he doth not accept that is to say regard mens persons but iudgeth according to the truth Beware therefore y t ye trust not any more in your circūcision nor in such like thinges but beare in mind that God wil haue your seruice to be such as your hearts may be wholly dedicated vnto him and that he wold haue you to submit your selues vnto him so as he may haue you in his possession and you enioy the inheritance which hee promised to your fathers and which belongeth vnto you Gods greatnesse which Moses speaketh of in this place is the first
of September 1555. The Lxxiiii Sermon in which the last verse of the tenth Chapter is expounded and this is the first Sermon vpon the eleuenth Chapter 22 Thy fathers went downe into Egypt in number threescore and ten soules and now the Lord thy God hath made thee in multitude as the stars of the skie The eleuenth Chapter LOue the Lorde thy God therefore and keepe his appointmentes Ordinances Lawes and Commaundementes for euer 2 And consider you this day for I speake not to your children which haue neither knowen nor seene them the instruction of the Lord your God his greatnesse his mightie hande and his stretched out arme 3 And his wonders and workes which hee did in the middes of Egypt vnto Pharao king of Egypt and all his Land 4 And what he did to the host of the Egyptians vnto their horses Chariots when the Lord brought the waters of the read sea vpon their faces when they pursued you and how the Lord destroyed them vnto this day I Haue alreadie shewed y e meaning of Moses how that by rehearsinge y e wonders y t GOD had wrought for the deliuering of his people out of captiuity he shewed the Iewes that they ought to haue bin the more conformable to him in respect of the fauor and loue which he had shewed to them at al times For he had alwayes shewed by his doings that his promising to take Abraham all his ofspring into his protection was not in vain Ye see then an euident proofe y t God hauing receiued Abrahams ofspring into his free fauour hath also confirmed it by deedes experience And thereupon it is to be concluded that if that people had not beene altogether froward they ought of reason to haue serued God And that is the point that Moses shot at Consider with your selues saith he if ye be not bounde to giue your selues wholy to the obeying of your God For he hath multiplied you as the stars of the skie Through his gratious goodnes you are become so great a nūber y t euen you your selues may be astonished at it To be short if ye look vpō your body y t is to say your state you cānot but see such a wōderful fauor of your God as you could neuer haue once looked for or hoped Sith it is so there is now no excuse for you if you cannot find in your hartes to glorifie his name Gen. 15.5 seeing he hath shewed him selfe so good merciful towards you That is y e sūme of y e matter y t Moses intended to set down And he speaketh expresly of the stars of the skie because of the promise For God speaking to his seruāt Abrahā shewed him in a vision y e multitude of the stars which is infinite Euen as they be past reckening saith god so also shal thy seed be Now then the meaning of Moses in this text is y t Gods saying so was not in vain that Abraham was not disappointed of his hope in resting altogether vpon y t promise for we see the thing performed before our eies And this is wel worth the noting For if God haue done vs any good we wil indeed for maners sake say it was he y t did it but to be throughly persuaded of it in our hart that is a very hard thing Therefore is it requisit in respect of such rudenes y t we should be cōdemned by Gods word to the end we may y e better consider of his hand power As for example if we had neuer read any whit of holy scripture yet notwithstanding god should haue deliuered vs frō some aduersitie to say y e truth our own naturall wit would put vs in mind to think our selues indetted to God for y e same But when we be exercised in the holy scriptures and haue seene there y t God reserueth to himself the issues of death that it is in him to succor vs yea euē after a strange fashion when al seemeth to be vtterly forlorne so as if we call vpon him he will heare our sighes the performance therfore maketh it the easier for vs to conceiue his goodnes bicause we be taught aforehand the same things which we come to find by experience For why The word y t went afore is as a lampe to giue vs light Of our owne nature we be as it were blind True it is that God inlighteneth vs by his holy spirit but yet are we still in darknes cannot see two fingers bredth afore vs. But whē God teacheth vs by his word y t is as a lampe to guide vs shew vs our way Therfore let vs marke well y t to profit our selues by the benefits y t God bestoweth vpō vs it is good yea nedful for vs to be put in mind of his promises to compare thē together God had promised it now he hath performed it here we see a testimony y t he is alwaies faithful in his sayings y t a man may safely rest vpō his truth That is y e thing which Moses sheweth vs in this text in that he speaketh not simply of the great multitude whereinto the people had bin increased but also saith y t God had multiplied them as the stars of the skie to the intent that euery mā should think vpon y e promise which was vniuersally knowen among them thereby confirme themselues inasmuch as God had so kept touch with his seruāt Abraham euery man consider thus in himself Indeed we ought to receiue gods simple single word although the effecte of it were not scene But now that Gods hande his mouth go iointly together so as he hath shewed a true proofe of his presēce before our eyes and that he meant not to disappoint the hope of his seruants we know y t our God hath a care of vs forgat vs not at such time as we were in the land of Egypt For y e time of the peoples abode there was as a kinde of buriall in their graues so as it might haue seemed y t all Gods promises had bin quite dashed Whē he drew Abraham out of the land y t he was borne in he said vnto him I giue thee al this land frō one side to another Gen. 12.7 to thee to thine ofspring for euer And yet for al this yee see howe Abraham did but soiourne there as a strāger he was hunted faine to fleet frō place to place he trotted vp and downe like a poore man that had not a corner to hide him in Hebr. 11.9 The like befel to his sonne Isaac Iacob was banished thence during al the flower of his youth when he returned thither againe hee was faine to remoue oftentimes in his old age and in the ende God conueied him away into Egypt Thus was y t house as it were broken vp cleane banished out of the countrie And where is the lande of Chanaan which was
What a thing were that yea but god hath so ordeined it Iesus Christ who is the infinite wisedome of God his father hath so appointed it It is said that last of all God hath spoken to vs by his mouth 〈◊〉 1.2 〈◊〉 28.19 and that we must stand to whatsoeuer he saith Now he hath ordeined it in water alone Yea but wee must haue a taper say the Papists to represent the holy Ghost we must haue salt to represent y e heauenly wisedome and the grace of God wee must haue diuers other things and we must haue spittle to make infantes and dum folks to speake and we must haue a number of other gugawes to mocke God w tall which are so grosse and fond as they can serue for nothing but to make Christianity a laughing stock to the Iewes and Turks and the diuell plaies his part with them when y e world is sorted after such a sort We see theÌ„ that the Papists haue broken and transgressed Gods order by adding after y t maner to y e things which he had set downe certaine and in such measure as he would not haue men to go beyond them But there hath bin yet a farre more outrageous disorder in y e Lords Supper For therein our Lord Iesus Christ ment to shew vs y t his wil is y t we shold settle our whole trust in him Iohn 6.51 bicause we be fed w t his substance therfore wee must not seeke life any where else thaÌ„ in him we must not eate there drink somewhere else for we haue there ful suffisance for y e sustenance of our soules we haue y t ful perfection of all goodnesse in him That is y e thing which he sheweth vs by his holy supper his wil is y t we should receiue y â— bread wine in witnes therof and y t it should be distributed among vs to the end we should be knit togither in him 1. Cor. 10.17 to become members of his body But on y e contrary part they haue set vp y e abhominable Masse wil needs sacrifice Iesus christ And whereof comes that Euen of y t they vnderstaÌ„d not y t they vsurpe y e office which is allotted to him in the holy scripture according wherunto he hath offered vp himselfe once for al behold meÌ„ wil needs take vpon them to couÌ„terfet him for by their owne saying it is all one sacrifice Yet for al y t they be but Apes to Iesus Christ. For it becommeth them not to take vpon them the office y t is not allotted vnto theÌ„ Againe they wil needs make a minglemangle of al things for they not only disguise falsifie all thinges that were ordained by our Lord Iesus Christ Luk. 22.17.19 but by al likehood are fully bent to fight furiously against his institution Iesus Christ ordeined y t the bread wine should be diuided among y e faithful But it is ynough w t them y t one doe take it all eate it vp alone Yea when the people come of purpose to coÌ„municate with them which is but once a yeere they be faine to content themselues w t the one part of it the other part is reserued Besides this there is no opening of Gods word their saying is y t they go to receiue their God they make a charme sorcerie of their consecrating of the bread wine Thus ye see how proudly they be turned away froÌ„ Christes ordinaunce so as they could not deuise howe to fight against him w t more violence Now sith we see these things we ought to acknowledge Gods grace in drawing vs out of such confusion And therew tall let vs marke y t Gods standing so much vpon y t point y t his people shold not do what they liked theÌ„selues is not wout cause For why we see what meÌ„ are wheÌ„ they once go astray WheÌ„ they once take y t libertie they disguise the trueth and there is no end of their leasings Therfore let vs beware y t we hold our selues short specially wheÌ„ God hath giuen vs rest from our enemies wee dwel in a place where we may worship him purely let vs keepe y e simplicitie y t he commaundeth alloweth by his word w tout any swaruing aside from y e same how little soeuer it be For we had need to keepe our selues farre off froÌ„ al corruptions if we be determined to obey our God And why so For mans heart is a dreadful gulfe And again euery maÌ„ drawes his neighbor into error after him Therefore it is like an endlesse maze wherof there is no way out again vnlesse y e thing be obserued that is spoken here namely that men do not what euery man thinks good in his owne eyes And let vs note also y t by this saying al our intentes as men terme them are condemned though they seeme neuer so good to our selues For we be no competent Iudges God must tell vs what is good if we on our side find any apparant reasoÌ„ it is altogether but smoke So then for as much as God in this place setteth his own word and y e testimony of his will directly against all our deuotions and al that euer seemeth good to vs let vs assure our selues that it is not lawfull for vs to followe whatsoeuer we think good For al that is nothing worth but al y e seruice that wee do vnto god must be grounded vpon his word his infallible truth Without y t we doe but build in the aire that is to say all that euer we do is but dreaming Now Moses addeth y e same things again which he had spokeÌ„ concerning Sacrifices Burnt offerings freewill offerings vowes tenthes namely that all those things must be done paide in the place that God had chosen out of one of their tribes This thing was not so soone performed as I haue shewed heretofore And y e reason is for y t god inteÌ„ded to proue his peoples patience also for y t y e people were not worthy y t God shold stablish the order at the first in such sort as he had promised it And that is a thing well worthy to be marked For we see y t gods gracious gifts are oftentimes long in comming And yet God saith ye shal no sooner haue spoken but I will be ready to succour you yea my hand shal be stretched out to helpe you before your words be out of your mouths So doth God promise yet nothwithstanding he suffereth vs to linger And why Bicause we haue hindered the course of his grace by our vnbeleefe and we be so rechles that hee maketh no haste to come vnto vs bicause we for our part come not to him but w t great hardnesse as it were limping Yet notw tstanding he doth alwâ—ies surmount all our vices w t his infinite goodnesse as it came to passe in y t which Moses
worse than madde if wee proceede on still What excuse will there bee for vs when God shal haue shewed vs the ditche and bidden vs beware that wee fall not into it and yet we bee so wilful in wickednesse that he cannot winne so much at our handes as to make vs turne backe againe from it Moreouer wee see by this text that it is but a simple shift to say Other men doe so as well as I and yet a greate number of sillie soules beguile themselues with it euen at this day If a man warne the Papistes of their superstitions to bring them to Gods trueth O say they I am not alone there be many others in the worlde They beare themselues in hand that they may by and by disappoint God with the multitude of their partakers But Moses telleth vs heere that all shall bee tyed together in one bundle and one of them shall not helpe to acquite another or to diminishe anothers fault but that all of them shall bee rooted out together according to this saying of our Lorde Iesus Christ Mat 15.14 Luke 6.39 If the blinde leade the blinde they shall both fall into the ditche What shall I haue gained by it when a great number of people shall haue perished with mee Then let vs not thinke our faults the lighter for the greatenes of the number of them that offende with vs but rather let vs marke on the contrarie parte that there is not a worse thing than euill custome and it is the thing that wee had neede to beware of as long as wee liue in this worlde For wee see verie fewe of that sort of men which guide vs the right way but on the contrarie part the multitude is infinite of those that thrust vs out of the way so as if wee leane vnto men wee shall scarsely finde one among a hundred which walketh aright but all of them doe go astray Also when the Prophet Esaie speaketh of the disorders that reigned eueriewhere Esa. 56.11 hee saieth no more but that euerie man had turned aside after his owne wayes Whereby hee doeth vs to vnderstande that we neede not to be beguiled by others for euerie of vs beguileth himselfe too much Therefore when men followe their owne imaginations then are they quite and cleane out of the way of saluation And sith it is so that we shal finde verie few that can amend vs and all the rest doe but draw vnto euill what shall become of vs if we grounde our selues vpon custome If wee say O there be thus many and thus many that take this or that to be good yea but God misliketh it and it makes no matter what men doe for wee see they bee all giuen to naughtinesse and are corrupted in their vnderstanding Againe their hearts are ful of malice so as they dragge cleane backe from that which God hath shewed them And if wee alledge It is not nowalate that this thing came vp it hath beene vsed of custome in all ages long agoe verily it is all one as if wee shoulde say the worlde is hardened in naughtinesse But yet hath it not gotten so sure holde that it can displace God from being Iudge that he shoulde not condemne them as they deserue And therfore let vs marke wel howe it is shewed vs here that if we followe the steppes of such as haue gone astray when God hath punished them wee also must come to account after them Yea and wee deserue double punishment when wee fare not the better by the corrections that God hath shewed vnto vs for it is all one as if we resisted him wilfully The matter in effect which wee haue to gather vppon this saying where Moses speaketh of the snares that are laide for vs is that when our Lorde hath once warned vs and we haue seene the verie examples themselues before our eyes we should set our minds vpon them that wee intangled not our selues in the curse that is prepared for the despisers of Gods word And it is saide further that men shoulde not inquire after their gods Heereby hee doeth vs to vnderstande that men are oftentimes turned away from well doing by their foolish curiositie For when wee bee once instructed in the pure simplicitie of Gods worde if wee holde our mindes imprisoned that is to say if wee holde our selues contented with Gods trueth then are wee sure that our Lorde will confirme vs more and more so as though all the worlde were on a broyle yet shoulde wee bee knitte still in good agreement of faith But our wittes are so fickle that they bee alwayes rouing wee cannot holde our selues from inquiring of this and that not for any benefite that wee reape by it for wee wote not what is the reason thereof but yet our desirousnesse so tickleth vs and so prouoketh vs that wee cannot holde our selues in quiet to say let vs obey our God Therefore Moses meant plainely to condemne the vice that reigneth ouermuch in men and is too deepe rooted in their nature which is that in steede of sobernesse to holde our selues in simple obedience to Gods worde wee bee continually turmoyled with vaine fancies and all our seeking is who did this and who did that that wee might bee cunning in iudging thereof As for example wee see a great sort that woulde faine knowe al the Religions of the worlde And to what ende It seemeth to them that they bee not sure of the Christian faith vnlesse they knowe Machomets Alcoran and al the diuelishnesse that hath reigned among the Paynims and Papistes and haue their heads full stuffed and besotted with all the dotages of the Iewes Thus doe they play the beastes through their wicked curiositie and it appeareth well that there hath beene nothing in them but vtter vanitie and hypocrisie Wherfore according to that which Moses hath declared heere let vs learne not to be too inquisitiue of the thinges that are not good for vs. Wee see that euen in reading Gods worde 1. 〈…〉 〈…〉 wee must vse this modestie of forbearing to seeke thinges needelesse which serue not to edifying what will come of it if wee disguise Gods worde by ripping vp the thinges which cannot but infect our mindes and corrupt them and turne them from the pure trueth True it is that such as are to make warres are faine to be inquisitiue of the force and policy of their enemies that they may beware of them but when wee be so eager that without any occasion or neede wee will needes knowe that which doeth not touch vs nor concerne vs is it not a tempting of God is it not a casting of our selues into the snares which wee see that Sathan hath laide for vs Therefore when men haue beene taught the Gospell purely let them abide quietly therein let them bee contented with this that they are approued of God who cannot deceiue them and let them refuse all manner of trumperies which can serue to no purpose but
or take so highly vppon them it is all one as if they bereaued God of the title of Sauiour and Iudge For if hee be not the onely Lawemaker Saint Iames concludeth that he is not the onely Iudge nor the partie that hath power alone to condemne vs or to saue vs. And what a presumption is it that the creature should proceede so farre as to father our saluation vppon wretched carkesses and earthwoormes which is to be fathered alonely vppon God So then let vs marke well that whereas Moses hath tolde vs heere that it is not Lawefull for vs to adde any whit to the thinges that God commaundeth in his Lawe thereby hee condemneth all the deuotions that euer were inuented by the world It will seeme strange why God hath so streitly forbidden men to adde any thing to his Lawe but ought not the reasons to suffice which I will aleadge Verily the world condemneth it selfe by his owne mouth Hath this prouerb bin inuented in our time Hath it not bin euer a common saying among the Papists to say Thou art the deuils seruant for thou doest more than thou art bidden This manner of speech hath bin vsed a hundred yere before we were borne It hath bin a common by word And what haue the Papists done They haue let the commaundementes of God alone to runne gadding after their owne inuentions and gewgawes And yet neuerthelesse they say dayly still Thou art the deuils seruaunt If a Master bee angrie with his seruaunt for leauing the thing vndoone which he had commaunded him to do the thing which he had conceiued in his owne imagination and he thinketh to content his Maister in saying I haue done better than you were aware of thou art the diuels seruant wil his Master say for thou hast done more than was commaunded thee And I pray thee what art thou Thou doest the lyke to God For thou wilt needes serue him after thine owne fashion without regard what he hath commaunded thee And therefore let vs beare in minde that forasmuch as GOD is robbed of his honor and the creatures set themselues in his iudgement seate when they take vppon them to make Lawes for the stablishing of a spiritual gouernment God declareth that he wil take horrible vengeance of it Esa. 29.14 deale terribly with them And why so Euen because they haue serued him after the commaundementes of men and not held themselues to his single worde and therefore hee will blind the wisest of them so as they shall be destitute of all reason and become so brutish that they shal not be able to discerne any thing at all Is not this enough to make the hayre stand vp vppon our head What is to bee done then Let vs followe this saying 1. Sa. 15. â—â— That obedience is better than sacrifice Loe here a sentence that needeth no glose The Papistes shew themselues to be farre past shame in these dayes in that they will needes maintaine the tyrannie of that idoll and still continue in their wilfulnesse of folowing their owne fond deuotions which haue not any foundation in Gods word Behold our Lord requireth but obedience that is to say that men shoulde submit themselues to his trueth and be contented with that which he commaundeth And the declaration hereof is deliuered vs here by Moses in two wordes that is to wit that they shoulde neither ad nor diminish aught at all in Gods worde but that when God speaketh they should receiue his sayinges with quiet obedience saying Yea Lord all this is iust and rightfull there is not any thing to bee gainsayed in any one poynt Againe thou Lord hast set vs boundes within the which it behoueth vs to holde our selues and not presume to say this is good or I will doe this more than is commaunded me No but wee must assure our selues that our true wisedome and perfect soundnesse is to submit our selues meekely to thy word If wee haue that let vs not doubt but that God alloweth our whole lyfe And if wee swarâ—e neuer so little from it wee shall not onely bee vtterly mislyked of him but also prouoke his vengeance against vs. But now let vs kneele down in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs to perceiue theÌ„ better so as it may bring vs to a true and liuely repentance And because wee bee so much inclined to followe our owne inuentions it may please him not to suffer such hardnesse of heart in vs as may make vs to turne away from his commandemeÌ„ts but rather that euery one may submit our selues to his word and frame our selues wholy thereafter that being voyde of all ouerweening of our owne wit and discretion we may suffer our selues to bee guided gouerned by his hand and specially that when he sendeth vs preachers to shew vs his wil hee vouchsafe vs such grace as wee may submit our selues thereunto so as wee may not onely receiue his word when it is preached by the voyce of men but also haue it written in our heartes by his holy Ghoste That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Fryday the xj of October 1555. The Lxxxvi Sermon which is the first vpon the thirteenth Chapter IF there rise vp among you a Prophet that is a dreamer of dreames which giueth the signe or a myracle 2 And the signe or myracle which hee hath tolde thee commeth to passe and he say vnto thee let vs walke after other Gods which you haue not knowen and let vs serue them 3 Thou shalt not hearken to the words of that Prophet or dreamer of dreames For the Lord your God trieth you to weete if you loue the Lorde your God with all your heart and with all your soule HEERE god sheweth what steadfastnesse of faith ought to bee in those y t haue bin taught by his word namely eueÌ„ such as may bee able to withstaÌ„d all the lyes and sleightes of Satan so as they bee not hindered by any false doctrines or errors but may continue alwayes in the trueth For if wee receiued his worde when it is preached vnto vs and yet it had no hold in vs but that wee should turne aside from that which we had learned as soone as we perceiued any thing to the contrary what a thing were it It is sayd that faith must be the victorie whereby to ouercome the whole worlde â— Iohn 5.4 for so doth Saint Iohn speake thereof in his first Epistle And if wee yeelde to euery winde so as euery blaste of vntrueth is enough to withdrawe vs from GOD our faith will soone bee ouercome and where is then our victorie Therefore let vs marke that when GOD graunteth vs the grace to bee taught by his worde it is not onely to the end wee shoulde learne the thinges that are spoken and beare them in minde for a while
bodie taketh and receiueth vs for his owne But if wee hearken to the lyes and trumperies that are brought vnto vs and wee refuse not to learne what Darnell is it is an euill signe and wee bee corrupted alreadie And therefore let vs beare well in minde that wee ought so little to consent â—o false prophets as wee shoulde not in any wise giue eare vnto them but shunne them a farre off as soone as wee perceiue that they goe about to deceiue vs and to entyce vs to naughtinesse And to say the trueth this cursed curiositie hath beene the cause of many mennes destruction For it seemeth to many high minded persons that all thinges should passe the tryall of their wit and that when they haue sifted things after their owne imagination they may followe whatsoeuer they themselues thinke good for they bee able ynough to discerne the trueth of all thinges But when our Lorde findeth such ouerboldnesse in them hee putteth them to confusion The trueth is that they would so inquire of all things as nothing might escape them in so much as they could finde in their hearts to mingle Mahomets Alcoran and all the dotages of the Heathen and all the superstitions of the Papists with the purenesse of y e Gospell and to make a medly of them that wheÌ„ they had well clowted them together in their owne brayne they might saye This is the thing that is good But our Lorde as I saide afore cannot abyde that men shoulde trust so to their owne wittes And againe on the other side hee cannot abide such iniurie to bee done to his worde as that it shoulde bee matched with the wyles of Satan so as it might bee sayde now will I choose what liketh mee best It is too high a mounting for men to make themselues iudges and vmpers of Gods trueth which the Angels do honour with all reuerence Needes therefore must such men fall into horrible destruction And therfore let vs beware that wee brydle our selues so as our mindes wander not out into fond curiositie And as soone as wee perceiue that y e diuel goes about to falsifie Gods pure trueth let vs stop our eares and not harken to any such thing but vtterly abhorre it Now moreouer Moses sayth That although the false prophets shewe some signe or myracle the same commeth to passe yet must not men giue eare vnto theÌ„ Here he sheweth that we must haue such constaÌ„cie and stedfastnesse in our faith as it may not bee ouerthrowen though there bee neuer so great occasion of stumbling As for example if there bee such an illusion of Satan that a false-prophet say vnto vs such a thing shall come to passe and it commeth to passe in deede then are wee at our wittes end and it is ynough to ouerthrowe our whole building though it were neuer so well builded vnlesse God worke on our side aboue the power of mans abilitie But yet howsoeuer the world go Gods trueth must be of such force with vs as to holde vs backe against al such temptation so as if the diuel bring any illusion he may not gaine any thing at our handes nor preuaile against vs. And let vs marke that before that Moses saith so he giueth vs a sure declaration of false prophets that is to say of such as go about to turne vs from the true God whome were haue once knowen and would wrap vs in wicked superstitions wherin there is no reason If any such thing befall vs no maruel though our Lorde will haue vs to resist all that euer the diuel putteth to vs to bleare our eyes withal yea euen though there bee false miracles in so much that although all that the false prophet or deceiuer foretelleth do come to passe yet must wee not be led away by it We see then in effect what the meaning of Moses is that we must be so well fenced by gods worde that although the diuell rush against vs with neuer so great violence and worke all the meanes he can to beguyle vs yet we must not be ouercome but our faith must be as a wel garded fortresse that notwithstanding any assault or any battrie made against vs yet it may warde all blowes and bee able to saue it selfe from beeing vanquished by any enemies And now let vs marke that if God sende such false miracles it is not to intrap those that are his but to punish such as haue not beleeued the Gospel 2. Thes. 2.12 as Saint Paul speaketh thereof in the seconde to the Thessalonians And therefore doth Moses also adde Then is it Gods will to try thee whether thou louest him with all thy heart all thy soule or no. It is a saying that deserueth to be wel marked For first Moses doeth vs to vnderstande that such thinges happen not without the ordinance of God and secondly hee sheweth the ende or reason wherefore namely that the faithfull may haue wherewith to bee confirmed knowing well that God will giue them constancie to holde out though the temptation be neuer so rough and violent Those are the two thinges which wee haue to remember here First it is sayd God tryeth thee Hereby hee sheweth that Satan hath no power ouer vs nor can sowe any wicked weedes further foorth than God giueth him leaue And that is a verie needefull thing for vs to marke For were wee perswaded that the doore were open for Satan and that all errours might spring vp at all aduenture and that God ouer ruled them not alas what a thing were it For wee see howe mad the diuel is to ouerthrowe all trueth wee see with what furie hee goes to worke when hee is to fight against the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ and we see what spite hee beareth to our saluation And therefore things would go too much to hauocke if God wrought not to hinder Satan of his full scope that hee might not set vp his lyes among vs. Wherefore let vs vnderstande that whensoeuer there is any trouble diuision or diuersitie of opinion in the Church the same happeneth not at all aduenture but God worketh from aboue and ouerruleth the whole matter according to this protestation of Moses Thy God tryeth thee Yee see then that by knowing that God holdeth vs vnder his hande wee bee assured that no errours or abuses can haue accesse vnto vs vnlesse so farre foorth as our Lorde giue them accesse And marke it for a speciall point to the ende wee thinke not that the diuel reigneth at his owne pleasure and doeth all thinges as it were whether God will or no for hee must bee faine to haue leaue of his master And nowe let vs come to that which Moses addeth concerning the ende and reason why God doeth it For wee may thinke it strange What That God shoulde trye vs That errors shoulde bee saide to come so of God Then is hee the author of lying Againe doeth God stirre vp the diuell vnto euill Then might wee
with vs still and wee haue to gather of this text that our Lorde abhorreth ydolatry aboue all thinges and that if other offences bee to be punished this is not to be indured in any wise but that we ought to abhorre it And because wee be too colde in that behalfe we be warned to quicken vp our selues and to take the meanes which wee knowe to be fit for it to the ende wee may bee the forwarder in causing God to bee serued purely among vs and open no gap to deceiuers ne make any way for superstitions and ydolatrie that might bereaue vs of the pure trueth and drawe vs vnto lyes Thus yee see what we haue to remember vpon this text But heere a man might aske a question howe Moses may say that all the thinges which shal be founde in such a Citie shal be accursed and yet they must bee put ouer vnto God as an offering or sacrifice Yet doeth GOD speake after that fashion in manie places and not without cause For it is an offering of sacrifice vnto him when we protest that only he ought to be worshipped and when we make as it were a solemne homage vnto him And againe when other appurtenances come in place as when men sacrificed vnder the Lawe they protested that they were worthie of death and yet notwithstanding they had a warrant of their reconcilement vnto God by the sacrifice that was to bee offered Also men offered of their goods vnto GOD as who shoulde say Lorde all that I haue commeth of thee and it is alwayes at thy commaundement Yee see then that sacrifices were blessed and yet neuerthelesse there was a kinde of cursednesse in the sacrifices that were offered for sinne In the Firstlinges Tenthes and such other like things there was nothing but the praising of God and giuing of thankes vnto him but as for the sacrifice that was offered for sinne it behoueth Gods curse to be thereupon as who shoulde say Loe this is hee that shall aunswere for all To the ende that men may bee acquit and deliuered from death this sacrifice must answere for them And therefore those sacrifices were called sinnes and the same name is attributed to our Lorde Iesus Christ because he bare our curse in his person Leuit. 7.2 2. Cor. 5.21 But heere is an other kinde of cursednesse namely that GOD is honoured and homage is doone vnto him by rooting out the thinges that hadde defaced his honour before Therefore when a Citie is destroied that had erst beene a denne of ydolatry and all the spoyle thereof is set on fire it is a sacrifice that God liketh verie well of And why so Because it is a protesting that wee be not willing to suffer any thing that impeacheth the honoring of him at all mens handes and that all men shoulde submit themselues to him and his maiestie be knowen as it ought to be Nowe then we see howe it is not without cause that Moses commaunded sacrifice to be done vnto GOD with the vtter destruction of all thinges that had beene infected and defiled with ydolatrie And hee sayeth expresly to the ende that the wrath of God bee not vpon thee Whereby he confirmeth the matter that ◠haue touched already which is that we must beware that wee wrap not ourselues in other mens sinnes For they that correct not euill dooinges when they may and when their office requireth it are giltie of it themselues As for example if a preacher winke at the vices that reigne surely he is a traitour and vnfaithfull for he shoulde keepe good watch and waken such as are in daunger of vndoing Then if I beare with the euill wittingly or through negligence I am the first that shal be condemned Likewise if they that holde the sworde of Iustice execute not the rigor which they ought to redresse mēs misbehauiours surely the wrath of God is vpon them continually yea and vpon y e whole country because no man is found that complaineth of this that the mischiefe was so borne withall One good zealous man is ynough to turne away the wrath of God for hee will inforce others that were negligent But when no man beginnes the daunce but all men drawe backe and euery man sayes What nowe If all the rest put not to their handes what can I alone doe Surely none of them all can exempt themselues from condemnation before God when euerie one of them speaketh so Not without cause then doeth Moses here wrap vp a whole Countrey vnder condemnation if a wicked deede bee borne with or not punished when it commeth to knowledge And hereby we be put in minde to be more diligent than we are wont to bee in ridding away of all filth and vncleannesse from among vs. For it is all one as if we shoulde lay wood vppon the fire that is kindled ynough and too much alreadie so as we shall all of vs be consumed with it in the end and yet wee doe so euen wittingly and wilfully Why then doe wee not open our eyes sith our Lorde sheweth vs the daunger so euidently and warneth vs to prouide for it aforehande Why doe wee not thinke vppon it Nay wee be well worthy to perish and to be vtterly confounded because wee haue not vouchsafed to receiue the counsell that God hath giuen vs. After that Moses hath thus threatned vs now he addeth a promise that God will blesse his people if they obey his voyce doe the thinges that are right before him Our Lord indeuouring after his manner to winne vs to him alwayes by gentlenesse and friendely dealing when hee hath doone threatning of vs in this text doeth also attempt the contrarie way saying If ye finde the meanes to haue my seruice purely mainteyned I will be with you yee shall finde that my seeking is but to increase the benefites which I haue begonne already to bestowe vpon you yee shall inioy the Lande that I haue giuen you to inherite ye shall perceiue that my promising of my fauour and mercie to your fathers is not in vaine And let vs marke that heere it is our Lordes intent to drawe vs to a willing seruing of him True it is that yet for all this wee must not forgette his threatenings seeing we be so slowe in resorting vnto him Then lette vs be afrayde of them and consider that wee shall not scape his vengeaunce except we maintaine his seruice But yet howsoeuer the worlde goe with vs lette vs not doe it by constraint but let vs goe to worke with a free courage And howe may that bee doone Euen by beeing drawen by the gentlenesse that Moses sheweth heere vnto vs as if he shoulde say goe to happie will our state bee if we serue our GOD and euerie man endeuour to drawe his neighbours with him and suffer not any man as farre as lyeth in vs to peruert or trouble our state when it is well setled If we doe so our Lorde telleth vs that hee will be
and perceiued Neuerthelesse it standeth vs alwayes in hande to beware that wee abuse not the Sacraments namely that wee be not so fleshly as to sticke to the world but that seeing God is come downe vnto vs we also on our side doe mount vp vnto him and therewithall assure our selues that our Lorde in giuing vs his sacramentes giueth vs not rittleratles and childishe trifles to busie our heades withall but that hee giueth vs the verie trueth to the end we should be knit vnto him and that we might feele that his power is euer at hande with vs. Thus much concerning the saying where Moses speaketh againe of Gods presence coÌ„maundeth y e Iewes to resort to IerusaleÌ„ wheÌ„ God should haue choseÌ„ y e place in the meane while to resort to y e place where y e arke of y e couenaÌ„t y e sanctuary were set vp And finally he sayth That they should not come empty before the lord but that euery man should bring somewhat according as God had blessed him Some haue taken this text to bee a kinde of promise as though God had sayd that such as resorted vnto him should not go their way againe empty True it is that if wee seeke God wee shall finde plenty of all good things in him according as it is sayd Come vnto him and ye shall be inlightened Psal. 34.6 and your faces shall not be ashamed Therfore let vs not thinke that wee shall want any thing if wee seeke God for he will fill vs as hee is riche so is he liberal we shal be satisfied and haue our fil of al thinges y t wee haue neede of for our saluation Then is it very true in it selfe that all such as offer themselues before God shal not return emptie according as it is written Psal. â—1 11 Open thy mouth and I will fill it But as in respect of this present place it is certaine that Moses speaketh of Offeringes and wee must not bring in any other gloses For hee declareth that euery man ought to offer according to the gifte of his hande that is to say according to his abilitie For that kind of speeche were straunge to vs if wee were not made to vnderstand it namely that euery man ought to consider what GOD hath giuen him that hee may doe him homage for it Therefore looke what wee haue in our hande that let vs take to offer vnto God and to make sacrifice to him withall In the tyme of the Lawe the offeringes were applyed to such vse as wee haue seene heeretofore and wee neede not to rehearse the Ceremonie any more As nowe in remaineth that wee doe homage to GOD at all tymes with the goods that hee hath bestowed vppon vs. And howe may that bee doone By Almesdeedes Iob. 35.6 Pâ—al 16.2 Hebr. 13.16 For wee cannot increase him by bestowing any thing vppon him but yet hee accepteth whatsoeuer wee giue to the poore Those are the sacrifices which hee requireth and alloweth nowadayes Therefore must we bestowe them there And seeing that our Lord offereth himselfe vnto vs not thrise a yeere onely but manifestly in the person of his sonne Iesus Christ so as hee dwelleth with vs continually let it bee a meane to drawe vs to him euen with an earnest minde that wee may haue our hande alwayes open to offer vnto him If wee had the Sanctuarie and that it behoued vs to present our selues thrise a yeere at Ierusalem wee should doe the thing that is commaunded vs heere and yet should not that serue to exempt vs from doing of Almes deeds al the yeere after For if there were no more than the Ceremonie it were a smal matter as I haue said afore But where is Gods Temple now Beholde Iesus Christ who filleth y e whole world he is with vs dwelleth euen in our soules Sith it is so then let vs see y t we imploy our selues to make our offerings seeing that our God doeth vs y e honour to appoint vs to be his Sanctuaries Temples â— Cor. 6.19 2 Cor. 6.16 〈◊〉 2.9 insomuch y t euery Christian man is y e Temple of the holy Ghost euery Christian hath y e honorable title of Priest and y t otherwise we shoulde neuer be counted y e temple house of God it is good reason y t euery man should occupy himself incessantly w tout end in offring him y e sacrifice of praise so as he may bee acknowledged in all his benefits blessings which he bestoweth vpoÌ„ vs. And it is not only the doing of Almes deedes y t he accepteth for sacrifices but wee must also serue him worship him w t al our thoughts with all our desires with all our affections and with al our members So then that wee may not appeare emptie in the presence of our God let vs looke y t we bring him good fruites such as he requireth let vs beware y t we bee not vpbraided as Ieremie vpbraided y e Iewes when he said Ier. 2.21 Esa. 5.24 What haue I done for thee my vine I haue planted thee I haue dressed thee thou bringest me forth bitter fruite Therefore let vs bring good fruit to our God seeing it hath pleased him to till vs to the end we should doe good and not be vnprofitable And how may that be True it is that we caÌ„not bring any thing to him neither can he be inriched but when we indeuer to glorifie him in our whole life that is the fruite which he requireth and maketh account of Seeing then that he graunteth vs the grace let vs profit continually vnder him let not vs on our side be emptie Notwithstanding it is certaine that we haue not one drop of goodnesse vnlesse he gaue it vs for we be barrein In deede we be too fruitful in bringing forth euill there are too many bryers brambles to be found in vs but as for of good corne there is not one graine to be found in vs vntill God haue put it in vs. What is to be doone then We must pray our God to blesse vs that is to say to powre out his holy spirite so vppon vs as wee may haue good fruite to bring vnto him that wheras we be nothing he may giue vs a being and whereas we be nought woorth he may make vs some what worth by his manuring of vs so as hee may be glorified in vs. For it is not ynough for vs to haue Gods gratious giftes in vs but he must also make vs to put them to the vse whereto he hath ordeined them And heere let vs call to mind what hath beene declared heeretofore namely that God will not haue vs all to reioyce our selues but also to make our neighbours partakers of our gladnesse and also to call vnto vs not onely the husband and his wife and the father and his children but also euen those that are furthest off from vs and to indeuour to
according to the season of the Moones and as we see that opportunitie will serue best For otherwise it were an vtter vndoing of all thinges and an abolishing of the order that God hath set But his meaning is that men shoulde not through their fonde and wicked desires passe the boundes which God hath appointed So then let vs keepe our selues to this playnnesse that God hath set downe Moreouer whereas he speaketh of DiuinatioÌ„ by the flight of birdes It was too common a vice among the heathen as I saide afore When they were to take anie thing in hand they went gasing abroad in the aire and they might not conclude vppon any thing till they had seene some birde flying And there were three oâ— foure of them or if they came froÌ„ the East or the North they tooke them by by for signes and that was a cursed kinde of diuination For why we must holde it for a generall rule that wee marre all when wee drawe Gods creatures to anie other vse than he hath ordeyned them vnto Let vs marke say I after what maner God will haue his creatures to be vsed For as soone as we turne from that point such disguising of his workes is a cursed corruption of them God hath not created the birdes to speake vnto vs by their flying from one place to another nor to the end that we shoulde make account whether there be foure or fiue of them or take their flying out of this coast or that coast to be a token of euil luck These are starke witcheries forged by men out of their owne fonde curiositie and blowen into their eares by Satan And therefore let vs not maruell though our Lord haue forbidden vs such thinges for as soone as wee happen to bee imbrewed w t such superstitions and follies we must needes bee turned away from Gods trueth Yea and there followeth iust punishment vpon such curious persons so as they bee euer doubtful in perplexitie For in as much as they resorte to deade creatures or to such creatures as haue no reason nor vnderstanding they must needes bee alwayes vncertaine But if wee feare our God we shall be sure of all things The feare of God is the best hold that wee can haue Psal. 33.1 I meane such a reuerende feare of GOD as therewithall we take him for our father For if we be agast at him we shall stil be in neuer the lesse anguish vnquietnes But if wee submit our selues to God for loue surelie his protection shall auaile vs to rest vppon so as we may defie Sathan and all that he practiseth against vs. On the contrarie part when we feare not God we shall be afraid both of the birdes and of the beasts of the winde and of the rayne of the Sun and of the Moone of the earth and of the heauen and to be short euen our owne shadowes as men say shal make vs afraide And as for them which submit them selues to the Sunne and Moone and make Idols of them as though they had dominion ouer vs all such doe showe in deede that they haue no feare of God in them and therefore needes must they bee caried away anewe And that is the cause why the Prophete Ieremie expressely forbiddeth vs to be afraide of the signes of the heauen Ier. 10.2 at leastwise according to the inchauntmentes which the Infidels haue inuented as is saide alreadie For if wee be afraide of them after y e maner we bereaue God of his dominion and impart it to the Stars and other dead creatures But God wil haue the Sunne the Moone to giue vs light and to doe vs seruice with their natural vse as the Sun to heate the earth the Moone and the Stars to giue their influences I say he will haue all these so to keepe their natures and proprieties as that he himselfe alone be the gouernour notwithstanding For when we imagine that the Sunne or the Moone haue such power ouer vs that we cannot goe one step without they bring vs some misaduenture or prosperitie by their aspectes towardes vs is not God himselfe so much debaced Yes verily If it be said that God worketh by his creatures that is true but yet will he not doe it after that fashion We must haue an eye to the meane which he hath helde and we must not go beyond that And therefore as many as rend Gods dominion in peeces and impart it so to the liuelesse creatures are starke mad and it is good reason that they should alwayes bee as men in a traunce or afrighted not know where to become Wherefore let vs learne to put our selues in such wise vnder the hand guiding of our God as we fall not to passing beyond the course of nature That is the thing which wee haue to remember here As touching the other kinds indeede a man might distinguish theÌ„ as many haue laboured to doe but it is enough for vs to vnderstande that here is mention made of Inchaunters Sorceres Calkers workers with Familiars and of such as aske counsell as the dead As concerning Inchaunters they be not these Iugglers that bleare mens eies with slight of hand and make men beleeue they doe the things which they doe not but the diuell hath such dominion ouer the vnbeleeuers that although a thing be not done in very deed yet the illusion is such as makes men beleeue they see that which they see not And so it is a kinde of Inchauntment that is to say of diuelish illusion when a man shall bee made to thinke that one is transformed into a wolfe or that hee sees theÌ„ shape of a thing that hath no substance or trueth indeede Now it is demaunded whether such thinges can be done or no. And why not we haue an example in Pharaoes sorcerers â—â—od â— 7 who made frogges to come vp as well as Moses did not that the diuell hath any thing in his owne power for we must not imagine that hee can fight against God to doe aught whether he will or no we knowe he is vnder Gods hande can doe nothing without leaue or licence Hee may well attempt much but yet can he not stir one finger as ye woulde say And hereof wee haue example euident enough in Iob Iob. 1.6 for we see y t the diuel is there among the Angels that is to say that he is faine to come yeelde an account before Gods seate and to haue leaue of him and to be admitted As much is saide when God will haue Achab to bee beguiled for his Idolatrie 1. Kin. 32 21. Ye see then howe the scripture sheweth that the diuell hath not a seuerall dominion by himselfe as though he could attempt any thing against God But yet by permission he may indeede trouble the aire and also do other thinges after which maner God is saide to send tempestes hailes And by whome doeth he it Psal. 78.49 By
saith he then I wil put my word into thy mouth In deede our Lord Iesus is set there in highest degree but yet there followeth and into the mouth of thy seede and of thy childrens children Then let vs conclude that euen to the worlds ende if we wil be members of our Lorde Iesus Christ and to be short if we wil be taken for Christians wee must hearken to the worde which God putteth into mens mouthes whensoeuer it is preached vnto vs. And in that respect is it saide that the man which will notheare the Prophet shall die without release Here God thinkes it not ynough to haue exhorted the Iewes to receiue his woorde with meeke and lowly mindes but also threateneth them because thinges are neuer so well ordered among men but that there is some incountering and rebelling Our Lord therefore is faine to vse heere some rigor Which thing he doth saying Looke to your selues for my sending of Prophetes vnto you is to your benefite and it were as much ease for mee to make my voice ring from heauen but I know what is meetest for you and you yourselues haue found by experience that it is most for your behoofe Therefore see that ye heare my woorde and receiue it meekely and submit your selues to mee with all mieldnesse And hereunto also doeth S. Iames leade vs 〈◊〉 ◠21.1 saying that if wee wil bee edified by Gods word we must be meeke And as the earth that shal receiue seede to yeeld fruite must first be well tilled euen so the true preparation that God requireth of vs is to humble ourselues for our Lorde Iesus began at the same ende Howbeit forasmuchas there are some so blockish that they cannot be moued by gentlenesse therfore is this threatening added wherein our Lorde declareth that if wee despise his worde when it is brought vs so by men such a fault shall not scape vnpunished for I will require a reckoning thereof saith hee As if he should say Indeede it may well bee that such contempt shall bee let alone and not once thought vpon in the worlde but yet shall I continue still to warrant my worde and yee must come to account before mee though yee bee scaped the handes of men And this is to bee well marked For when our Lorde will haue men to obey him hee saieth not singly hee that will not obey my worde but he that will not heare the Prophetes whom I sende For wee see many nowadayes which protest that they bee readie to submit themselues to God but yet in the meane while they cannot finde in their heartes to yeelde him obedience in respect of his Lawe or in respect of the holy scripture or also in respect of the order of the Church Yee shall see a sort of skoffers which will needes bee taken for good Catholikes but as for sermons they let them alone and they thinke them to bee superfluous And if they chaunce to come to any it is but in a ceremonie and for fashions sake as men terme it so as if it were not for shame of men they woulde neuer come at the Church Ye shal neuer heare that they be desirous to be taught And what Christianitie is that Contrariwise we heare howe it is saide heere that God will haue vs to hearken to him As howe They can say wellynough that they bee willing to obey But he addeth whosoeuer heareth not the Prophets whom I sende I haue shewed already that seeing God hath set this order in his Church it ought to be helde as vnuiolable Therfore whosoeuer hee bee that maketh none account of Sermons ne resorteth to them doeth shew him selfe to be a rebell against God Who sayes so Euen he himselfe We neede not go to reasoning thereupon For our Lorde telleth vs that all such as will not quietly submit themselues to the order which hee hath appointed are rebelles against him Yee see then that the thing which we haue to marke here in the first place is that we must not seeke starting holes to deceiue God withall for if wee desire that he should reigne ouer vs the men that haue the charge and office to speake to vs in his name must be receiued all of vs both great and small must frame themselues thereafter Moreouer let vs proceed to y e cōparison which y e Apostle maketh in the Epistle to y e Hebrewes For he sheweth as trueth is that Moses and his fellow Prophets were but seruaunts Hebr. 3.5.6 10.28.29 The master himselfe is come and that is the onely sonne of GOD who hath superioritie ouer the whole Church and he speakes by his Gospel which if a man despise he is not to be borne withal He that transgressed the Lawe of Moses was stoned to death as we haue seene before But nowe our Lorde Iesus speaketh more liuely in the Gospell and shall men make no account of hearing him Let vs marke then that all such as striue nowadayes against the doctrine of our Lorde Iesus Christ offend much more greeuously and shal be punished more rigorously because they spite God openly as though they protested in effect that they passed not to prouoke him to battell and to deface his maiestie vtterly Therefore let vs beare in minde Gal. 3.19 that as oft as the Gospell is preached vnto vs it is all one as if the sonne of God speake to vs himselfe and therefore that hee ought much rather to bee hearde than Moses True it is that the Lawe is of God likewise and it was giuen by the verie spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christ. But as nowe we stand vpon the meanes that God hath vsed in the Lawe and the Gospell For the more that our Lord hath vttered his glorie the more ought wee to be prouoked to submit our selues vnto him and that is done in the Gospell Wherefore let vs conclude that as nowe we must haue a greater regard to harken to the things that are brought vs and set forth vnto vs in the name of our God than our forefathers had in the time of the law And that is the thing which our Lorde Iesus ment by this saying that Iohn Baptist excelled al the prophets Matt. 11.11 so as there was neuer any man that had so excellent an office as he had and yet that the least of them which preach the Gospell nowadayes excelleth Iohn Baptist. Iesus Christ speaketh not there of the holinesse of mens persons but magnifieth the doctrine of saluation which is preached to vs at this day insomuch that Iohn Baptist was preferred before all the Prophetes as in respect that he brought the tydings that the Redeemer was come But wee proceede yet further for wee shewe that our Lorde Iesus hath performed his mediatorship in reconcyling vs to God his father 2. Cor. 5.19 Heb. 9.27 1. Iohn 1.7 2.1 that his death and passion are the euerlasting sacrifice whereby perfect righteousnesse is purchased to vs that all our
God And let vs not tary till God to our cost doe bewray y e leawdnesse of the false Prophets so we be caught in some calamitie But let vs preuent Gods wrath as soon as we see our sins let vs be touched with them And if there be any y t flatter vs let vs not giue eare to them to bee seduced to our confusion Now our Lord setteth downe here two sortes of false Prophets The one is of thē that speake falsely in his name and the other is of them that speake in the name of straunge Gods Then is it not enough for a Prophet to shroud himselfe vnder y e name of the liuing God but he must also execute his office faithfully Neither is it enough for him to be put in commission by God except he execute it with a pure and vpright consciēce For we see y t the deceiuers haue sometimes obiected thus against Gods seruāts what Am not I a Prophet as well as thou Yes verily thou art in office but see how thou dischargest thy selfe of it Let vs marke then y t all the matter lyeth not in speaking in Gods name and y t doth experience well shewe vs. For the Pope at this day will speake in Gods name and yet we shall finde nothing but starke abhominations in his doctrine there is nothing there but a gulfe of hell to swallowe vp mens soules into destruction And therefore let vs marke well that when a Prophet speakes in Gods name we must examin whether it be truly or no. For if Gods name bee abused y e expressing thereof is dubble wickednesse And y t is y e cause why Moses declareth here first that if a Prophet bring vs word in y e name of y e liuing god we must consider whether the word be committed vnto him or no. That is one point which wee haue to marke here And because the wretched worlde hath bin beguiled vnder false pretence of Gods name let vs learne to make narrower search and not suffer our selues to be seduced at alauēture and so to be led by the noses lykebrute beasts True it is that Gods name ought to haue such reuerence among vs y t we should all hūble our selues to hearkē to y e things y t are set foorth or spokē of him But yet must we hold y e meane as was declared yesterday which is y t wee must not receiue all things indifferently y t are spoken but y t our faith must be the tryer of them For our Lorde hath not left vs his holy Scripture for naught It is y e true touchstone whereby we must try all doctrines y t we may iudge of them aright The second sort of false Prophets which Moses hath set downe heere is of those which speake in the name of Idols which abuse crept in at length euen among the Iewes For after that thinges were once growen out of kinde All tooke vpon them to be Soothsayers and Prophets but that was altogether in the name of idols according to the cities wherein they dwelt Wheresoeuer there was a Temple there was a Iewe that said we haue the foreknowledge of thinges to come euen by byrth and yet in the meane while they solde their Prophesies as these deciuers doe which trot vp and down the world and say they can tell folkes their fortunes And it was a common practise of all the Iewes as appeareth euen by the prophane histories when they were once become idolaters Surely it is a great vnshamefastnesse of them to make such boast of the gift of Prophesie And why so They haue that gift because they be the linage of Abraham because they be circumcised because they bee Gods owne people and heritage and because they haue the Lawe and looke for their promised redeemer and yet for all this they giue ouer themselues to such abhominatiōs that they will needes borrowe the meanes of idolaters And we see in maner the lyke altogether nowadayes in the Popedome For the Priestes and Monkes boast themselues to haue the office of praying for y e whole Church and yet in y e mean while they will sing a Masse of our Lady and a Masse of such a Saint such a Saint and so idols are intermingled with the maiestie of the liuing God For although y e Saints as in respect of thēselues be no idols yet doe they make them so which doe so abuse their names And therefore let vs learne to keepe our selues from both these sorts of falshoodes by hearing no man speake but in the name of God For wee know there is nothing but vanitie in mans minde and that we shall be deceiued if we giue our selues to any mortall creature and therefore onely God is to be heard Againe when Gods name is pretended let vs try whether it be in trueth or no we haue his word we cannot lye and hee will giue vs the vnderstanding thereof if we be lowly and meeke And if we submit our selues wholy vnto him it is certeine that he will neuer suffer vs to be deceiued Well may we be tēpted as we haue seene in the thirteenth Chapter y t God wil try vs whether we loue him or no. But if there be such an vpright minde to be found in vs y t we wil seeke to serue him purely to obey him surely hee will deliuer vs frō all deceit Thus ye see in effect what we haue to remember vpon this text Now in the end it is sayd that when a false prophet is found out by tryall then it shall appeare that he spake vppon presumption and therefore be not afraid of him Here are two sayings which import two good and profitable warninges The one is y t he which aduanceth himselfe beyond measure speaketh proudly For is there a more diuelishe pride than for a mortal man to thrust forth him self as if he were an instrument of Gods spirit as though he were an Angel frō heauen whē in very deed he is but a lyer and hath nothing but winde in him If I take vpon me another man◠name say such a one hath giuen me commission is it not too leawd a falshood The partie to whom I haue done y e wrong may come and say Ah thou lyar how durst thou abuse my name Such dealing I say would bee counted great iniurie Then if a mortal man auaunce himselfe in the name of God as for example if I step vp into y e pulpit require audiēce in y e name of God yet notw tstanding doe fal to seducing of y e people y t is a pride which passeth al others as I said afore For it is not simple lying it is not single deceit it is not a simple falsifying of this or y t but a turning of Gods trueth into vntruth a wrapping of God in our falshoods an vnhallowing of his holy sacred name Therfore let vs mark wel how it is not for naught y t Moses sayth y t the
downe to moue the standers by to the more terror when they saw the cutting off of the Heckfars neck and that they were come as into a secrete place For it is certeine y t God passed not for the bloud of the Heckfar 1. Cor. 9.9 Hath God a care of Oxen or kine sayth Saint Paul as though he regarded them His speaking of them is for mens sakes And therefore let vs marke how God poynted out a valley yea and a barraine valley to the end that they which were there present should conceiue a certeine terror in themselues Wherat At the smiting off of the bullockes head as who should say Must wee come to this deserte place for such a matter And what a thing is it theÌ„ that a man which is shaped after the image of God should be slayne and that such a crime should be committed Shal not the Sunne and and the Moone and all the starres of the skye cry out for vengeaÌ„ce to God Shal not the largenesse of the earth frame an inditemeÌ„t as though it were written in paper or parchment Thus yee see what we haue to consider in Gods appointing out of the place so with such circumstance Nowe afterward followeth the protestation Our handes haue not doone this deede neither haue our eyes seene it When the Iudges gouerners say Our handes haue not done this deede they meane the whole people as well as themselues For it is not enough that the rulers themselues bee cleere of the murder but they speake in the name or behalfe of the whole bodie of the people whome they represent And hereby it appeareth that if the Magistrates suffer any wickednesse to lie lurking in any citie or countrie they themselues are guiltie thereof and it is as much before God as if they had giuen their consentes to the dooing of it Therefore let men marke well this saying Our handes haue not done this deede namely that such as are in authoritie must aunswere for the whole bodie of the people so farre as lyeth in them that is to say that wicked dooinges haue not bin suffered to nestle by their slouth and negligence but that they haue searched them out diligently and done their dutie in that behalfe otherwise it will be in vaine for them to say I was not the dooer of the deed No but thou diddest represent the whole people thou wast put in commission by Gods appointment and therefore sith thou hast suffred leawdnesse to be committed within thy Iurisdiction it is at thy hand that God wil require the account And in very deede wee see how it is Gods will not onely in this place but also throughout the whole holy scripture that when any trespasse was committed in any trybe the Elders should stand forth as it were to confesse the peoples offences in their persons For inasmuch as they were set in authoritie and place of honor it behooued them to know that their charge was so much the more hard and weightie That is the point which is to bee noted here And he addeth Our eyes haue not seene it And hereby we may knowe as I sayd afore that it is not enough for vs to haue our handes cleere but it is required also that we should not be priuie to any euill For if we cloke it knowing of it to whom is it to bee imputed Truely we may well washe our hands of it as Pilate did before men Matt. 27.24 as who should say I did it not I am guiltlesse of it but God admitteth no such mockerie Therfore whensoeuer we bee examined or deposed vpon any matter let vs not imagin that we shall scape skotfree before God because we haue not done the actuall deede Foâ— we must to the vttermost of our power find meanes that the mischiefe may be redressed so as one man may not be trodden vnder foote and another be bolstered and borne out and consequently common robberie be suffred to reigne disorderly among men but that right and euen dealing may bee mainteined among men and let euery man further the same on his owne behalfe And as concerning Iudges and Magistrates let them also learne to haue eyes that they play not the blinâ—karâ—es and blindefolkes when euill is committed ne thinke to escape when they can say As for me I haue no such thing Yes but such as are in authoritie of Iustice must know that God hath set them aloft as it were in a watchtower to discouer thinges afarre off If the Magistrates themselues doe set a watchman in a high tower and he excuse himselfe saying I sawe nothing will they hold him excused No For hee was set there to looke about him and that was his charge Euen so our Lord ordeineth Magistrates to keepe good watch And if they notwithstanding doe shut their eyes and make as though they sawe nothing at all shall it serue to acquit them What an excuse were that Were it not too fond and trifling So then let vs marke well that Magistrates must open their eyes and bee watchfull that they may see what their duetie is And if they wil be taken for guiltlesse they must looke to it that they may bee able to vse this present protestation in trueth Our eyes haue not seene it neither haue our handes done this deede But yet besides this Moses sheweth that the citie or towne where a murder is committed is not altogether cleere of it and therefore that they must bee faine to craue pardon at Gods hand Surely this seemeth to be with the extremest What Seeing we haue not consented to the euill but woulde haue punished it if it had bin done in our presence and wee protest that wee our selues did not the deede neither doe wee knowe the dooer of the deed that wee might punishe him ought not God to bee contented with all this Nay there is yet a further thing namely that the committing of such a fault is as a defiling of the whole countrie and a warning giuen vs of God to looke narrowlyer to our selues True it is that he will not take vs for murderers but yet for al that his suffering of such an offence to be committed is as though he shold shew vs with his finger y t he is gone froÌ„ vs. For when God blesseth a countrie he preserueth it from all defilement And the falling out of any defilement is as a turning of Gods backe vppon vs as if hee should say I haue no more care of you I let you alone I giue you ouer The nation therefore that perceiueth God to giue any signe of his displeasure haue good cause to humble themselues And that is the cause why hee commaunded the Iudges and gouernours of the citie where a murder was committed to thinke earnestly vppon it as if they should say Lorde haue pitie vppon thy people Israel and take away this guiltlesse bloud from among vs and let not this deed bee imputed vnto vs. Now if it be so and y t there
reigne of Dauid Saying That a starre should come out of Iacob the brightnesse where of shoulde reche vnto Israel and Moab shoulde bee subiect vnto them and humble himselfe vnder their feete And vndoutedly in the reigne of Dauid there was a figure of the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Yee see then how Balaam was constrayned to speake in this sort mauger his beard and againe when Balac reproued him saying What meanest thou Thou art come hither at my charges and commest thou to deceiue mee for thou doest cleane contrary to that which thou didst promise mee And what can I do saith Balaam Is God like vnto men that hee shoulde change his purpose If he haue once decreed a thing it must needs be done it abideth for euer For hee altereth not ne changeth according to the lust of men Beholde how the false prophet speaketh in as excellent a style and manner of speech as can be of Gods vnchangeable truth Now because the Israelites should not think that Gods doing hereof was either because thy had deserued something or because they were better than the Moabites Moses sayeth afterwards That this was because God loued the Iewes To the intent therefore that he might be magnified for his freebestowed goodnes and that y e Iewes might humble them selues knowing that they had obtayned fauour at his hand by reason hee had chosen elected them of his owne good will he saith Thy God hath now declared how he loued thee Here we haue to note first of all that Balaam was such a false prophet as notwithstanding had some particular gift of prophecying from God and these be no contrary things that a man should haue the gift of prophecying and yet for all that abuse the gift of the holy ghost and turne it to a wicked purpose Wee see that also which S. Paul sayth in his Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 14. namely that they which had the gift of tongues of interpreting and such like things which were excellent in the Church had notwithstanding no regarde of edifyng of the Church and that many of them were not renewed in such sort by the spirit of God y t they sought to serue him Phil. 1.18 It may wel be therfore that men shal haue receiued excellent gifts to bee esteemed that they shall beare the markes of the spirit of God yet not haue the chiefe and principal thing of all y t is to wit the spirit of regeneration nor be so confirmed that they shall giue themselues ouer wholy vnto the seruice of God endeuour to make that auailable vnto them which they haue receiued by applying it vnto a good lawful vse wayting for the saluation which God setteth before them This may wel be And if this fall out in the Church that is to say to them which are of the housholde of faith what shal we think of Balaam the like so we see there is no inconuenience y t Balaam had the gift of prophecie yet for all that had many corruptions therewithal insomuch that he was an idolater vsed sorceries But what is the cause that God gaue him the knowledge of foretelling things to come for it might seeme y t by this meanes he setteth forth his name vnto open reproche It is true in deede that Balaam such like when they thus abuse the gifts of God do vnhallow y t which is holy that which they haue receiued of God Yet notw tstanding there was this respect y t God ment to leaue some witnesse of himself euen among the Infidels to the intent they might haue so much y e lesse excuse be so much the more conuicted if they would make ignorance their buckler As for example the Moabites forasmuch as they had not y e law therefore they had neuer knowen any thing of God except their fathers had left thē some smal remnant therof For Lot was not ignorant of it but beeing brought vp in his vncle Abrahams house he knew what religion meant As for the Moabites they were altogether estranged from it Howbeit there remained some small print therof y t they might be conuicted at the latter day y t if they had sought after God they might haue attained vnto him but because they were snarled in the multitude of superstitions which they themselues had deuised were growen cleane out of kinde they can seeke after no starting holes for they shal always be condemned for hauing a malicious wickednes in them and for turning aside from God so as they deserued to be blinded in y t fashion by y e deceits of Satan And thus yee se what is to be noted in the first place touching Balaam Now in y t Balac beleeued y t if Balaam once cursed y e people al should passe on his side wee see therby how men can neuer hold the mean but euen do swarue aside to some extremitie or other Gen. 2.7 It is true in deede y t when wee are blessed of y e prophets of God the same is a warrant vnto vs of his blessing But yet we must always haue an eye vnto God For if we teare him in pieces what shal we win therby But when men think to coniure God it is al one as if they would dismember him For they intend to seuer his iustice vprightnes from his truth his gratious goodnes from his mightie power God saieth y t when we be blessed of his prophets we ought to assure our selues that he ratifieth y e same in heauen When Abraham blessed Isaac when Isaac blessed Iacob when Iacob blessed his children it was no vaine blessing because it had his certaine force effect And why Because God had giuen vnto them this office And what is y e reason y t we are blessed at his hand when mē blesse vs with their mouth His wil is that men should beare this reuerence vnto his word by y e which he declareth him self here below vnto vs he cōmeth not downe alwayes from heauen in visible maner he sendeth not his angels at our plesure but those whome he hath ordeined his messengers are to declare his wil vnto vs. He wil be serued by them as by instruments to the intent he may make his blessings which he sendeth vnto men to profit them And therefore if we say that being blessed by the Prophets or by the priests we are assured y t God ratifieth the same in heauen we shal speake truly Yea verily if so be wee haue an eye vnto God be conformable vnto his wil. But if we dally with God wil haue him transforme himselfe at our beck let vs note y t he wil curse vs yea y t he will curse vs double when we vse him in that order For when God ordeined that the priestes should blesse the people it was to good effect purpose For it is expressely said in the sixth Chapter of Numbers Ye shall blesse my people in
say to make it to prosper if he see that vnder colour thereof the hypocrits take libertie to doe euil he withdraweth his hand Let vs therefore consider wel that forasmuch as the Iewes were puft vp w t a foolish presumption and thought it impossible for God to diminish them seeing he had spoken the worde that he woulde increase them forasmuch I say as they abused the goodnes of GOD and falsified his promise through their hypocrisie hee consumed them and brought them to a small number Neuerthelesse of that small number there came a great ofspring againe yea and so great a one that men might so much the better perceiue his trueth and mercie howbeit after an other maner Therefore saieth hee by his Prophet Esay in the tenth Chapter Esa. 10.22 Although you were as the sande of the sea for he did alwayes send them backe to the promise made to Abraham although thy seede as I saide be as the sande of the sea yet shall but a small remnant bee saued But when ye are altogether consumed yet shall that little remnant bee dispersed ouer all the earth as if out of a little fountaine shoulde issue forth a greate riuer or a great lake wherewith verie many lands shold be watered So shal it be Nowe then wee perceiue that although GOD punish the hypocrites which abuse his promises yet faileth hee not to performe his sayings still howbeit by an extraordinary meane as we haue seene it in the Popedome and as is to bee seene yet stil. For the Papists haue ouerflowed the whole worlde with superstition and ydolatrie and all manner of euill yea and moreouer thy harden their heartes in pride and scoffe at God with open mouth Howe nowe say they Are not we the church Is it not said that Iesus Christ shal be with vs vnto the end of the worlde Matt. 28.20 Can he forsake his Church Yet do they continually crucifie him as much as in them lieth they spit in his face and doe him all the reproch in the worlde they make him as if hee were a prisoner or a bondslaue amongst them and they consider not that such a horrible destruction happeneth throughout y e whole worlde through Gods iust vengeance for the shamelesse hypocrisie which hath beene in them that haue rebelled against the Gospel yet notwithstanding GOD hath not omitted to saue his people as it were vnder the earth And in our dayes he hath raised his Church as if y e bones of rotten bodies shold recouer flesh and strength againe For what were we through our vnbeliefe Yee see howe it is a meruailous resurrection that God hath wrought in that behalfe Marke well therefore that when our Lorde promiseth to maintaine his Church and to preserue it the same belongeth nothing to them that abuse his name falsely nor to them that come to despise him vnder colour that hee is gentle and mercifull For they shall euermore be disappointed of that fauour which God hath so reserued vnto his people for they bereaue themselues thereof through their owne malice and vnthankfulnesse Yet notwithstanding howsoeuer the case stande God is euer faithful and wil find incomprehensible meanes to giue place to his trueth by fighting against the malice of men That is the thing which we haue to remeÌ„ber concerning this text where he saith That he will wast the Iewes though they were as the starres in the skie And in verie deede the same appeared euen in Iesus Christ the head of the church And therfore we ought not to thinke it straunge that that the members of the bodâ—e should be fashioned like vnto him Whence came Iesus Christ when God his father sent him to be the Redeemer The Prophet Esay saieth that hee shoulde spring from a stocke Esa. 11 2â— as if a tree were hewen downe and there remained but the stub within the grounde in such sort as men might tread vpon it It is not saide that hee should come out of house of Dauid but out of the house of Iessee who was a Neateheard and a man despised The same was I say the father of Dauid a man of no estimation Albeit that Dauid was so excellent a king that he was chosen of God to be magnified to the skies yet the Prophet sheweth that when Iesus Christ shoulde come into the worlde it should not bee with any shewe of that royal maiestie that was in Dauid but he should come out of the house of Isay as if he should come out of a heard And that euen then also hee should not come of a tree but of a stocke that were cut off And in what manner And after what fashion As a little braunch saith he Nowe seeing that God did thus to the head of the church we must vnderstande that all the bodie must be sutelike but this maketh not that the hypocrites shall be partakers of that which God reserueth to his elect and whom he hath chosen and indeed doe shewe themselues to be his children and bee obedient vnto him as to their father which also come not alonely with all confidence but also are drawen with a right affection to honor him And wheras we perceiue y t God doth at this day sende horrible destructions into the worlde let vs vnderstande that he practiseth that which is heere declared yet let vs not doubt but that he doth euermore preseâ—ue his Church let vs not doubt but he doth vpholde vs as oft as wee haue our recourse to him according to this saying that whosoeuer calleth vppon the name of the Lord shal be saued Ioel. 2.32 yea euen amiddest the greatest troubles thay may be Though heauen and earth should run together yet are wee sure that by calling vppon the name of God we shall bee preserued But let vs take heede that wee abuse not his name to make thereof a fained cloake for he can wast vs well ynough And if we boast that wee bee of his Church when he hath cut vs off he can quickely rayse him a new people and augment them in such wise as his trueth shall not be defaced and yet we shall perish After that Moses hath thus spoken he addeth That like as God had taken pleasure in dooing good to the Iewes euen so he woulde take pleasure in persecuting them vntill he had consumed them and vtterly rooted them out Heere Moses doeth first of all shewe what affection GOD beareth towardes these whome hee hath chosen out for himselfe and meaneth to take for his flock It is certaine that God is not subiect to any humane passions yet can not he sufficiently manifest either the goodnesse or the loue that he hath towards vs but by transfiguring himself as if he were a mortall man saying that he woulde take pleasure in doing vs good Let vs vnderstand therefore that God holdeth vs so deere as if a father shoulde shoulde delight and reioyce to doe good to his children When hee seeth them according to his minde
nations it is not because wee bee more worthie or more able to receiue it than they be which are destitute of his grace but because it is his good pleasure so to do Now therefore let vs learne to put away all manner of pride and presumption When wee see that the Gospell is preached vnto vs at this day and that we haue some order in the Church it is an inestimable benefite But wherefore is it giuen vnto vs It is not because wee haue obtayned it by our owne trauayle nor because wee haue preuented the grace of GOD through our seruiceablenesse but for that it was his wil to shewe himselfe kinde hearted towarde vs after this manner Thus much haue we yet to beare in minde concerning this text Nowe finally Moses addeth Remember yourselues sayeth he for you haue seene the abhominations of Egypt and also the Idolatry that is among all the heathen through whome you haue gone therefore be not deceiued neither lette there be either man or woman houshoulde or Tribe among you that will turne away or slide backe and forsake the euerlasting your GOD to giue ouer himselfe vnto Idolles Heere Moses to confirme the people in the obedience of faith and to holde them vnder the yoke of good doctrine doeth vse an argument which at the first sight might seeme straunge for wee bee easily thrust out of the right way when wee see the worlde corrupted and ouerthwart Albeit that we haue some good motion and be disposed to serue GOD yet notwithstanding as soone as any stumblingblocke comes in our way by and by it maketh vs to turne heade as we see examples thereof euery day insomuch that the man which is well instructed and brought to a good point runneth after the mockers of GOD as soone as hee seeth them Another which hath tasted of the trueth of the gospell beholdeth some foolishe toye and some hypocrite seduceth him so as he is chaunged Such lightnesse and vnstedfastnesse doe wee see in many folke and yet doeth Moses take the same as a confirmation to make folke the better resolued to serue GOD as if he should say My friendes you haue the lawe which is certaine and infallible vnto you for it is the trueth of GOD which can not lye Seeing that GOD hath reueiled himselfe vnto you it is reason good that you should obserue your faith and loyaltie towarde him But if you say Why so Other people deale not after this manner wee see many fashions through the worlde euerie nation hath his God by himselfe euerie man hath a religion after his owne fantasie Well might you be astonished at these thinges sayeth Moses and well might you be offended at it if it were newe vnto you But you haue seene the abhominations of the Egyptians you haue seene howe foolishly the heathen doe worshippe their Idolles and therefore if you be nowe moued and offended through the same what excuse is there For Goddes meaning was to arme you and to furnish you afore hande against these temptations to the end you should not be in daunger to slide backe We haue a good and a profitable lesson to gather out of this text to witte that the more we knowe superstition and Idolatrie so much the more must wee eschewe the same And euen so it is of all other thinges that are repugnaunt to the will of GOD namely that we may be seduced by them by the sodaine beholding of them for want of knowing them aforehande for wee haue not the discretion to keepe ourselues from them but are surprised for want of foresight by reason whereof wee perish and Satan doth foorthwith trap vs in his ginnes and snares Let vs therefore marke that when we once knowe the corruptions that bee contrarie to the seruice of GOD and to the doctrine that is contayned in his woorde wee must take so much the surer holde that wee be not any whitte moued but goe on forewarde stedfastly following the way whereunto GOD hath called vs. As for example If wee haue once knowen the wretchednesse that is among the Papistes wherein wee ourselues also haue beene plunged in time past or if we haue seene the mockeries of GOD which are there vsed and the blasphemies and all the rest of the trash which the Papistes call the seruice of GOD we can not but perceiue that they be the verie inuentions of the deuill to turne vs away from the obedience of our GOD to darken his maiestie to cause him to bee mocked and to blind the wretched worlde Wee haue beene sufficiently warned thereof yea and we haue hadde the experience thereof Nowe if any of vs doe hence foorth turne away and yeelde himselfe againe to such abhominations is he not somuch the more vnfaithfull towardes GOD See you not howe his wickednesse is so much the greater seeing hee doth it not through ignoraunce not as a thing that is straunge vnto him but as one that is altogether saped in it Let vs therefore vnderstande that when GOD hath once made vs to perceiue the filthynesse and abhominations which are among the Idolaters the same ought to settle vs the better to obey him and to perseuere in his holy calling And I haue tolde you howe it is after the same manner in other vices When GOD sheweth vs any shamefulnesse as to bee giuen ouer to whooredome or giueth vs examples of such as are dissolutely giuen to swearing drunkennesse or such like thinges and that these thinges bee so vilanous that they make vs ashamed if we bee ouercome of them is not our damnation doubled Yes surely It is not therefore without cause that Moses sayeth heere You haue seene For thereby hee sheweth that wee may despise all that the worlde can doe and that although the misbeleeuers bee more in number than wee and doe vaunt themselues to haue all the sway as concerning the worlde so as wee bee but a litle handefull of people and they triumph ouer vs yet wee may defie them because wee doe knowe what difference there is betwixt the pure doctrine of the Gospell and all the abhominations and Idolatries that Sathan hath brought into the worlde insomuch that hauing the trueth of GOD once manifested vnto vs we ought to stay vppon the same we ought neuer to be shaken for anie thing that can happen vnto vs. Loe to what purpose this admonition ought to serue vs at this day Nowe therefore when we looke vppon al the whole worlde beholding the horrible diuisions that be in the Popedome on the one side and howe Mahomet the deceiuer hath seduced all his sect and thirdely howe blinde the wretched Iewes are thereby we ought to be the better assured that seeing our GOD hath called vs vnto him and familiarly vttered his fauour towardes vs according as our Lorde Iesus Christ doeth protest that he will call vs his friendes and not his seruauntes because the secretes of the kingdome of heauen are reuealed vnto vs by the Gospell Iohn 15.15 we
certaine that euerie of vs woulde followe this Principle and the seede which is in vs namely That forasmuch as there is but one God therefore we ought to worshippe and serue him Let men bee as wicked as they list and let them striue as much as they can to extinguish al manner of light that they may haue no more reason in them as we see many doe whose whole delight and indeuour is to make themselues verie beastes yet doeth this remaine still engrauen in them That there is a God which ought to be serued What shall become of vs then if we seeke him not as we ought to doe Againe see we not the worlde howe it is so farre out of course that there is nothing but confusion throughout all and that thereuppon euery man goeth astray Whereof commeth it say I that we bee so witlesse as to follow the wicked trade of other men and yet bee compelled to condemne the same Euen of this that wee turne away our heartes backe that is to say that euerie of vs wrappeth himselfe in wilfull blindnesse and euery of vs setteth himselfe backe notwithstanding that we haue beene taught the contrarie For albeit that it is true without exception that all they which turne away from the truth doe it of a certaine wickednesse ye◠notwithstanding we bee double folde the lesse excusable when wee haue bin taught by the word so as God hath shewed himselfe vnto vs familiarly Therefore when we heare this saying of Moses wee must apply it to our vse For we see how our Lorde hath shewed vs the way of saluation by his Gospel wee see how he continueth it still from day to day what will become of vs then if wee stray away Wee shall not bee as the Turkes or as the verie Papistes but it shal be vpbraided vs that wee haue turned our heartes backe and that where as God had set vs in the good way and reached vs his hande to guide vs wee haue beene frowarde and woulde not hearken to the thinges which hee tolde vs and that all this wee haue done of wilfull malice Yea and Moses addeth yet an other worde saying If thou bee driuen to serue straunge Gods He sheweth that men be driuen with a certaine furie or frentikenesse when they cannot finde in their heartes to submit themselues to God to bee wunne vnto him by his worde Needes then must there bee a dreadfull rage in this case and that Sathan worketh after a horrible manner when men bee so farre out of order Wee haue seene in the fourth Chapter Deut. 4.19 howe hee saide Looke well to thy selfe that in beholding the sunne and the stars thou be not compelled to worshippe them and to make them ydols There Moses sheweth that men woulde neuer runne out to ydolatrie vnlesse they had some outrageous prouocation within them to driue them thereunto as if they were out of their wittes For were men well aduised setled in their wits as they ought to bee they woulde certainly come to their God And therefore wee bee double guiltie when hauing turned away from our GOD and drawen backe our heartes through wilfull malice and stubbornenesse ouer and besides that wee haue beene caried with such a raging moode as wee cannot bee tamed neither can any repentance take place in vs neither will wee bee ruled by reason but we behaue ourselues like folk that are straught or rather starke madde And hereby wee ought to take warning to mistrust all our affections and to bridle and imprison all our wittes seeing wee bee so lightly withdrawen from God and turned away to become backeslyders If men giue themselues libertie what followeth but that their heart will quickely bee turned backewarde When wee shoulde walke vprightly wee make it difficult to goe one step but if it come to backeslyding wee flitte away like water there is nothing in vs but slippernesse Therefore must wee holde our selues as captiues knowing well that if wee haue neuer so little libertie wee bee straight way gone quite from our God Moreouer when men doe so beleeue their passions they must needes become like madde beastes neither reason nor equitie may beare sway there is no more vnderstanding in them and to bee short they are become brutish of their owne accorde Seeing wee bee warned of these thinges let vs learne so to fight against all manner of excessiue lustes and against all the appetites that boyle within vs as GOD may gouerne vs quietly and wee bee readie to follow which way soeuer he calleth vs. Now after that Moses hath spoken so he addeth that albeit that the people haue passed Iordan and become to the possession of the land yet they shal not enioy it for euer Here our Lorde declareth vnto vs y t if he beare with vs for a time wee may not thereupon fall asleepe nor perswade our selues that wee bee at peace with him as the hypocrites do who vnlesse they be pinched with miserie and that God doe pursue them roughly doe alwayes make their market after their owne deuise Well say they God must needes loue mee for I am at myne case and thereupon they flatter themselues And whereas they do but mocke God they thinke that hee seeth it not a whit To bee short the blessinges that God bestoweth on them they turne as it were to a shrowding sheete of purpose to keepe God from espying any whit of their life And thus they bleare their owne eyes make them selues pastime good cheare as though they shold neuer come to reckoning And that is too common a fault Now Moses sayth vnto them here Albeit your God doe at this present time bring you into the lande which hee promised you and that you passe ouer Iordan where God will shewe his power euen in drying vp y e Iordan as hee did in drying vp the read sea where your enimies were vanquished put to y e foyle insomuch that when you were like to haue bin stopped from entring into your inheritance yet notwithstanding al those lettes were ouercome For as much therfore as you see such fauour of God beware that you sleepe not in the meane whyle but walke in his feare for he can as well driue you out of that land as he doeth at this present bring you into it To be short whensoeuer we haue receiued any fauour at Gods hand we be exhorted to vse it in such wise as y e same may be an occasion vnto vs to serue him so as wee conceiue courage to yeeld ouer our selues to his obedience for least we be bereft therof againe either early or late for playing the wylde beastes for dealing stubbornly after that God hath made vs fatte 〈◊〉 32.15 according as wee shall see in the song of Moses Moses hauing spoken so vseth a greater vehemencie saying This day I call heauen and earth to witnesse that I haue set before thee life and death blessing and cursing The same in effect was spoken afore
should say Lo the word of God shal be reuerenced but yet it belongeth not to vs to trouble ourselues ouermuch therewith by applying our study thereunto We see then how the world doth euermore shift it selfe from taking any such knowlege of Gods word as they ought to haue For whereof cōmeth the horrible ignorāce which reigneth yet stil in may coūtries generally in all the popedome but only of this y t men referre thēselues to the Monkes Freers and such other people or at leastwise to the Popes Clergie for the knowledge of the holy scripture For it is not for secular or temporall persons as they terme them to deale therwith And the secular priestes also as they call them discharge thēselues thereof put it ouer to the Monkes they say it belongeth to none but doctors of diuinity to deale with it See how brutish the world was become And yet a man would thinke it strange y t men should be so grosly ouerseene as to haue no discretion in y t behalfe but that they shold be led by the mussels like beasts and go astray after y t maner How is it possible y t God should so forsake his church that thinges should be so grossely abused Let vs looke to the cause fountaine of the mischiefe When God kindleth the light of life amongst vs if we shutte our eyes thereat turne our backes or take couertes to sleepe in play the sluggardes which shut their windowes y t the sun should not shine into their eyes if we seeke to settle after y t sorte in our lees is it not meete y t God shold withdraw all his teaching from vs Surely it is the paymēt which the world hath receiued because y t where it shoulde haue sought learning fit for it it chose rather to be ignorant y t it might haue excuse before God And moreouer when our Lord vouchsafed y t his Gospell should be preached that the world might be inlightned by y e brightnes therof men did openly rebell against it chose to obey lyes rather than the trueth Therefore it could not be but y t such horrible vengeance must needes come vpon them Againe we see the care that God hath had to preserue his gospel in perfect state For like as he had prouided for y e law euen so hath he also done by the gospell which is the perfection of all learning according as S. Paul sayth in the second to Timothee 2. Tim. 2.2 We see there what order he established in the Church Looke what thou hast hearde of me saith he by many witnesses commit thou it ouer as a gage vnto faithfull folke which be meete and able to teach others There S. Paul appointed keepers of the gospell as God had earst appointed y e Leuiticall priests for keepers of the lawe Also hee would y t they shold be faithfull folke which shold be occupied employed therein and he would y t they likewise should doe their dutie in deliuering y e things ouer frō hand to hand as they had receiued thē to y e intent they might not lie hidden in darkenes Yet neuerthelesse we see howe it is come to passe Therefore wee must marke well in this place y t God hath euermore procured the saluation of his people of those whom he hath chosen not forgotten any thing that might be a meane to keepe them vnder his obedience Thus much for one point Moreouer wheras the world hath bin alwaies wauering caried hither thither and could not stay nor hold it selfe to y e seruing of God nor suffer it selfe to be guyded by the doctrine which is for the saluation thereof to be short wheras men play the wilde beasts it is not at the first dash y t they haue so resisted God or made countenance to disobey him but they haue turned away frō him by litle litle in such sort y t within short time they haue falne quite cleane away And so ye see how men haue continued in their naughtines not kept the lawe y t was deliuered vnto thē for a rule to liue by for y e way to lead them to saluatiō Seeing it is so we ought to take so much the more heede to the things which are shewed vnto vs heere What must then be done It is not ynough y t the truth be but only writtē for to what end shall y t serue me but to my greater condemnation But forasmuch as men are so wedded to the thinges that concerne this transitorie life think not on the heauenly treasure it is requisite y t there should be good keepers and aboue all thinges wee must note y t there will alwaies be a speciall order to retaine vs euermore in the obedience of God so long as his worde is dayly shewed vnto vs that euery man hath it in his handes And if this be not permitted wee shall quickely be carried hither thither and there will be no stay in vs vnlesse we haue such a bridle to hold vs backe That is a thing which we haue to marke Nowe in y e meane while we see what charge is here cōmitted aswel to the Leuites as to the rulers True it is y t at this day there is no certaine kinred allotted thereto by God in his Church for his wil is y t Shepherds shold be chosen which office is no heritage but he would y t they should be taken according as they bee knowen meete Neuerthelesse al Pastors Elders that is to say all Officers such as haue publike charge must vnderstande that they must employ thēselues to maintaine the pure religion that they must be as keepers of the word of God to the end that it should not perish And albeit y t there is no excuse for the rest of the people yet shall these feele double vengeance if they do not what lyeth in them to cause men to continue constant in the pure worde of God to see that euerie body be taught that both great small do yeelde thēselues thereunto If they straine not themselues to the vttermost of their powers y t Gods trueth may continue sounde it is certaine that they are to account therefore Now as touching that which Moses saith further That he cōmandeth the children of Israel that on the solemne day at the feast of the Tabernacles at the end of euery seuen yeere the law should be recited to all the people it is not meant y t God would not haue the Iewes taught it dayly but it was yet a straiter band the keeping y t solemnity as we haue seene heretofore where we treated of the couenant made by Moses was not to the intent y t the people should at other times be vnmindfull of the lawe Deut. 27.4 but to y e intent they should be y e deepelyer touched therewith haue it the better ratified after a solemne maner That is the very
their common prouerbe After that manner haue we erred and we haue alienated our selues to our power so farre from our God that we haue wel deserued to be shaken off at his hand But forasmuch as he hath shewed vs that it is onely hee to whom wee must sticke and forasmuch as he offereth himselfe so familiarly vnto vs to the intent we shoulde submit our selues to him we ought now to be so much the more stedfast and seeing wee haue such assurance let vs not be drawen too and fro by our vnconstancie and lightnes but let vs conclude that God cannot away to haue any straunge gods with him and that it behoueth vs to doe him the honour of resting in such wise vpon his power and goodnesse as it may suffice vs to call vpon him and to flee to him for all our refuge And Moses addeth immediatly that God caried vp his people or made them to ride vp vppon the high places of the earth and gaue them the fruites thereof to feede them namely the butter of Kyne the milke of sheepe the fat of Muttons of Lambes and of Goates the fat of Corne and the bloud of Grapes for so he termeth them and that he made them to eate Oyle out of the harde stones and honny out of the Rocks Hereby Moses ment to vtter howe liberall yea euen beyonde all opinion of man God shewed himselfe towards his people His speaking of the high places of the earth is in respect of the situation of the lande of Chanaan for it is high in comparison of Egypt and of the countries thereabouts To say as some haue imagined that it is the middest and as ye would say the Nauill of the earth is to no purpose Because mention is made of the mids of the earth among the Prophetes Psal. 74.12 some haue surmised that God meant to bound it out as if he had beene some Geometrician that should haue butteled and bounded the whole world But whereas it is saide in the mids of the earth it is meant in the mids of the lande that is to say of Iewry Yet notwithstanding as I saide afore the Lande of Chanaan is high if a man haue an eye to any of all the Countries round about it Againe it hath many mountains and high Rockes in it insomuch that at the first fight a man woulde take it to be barren And therefore Moses declareth that the people shold eate honnie out of the Rockes and Oyle out of the harde stones that is to say that where men would think there were nothing but wildernes there would God make Olifetrees to growe and where men would thinke to be nothing but barrennesse there they shoulde gather honnie and to be short that eueriwhere there shoulde bee nothing but sweetenesse and abundance Afterwarde hee speaketh of fat Sheepe Goates and Lambes Trueth it is that in this place is vsed the worde Basan which had that name of fatnesse for the hill of Basan was a goodly countrie of pasture And this is the cause why hee expresly speaketh thereof And let vs marke that Moses neuer came within the land of Chanaan hee had neuer so vewed it that hee coulde describe it as he doth heere Needs therefore must hee speake not as a man but as one whose tongue is gouerned by the spirite of God And heere he treateth of the thinges which the people were to finde after the decease and yet hee speaketh of them as if he had seene them and as though the thinges had beene done alreadie So then we haue a plain proofe that Moses wrate not any thing on his owne heade but was an instrument of the holy Ghost For he left this song to the children of Israel and made it common among them before his death as wee haue seene afore Whereby it was apparant that hee was taught at Gods hand all the thinges which were vnknowen vnto him as in respect of the flesh surely not euen the children of Israel themselues coulde vnderstande the contentes of that song vntill they had had the experience of it But the effect shewed that his so speaking was not in vaine The thing then which Moses or rather the holy Ghost by his mouth intended is to put the Iewes in minde howe liberall God had shewed himselfe to them namely by bringing them into the Lande of promise and by giuing them fruitfulnesse that it might suffice to maintaine them And no doubt but he meant here to magnifie Gods goodnes by declaring that he passed the common order of nature when he had such a care to sustaine his people so welthily in that lande which a man woulde neuer haue thought able to do it So much the more therefore ought we to abhorre these diuelish heades which haue gone about to deface Gods grace in this behalfe seeing that the holy scripture standeth thereuppon namely that men must not deeme according to the common order of nature concerning Gods mainteining of his people after that manner He meaneth Seruettus As for example that cursed heretike which was executed heere among vs was not ashamed to write in one of his books that the land of Chanaan is indeede spoken of howebeit ouer fauourablie and that they which haue so spoken thereof haue made vs to beleeue many things vnaduisedly And what caused him so to do but that he was a worldly man and a despiser of God seeking by all meanes to skorne God and to abolish his grace and that men might no more knowe how to worship him So then yee see howe Gods grace was had in contempt But contrariwise we must always be resolued that God hauing once made his promise to his seruant Abraham did therupon intend to vtter his wonderfull power as one that had a care of his people Yea and we must call to mind what was saide yesterday namely that GOD had made his partition to the former inhabiters of that countrie to wit of the lande of promise according to the number of the children of Israel for he knewe wellynough what a multitude of people he was to maintaine there That is a cause why Moses declareth here again that the Rocks yeelded hony and y e stones brought forth Olifes that there was pasture ground to yeelde fat mattons lambs goats to yeeld butter all manner of white meate so as nothing might be wanting also y t the land yeelded y e fat of corne for he vseth that terme as who shold say there were lumps in the meale and nothing but pure and fine flower of wheate so as our Lorde gaue his people abundance of all things y t he knewe to be meete for them and that hee gaue them the bloud of y e grape that is to say the grapes were so full that a man might haue pressed as it were bloude out of them To be short he declareth that God failed not his people in any thing but prouided them store of all things necessarie yea and shewed
and you haue abused that grace of mine I haue required to be serued and honored of you and you haue done mee all the shame ye coulde deuise you haue borne yourselues in hande that I was tyed vnto you and that I was of necessitie to continue a father towardes you without ceassing notwithstanding that you played the rebellious children against mee But nowe will I giue you ouer for such as you be doe the worst yee can and at length yee shall finde what it is to haue forsaken mee I will hide myselfe from you that is to say I will giue you ouer In steede of maintaining and defending you as I haue done heeretofore I vtterly renounce all acquaintaunce with you See nowe what your state shall be and I also will see what your ende will bee that is to say it shall bee perceiued in what plyght men are when I haue no longer care of them GOD then speaketh heere not so much of his owne knowledge as of that which shall be seene and perceiued in the ende by experience For as I sayde afore GOD is not to bee taught by the chaunge of thinges for all thinges were present with him before the making of the worlde but heere he declareth that when folke are so forsaken it will appeare by them that all the happinesse of man consisteth in beeing preserued by GOD and that on the contrary part they bee most wretched and vnhappie when God hath giuen them ouer And hee addeth the reason It is a fickle and frowarde generation Children in whome there is no trueth The first worde that Moses vseth heere commeth of a verbe which signifieth to turne and returne And so it is as much as if he shoulde say It is a generation of wickednesses for he vseth the plurall number and it importeth as much as if he should say It is a frowarde and cursed generation or else a mutable and chaunging generation and whereof there is no holde nowe heere nowe there whereby is vttered not onely the vnconstancie but also the disloyaltie of that people He addeth that there was no stedfastnesse in them The worde betokeneth vprightnesse whereby is meant both loyaltie and faithfulnesse To be short GOD declareth heere that he hadde tryed his people too much and that in the ende it appeared that there was no vprightnesse in them but all manner of treason and trecherie Forasmuch therefore as hee founde such leaudenesse in them hee sayeth hee will hyde himselfe from them But we must call to minde againe what I haue sayde afore to witte that for a time GOD may fauour vs and beare with vs and spare vs though we deserue to haue rigour towardes vs but when hee is so patient it is to make vs diligent in examining our owne faultes and to call our selues dayly to account and to looke neerely to the thinges which are to bee found fault with in vs. Also let vs marke well the saying that hath beene alleadged out of Saint Paul howe that God allureth vs to amendment by gentlenesse Rom. 2.4 when hee punisheth vs not at the first according to our deseruinges Sith the case standeth so whensoeuer God sheweth himselfe fauourable and gratious towardes vs let euery of vs consider howe hee hath liued and if we haue abused the benefites which he hath bestowed vppon vs let vs condemne ourselues for it and be sorry for our sinnes and returne to him with such sorrowe as may appeare to bee vnfained That is the thing which we haue to remēber in the first place But if we will needes discharge ourselues by flatterie to take leaue to doe euill then must hee needes execute his vnreuocable sentence of hyding away his face from vs after he hath borne long ynough with vs and of seeing what will become of vs and he must needes let vs rotte in our wretchednesse forasmuch as we could not abide that hee should reach out his hande to helpe vs. And in any wise let vs marke that GOD can not away with hypocrisie in men for among other thinges he requireth soundenesse and trueth in vs that our conuersation shoulde bee vtterly voide of all dubble meaning and that we should not be dissemblers before him True it is that our nature is full of fainednesse as we see howe Ieremy reporteth of mans heart Ier. 16.16 that it is frowarde and besnarled with all naughtinesse and that it is euen as a bottomlesse pit And therefore we must chaunge if wee will haue God to admit and allowe vs for his children and wheras we be inclined to euill so as there is nothing but bitternesse and hardnesse of heart in vs we must pray vnto God to indewe vs with his holy spirite who is the spirite of constancie and to ridde vs in such sort from all our naughtinesse and vnfaithfulnesse as we may walke on before him in pure and vndefiled soundnesse Thus yee see what we haue to remember vppon this place Nowe it is saide further That forasmuch as the Children of Israell had prouoked GOD to iealozie by the thing that was not god and prouoked him by their leazinges through the superstitions which they hadde deuised he also would prouoke them by a people which was no people and moue them to iealozie by a Nation that was no Nation Heere GOD speaketh againe after the manne◠of men like as if a man seeing his wife so wicked and leaudely giuen that he could not restraine her should say Well I must needes diuorce her and to doe her the more disgrace I will take some chamber-mayde in her steede to occupie her place Now then if a wife haue liued in honorable state with her husbande and afterwarde behaue her selfe so naughlily and stubbornely that hee casteth her off and thereuppon taketh some poore wench that was of no estimation and vseth her as his maried wife his former wife will take the more spyte and griefe at it as who woulde say What Shall such a one nowe occupie my place Must I be thrust out for her Must I be pointed at with euerie mannes finger and bee shamed and ill spoken of euerie where After that manner is this text to bee vnderstoode For thus doeth GOD vtter his minde What They haue prouoked mee to Iealozie by the thing that is no god I am the liuing GOD and besides that they ought in reason to take mee for their father because I haue shewed my selfe so towardes them declaring howe deerely I loued them in that I haue preferred them before all other Nations of the worlde and yet hereuppon haue they forged Idolles But there is but one GOD and therefore when men turne away from him they must needes forge ydolles after their owne imaginations Thus haue they prouoked me to ielozie by the thing which was not god And afterwarde he addeth their vanities As if he shoulde say If a man marke what their superstitions are and whereon they bee grounded he shall finde them to be nothing else but
had set himselfe against him And yet for all that it is verie certaine that God had determined aforehande to pardon his people but yet it was his will that Moses shoulde make intercession for them yea euen Moses in asmuch as he was there made supplicatiō in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and the people knew that they coulde not haue scaped except God had hearde the prayers of Moses But howesoeuer the case stoode this text sheweth vs that God altered not his purpose for hee is not variable neither repealed hee his sentence though hee saide I will yet againe pardon this people for thy sake For the thing which hee had determined in his owne minde was performed and yet notwithstanding it was his will that Moses shoulde steppe in as a mediator And when God heareth vs it is not for that we make him to chaunge his minde but it pleaseth him to declare the thing to vs which hee had determined to doe to the end that our faith shoulde bee exercised and wee knowe that no pray is no labour lost or vnprofitable for the fruite sheweth the contrarie That is the cause then why hee graunteth those thinges at our request which hee had determined in his euerlasting purpose afore Yet notwithstanding we see in effect that if God had not beene minded to stoppe the mouthes of all the wicked and vnbeleeuing sort he had destroyed that people And that was done to correct y e ouerweening of such as were euer ready to grudge against God For such is the maner of men that they neuer want replies but as soone as God scourgeth them by and by they stand in contention with him And if he presse them double then they not onelie grunt at it but also spewe out their blasphemies against him But here our Lorde sheweth that whē men haue cast forth al their rage after that fashion yet it shall bee prooued to their faces that hee notwithstanding hath dealt ouergentlie with them accordingly as it is certayne that euen at this day if God had not a further consideration than onely of vs we deserue well to be wiped out of the worlde For notwithstanding that wee haue receiued his worde what doe we fare the better for it We professe the hauing of the Gospell and wee can well say that the Papistes are Idolaters straungers from God and men giuen ouer to all euill And why For they be blinde and walke in the darke But yet for all that wee that haue the cleare light of life howe doe we order our doinges If we be compared with the Papistes shall a man finde vs better than them Nay wee are so much more blame worthie than they because that for all our teaching yet wee despise God of a certayne malicious and determinate purpose Sith it is so if God had not a further respect than to vs surelie wee shoulde bee consumed out of hand But for asmuch as the Papistes woulde by and by set open their throates to scoffe at God and the pure Religion therefore hee maintaineth vs still Wherefore let vs not boast that wee haue helde out vnto this time by our owne power but let vs consider that God woulde not haue his name blasphemed nor make the trueth of his Gospell to bee a iestingstocke for men to scoffe at and let that bee a meane to humble vs yet better Wee see then that this doctrine belongeth vnto vs and that Moses spake it not onely to the people of Israell but also to all such as shoulde professe the seruice of God and haue the pure doctrine of his worde insomuch that if they play the naughtipackes and prouoke Gods vengeaunce against them and God neuerthelesse doe beare with them it is not for their faire eyes as they say nor for that they haue deserued it but because our Lord will not giue such loose and vnbridled libertie to them that seeke occasion thereof And it is saide expressely That God feared the prouocation of the enemie least hee shoulde estraunge himselfe and say My hande is high and it is not the Lorde that hath doone this thing By this worde Prouocation hee meaneth the pride that is in men accordinglie also as hee doeth in the eight Psalme where it is saide that God is glorifyed by the mouthes of sucklinges 〈◊〉 3◠in which place expresse mention is made of the enemie and of y e auenger because the vnbeleeuers are alwayes so proude and presumptuous that there is nothing with them but crueltie thundering So likewise in this text it is saide that God feared to prouoke the enemie that is to wit least the Infidels shoulde proceede to such wickednesse as to scoffe at the Law and at the true Religion God then preuented them And wee must not imagine that God was afraide of men for hee coulde well haue prouided for it by some other meane Is it not hee that hath made mens tongues And how can they then stirre to speak one worde if he listed to restrayne them Could they moue to vtter one syllable It should seeme then that the thing which Moses speaketh here is needlesse namely that God shoulde bee afrayde to prouoke his enemies for hee coulde wel haue remedied the matter if hee had would I haue tolde you oftentimes alreadie that God is spoken of after the manner of men Therefore when God prouideth for a thing by anie worldlie meane and such as is common among vs it is not for that hee is tyed vnto it cannot of his infinite power doe otherwise but because it pleaseth him so to doe Thus are wee doone to vnderstande in fewe wordes that when it pleaseth God to serue his owne turne by the inferiour meanes which hee hath ordeyned in this worlde it is not for that hee cannot doe what he listeth of himselfe and without any other helpe but for that it is his will to keepe that order As for example Hee coulde well susteine vs without breade wine or water and yet notwithstanding hee vseth those meanes And why so Euen because it pleaseth him If we be sicke he can well heale vs without any medicine and yet will hee haue vs to vse medicines In the time of warre he coulde wel represse all our enemies without our stirring of anie finger towards it but yet hath hee ordeyned other meanes Ye see then after what manner this text is to bee vnderstoode where it is saide that God was afraide to prouoke the enemie not that hee was vnable to let them or to withstande them if hee had would or that hee was vnable to haue stopped the mouthes of the Infidels but because hee sawe men so malicious that their whole desire is to haue full libertie to speake euill of his maiestie Which thing he perceyning intendeth to remedie it And by what meanes Euen by such as hee himselfe likes best of Not that hee doeth it of necessitie as I saide afore or by anie constraynt but that his good pleasure is
vs wel remeÌ„ber what is conteyned here as things that proceeded not from a mortall creature but from God who witnessed that he was the father and defendour of his church Nowe this concerneth vs. For although wee haue not the like prophesies yet hath God declared vnto vs that we be euer vnder his charge and that he watcheth for our welfare And wee for our part haue no neede to bee trayned on in knowledge by such meanes because God hath brought vs alreadie to an other manner of perfection Therefore let vs holde vs contented with the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ in whose person the thing is performed which was hoped for vnder the lawe And therewithall let vs bee fullie resolued that GOD guideth our steppes and that euen in the middest of all the disorders and troubles which are seene in the worlde his Church is still deare and pretious vnto him And in good sooth wee see that before Iesus Christ came into the worlde â—â—cap 7.11 Daniell discouered all the chaunges which shoulde bee made because it might else haue seemed that God had gone from his couenaunt a hundred times within the space of foure hundred yeares and that all shoulde haue goone in such wise to wrecke as if God had forsaken that people and been minded to haue no more to do with them It was requisite therfore that these things should bee foretolde that the faithfull might knowe that although they were shaken and tossed to and fro yet were they still in the hande of God and that when they sawe the kingdomes chaunged rounde about them and the worlde so turned vpside downe as a man coulde not discerne anie thing in it yet they shoulde alwayes be assured of that which God had promised them namely of his sending of his sonne to redeeme them and y t they should by that meanes bee restored euen after y e vtter desolation of al things among them Thus see wee now the vse of this Song Now whereas it is saide That it was Moses the man of God that blessed the children of Israell that title was giuen to Moses as in respect that hee was the instrument of the holie Ghost Then speake hee not of his owne motion there is not anie thing spoken here after the fleshe but as proceeding from a man of God And hereby wee be the better taught to imbrace the record that is giuen vs here as if God protested with his owne mouth that hee had a care of his people and that he would euermore continue his goodnesse and gratious fauour towardes them For in deed there was a blessing made by the Priests in the time of the lawe according to this saying Blesse yee you that bee of the house of the Lorde And it is the same thing which is written in the sixth Chapter of the booke of Numbers where it is saide that they which doe sacrifice to GOD Psal. 118.26 Numb 6.23 shall blesse the people in his name And truely where the Priestes and the tribe of Leuie are spoken of this also is added To whom the Lorde hath giuen the charge of Blessing the people Leuit. 9 2â— And this thing is not abolished at this day For our Lorde Iesus Christ had in his person the thinges that were figured in olde time vnder the Lawe Let vs knowe then that noweadayes there is one euerlasting blessing of God which is much better witnessed vnto vs than all the blessinges that were so often repeated vnder the law insomuch that as nowe God telleth vs by his onely sonne that hee taketh vs into his fauour and that wee bee as his children and that the preaching of the Gospell serueth vs to that ende and wee must applie it to that vse So then whensoeuer wee come to heare the worde of God let vs call to minde howe our Lorde Iesus Christ at his going vp into heauen did lift vp his handes ouer his disciples and blesse them as is reported by Saint Luke And that was done to make vs knowe what his office is and to doe vs to vnderstande that at this day when the Gospell is preached in his name Luk. 24.50 it is all one as if hee shoulde say Beholde my father accepteth you you be in his fauour Nowe then seeing we haue this ought it not to make vs to loue the Gospel considering that therein wee bee blessed by the mouth of our Lorde Iesus Christ as in whose name and by whose authoritie that doctrine is treated of Let vs vnderstande therefore that if it behoued the fathers vnder the Lawe to bee contented with the blessing that was giuen them by Moses by the Priestes and by Iacob if wee nowadayes bee faithlesse and admit not the recorde with full certeintie which is giuen vs in the Gospell wee bee worse than vnexcusable because wee deface the trueth of Gods sonne and as much as in vs lyeth accuse him of lying as though hee were not a sure and infallible witnesse of the will of GOD his father And when wee compare Moses who is called a man of God with our Lord Iesus Christ who hath y e whole soueraigntie of Gods house as the Apostle saith Hebr. 3.2 wee may bee yet the better assured that he hath blessed vs at this day and that hee vttereth vnto vs the loue of God his father and therfore let our faith be so much the better certified seeing it behoued this title of Moses to content the people of olde time Nowe it is added That he did it a little before his death The worde which he vseth is as much to say as hee did it before his death So then by these wordes Before his death is not meant a yeare or two no nor yet a moneth but at his death time euen when hee was to die And these blessinges are therefore of so much the more authoritie For wee knowe that when a man makes his last will it shall bee better receyued than the things which he spake during his life Although then y t Moses serued God as a Prophet and teacher all his life long and had discharged his duetie faithfully yet neuerthelesse his minde was to vtter these blessinges at the time of his death to the ende they should be the better receiued and men consider thus Beholde Moses being readie to departe out of the world hath told vs of the things that are to come hee hath not doone it at aladuenture nor vnaduisedly but hee hath fully and wholy performed that which was inioyned him To the intent therefore that the people shoulde receyue those blessinges the better this circumstance is expressely added That he did it at the houre of his death But we at this day haue a farre better and more excellent confirmation in that we be blessed by the mouth of our Lorde Iesus Christ. For he hath not onely doone it at his death but also hath sealed Gods fatherly loue and adoption towards vs I say sealed them with his precious
bloude and also with his rising againe from the dead Seeing then that our Lord Iesus Christ hath blessed his disciples to the end we should know that his office is to do the same to vs and that his Church shall be blessed by his power euen to the worlds end and that he hath done it by ratifying it with his owne death and passion and by his rising againe to get vs victorie against the diuell to the intent that all the cursednesse which we take as it were by inheritance by reason of our father Adam shoulde be abolished seeing that our Lorde Iesus Christ hath so ratified all thinges let vs learne to magnifie the fatherlie goodnes of our God so much the more and seeing he hath told vs that we shal be blessed let vs be the better assured thereof by all these circumstances And because it behooued the people of olde time to knowe that Moses spake not in his owne person but by the authoritie of God he addeth God came from Synai his comming foorth was from Seir hee shewed himselfe vpon Mount Pharan Here Moses setteth Gods presence before the eyes of the people after the same maner that it had bin knowen vpon Mount Sinay at the time of the publishing of the law For he speaketh not of the Wonders which had beene wrought in Egypt neither speaketh he of y e Miracles that had bin wrought by the space of fortie yeares in the wildernes but his meaning is to bring them backe againe to the Law to make them stay and rest there For surely when the doctrine thereof slippeth from vs all Gods miracles will doe vs no good We may well muse vpon him but all shall be but confused imagination so as euerie of vs shal turne away to superstition and Idolatrie To be short it will be vnpossible to be truely vnited vnto God and to sticke vnto him stedfastlie otherwise than by the bonde of his worde so as wee be restreyned by his teaching of vs that we hearken to his talke And why For we be ful of lying and therefore it behoueth vs to receiue the trueth of him That is the cause why Moses saith nowe That God came from Sinay that he shewed himselfe vpon Mount Pharan and that for his people he came forth from Mount Seir. For mount Pharan and mount Seir were neere to mount Sinay Therefore hee meaneth one and the selfe same thing but yet it sernieth to imprint y t woonderfull comming foorth the better in the remembrance of the people to make them to thinke continualy after what maner God appeared vnto them and shewed them his maiestie visible Not that they sawe him in his being for that is vnpossible but that they sawe the signes and tokens whereby they knewe howe it was God that caused the lawe to bee set forth by Moses And indeed we cannot see God as he is but he sheweth himselfe to vs according to our abilitie and grossenesse Yet notwithstanding the people of Israell did easily perceiue at that time that God was there and that it was his will to haue the power of his glorie knowen And truelie we see howe the Prophets made their benefite of this text of Moses For when they sawe the people variable and starting too and fro so as they were not sufficiently setled in the true religion they did euer put them in minde of those signes and wonders which were wrought at the publishing of the lawe And the Prophet Abacucke doeth in his song expressely borrowe these wordes of Moses Abac. 3 3◠For he saith that God came from mount Theman and appeared vppon mount Pharan No doubt but hee had respect to that which Moses saith here as though he shoulde haue spoken thus to the people which were then scattered asunder Yee wretched people why holde you not yourselues vnder the protectiō of your God seeing he hath once called you and shewed him selfe to bee your heade and woulde haue you to bee his bodie Ye haue seene him vppon mount Pharan that is to say vpon mount Sinay There his glorie shone forth in such wise as yee could not but know that he hath authorised the lawe and made a couenaunt with you to knit you vnto himselfe And why then shoulde yee now start away and become as members rent a sunder Nowe seeing that the Prophetes vsed this doctrine after that maner it ought well to serue to teach vs likewise nowadayes Therefore whereas it is said that God came from mount Sinay let vs vnderstand that seeing he hath approued and authorised his law by the visible signes and miracles which were seene at y t time we at this day ought to receiue the law with like reuerence as if god were before our eyes whensoeuer his word is preached vnto vs it is all one as if he opened his hart shewed vs his wil that there were mutuall and as they terme it interchaungeable communication betwixt vs. The end say I whereunto Gods word should serue vs is that he might common with vs and we with him yea and that so familiarlie as if hee came downe to vs because we cannot mount vp to him so as hee is faine to shewe that his comming foorth is for our sakes True it is that we shall not see the aire on fire wee shall not see the fire burning on the mountaine we shal not heare the thunder roaring nor the trumpets ringing in the aire but it must suffice vs that those things were once done to the intent that the lawe shoulde haue his authoritie euen to the worldes ende and that all the miracles which were seene at that time shoulde be ingraued in the lawe of God Againe it ought to suffice vs that God moued both heauen and earth at the publishing of the Gospell insomuch that as then his power was yet better vttered and moreouer his maiestie hath beene seene in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ whereby hee was prooued to bee the onely son of God Seeing that all these things are knowen vnto vs let not our vnbeleefe keepe vs from receiuing his worde with feare and lowlinesse at this day which is so well warrāted vnto vs. Thus yee see what we haue to gather vppon this text where it is said that God shewed himselfe from Mount Seir. And truely after the warninges of Moses did once beare sway the children of Israel did not then any more see the mountaines of Seir Theman and Sinay neither was it lawfull for them to returne into the wildernes but the remēbrance of those things ought to serue their turne for euer And sothly it was not enough for those which had seene those thinges to bee able to speake of them but it behooued the fathers to teach their children that they also might vnderstand that GOD had appeared vnto them and that by that meanes the law might alwayes bee ratified Sith it is so let vs vnderstande that wee also at this day ought to occupie our selues in
they were not so greatly dismayed but that they had still an affection to serue God And soothly we shal diuers times see Gods seruauntes sore shaken and y t forasmuch as they be men they be moueâ— when there commeth any great tempest but yet for all that they do not vtterly quaile Euen so stoode the case with Moses and Aaron And for that cause is it saide in this place Thou trieddest him in Massa thou madest him to striue or contend at the waters of Meriba And in that respect did I say that this might be taken as though Aaron were taunted for not being obedient ynough vnto God at Meriba and for that hee sanctified him not by indeuouring himselfe as he ought to haue done Neuerthelesse it may also be noted as truth is that Aaron was tryed as in respect of men and that being so tried or tempted by men he was found faith full in that hee stoode so in contention with them For wee see not that he for his part murmured against God neither scaped there any worde of grudging from him Was hee caried with so diuelish rage as to say Shall we die heere for thirst No he would rather haue died a hundred thousand times than once haue opened his mouth to cast forth one word of murmuring against God What befel him then By reasoÌ„ of the spitefulnes of the people there was a fault committed For Aaron himselfe held alwayes on Gods side and therefore although he did amisse yet the same proceeded not of himselfe And it is the very same thing wherewith we haue seene Moses vpbraid the people saying that he himselfe was punished for their rebellions sake Deut. 1.17 You be the cause saith he that God hath disappointed me of going into the land of Chanaan Hee saieth not I am shut out of it for mine offence but hee casteth the people in the teeth with it saying you were the cause of it And so it is declared yet once againe in this place that Moses and Aaron ought not to be the lesse esteemed of the people nor the priesthood the lesse honoured for that there was some infirmitie in them which was faultie before God For therewithall they had also a wonderfull stoutnesse of minde which is ynough to stoppe the mouthes of all the worlde whereby Moses and Aaron shewed themselues faithfull at the same time so as a man might well see that what feeblenesse so euer was in them it could not cause them to be corrupted and caried away by the leawdnesse of the people or make them to forsake their charge but they continued in weldoing and stoutly withstoode all temptations and incounters shewing that their desire was nothing else but that God should haue his due deserued authoritie among the people and bee obeyed of all men Nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to vouchsafe to make vs perceiue them more and more and that hauing rid vs of all our wicked lusts he drawe vs fully to himselfe and that we may dayly profite and increase in his grace vntil y t being departed out of this world we be come to his heauenly glorie y t forasmuch as we be now a priestly kingdome 1. Pet. 2.9 it may please him to cloth vs with y e righteousnesse vncorruptnes of our Lorde Iesus Christ not in figure as the priestes of the Lawe were but by renewing vs in such wise by his holy spirite that although wee bee not perfect at the first day yet we may at leastwise attaine to that perfection which he calleth vs vnto That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the first of Iuly 1556. The CXCIIII sermon which is the fourth vpon the xxxiij Chapter 9 Which hath saide of his father and of his mother I haue not seene them nor hath knowen his owne brethren nor also hath knowen his owne children For they shall keepe thy sayings and obserue thy couenants 10 They shal teach thy iudgements vnto Iacob and thy Law vnto Israel They shal send vp perfumes to thy nosethrils and lay whole burnt offerings vpon thine Altar 11 O Lorde blesse his substance and make the worke of his hands pleasant vnto thee Breake the backebones of such as hate him that they may not rise vp against him WE be to proceed with the blessing of the tribe of Leuy which I began to declare yesterday I tolde you in fewe wordes that there Moses intended to stablish those whom God had chosen to bee his priestes because it was verie needefull to keepe them from contempt of the people least men might haue made none account of the doctrine which they were to deliuer vnto them and therefore it behoued them to be in good estimation as Gods seruaunts and representers of his person And that is the cause why Moses declareth that although Aaron was tried in Massa and suffered some trouble yet notwithstanding God ceased not to retaine him still in his seruice yea euen him and all his ofspring And nowe Moses sheweth whereunto God had called the house of Leuie and what was the office of the highpriest He saith first of al That they knew neither father nor mother that they had forsaken their owne Children and that they tolde their brothers they wiâ—t not who they were And that is to shewe that forasmuch as God had chosen them it behooued them to forget all thinges that they might giue themselues wholly vnto him Nowe wee knowe that when the Priestes were presented as all other oblations were Nomb. â— 10.11 men laide either their one hande or both their hands vppon them to betoken that they were no more at their owne libertie but that they were saÌ„ctified to such a vse as it behooued euery one of them to imploy themselues wholly to their office and to be altogether at the appointment of God True it is that the same condition is required of all the faithfull for we ought to bee dedicated vnto God in sacrifice Rom. 12. â— But yet must the preachers of the worde leade the daunce and consider themselues to bee double bounde yea and more straitly The thing then which Moses meant to betoken in this text is that seeing God had so highly honoured the tribe of Leuie as to haue them all to be his Priests it behoued them to forget both father and mother to be vnaddicted to their fleshly affections yea and to giue ouer eueÌ„ their owne children Not that God intended to alter the order of nature but to shewe that when the case standeth vppon the performance of their charge they must not bee turned from it by any worldly respect neither must any thing withholde them from executing throughly faithfully whatsoeuer God commaundeth them Now then he that will serue God must not forget his father mother by forbearing to do
of mortall mans braine a God but in surmize opinion but the God of whom he was fully assured because he had the trueth whereof he was throughly sure And euen so is it now in the case of Moses He saith the God which shâ—wed himselfe to me in the bush euen that God shew his fauour towardes the trybe of Ioseph In saying so Moses protesteth that he setteth not downe some ydol that had bin forged of late time ne bringeth in the superstitions of any heathen folke Infidels or ydolaters after which maner we see the Papistes Turkes do who speake much of God but in the mean while they haue no assurance all their fond dotages are grounded but vpon supposals and all their Apes toyes are founded but vppon their owne good intent as they terme it For it is starke diuelishnes when men presume vpon their owne selfelikings and it is an opening of helgates to them to plunge themselues in the bottomlesse pit Lo what commeth of that which men terme good intent of the things which they haue imagined dreamed in their owne brayne But as for vs we must haue a sure leaning stocke such a one as wil not swarue so as we may say we haue a God which is not vnknowen nor hidden from vs. Now then in speaking of the God that had appeared to him in the bush he meant here to certifie the promise yet so much y e better as if he should say I speake not at randon my words are no flying tales but it is God that hath ordeined mee at such time as it pleased him that I should deliuer his people out of the land of Egypt Exod. 3.2 he appeared to me in the bush there I knew his maiestie So then the certeintie which I haue of my calling of the things which I haue hitherto done by his commandement ought to make mee continue stil to shew that the same God wil perfourme his promises which are conteined here specially his fauor free goodnes shal rest vpoÌ„ y e trybe of Ioseph Now of this text we haue to gather y t when we speake of God we must not wander too and fro but to the intent we may be throughly assured that we may hold our selues in awe we must consider after what manner God hath reuealed himself vnto vs. But I haue told you alredie y t our lord Iesus Christ is his liuely image Colos. 1.15 therefore it behooueth vs to seeke him there And the very cause why the wretched worlde hath bin beguyled by the deceites illusions of Satan is that they haue not held themselues simply to our Lord Iesus Christ. Whence spring so many disorders at this day in the popedom but of this that as they themselues say in their prouerb Iesus Christ is not knowen nor can be discerned from among his Apostles For they haue bereft him of the glory power grace which God his father had committed vnto him To be short forasmuch as our Lorde Iesus hath bin as it were buried therfore superstitioÌ„s haue increased more more so as ther hath bin no end nor mesure of theÌ„ therfore no maruel though there haue beene so horrible a Babylon that is to say confusion there Let vs learne then to know the liuing God as he sheweth him selfe vnto vs to imprison all our wits And forasmuch as he hath most perfectly reuealed himself in our Lord Iesus Christ let vs not seeke any other knowledge than that neither let vs swarue one way or other from the same But now let vs come to that which Moses addeth concerning Zabulon and Isachar He saith of Zabulon Be glad in thy going foorth and of Isachar Reioyce thou in thy tentes or in thy couerts or in thy houses And thereupon he attributeth as common to them both That they shall call folke into the mountaine that is to say of Sion there to make sacrifice to the liuing God and therefore that God wil blesse them in so much that they shal skim off the fat of the sea that is to say they shal be enriched by trade of marchandise And that although their countrey was sandy as the seashores coÌ„monly be so as there was no fruitefulnes of corne wine yet should they not faile to be rich for all that for the sand that is to say the Sea should giue them sufficient abundance That is the summe of the thing that is spoken here Now as hath beene touched heretofore we see that Moses spake not of his owne head but that God himselfe vttereth here the things which he had determined afore for Moses could not haue gessed what was to befall in the portion of Zabulon I haue told you afore that the Israelites were not their owne caruers True it is that the trybe of Gad and a parte of Ephraim had their portion beyond Iordan as shal be declared hereafter 〈◊〉 20. 〈◊〉 14.2 but all the rest of the portions were made by lot so as it was not for any man to say Such a thing shall befall mee It behooued God him selfe to bee the whole doer as wee see he was in this text so as he might be acknowledged aboue all his creatures Therefore when Moses declareth that the trybe of Zabulon shal be planted by the seas side he doeth vs to vnderstande that God had reuealed vnto him things vnknowen and that his speaking was by the holy Ghost When he sayeth that traffike and merchandise shal be in the trybe of Zabulon and that Isachar also shal go by sea no dout but y t therein God vttereth things which men would neuer haue thought And so wee haue an infallible proofe not onely of the promises that are set downe here but also of all the doctrine of Moses For to what ende did he so blesse the trybes of Israel but to holde them vnder obedience of the lawe and vnder the religion which he had taught them not of himselfe but as he had beene inioyned from aboue Seeing it is so let vs learne to apply all the testimonies to the setling of our selues in Gods trueth that wee swarue not aside one way nor other ne be doutfull in faith but imbrace the things with all reuerence which are contained in the lawe For without that we be miserable as all they be which haue their fantasticall deuotions of which sort wee see the Papistes are and likewise the Turkes and also all the Heathen of the world For they be verie wilfull in the things which they haue once conceiued O say they I hold mee to this because it is an ancient religion but in the meane while they bee nothing sure of it And why Because that as long as men rest vpon their own opinion all is but vanitie and smoke Then can wee haue no sure faith vntill wee be come vnto God know that it is he which guideth and gouerneth vs. And therefore it standeth vs in hande to haue the
depriued of a man whose match we shall not finde againe And why Because God reserueth that to himselfe to giue the greater glorie to his grace That is the thing which we haue to note in the first place and it serueth to teach vs that wee should not be abashed Notwithstanding if our Lorde do sometimes diminish his gratious giftes towardes vs let it not cast vs in despayre For why It ought to content vs that our Lorde is liberall And againe we haue seene already that he ceased not to haue a care of his people though Moses did farre surmount Iosua and had not his equall or match Not that Gods intent was to magnifie Moses as in respect of his person but to the end that the Law should be receiued with y e greater reuerence and the people knowe that Moses was sent of God And God also meant to giue some confirmation to the doctrine of the Lawe to the intent to print the same the better in the heartes of the Iewes and specially the excellent deliueraunce that had bin wrought by Moses For we see howe all the other prophetes also do beate about that marke when they rebuke the people for their vnthankefulnesse Ier. 2.6 elswhere When they blame them for their vngodlinesse they set before them their deliueraunce out of Egypt for it was a deede worthy of eternall memory To the intent therefore that the people might bee the better prouoked thereunto it is sayde that Moses was the excellentest of all men And therewithal the people were to be helde in obedience to the Lawe vntill the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And that shal be the conclusion in one worde Although God raysed vp great prophetes after the decease of Moses yea and such as speake more loftily that he as in Esay we see a doctrin which at the first sight seemeth more stately thā the doctrine that is contained in Moses yet notwithstanding it is certaine that Esay was but an expounder of the Lawe and that the thinges which he wrate were but dependentes thereof so as he and all the rest drewe light at the things which had beene taught afore by Moses And therefore as I haue declared already it behoued the people to haue a continuall regarde of the Lawe that was giuen vnto them that they might neuer forget it And although our Lorde had so well prouided for it yet we see how negligent they were ◠Kings 22. ◠It is a horrible thing that the Lawe should be lost as we knowe it was found againe in the time of Iosias And yet it was a treasure which God had committed to the custodie of the Priestes there was a tribe chosen to that purpose as who should say keepe yee well the Lawe that it perish not 〈◊〉 11.18 The people as we haue seene heeretofore were warned to haue the lawes written vpon the postes of their houses to write them vppon tables about their beddes to carrie thē about vpon their hands and to weare them as bracelettes about their armes Whereas other people haue Iewels to decke them withal you sayth God shall euermore haue my Lawe before our eyes that ye may neuer for goe the remembrance thereof Yet for all this the people forgate it whereby we see howe needefull it was that the authoritie of Moses should bee so magnified to the intent that the Lawe might abide vnimpeached And that is shewed vs by the prophet Malachie where he sayth Malach. 4.4 Remember the Lawe of Moses y t was giuen you in Oreb After that maner speakes Malachie to the people telling them that they should be destitute of prophetes For he was the last from that time foorth to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. There was not after him any prophet there was a horrible desolation Notwithstanding to the ende that the people should not fall away and forsake the couenaunt of God Malachie sendeth them backe to the Lawe of Moses as if he should say All the teaching that yee haue had tended to none other end but that yee should abide vnder the Lawe of God And was it of necessitie that Moses should abide in his state for y e doing thereof Iohn 1.17 No the Law was giuen by Moses but we haue grace and trueth by Iesus Christ. Now whereas it is sayde That no prophet was like to Moses who sawe God face to face let vs vnderstande that it is to the end to bring vs to this cōclusion of S. Iohn Iohn 1.18 That our Lorde Iesus Christ who is the only sonne of God is come from the bosom of his father to disclose his secretes vnto vs and to accomplish all the thinges which had beene foretolde by the prophetes and that many kinges and prophetes haue beene desyrous to see and heare the thinges which wee heare and see Luke 10.24 and haue not obteyned it So then let vs vnderstande that Iesus Christ was not simply a prophet 1. Tim. 3.16 but the liuing God himselfe manifested in flesh nature of man to the intent that we should learne to rest wholly vppon him and beare in minde this saying of the Apostle in the beginning of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Hebr. 1.1.2 that God in time past spake many and diuers wayes to our fathers and that now we haue one conclusion of all in that he hath vttered his wil vnto vs by our Lord Iesus Christ. Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs so to perceiue them more and more as wee may be sory for them and resort vnto him to be rid of them by him and that in the mean season he beare with vs of his infinite goodnesse vntill such time as hee haue fully renued vs. And so let vs all say Almighty God heauenly father c. FINIS Heere ende the Sermons which were made vpon the fifth booke of Moses called Deuteronomie by M. Iohn Caluin minister of Gods word in the Church of Geneua and were gathered by Dyonis Raguenier borne in Bar standing vpon the riuer Seine Translated out of French into English by Arthur Golding A TABLE OF ALL AND SINGVLAR THE DOCTRINES OF MASTER IOHN CALVIN deliuered in his tvvo hundred sermons vpon Deuteronomie Gathered and laid together orderlie by the letter in the forme of a Concordance by ABRAHAM FLEMING A Aaron AAron blameworthie for that he withstoode not the Israelites nor letted them from making their goldē calfe 406. a. 50.60 c. Aaron depriued of the dignitie of the priesthood 424. a. 10 What meanes Aaron vsed to driue the Israelites from making their golden calfe 406. a. 60. b. 50 About what time Aaron died 423. b. 60. 424. a. 10 Aaron withstoode the Israelites about their golden calfe and yet consented looke how 424. b. 50.60 Aaron a figure of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. 424. a. 50.60 Howe Aaron was punished for that he suffered the