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
faile not to do well and to deserue wel at Gods hand though they go not to worke with a free corage nor with hartie and substantiall soundnesse Let not such follies runne in our heads For God not onely reiecteth such thinges as pelting baggage of no value but also auoweth them to be all abhominable before him and that he will not suffer his seruice to be so shamefully disguised with out taking horrible vengeance for it And therefore let vs know that he will haue euery of vs to examine our selues sith we see al our thoughts and affections to be corrupted so as there is nothing in them but dung and vncleannesse let vs pray him to reforme vs in such sort by his holie spirite as he may be serued and honored by vs and wee apply to good and holy vse the thinges that he giueth vs and that therewithall he make vs to profite more and more in his obedience vntill we bee come with a free will to serue him with so good a corage as wee may be wholly dedicated to his honour 1. Pet. 1.19 And that we may so doe let vs repaire vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ that our spotes and steines may be scowred away by his purenesse and perfection as he hath promised vs. If wee shall doe so then will our God approue of our life Now let vs kneele downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgment of our faultes praying him to make vs so to feele them that wee may from henceforth fall to amendement and resort to his mercie and that in the meane season he reforme vs in such sort to the obedience of his Law as it may shine forth in all our whole life and hee also beare with vs in our frailties vntill he haue ridde vs quite and cleane of them And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the xviij of Nouember 1555. The Ciij Sermon which is the second vpon the seuenteenth Chapter 2 If within any of the Gates which the Lorde thy God giueth thee there bee found either man or woman that hath wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord the God by transgressing his Couenant 3 And hath gone and serued straunge gods and bowed himselfe before them whether it bee the sunne or the moone or any of all the host of heauen which I haue not commaunded 4 And it is told thee and thou hast heard of it then shalt thou inquire diligently And if it be true and certaine that such abhomination hath beene committed in Israel 5 Thou shalt cause that man or that woman which hath committed that wicked deede to bee brought out of the gates and thou shalt stone them with stones till they die 6 At the mouth of two or three witnesses let him that is worthie of death dye but at the mouth of one witnesse let no man dye 7 The hands of the witnesses shal be the first vpon him to kill him and afterward the hands of all the people And so thou shalt ridde away that euil from thee Deut. 13.1.6 WE haue seene heretofore that if there were either man or woman which went about to counsell others to peruert the seruice of God they shoulde die for it Nowe here is a Lawe yet more sharpe that is to wit that if there be any ydolater founde among the people whether the same bee man or woman it must cost the party his head and his life yea though hee haue not gone about to corrupt others or to intice them to leawdnesse Truely this seemeth rough dealing at the first blush as we see howe they blame God for vsing such seueritie against such as vppon deuotion did any act contrarie to his trueth Because wee wey not Gods honour as it is worthy wee make greater account of a mortall creature than of the liuing God For if a man haue practised against his Prince or gone about to alter the publike state hee shall be condemned to death without any sticking Againe if a man bee vnderstoode to haue had secrete conference with his Princes enemie to haue shewed him fauour or to haue conspired with him no bodie will excuse such disloyaltie and yet for all that all this dealing is but against men But if a man turne away from the seruing of God to gad after ydols men thinke hee ought to bee borne withall as though it were a thing of nothing Whereby wee bewray that wee passe not for the diminishing of Gods honour or for the defacing of his maiestie But wee bee no competent Iudges in that case Therefore let vs remember what is saide heere and not thinke that God passed measure when hee did set such price vppon his honour Nowe it is saide If there be founde either man or woman to the intent that no frailtie should bee a shrowding sheete to any euill doing For else it woulde bee saide it is a womans deede If a man of wit courage and vnderstanding had done it it had beene to haue beene regarded but seeing it is done by sillie soules that are easie to be deceiued is it meete that they shoulde bee haled to death for it at the first dash See I pray you howe we bee wont to qualifie thinges But God on the contrarie parte intended to preuent such shiftes by telling vs that wee must not passe whether it bee man or woman but that the deede of it selfe is so detestable as that it ought not abide vnpunished Yet notwithstanding before wee proceede to punishing he will haue vs to vnderstande perfectly howe the matter goeth and hee will haue the truth of the thing tryed out And therefore hee saith When it is reported vnto thee inquire diligently thereof and if thou find it true then shalt thou take the partie which hath committed such crime and stone him to death Hereby our Lorde sheweth vs as he hath done afore that wee must not bee hastie to proceede rashly vnder pretence of any good will or zeale Deut. 13. â—â— but vse aduisednesse that thinges may bee well knowen And that is well worth the noting For wee see howe vnaduised zeale doth often carie men away and make them to offende GOD. And when it is done then they say I did it of a good intent Yea but GOD telleth vs heere that in this behalfe wee must behaue our selues discreetely And in deede God meaneth not that men shoulde so falsely abuse his name For what a vile thing is this that I shall suppose that I serue GOD and yet in the meane season haue no equitie nor vprightnesse in me Is it not a soule iniurie so to intermingle Gods holy name with mine owne follie and lewde imagination Wherefore let vs well weigh y t God by this place hath condeÌ„ned that same too too violent heate which men haue when they suffer themselues to bee so caried away by their zeale as they say without any moderation or stay at all Let that serue for one point And it
THE SERMONS OF M. IOHN CALVIN VPON THE FIFTH BOOKE OF Moses called Deuteronomie Faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open Pulpet Together with a preface of the Ministers of the Church of Geneua and an admonishment made by the Deacons there Also there are annexed two profitable Tables the one containing the chiefe matters the other the places of Scripture herein alledged Translated out of French by ARTHVR GOLDING ET INVENTA EST PERIIT AT LONDON Printed by Henry Middleton for GEORGE BISHOP Anno Domini 1583. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Syr Thomas Bromley Knight Lord Chauncelour of England one of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell his singular good Lord health prosperitie and increase of Honour BEing desirous to testifie my duetifull minde towardes your good Lordship I thought there could be no better meane in all respects than the dedication of this present worke which containeth a large exposition of the whole Lawe of God and of the practise thereof in the Commonweale of Israel wherof the onely reading with due consideration may iustly commend it many wayes euen to such as are of greatest learning wisedome authoritie and vertue For if we haue an eye to the author of the groundworks thereof it is God and not man If to the Lawemaker it is the Lawe of the Iudge of the whole world the lampe of light the welspring of wisdome the touchstone of truth the rule of right the ground of goodnesse the bond of blessednesse the loadstarre to life the opener of our vnderstanding and the gouernour of our wits the faithfull following whereof is the way to welfare the procurer of peace the path of true pleasure the entrie of immortalitie and the harbourer of happinesse Or if we haue an eye to the maner of the deliuering thereof it is most woonderful accompanied with many great myracles signes and tokens and honoured with the glorie and maiestie of Gods owne presence If to the intent of the Lawegiuer it is the repayring and reforming of man according to the Image of his maker in true holinesse and righteousnesse If to the end of the Lawe it is to driue vs vnto Christ that by him wee might be saued If to the obedience which it requireth it is altogether spirituall holie euerlasting All which things are not onelie great but the greatest that can be and fuller of maiestie and glorie than can be expressed or conceiued by man Againe if we haue an eye to the partie by whose seruice and ministery this law was published hee was a man peculiarlie chosen of God indued with most excellent giftes ful of the holy Ghost such a prophet as neuer had his like Christ onlie excepted a figure of Christ familiar with God a perfect paterne of a good gouernour and a verie father of his Commonweale Or if we haue an eye to the parties to whom it was deliuered they were a people whom God had purposely chosen redeemed and deliuered from most miserable thraldome to the intent to be their King and to dwell among them and that they should be vnto him a holie people and a royall Priesthoode for euer which things are surelie most excellent and singular prerogatiues And as for the Preacher of these Sermons by whom the sayde things are laide foorth and expounded to the better vnderstanding of the Reader it is well knowen that for the manifold talents and excellent gifts which God had bestowed vpon him and for his diligent and most painfull imploying of the same to the beating downe of Idolatrie and superstition to the winning of folke vnto God and to the edifying of Christs flock he was in his lifetime and yet still is a man of great reputation and renowme As for mine owne trauell in translating this worke I humbly submit the iudgement and censure thereof to your Lordships fauourable acceptation the obtainement whereof shall greatlie increase my gladnesse in that I haue done any thing whereby the Church of GOD is or may bee any whit edified Written the xxj of December 1582. Your good Lordships most humble alvvaies at Commaundement ARTHVR GOLDING To the Christian Reader Grace and Peace from GOD c. IT is no small fauour that wee daily receiue from the hands of our God partly by the publike ministerie of his word and partlie by the priuate reading of such good workes as by the meanes of manie his faithfull seruants he hath published and spread abroad in this last age of the world But as the beholding of this doth make manie Godly mindes to reioyce in that they see Gods great goodnes striuing continuallie to ouercome the malice and frowardnesse of mans minde So on the otherside it pincheth them at the heart when they perceiue not only what slender entertainment Gods graces haue amongst vs but euen what manifest contempt is offered vnto them while men notwithstanding the woonderful sunshine of Gods holie trueth remaine in as great darkenesse almost in respect of iudgement and be as dissolute and carelesse in their conuersation as euer they were in the time of the most grosse and palpable blindnes Would to God that the miserable experience of our dayes were not too plaine a proofe of this point And yet this is not spoken either as in dislike of our state with some discontented people or to the discrediting and defacing of Gods religion which we professe with the practising Papists who with one blow at the Gospel would if they could crafâ—â—lie cut the throate both of Religion and policie but in all holie loue and affection to make this carelesse generation more studious to labour to abound both in sound knowledge of the trueth and in all holie obedience to the same In which respect not onelie are these few lines written at this present but this notable worke of Master Caluins Sermons vpon Deuteronomie published that in our owne natiue Language wherein what paine and cost hath beene bestowed that they might come foorth as beneficiall to the Christian Reader as might be though I my selfe may speake much in trueth as an argument of some weight to induce the godly brethren to the buying and reading thereof yet letting that point passe as a matter not much to be stoode vpon I minde onely to presse those things and that also in very fewe words which shal be most material And that is that as al states and conditions of men may out of the same fetch many profitable points for their instruction both in faith and obedience towards God and man so particularly if a man would ouerthrow Atheists or confute Papists and other Heretikes or wound the wicked or encourage the faint hearted or comfort the afflicted conscience cast downe with the sight of sinne or performe any other seruice towards God himselfe or other men he shall haue matter and that in great store plentifully ministred vnto him for the performance of these and all other dueties whatsoeuer Wherefore I would aduise thee good Reader to get it speedilie
Cities are great and walled vp to the skie And moreouer we haue seene there the sonnes of the Enakims HEre Moses bringeth to their remembrance the things that are conteined in the xiij Chapter of the Booke of Nombers â—um 13.2 howbeit that there seemeth to bee some diuersitie at the first blush For there he declareth that such as should haue espied out the land were sent by the expresse commaundement of God and here he maketh no mention of it but saieth it was done at the request of the people Now these two things may very well agree that is to wit that the people should desire to haue the enteraunce into the land knowen before they went any further and also that God should allow that desire yea or rather euen preuent it accordingly as wee knowe that in all thinges he guided this people with a passing fatherly care as shall bee shewed in the next Lecture Therefore there is no inconuenience in it that God to shewe the people what care he had to guide them should appoint spies to be sent and that therewithall the people also on their part should require it So then we see still that God bare with the people when he graunted to send men to spie out the land And let vs marke that it was a condemning of the people when the thing that should haue bene to their helpe and furtherance did plucke them backe And it is not reported alonely of those whome Moses speakes off to the intent that wee should blame them but they bee set forth as an example and looking glasse for vs to see our selues in and to fare the better by it If God beare with vs and giue vs meanes conuenient for our infirmitie let vs apply them to our vse let them stirre vs vp to obey him and let vs not in any wise be hindred by them This say I is the thing that wee haue to marke But the chiefe point is this that Moses addeth namely â—â—m 13.31 14.6 That the spies brought worde againe that the land was good and that the people would not beleeue it but were disobedient to the mouth of God It should seeme that Moses rehearseth not the storie as it is conteined in the place before alledged For there it is said that of the twelue which were sent there were but two that hartened the people to enter into the land that was promised them and that the other ten laboured as much as they could to discourage those which were not verie well disposed of themselues Seeing it is so why doeth Moses say here that the spies reported it to be a good land as though they had incouraged the people to does as God had commaunded them Wee haue to marke here that Moses hath not an eye to the greater nomber nor to the multitude but to the better sort of them Although then that there was no moe but Caleb the sonne of Iephonee and Iosua the sonne of Nun that made good report and traueiled to make the people to obey God yet are they preferred at Gods hand Thus ye see that God esteemeth more of the sixth part than of all the rest And it is a verie notable point as whereof wee may gather verie good and profitable doctrine For anon Moses will adde that the greater part of those that were sent to spie out the land saide that the Cities were great and walled vp to the skie But as now he speakes but of the two that discharged their duetie Wee see then that whensoeuer the greater multitude of men inclineth vnto euill we must let them alone as though they were nothing worth They bee not worthie to come in account and wee must rather holde with a handfull of men whom wee see to teache vs faithfully and to giue vs good counsell I say wee must rather followe one or two such and let a hundred yea a thousand others goe than cast our selues into confusion with the greater multitude And if euer this were needfull it is needfull now in our time For on the one side wee see how all thinges are turned vpside downe in the worlde superstitions are so great and vnmeasurable as is pitie to see If wee should frame our life to the common trade what a thing were it For all is infected with robberie deceite crueltie treason blasphemie contempt of God drunkennesse whoredome pride and loosenesse Nowe then whosoeuer fashioneth himselfe to the custome of men must forsake God and withdrawe himselfe from all goodnesse he must giue himselfe to all lewdnesse and plundge himselfe into all wickednesse Lo to what point wee bee come What is to be done then Let vs learne to looke vpon such as are able to guide vs aright though they be but fewe in nomber and let vs not be caried away by the greater multitude For it wil not serue to shield vs before God it will not serue to lessen or to mitigate our fault If we say euery maÌ„ did so when I saw such a nomber of men followe that trade I put my selfe in companie with them to my seeming y e thing that was so commonly vsed could not bee but lawfull the alledging of such fond excuses will stand vs in no stead for we shall win nothing by them as I saide afore And therefore let vs follow those to whom God hath giuen the grace to shew vs y e right way Though there be but three or foure of them let vs esteem them no lesse than if they were an hundred thousand For God passeth not for the greatnesse of the multitude as it is said alreadie Againe on the other side as concerning Religion are they that sticke to the purenesse of the Gospell moe in nomber than the Papists Turkes and heathen men No surely Insomuch that if wee bee compared but with the Iewes which are a cursed ofscouring whom God hath so rooted out as there remaine verie fewe of them yet notwithstanding the Christians which are willing to giue themselues simply to the seruing of God according to his word are so fewe in nomber as the other may farre passe them What would become of vs then if wee shoulde followe the greater nomber And yet wee see howe a great sort of ignoraunt folkes doe take vpon them to say Tush as for them that take vpon them to alter Religion they bee but a verie small nomber and are they wiser than all the world beside Thus you see how most men gase vpon themselves and cast a stop in their owne way to barre themselues from comming to Gods trueth And what is the cause thereof Euen their blearing of their owne eyes by gasing vpon the greater multitude which goeth to destruction But contrariwise let vs condemne the whole world as Noe was faine to doe in his time And that condemning of his was not in vaine for he and his houshold were saued by it And although they were not aboue eight persons in all yet durst they set themselues against
wandering in the wildernesse by the space of fortie yeeres God shewed yet more harde and rigorous vengeance vppon them afterwarde in the thraldome of Babylon and other miseries that happened vnto them for the thraldome of Babylon lasted three score and ten yeares And at their returne although he shewed great and wonderfull power yet were they but a handfull which were saued according to this saying of the Prophet Esay Esa. 10.22 though thy people were as the sande of the sea yet shoulde but a small remnant of them be saued And in another place hee saith we had beene as Sodome and Gomorre Esa. 1.9 if God had not reserued a little seede yea euen a verie little one Wee see then that God increased his wrath against such as amended not at the example of their fathers And why Because they were the lesse to bee excused for they ought to haue taken warning by the punishmentes that were prepared for them Therefore did they double their offence And what thinke we of the desolation that hath happened since the first preaching of the Gospell for the refusall whereof the wretched world hath wandred so astray as all things haue bin corrupted in the Church so that in steede of Gods seruice there hath beene nothing but abhominations insteed of truth there hath beene nothing but diuelish lyes and errours and all thinges haue beene put out of order there and that the same confusion hath lasted nowe so long time All these thinges doe put vs in minde that Gods voyce ought to sounde shirler noweadayes in the Gospell than it did in the Lawe For as is saide by the Prophet Aggeus Agge 2.7 God maketh heauen and earth to quake nowadayes when the Gospel is preached And besides that wee haue all the thinges that befell to the people of olde time which serue vs as a liuely picture There must wee beholde Gods wrath to restrayne our selues from doing euil 1. Cor. 10.11 as Saint Paul sheweth vs in y e tenth of the first to the Corinthians But if wee make no reckening therof is it not reason that God shoulde punish vs sorer than hee did the Iewes Let vs learne then to hearken to Gods voyce while it soundeth in our eares and let vs beware that wee harden not our heartes least God sweare in his wrath For it is saide expresly that God sware And whie Because men thinke his threates to be vaine if hee make them not to perceiue that hee speaketh in good earnest And of a trueth we see dayly that when Gods threatnings are vttered vnto vs a great many of vs do but shake our eares at them and the number of those that are touched with them is verie smal Therefore the othe that GOD sweareth is no more than needeth euen in respect of the blockishnesse that is in men forasmuch as they bee so foolish as to make but a mocke of euerie thing that is tolde them And like as God to helpe the weakenesse of our faith vseth an othe when hee confirmeth his promises so on the contrarie part hee vseth to sweare when hee threatneth to punishe vs. And why To the ende that being afraide and abashed at it wee shoulde come to repentance For if wee bee not made to stoope that wee may take holde of Gods iustice our faultes will neuer mislike vs. Gods iustice then must become as a thunder or lightning and we must bee abashed before him that we may no more bee so drunken in our sins as wee were And therefore whensoeuer Gods threatnings do not dismay vs sufficiently let vs cal to minde the oth that Moses speakes of here and let vs assure our selues that it is we whom the same pointeth at according to that which I haue alledged alreadie both out of the Psalme and out of the record of the Apostle And therewithall let vs also marke well the words that are set downe heere by Moses None of this cursed and wicked generation saith hee shall see the good land that I haue promised Heere GOD maketh a comparison betweene lande and the people This lande then was a singular gift in token whereof hee calleth it his rest meaning thereby that he had chosen that lande to bee as a dwelling place and euerlasting inheritance for the people to rest in vnder his protection For there is no certaintie in this worlde and if wee bee lodged in any place wee may bee put out of our nest againe to day or to morrowe But God tolde them that hee had assigned the lande of Chanaan for an euerlasting possessiō to the children of Abraham to mainteine them and keepe them safe there so as no man shoulde trouble them nor euer driue them out againe Yee see then that the lande was not a common gift but a gift that deserued to bee esteemed as most excellent aboue al others But behold the people on the otherside are malicious and froward Therefore it is all one as if our Lorde shoulde say I see wel ynough howe the worlde goes I shall sooner make fire and water to agree than cause this people to like of my benefits For in my benefites there is nothing but meere goodnesse and in this people there is nothing but meere naughtinesse Let vs marke well then that to inioy Gods benefites wee must frame our selues to his will and righteousnesse for our naughtinesse and Gods goodnesse can neuer match together insomuch that if wee will needes followe our owne nature God must needes withdrawe his goodnesse away from vs. True it is that God looketh not for any worthinesse at our hands why hee shoulde doe vs good nay rather hee fighteth dayly against our sinnes and vseth mercie where as hee might lawfully vse rigour against vs. But yet for all that if hee see that we continue in our naughtinesse hee can no longer continue in doing vs good Yee see then that the doctrine which we haue to gather vppon this consideration is that there must bee as it were an accorde and melodie betweene God and vs and that when hee imparteth his benefites vnto vs we must make such estimation of them as wee indeuer to serue and honour him for them and consider that he calleth vs to him to plucke vs backe from our sinnes If wee doe so the good that he hath done vs shal be confirmed more more Otherwise it must needes bee that our naughtinesse shall cut off the course of his goodnesse Why so For as I haue said alreadie when God offreth men his benefits they refuse them of a wilfull frowardnesse it is as if fire and water should meete together But besides this wee must also marke Gods vpbrayding of the people with their saying that their yong children shoulde be a pray to their enemies They saith he shall possesse the lande yea euen to the intent that you may be proued lyers Heere it behoueth vs to marke well that when men will needes doubt of Gods trueth they must in the ende be
founde lyers and Gods trueth shine forth the brighter to their shame Nowe hereby wee bee warned to receiue simplie the promises that GOD offereth vs. And although it seeme at the first blush that they shold neuer be accomplished that there be a number of impediments to hinder them yet must we doe him the honour to beleeue that he is faithfull and to abide patiently for the conuenient time of his performance of the thing that hee hath said For if we gaine say his truth and murmure and fall to questioning and disputing with howe can this be is it possible God seemeth to mocke vs I say if we go that way to worke Well may hee performe his promise for all that but it shal be to our shame so as wee shall alwayes bee founde lyers Wee may well triumph for a time as we see the vnbeleeuers doe which malapertly despise God spewing out their blasphemies against him but yet in the ende God shall continue faithfull and his trewnesse shal be knowen spite of our teeth and therewithall we shal bee put to shame And therefore let vs beware of it and that wee may beware of it let vs marke well howe the Iewes are vpbrayded with it here Yee haue saide that your children shall bee made a pray but they shall inioy the land and you shal be set beside it Moreouer the example of Caleb the sonne of Iephone is verie notable and so is also the example of Iosua the sonne of Nun. These two are reserued of a great multitude And why Because they had gone through stoutly For this recorde is yelded to Caleb that hee had persisted or continued in following the Lorde Whenas God exempteth here but two men of an infinite multitude therein wee see howe it is a folly to looke what other men doe For had Caleb and Iosua done so what had come of it They had gone to destruction with the rest But they suffered not themselues to bee caryed away by that horrible tempest When they sawe so straunge a turning backe in the whole people yet did they confirme themselues in the power of God and although the people woulde haue stoned them Num. 〈…〉 as is declared in the booke of numbers and as shal be touched againe anon yet did they their duetie So then seeing that God alloweth the constancie of Caleb and Iosua for that they did shut their eyes when they sawe the people so excessiuely set vppon mischiefe and exhorted them to obey God let vs note well that although thinges be out of order in the worlde and we see stumbling blockes to ouerthrowe vs and vices rage like a waterfloud yet is it no sufficient cause to suffer our selues to bee caryed away or to make vs followe the common traine for it shall not abate our condemnation before God We may well say all the worlde doth so for all the worlde shall perish and thou with it which speakest so in contempt of thy God What a thing is it that men wil needs abolish Gods iustice and giue no more eare vnto him when they giue themselues to all naughtinesse but shut him vp in heauen and suffer him to haue no more authoritie heere beneath Whereto tendeth this And yet for all that wee see noweadayes that when the ignorant intende to shrowde themselues the greatest sheelde that they haue is to alledge Howe so I see that all the worlde behaue themselues contrariwise And in the meane season what becomes of God God must bee faine to bee thrust vnder foote and men must runne leaping and frisking at their pleasure Yea and euen among our selues if a man tell one or other of their faults their answere is I see others are as bad as my selfe Wee beare our selues on hande that our condemning of our neighbours will goe for good payment and that we shal scape Gods hand by that meane Therefore let vs thinke continually vpon the example of Caleb and Iosua And forasmuch as GOD sheweth that hee made more account of them though they were but two in all than of all the other howge multitude which were about seuen hundred thousande persons forasmuch say I as we see that God giueth such sentence of them let vs learne to submit our selues to him and to regarde nothing but that which he commaundeth And though the world runne gadding here and there in the meane while let vs followe the way that God hath shewed vs by his pure word Moreouer let vs wey this speech where it is saide that Caleb held out in following the Lorde For it is not ynough for vs to beginne well but wee must also sticke to God through stitch yea euen without any feining or starting and without fainting or giuing ouer in the mids of our way And in good sooth it is not for nought that this recorde is giuen to Caleb For as I haue touched heretofore the people were in such an vprore as they would haue stoned him and Iosua too Insomuch that if God had not takeÌ„ them away and his glorie appeared vppon the tabernacle they had loste their liues for it Yet for all this they ceased not to doe their duetie still but cryed out against the people and rent their clothes And after that manner stroue they against those which woulde not inioy Gods blessing Wee see then how there was a marueilous power in Caleb and in Iosua And therefore we bee warned by their example not onely to enter into the way but also to goe forwarde and forward stil assuring our selues that we cannot holde out to the ende in seruing God but by bearing out of many harde brunts and temptations and therfore we haue neede to strengthen our heartes in such wise as nothing may be able to make vs to fleete Thus yee see whereto our Lord and his holy spirite exhort vs. Where as he praiseth here the constancie of Caleb and Iosua it is to the end say I that their example should serue to our instruction For although the memoriall of the righteous be blessed before God yet is it declared for our profite Therefore let vs not haue such a zeale as shall waxe colde when it commeth to the following of God but let vs determine fully with our selues to holde out with it whatsoeuer the diuell practise or howsoeuer the world set it selfe against vs like as at this day wee see many resistances and many occasions â—hat might make vs start away but yet for all that we must holde on our iourney not for two or three dayes onely but all our life long Let vs goe on therefore and when there is any mention of following God let vs marke that it is to confirme the matter better which I haue declared alredie that is to wit that if we followe men we shall runne astray For why what els are the wais of the world but straiings so as euery man gaddes in and out when they once turne their backes vpon God What is to bee done then So long as
maiestie and deale in such wise as the doctrine may be receiued with all reuerence and no man step vp to incounter it To bee shorte there are two thinges requisite in all good shepheardes The one is that for their part they must not burthen men with any tyrannie nor inuent lawes to tye their consciences thereby to bring them in bondage nor forge any doctrine vppon their owne head but faithfully deale foorth the thinges that are committed vnto them Haue they that Then let them aduaunce the thing which they know to proceede of GOD so as they suffer not the heauenly doctrine to bee skorned but shewe men that they ought to reuerence GOD and to submit themselues to his word and let them withstand all loftinesse that vaunteth it selfe against him After which maner we see how God strengtheneth his Prophets Eze. 6.1.2 telling them that they must not passe for any mans greatnesse noblenesse or aught else but rebuke the Mountaines and set themselues against the Hilles that is to say let them not shrinke for men but let them shewe y t the word which they bring and which is committed to them is as it were Gods roayll mace at the which all creatures ought to stoope and to bow their knees Ye see then that all ministers of Gods word ought to seeke those two things But yet for all that wee see the cleane contrarie For such as raigne with roughnes and churlishnesse as Ezechiel termeth it passe not to keepe this rule of Moses Ezech. 34.4 which is to serue God purely For wee see that the Pope and all the filthie rable of his Clergie as they terme themselues are euer thundering and would not haue men in any wise to open their lippes against any point of their doctrine but that they shoulde without any gainesaying obserue whatsoeuer they lift to ordaine Yea marie but in the meane while whence haue they their stuffe whence do they preach it It is ynough for them that they may lorde it ◠Pet. 5.3 they beare themselues on hand that they may hold the poore soules vnder their tyrannie which were redeemed with the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. But neither Moses nor any of y e Prophets did euer giue themselues such libertie for they spake in Gods name without setting foorth any thing of their owne Let vs then learne to hearken to such as come in the name of God and discharge their dueties vnfeinedly Againe we see that such as should maintaine Gods trueth doe let all slippe and though they see neuer so much disorder it greeues thē neuer a whit neither doe they passe though all goe to hauocke And why Bicause they haue no zeale at all to aduaunce the Maiestie of Gods word Also on the other side wee see a nomber that vaunt themselues to bee Christians which can as much skill of the reuerence that Moses speakes of here as if they had bene brought vp in a swines stie or on a dunghill Are there not a nomber to be seene which will say continually rush you haue nothing to doe to command mee Yes and you my friend are a verie brute beast in so saying for if I haue not to doe to command you you haue no more Christianitie in you than is in a dogge For when wee preach Gods word to what end is it That God should bee the seruaunt or the maister Let that be well considered Speake wee in our owne names Or set wee foorth any thing that is not giuen vs in commission by God Now he will haue vs to represent his person and yet we must neither command nor beare any sway at all for these rascalles and vnthriftes which aduaunce themselues with exceeding vnshamefastnesse to fight against God But what Ye see what the Christianitie of Geneua is where the Gospell hath bene preached this twentie yeeres insomuch that y ◠verie walles ought to ring of it and the verie pauing of the streetes ought to beare some marke of Gods trueth and yet these wood beastes continue still in their grosse and barbarous rebelliousnesse so as they be worse than bulles with their hornes or I wote not what other beastes Yet notwithstanding it cannot be wyped out of Gods Register but that whensoeuer Gods worde is preached both great and small must receiue it at leastwise if we acknowledge it to be Gods truth Yea and we must receiue it with such reuerence Mal. 1.6 as to thinke thus with our selues beholde it is our God that speaketh and if he be our maister doe not we owe him all reuerence If he bee our father doe not we owe him all honour What is to bee done then but onely to shewe by our deedes that our whole seeking is to bee ruled quietly by him Thus yee see what we haue to remember here in that Moses speaketh not as in the person of a mortall man but taketh vpon him the authoritie to commaund howbeit not as chalendging any thing to himselfe but as being desirous to be heard because he was a faithfull setter forth of Gods lawe shewing also that he had vengeance readie prepared for all such as would checke against him or reiect the doctrine that he did set forth He saith yet further that men must neither adde any thing to that which he commaundeth nor take any thing from it to the ende they may keepe Gods commaundementes Whereas he saith that nothing must be added nor diminished it is to shewe the thing that I touched euen nowe that is to wit that God mindeth to try our obedience by restreining vs from fetching our windlasses and from scoterloping ouer the fieldes to raught at euerie thing that we like off and to hold vs fast tied and bound vnto his word Then is it not ynough for vs to receiue that which God sendeth vs and to allowe it as good but wee must acknowledge it to be our whole wisedome as shal be added hereafter in this Chapter so as wee be not skilful to mingle any thing with Gods word but conclude thus with our selues Seeing God hath spokē it it is not lawful for mortal mē to interlace any thing w t it but they must be contēted with y t which they haue heard of such a maister This is in effect the meaning of Moses Deut. 5.32 12.32 And this is not said in this place onely wee shall see it repeated againe hereafter in the twelfth Chapter and in other places and the scripture is full of it And yet we see there is not any thing worse kept than this present exhortation And what is the cause thereof That men doe take it for a principle that they haue alwayes some reason with them and that they bee of sufficient abilitie to gouerne themselues as they ought to doe Thus then doth pride take the first place when men will needes discerne betweene good and euill after their owne fansie Contrariwise Gods will is to be wise for vs that we as
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
Exod. 4.22 and haue it yet stil. And which more is Ep. 2.12.13 at such time as wee were straungers vnto God they were his householde folke and in his house and Church Rom. 9.4 Yet notwithstanding euen after they had beene inlightened as wee see heere they were condemned of greater blindnesse than the wretched Painims that neuer had any taste of the trueth nor any one sparke of good knowledge And why for they had made themselues vnworthy of such a benefite But God in these dayes sheweth himselfe more familiarly to vs than he did to the fathers in the time of the lawe 2. Cor. 3.18 For in the Gospell his face shineth foorth in such wise as wee may beholde it to be transfigured into his glorie Is not our Lorde Iesus the liuely image of God his father And doeth not hee shewe himselfe in such wise in his Gospel that we may discerne him as well as if he dwelt among vs Nowe then if wee haue not our eyes open to receiue this doctrine nor bee diligent to profite in the same muste not the vengeance which the Prophet Esaye speakes of light vpon our heads that is to wit that wee shall be more blinde and brutish than the heathen Esa. 42.20 for as much as wee haue seene and woulde not see And in good sooth wee knowe it without his telling vs thereof Looke me vppon the Turkes they haue some reuerence to their religion and so haue the Papistes also yet are both of them cut off from the Church of God through their own fault but yet are they not so much to blame as wee Therefore when men slide backe againe after they haue once knowen the Gospell yee shall see them become like dogges so as there is no more honestie nor feeling of God in them but they bee vtterly bewitched and growe into the senslesnesse of minde which Saint Paul speaketh of 1. Tim 4.4 namely that they make no remorse of conscience at any thing And wee neede not to goe farre to seeke examples hereof For euen among vs there are diuers to bee seene who hauing vnhallowed Gods word after that sort are become starke madde and fall at defiance with GOD being possessed with such diuelish rage as there remaineth not any more shamefastnesse in them Therefore when wee see this geere we ought to quake at it and to say Loe howe GOD reuengeth the contempt of his worde And therefore let vs beare in minde that when God hath bene so gratious to vs as to doe the office of a scholemaster among vs and to teach vs by his word it behooueth vs to followe the light thereof For if it bee put out through our naughtinesse it must needes bee that wee shall become more dull of vnderstanding than all the rest of the worlde whiche neuer wist what GOD or true Religion is Thus yee see what wee haue to marke as in respecte of this sentence Nowe Moses addeth immediatly Take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the thinges which thine eyes haue seene nor let them euer depart from thy heart that is to wit the day wherein thy God made thee to appeare before his Maiestie in the valley of Hareb. There hee taught thee his lawe when hee willed mee to make you all to appeare together before him Therfore be mindfull of that day and let it neuer be forgotten Nowe when as Moses saith take heede to thy selfe keepe thy soule Hee sheweth that hee cannot sufficiently expresse the care which wee ought to haue to walke in the feare of God and to make and keepe good watch for feare of starting from him least the diuell harrie vs abrode and make vs become as stray sheepe Nowe if this bee not superfluous what needeth any more to quicken vs vp withall See howe God speaketh heere hee saieth not onely take heede to your selues but also take heede to your selues and take heede to your soules That is to say vppon perill of your liues take heede to your selues and watch well that yee bee not taken vnwares And this is not said without cause for wee see howe frayle wee bee Although God haue giuen vs so sure a foundation as wee can neuer be shaken downe if wee holde vs to it yet doe wee nothing but totter and euerie thing of nothing maketh vs to reele Seeing then that our nature is so vnconstant and wee swarue so easily from Gods trueth let vs assure our selues that this exhortation is not set downe heere without cause Againe wee see also howe wyly the diuell is and howe many meanes hee hath to beguile vs and wee are easily ledde to giue eare to such as seduce vs. Also there is great policie vsed to deceiue vs insomuch that the cousiners doe shroude themselues euen vnder the name of GOD in their foisting in of their false doctrines and errours and the diuell disguiseth himselfe by transforming himselfe into an Angel of light as S. Paul speaketh of him 2. Cor. 11. â— and hee assaulteth vs not some one way onely 1. Pet. 5.1 but when hee perceiueth that hee hath missed on the one side hee runneth streight to the other so as wee haue no sooner withstoode one assault but wee must by and by come to another Seeing then that wee on our sides are so fraile and the diuell hath such shifte of wyles and slyghtes to beguyle vs we may well assure our selues it is not for nought that Moses willeth vs here to beware euen vpon perill of our soules But what for that Wee see neuerthelesse how ill this doctrine is put in practise For wee bee carefull ynough for the thinges that concerne this earthly life insomuch that we stande alwayes vpon our gard for feare of being taken vnwares and on what side so euer a man come to assaile vs he can not enter vpon vs for wee are euer armed but as concerning Gods worde wee forget that out of hand True it is that men will come to some Sermon nowe and then for fashions sake but when they come home againe they neuer thinke more of it it is quite out of their rememberaunce it goes in at the one eare and out at the other as saieth the prouerb so that in the ende they finde themselues emptie and hungerstaruen bicause they made none account of the warning that is giuen vs here So then let vs learne to bee more watchfull and to keepe better warde and let vs weigh well this saying That we must take heed to our selues Why so For if wee doe not keepe good watche and looke well about vs wee shall wonder to see how soone the Diuell will haue snarled vs in his snares Moreouer forasmuch as it is very harde for vs to doe so and wee see that at one time or other wee bee quickly thrust out of the way let euerie of vs take good heede to himselfe and rowse vp all our wittes and gather them about vs applying
them earnestly to this care warenesse which Moses speaketh of here And he saieth purposely Take good heede that â—hou forget not the things which thine eyes haue seene and beware that they neuer depart from thy heart When as he saith The things which thine eyes haue seene thereby he meaneth that the people are vtterly without excuse if they regarde not the thinges that God had shewed them according to his former vsing of the same maner of speach And whereas he saieth that our eyes haue seene Deut. 3.21 it serueth to expresse the things which our Lord hath shewed vs tootoo euidently so as wee cannot alledge ignoraunce nor say this or that was too high or too darke for mee Thine eyes haue seene it saieth Moses As if he should say No no ye neede not to bee great Clerkes nor Doctors in this behalfe ye neede not to bee verie suttleheaded our Lordes manifesting of himselfe vnto you hath bene in such sorte and so euidently that euen the veriest idiotes and rudest sorte of you haue perceiued the things that he told you And in good sooth although Gods worde conteine wonderfull secretes yet notwithstanding they bee so manifest vnto vs as wee may bee able to conceiue them at leastwise if we our selues bee not in the fault For wee see howe God lowlieth himselfe and stoopeth to our rudenesse bicause he knoweth what wee bee able to beare Nowe then seeing it is so let vs but open our eyes and when God hath once shewed himselfe to vs let vs take good heede that wee forget him not for if wee doe wee shall bee vnexcusable and our vnthankefulnesse will bee manifest and sufficiently prooued Againe he sheweth that it is not ynough for vs to haue some light rememberaunce of it swimming in our braine but it must bee well rooted in our heartes And after that manner ought Gods worde to bee sowen in vs. It is not ynough for vs to haue skill to talke of it and to bee able to say I knowe this that but wee must holde fast the thinges inwardly which wee haue heard outwardly Nowe then if Gods woorde bee setled in our heartes and raigne there then haue wee good rememberaunce of it But if wee bee not touched with it nor haue any willingnesse to keepe it it is all one as if wee had neuer heard of it Thus ye see what we haue to marke concerning this speach of Moseses where it is saide that the thinges which wee haue once knowen must neuer out of our mindes But forasmuch as God had vttered himselfe diuers wayes to the people it behoued Moses to shewe his meaning more particularly in this text And therefore he addeth The day wherein thou wart before the Lorde thy God thou diddest appeare before God in the valley of Horeb at which time hee commaunded mee to summon you and to call you all together Albeit then that God had shewed himselfe to the people of Israel by diuerse myracles by sundrie kindes of sightes and also by diuerse reuelations as in respect of his worde yet doeth Moses bring backe the people here chiefly to the lawe and to the solemne day wherein the lawe was published And that is according to the matter that wee haue seene In so much that if wee haue not that grounde wee shall but builde in the aire and all that euer can bee saide vnto vs will slippe from vs. The grounde that I meane is the submitting of our selues vnto God to bee guided by his worde and to bridle our selues thereby so as he alone may haue the whole authoritie and maistership ouer vs and wee become his true Disciples in sticking to his pure doctrine That then is the cause why Moses doeth make speciall mention here of the solemne day wherein the lawe was giuen to the people of Israel For he sawe well that it woulde not haue booted at all to haue vppened neuer so many thinges by parcellmeale if he had not set downe the chiefe groundwoorke which is that men must suffer themselues to bee gouerned by Gods lawe Likewise at this day when wee shall haue disputed at large of a nomber of pointes if wee doe not first and formost winne that men should obey God and make them to knowe that his woorde is the right trueth whereunto they must holde themselues to what purpose is it They will bee still wauering and vnconstant accordingly as wee see howe a great nomber will bee taâ—ting of this and that and can finde nothing whereon to rest And why For they know not the first point of Christianitie which is that the holy Scripture is our whole wisedome and that wee must hearken to God speaking there and not adde any thing thereunto Nowe then vntill such time as wee bee come to that point Col. 1.28 wee shall bee euer chaunging and doe nothing but totter and wauer like Reedes And for the same cause doeth the Prophet Malachie saye Mal. 4.4 Be mindeful of the Law that was giuen you by Moses in Horeb. For it was Gods will that thencefoorth there shoulde bee an intermission so as a certaine time shoulde passe wherein the Prophetes shoulde speake no more till the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Nowe in the meane while the Prophet Malachie saith Bee mindefull of the Lawe that was giuen As if hee shoulde say yee can not doe amisse if ye hearken to your GOD and suffer your selues to bee taught by him but you shall haue perfect learning for it is vttered there Now therefore wee see what the meaning of Moses is and howe wee ought to apply the same to our owne vse that is to wit that aboue all thinges wee must assure our selues that our Lorde hath vtterd himselfe vnto vs in such wise as he will be a good and faithfull teacher vnto vs if wee bee good schollers vnto him And therefore let vs settle all our wittes to the obedience of faith so as wee presume not to adde any thing to that which GOD telleth vs. When wee bee once come to that point then shall wee bee guided foorth from point to point and from degree to degree to our perfection but yet must we haue the foresaid groundworke before wee can build well Nowe let vs come to this saying of his Call â—o minde the daye wherein yee were before the Lorde This saying importeth much For although that GOD did then testifie his presence in the valley of Horeb as wee shall see hereafter yet notwithstanding whensoeuer hee speaketh vnto vs wee appeare before his iudgement seat though wee haue no visible myracles And it is all one as if a Prince being set to hold a Court of estate should cause his statutes and ordinances to bee proclaimed by the sounde of a trumpet to the intent that all men might haue knowledge of them After the same manner doeth GOD deale in this case For when he vouchsafeth to haue his worde preached vnto vs it is as much as if he summoned vs to
Esaie vpbraideth the Iewes Esa. 51. â— The trueth is that he exhorteth them to be of good cheere though they be scattered abrode and cast downe Haue an eye saith he to the quarrie whence ye were taken and vnto your originall What was it was it a great and infinite people No It was a sillie olde man al alone without child or issue Behold your mother Sara was barren all the time of her life and her age was a further let that she might not conceiue and yet hath God taken ye out of that quarrie that is to say of one man alone Why then should yee bee afraide though yee were vtterly consumed But yet for all this hee vpbraideth them with their vnthankfulnesse because they trusted still in their owne greatnesse and if there were any likelihood at all by and by it puffed them vp And therefore let vs learne by this text first that Gods choosing of our forefathers was not for any worthinesse or nobilitie in them selues but because he had pitie on them which pitying importeth that they were in wretched case and had beene vtterly forlorne if God had not gathered them into the hope which they coulde neuer haue conceiued of themselues Marke that for one point And secondly if wee see Gods Church scattered so as wee be fewe in number and it seemeth that there is no certaintie nor assurance for vs but all is like to goe to hauock in y e turning of a hande Let it not dismay vs. And why so For God hauing once chosen Abraham did also multiplie his seede notwithstanding that hee was a man stricken in yeares drooping and childlesse So likewise nowe although there be but a handfull of vs and we be despised and without power or strength to maintaine our selues yet can God increase vs and hauing increased vs he can preserue vs. Wherefore let vs learne to looke wholly to his goodnes when the state of the Church lieth in hazarde and let vs not be out of heart but although that to the worldwarde wee see it cast downe and so diminished as it seemeth as good as nothing at all yet let vs not cease to be of good courage still and to waite till God performe that which he hath done in all ages For the manner of setting vp of the Church in good state againe and of the preseruing thereof must be wonderfull to the sight of men Now after that Moses hath spoken so he addeth Thy God chose thee euen of purpose to bring thee out of the land of Egypt before his face He sheweth that the deliuerance of the people out of the lande of Egypt proceeded of the said election and consequently of Gods free loue And it is a point which wee ought to marke well For it behooueth vs to be led from one thing to another As for example when God doeth vs any good we doe indeede perceiue his goodnesse but wee must mount yet higher Wherefore hath GOD prouided so for vs not for any worthines or desert of ours but because he had chosen vs. And when or wherefore chose hee vs Wee must not range any further but holde our selues to this grounde of Moseses But in any wise let vs marke whereof hee speaketh that wee may the better make our profite thereby Thy God deliuered thee out of the lande of Egypt because he had chosen thee before yea euen before thou wart borne In so saying hee sheweth that although this redemption was to see to but a deliuerance of the bodie yet was it a figure of y e saluation that God had promised afore in the person of the Redeemer and although the deliuerie of the people of Israel out of the lande of Egypt was but as a temporall redemption yet doth Moses say that it depended vpon Gods freebestowed adoption Seeing it is so in that case what is to bee thought nowe when wee bee to be brought out of the gulfes of hell to bee conueyed into heauen For by nature wee bee cursed Eph. 2.3 6. and plunged in the gulfes of hell are wee able to get thence Doeth it not belong onely vnto God to deliuer vs thence And if it were meete that God should choose the people of Israel to deliuer them from the tyrannie of Pharao let vs conclude that by a more strong reason it was meete that when he shoulde deliuer vs from the bondage of the diuell and from the bottomles pittes of hell hee shoulde declare this vnto vs that he had chosen and adopted vs. Wherfore let vs not onely take holde of the death and passion which our Lorde Iesus Christ suffered for vs and of his sauing of vs by his grace but also let vs come to the meane degree namely that the cause why wee bee made partakers of the saluation that Iesus Christ hath brought vs is for that GOD hath adopted vs. And when did hee that After hee had founde some vertue or some good forwardnesse â—n vs no but before wee were borne and before wee had done either good or badde yea eueâ— at such time as wee were alreadie vowed and giuen vp to endelesse destruction â—om 9.11 â—ph 2.5 This is it which we haue to note in the first place Neuerthelesse it is not for nought that Moses saieth also that God brought out the people before his face as if hee shoulde say hee was their guide For had GOD reached out his hande to his people but for once and thencefoorth haue let them alone to what purpose had that beene It is not ynough for a mother to helpe vp her young childe when hee is falne downe for hee may fall a hundred thousande times and in the ende breake his necke but shee must holde him vp still Euen so our Lorde declareth that it was not ynough for him to haue shewed himselfe to bee a deliuerer of his people for a day or two but hee helde on still and conueyed them before his face as a man that hath his eye continually vppon his childe To bee short hee sheweth heere that his goodnesse abode with the people euen to the ende so as hee helde on in helping and succoring them and mainteined them throughout And why for else his bringing of them out of the lande of Egypt had beene in vaine And afterwarde hee addeth To destroy people mightier and stronger than they that their lande might bee giuen them to inherite Hee sheweth that God ceased not to goe through with his fauour towardes the Iewes till hee had performed the promise that hee made to their fathers that is to wit of putting them in possession of the lande of Chanaan as hee had promised But as I haue saide alreadie wee must compare our selues with the state of that people And therefore let vs learne that God not onely draweth vs out of the gulfe of hell and out of the cursednesse wherein wee were borne and which would holde vs alwayes locked vnder his wrath but also holdeth on and continueth his goodnes towards
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
hee shoulde no more dwell among them nor raigne ouer them So then let vs mark well that it is not without cause that our Lord woulde that the straungers which dwelt among his people notwithstanding that they were of another faith and Religion should bee compelled to keepe the seuenth daye Not for their owne sakes nor for their owne instruction for they were not capable therof but to the ende there shoulde bee no stumbling blocke to disorder his people or to deface his seruice but that the land which he had giuen to his seruaunt Abraham to inherit might bee wholly dedicated vnto him And hereby we bee warned not onely to sanctifie our selues by Gods worde but also not to suffer anye occasion of offence or disorder to bee committed among vs but to see that all such things be cleane rid away Moreouer seeing our Lorde will haue vs to be so zealous in the maintenance of his seruice as to constraine euen thē that professe not thēselues to be of his Church to yeeld and frame themselues vnto vs as long as they be in our companie I pray you how shall wee excuse our selues if wee on our side bee not wholly giuen vnto him nor set foorth our selues as mirrours to drawe wretched vnbeleeuers vnto vs and to winne them to our GOD For if wee rebuke them when they doe amisse in the meane while they perceiue the like or greater faultes in vs shall they not haue occasion to laugh all our sayinges to scorne Nowe then seeing it was forbidden to suffer straungers to doe thinges contrarie to Gods seruice let vs assure our selues that wee be dubble commanded to walke warely and in such humilitie sobernesse as straungers may see by experience y t our desiring that God should be honoured is in good earnest without counterfetting that wee cannot abide that any man should woorke reproche to his Maiestie and glorie That is the thing which we haue to marke vppon this place if wee minde to obserue the thing nowe adayes which was commaunded the Iewes accordingly also as it belongeth to vs in trueth and substance For like as our Lord in olde time deliuered that people out of Egypt so hath he nowe deliuered vs from the gulfe of hell and rid vs frō euerlasting death Col. 1.13 Heb. 2.14 and from the bottomlesse pit of hell wherein wee were plundged of purpose to take vs vp into his heauenly kingdome purchased for vs by the bloud of his deare beloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christ. Nowe let vs kneele down in y e presence of our good God with acknowledgment of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them better than wee haue done to the ende that wee indeuouring to refourme our selues more and more according to his righteousnesse may fight dayly against the lustes of our flesh and shunne al that is against the pure seruice of our God holding out in the same incounter till he haue fully ridde vs of it and fashioned vs againe after his owne image according whereunto we were created at the first 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 xxvj of Iune 1555. The xxxvj Sermon which is the seuenth vpon the fifth Chapter 16 Honor thy father and thy mother as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thee that thy dayes may be prolonged and that it may goe well with thee in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee NOwe wee bee come to the second table of the Lawe where GOD sheweth vs howe wee ought to liue one with another For as hath bene touched heretofore there are two principall thinges in our life first that wee serue God purely and afterward that wee liue honestly and vprightly with other men yeelding euerie man his due Nowe like as the honour of God excelleth all thinges that concerne man so was it meete that the rule thereof should bee set downe in first and chiefe place that wee might honour him as wee ought to doe which thing is dispatched in the first table Here therefore GOD beginneth to tell vs howe to direct our life Psal. 16. Deut. 30.19 20. if wee intend to serue him as in respect of men Also I haue shewed you that God requireth not any honour at our handes for that he hath neede of it or is euer the better for it but hee doeth it for our benefite and welfare Nowe then his intent is to trie our obedience and the loue that wee beare him by commaunding vs to behaue our selues vprightly and honestly towardes our neighbours and to liue togither in such fellowship and concord as none of vs bee giuen to himselfe but all of vs communicate togither and euerie man straine and imploye himselfe to doe good according to such power and abilitie as they haue That say I is the proofe to knowe if wee worshippe him with our heartes For wee may well make many faire countenances and Ceremonies but God will not take them for payment Matt. 23.23 And euen that is the cause why our Lorde Iesus Christ saieth that the chiefe pointes of the Law are Iustice Iudgement vprightnesse and faith that is to say faithfulnesse or trustinesse for so doeth the woorde Faith betoken there Then if wee liue vprightly among men so as wee bee neither guilefull nor malicious but desirous to serue euerie mannes turne maintaining the good and resisting the euill as neere as wee can it is the chiefe point of the Lawe Not that the seruice of God ought to bee forgotten in the meane while or that it is of lesse importaunce but bicause it is vnpossible for men to discharge their duetie towardes their neighbours if they bee not led by the feare of God Now let vs treate of the forerehearsed commaundement which is of the honouring of our father and mother Although mention bee made here of father and mother by name no doubt but he meant to deliuer a generall doctrine for the honouring of all Superiours For proofe whereof Psal. 〈…〉 wee knowe that the Lawe is a perfect rule wherein nothing is wanting But if there were nothing included concerning other superiours as Princes Magistrates and such as haue the sworde of Iustice and Maisters there were some want Therefore it is to bee concluded that here GOD hath commaunded the honoring and obeying of all such as are in degree of superioritie Rom. 〈…〉 Moreouer seeing it is so that all preheminence commeth of GOD and that it is an order set by him without the which the worlde coulde not continue what a thing were it that God shoulde haue made none account of it in giuing vs the sure fourme of good and holy life It is not to bee thought straunge that he shoulde comprehend all vnder one particular for I haue tolde you alreadie that that maner of dealing is to bee found in the Law and wee shal see more of it againe
as men are fleshly when gods lawe is first vttered vnto them they thinke they haue well discharged themselues if they cannot be blamed before the world and so on y e otherside they doe easily grant take leaue to do cuill And for the same cause euen y e Iewes themselues who ought to haue bin grounded in y e lawe of God from their childhood tooke this saying too grosly Thou shalt not kill For they vnderstood it y t they offēded not god so they made no open assault vpon their neighbour to wound him And therfore if the fault were not apparant to the eye they bare themselues in hand y t they ought not to bee charged with it before God Which thing our Lorde Iesus Christ rebuketh Mat. 5. ◠shewing that the law was too fōdly expounded Because it is said Thou shalt not kil you beare your selues in hand saith he that yee shal be quit before God if men cannot bring yee to the bar for it But whosoeuer calleth his neighbor foole y t is to say whosoeuer doth but shew som tokē of displeasure against him is forthwith worthy of hel-fire Whosoeuer doth another man wrong is in danger of iudgement from heauen y t God and al his Angels shal set themselues again him And whosoeuer doth but murmure against his neighbour so as he doth but mūble somwhat betwixt the teeth though he vtter nothing at all he is already in danger of iudgement Wee see whereto our Lord Iesus sendeth vs namely that when we may protest that we haue not done any outrage nor giuen any blow and y t we haue so litle ment to wounde our neighbour that wee haue not so much as once drawen our sworde at him yet is not al this ynough but wee must consider that God wilouer rule both our tōgues our thoughts and all our affections as good reason is hee shoulde Sith it is so whosoeuer misuseth his neighbour in speeche sheweth himselfe alreadie to bee a murtherer for the tongue cutteth as a sworde Although then that yee haue not your sworde in your fist to strike yet if your tongue bee armed to speake euill of your neighbour so as yee haue railed vppon him it is a kinde of murther as in respect of God And although yee haue not so misused him as all the worlde may bee priuie to it yet thinke not that ye shall therefore goe cleare For if ye doe but mumble betwixt the teeth it is ynough to make yee guiltie in the sight of GOD and ye shall be condemned before the heauēly throne though ye bee quit before men and though worldly Iustice take no holde of you When wee heare this we may well perceiue that he which speaketh it is the same person whom God the father hath giuen to bee the iudge of the world 1. Pet. 4.5 Therfore wee must not giue our selues too large scope in this behalfe For wee shall win nothing by our caueling and shifting But let vs learne to looke at God if wee will haue the right and naturall exposition of the Lawe Who is he that speaketh Euen hee that raigneth ouer our heartes and thoughtes 1. Sa. 16.17 Psal. 7.10 euen hee that can not abide to bee serued with eyeseruice nor that wee should abstaine from euill onely to the worldward but which will be serued in spirit and trueth He will haue our consciences to be pure cleane Iohn 4.24 1. Tim. 1.5 so as wee bee clensed from all naughtinesse Seeing it is so if wee consider the nature of GOD wee must no more restraine his Lawe to the outward deedes but wee must conclude that when God speaketh of murther he speaketh likewise of all enmitie displeasure anger and rancor that we haue against our neighbours And in deede that is the verie cause why S. Iohn sayeth 1. Ioh. 3.15 that he which hateth his neighbour in his heart is a murtherer As if hee should say yee maye well set a fayre countenaunce vppon the matter but bee the hatred neuer so secretly hidden in your hearte and although yee dissemble neuer so much so as ye vtter no signe of any malice yet thinke not that Gods eyes are shut for all that Men may well bee ignoraunt of the thing that yee haue not bewrayed but haue yee once hated your neighbours in your hearts that is to say so secretly as no man may perceiue it by and by ye bee murtherers before God And truely the reason hereof is too too apparant In deed when Princes and Magistrates make lawes it is not after the maner of God It is but onely to the end that men shoulde behaue themselues well as touching outward ciuill order so as no man bee misused but euerie man haue his right peace and concord bee maintained among men That is the intent of Magistrates in making of their lawes And why For they bee mortall men and cannot reforme the inward hidden affections That belongeth to God Againe they cannot search mens hearts Psal. 7.10 for y t is Gods peculiar office and so doeth the holy scripture attribute it vnto him Neuerthelesse when a ciuill lawe is once made although there be not one drop of bloud shed yet is the offender worthie to bee caried to the gallowes if he be knowen to haue done what he could to haue murthered one If one draw his sword vpon a man who notwithstanding doth so ward his blowes as they neuer touche any bare of him the Lawes euen of the heathen doe neuerthelesse condemne such a one to the gibbet as he is worthie For why The Lawe respecteth not the successe but the purpose and intent Nowe seeing it is so that earthly Princes and Magistrates doe punish such as haue indeuoured themselues to doe amisse though they haue bene disappointed of their purpose and not brought their attempt to passe what shall God doe Shall he haue lesse authoritie than a mortall creature To that point say I must wee come to knowe that GOD doeth iustly condemne all such for murtherers as hate their neighbours Why so As I said afore let vs consider what his nature is Will wee then keepe his commaundement Wee must in effect begin at murthering And why For God meant to strike a feare into vs aforehande to the intent that whensoeuer wee went about to hurt our neyghbours or to doe any extorsion or wrong wee might vnderstand that it is a detestable and horrible thing vnto them and such a one as hee cannot abide Why so Bicause it is a kinde of murthering Ye see then howe God meant to daunt vs at the first blowe and that is the end that we must begin at Moreouer if we thinke it straunge that God should condemne a blowe to be murther yea or a wrong offered but in wordes yea and euen a frowne though the tongue haue bewrayed nothing at all yea and euen the secret and vnespied hartburning that is deeply ouercouered with in I say if we thinke it
eare and abuse his fauour by tempting his patience and the more that hee spareth them the lesse doe they seeme to regard his loue and fauour Therefore doth it behooue men to be wakened and quickened vp with threateninges It is true that God indeuoreth as much as is possible to win vs by gentlenesse and not by constreint But when he seeth vs so hardharted that if hee speake gently vnto vs we make but a mocke of his doctrine and voutsafe not to thinke vppon it then doth hee adde threatenings After the same maner dealeth Moses both here in many other places and it is the common order of speach of the holy Ghost throughout al y e holy scripture Then let vs marke well that God for his parte is loth to speake otherwise than gently vnto vs and would faine so waken vs as wel should come to him willingly But our naughtinesse and lewdnesse bewrayeth it selfe in that in stead of comming to him we retire from him Seeing he allureth vs gently speaking to vs as a father or rather as a mother to her little children must it not needes be that we be too froward when we turne our backes vpon him and despise him for shewing himselfe so louing to vs Yes yet is it an ordinary vice among vs. And therefore let vs not thinke it straunge though we heare thereatninges oftentimes in y e holy scripture and that God setteth his wrath before vs that we be so rebuked when we come at Sermons For why Let euery man looke into himselfe and if God should alwayes set his promises afore vs say come my children come let vs see if that would suffice Nay contrary wise we see how euery man abuseth such goodnesse And therefore whensoeuer there is any sharpenesse or vehemencie in the doctrine that is set forth vnto vs in y e name of God let vs vnderstand that our naughtinesse requireth it and that without it we should continue still in our filthinesse rotte in our owne doung so as there would be no meanes to pluck vs out of it because euery man delightes in his owne destruction And if we were not afraid of Gods iudgement neuer would any of vs all play the iudge towardes himselfe but we would think our selues to be scaped out of Gods hand and euery of vs would winke at his owne faultes Fo◠although God cite vs to his iudgement seate indite vs there to make vs ashamed yet cease we not to sleepe still in our sinnes And what would we then doe if we were not threatned So then it is not without cause that the holy Ghost hauing vsed gentlenesse falleth to roughnesse For it is meete that men shoulde bee so dealt withall and that God should not onely wring them by y ◠eares but also stryke them hard to the intent to bowe them y t they may yeeld themselues teachable and be disposed to come vnto him which thing they would neuer doe with their good will And now Moses sayth expresly If yee forget the Lord your God and goe after straunge Gods Whereby he doth vs to vnderstand y t inasmuch as the Israelites had bin trayned in the sound doctrine and in the right religion they coulde not turne away to superstition and idolatrie but through vnthankefulnesse in forgetting God For why If God haue once taught vs his truth and manifested himselfe to vs it ought to suffice vs because it is so greate a light as we cannot go amisse but of wilfulnesse If a man that walketh at noonedayes doe run against a stone or tumble into a ditch can hee say I see it not Hee seeth playnely and besides that hee hath the Sunne to guide him and how can hee then excuse himselfe Euen so is it with vs When God hath inlightned vs by giuing vs his worde wee can no more walke in darkenesse insomuch that if wee rush against any thing it is through our owne wilfulnesse and if wee fall into the ditch wee our selues are too blame for it That is the thing which Moses meant in saying If yee goe after strange Gods yee forget the Lord your God The poore Paynims that were in those dayes had more to excuse themselues withall than the Iewes had because God shewed not himselfe vnto them But forasmuch as the people of Israell had receiued Gods lawe so as hee had set them in the way of saluation they could not say We knowe him not according to the solemne protestation which wee shall see that Moses maketh in the two and thirtith Chapter I cal heauē and earth to witnesse this day sayth hee that I haue set you in the way of saluation so as yee cannot henceforth alledge that yee haue not heard any thing or that if yee had bin taught yee would haue done your indeuour to liue according to Gods will I haue shewed it you sufficiently therefore followe it Now must wee benefite our selues by this doctrine and apply it to our vse nowadayes For the Papistes Turkes and Paynims liue in ignorance and no maruell at all True it is that yet for all that they shal not faile to be condemned before God But yet are wee much more blame worthie than they if wee sticke not to our God And why For hee hath sent vs the pure doctrine of his Gospell hee hath voutsafed to giue vs the vnderstanding of his trueth so as wee may now discerne betweene good and euill Now if wee turne againe to our olde superstitions can wee say wee were deceiued through ignorance No but God will alwayes holde vs at this bay that we haue forsaken him lyke backslyders and broken our faith lyke periured and disloyall kaytifes Yee see then that the thing which wee haue to marke vppon this place is that when God hath manifested himselfe to vs by his worde so as wee knowe the way of saluation it behoueth vs to be the more circumspect and to hold our selues the faster to the purenesse of his doctrine For if wee swarue from it it is because wee haue forgotten our God that is to say wee haue wilfully turned our backe vppon him and forsaken him after our knowing of him In deede this is layd to the charge of all men in generall I meane euen of the ignorantest for God manifesteth himselfe to all men Rom. 1.20 Deut. 4.7.12 Hebr. 1.1.2 euen by heauen and earth though he doe no more But heere the case concerneth Gods word which is the familiar maner of shewing himselfe to vs. And had we this lesson wel printed in our hearts so as wee could bethinke vs to benefite our selues by the thinges that are shewed vs nowadayes in the Gospell wee would neuer forget our God to step aside after superstitions Notwithstanding let vs marke by the way that if other sinnes bee intollerable before God hee abhorreth idolatrie and the corruption of his seruice aboue all other crimes In deede if a man that knoweth the Gospel doe giue
knowing of them wee shoulde craue forgiuenesse of them and fall to such repentance as may wholy tame vs and make vs flee vnto him and not be giuen any more to our vices But that is vnpossible for vs to doe vntill wee haue so ouermastered our selues as to mislyke our owne affections with full purpose to renounce them Vntill a man bee subdued after that fashion it is vnpossible for him to yeeld obedience vnto God how faire apparance of vertue soeuer he haue But what So farre off are wee from minding these thinges that by all lykelyhoode wee doe nothing else but blindfolde our eyes that wee might not see our sinnes to seeke conuenient remedie for them See here how the Iewes were condemned for requiring of water and yet were they ready to dy for thirst Yea but the cause why they were not to bee excused was for that they required it with murmuring Whereas they should haue sayd Lord thou knowest what is expedient for vs better thā wee our selues doe and therefore wee referre our selues to thee prouide thou for vs in steade of vsing such humilitie they fall to repining and storming Now wee must not doe so but wee must patiently tary Gods leasure when hee giueth vs not thinges so soone as wee aske them for hee can well skill to prouide for all our needes In deed if it pleased him hee could well content vs and giue vs all our wishes but his will is not to maintaine vs here in such abundance as wee might take occasion to holde skorne of the good that hee doth vs and to despise it by treading it vnder our feete Hee will haue vs to be meeke and lowly that wee may learne to resorte vnto him When a man is in poore estate he beareth himselfe on hand that if God would giue him wherewith to maintaine himselfe plenteously he would be wholy giuen to be thankefull towardes him for his pitying of him But let him once come to wealth and let God deale bountifully with him and what will he doe He wil lift vp himselfe against God and forget him in such sorte as if hee were not the same man that he was before And this vice is tootoo common insomuch that that more our Lord increaseth his benefites towardes vs the more doe we seeme wilfull in despising him and his so doing sharpneth our vnthankfulnesse and malice And therefore let vs consider that the thinges which are tolde vs concerning y e Iewes belong vnto vs forasmuch as we haue the lyke or greater vices in vs than were in them we must vnderstand that Gods intent is to teach vs by them And specially whereas mention is made of their wilfull stubbornnesse at Cades Barne Numb 14.4 where they refused to goe foreward to enter into the inheritance that was promised them let vs vnderstand that we be no lesse worthie of blame at this day before God for that he cannot hold vs in to make vs goe through with our course To what purpose hath GOD called vs into his Church It is as I sayd afore to the end that in passing through this world wee shoulde not be wedded to it but vse it altogether as a wayfaring and as a straunge countrie trauelling still through it towardes heauen For beholde our Lord cryeth to vs both early and late that wee should goe on still to come vnto him But we on the contrary part voutsafe not to remoue one foote to goe to him but in stead of setting forward we retire back or else sit snugging still in our owne slothfulnesse We see it is so Now then forasmuch as our Lord findeth vs so lazie and stubborne that in stead of plucking vp a chearefull courage to goe foreward and to hold on our course vntill wee bee come to the ende of it wee resist him and are loth to passe any further Let vs vnderstand y t this story is told vs to cast vs vtterly down in our selues so as we should not seeke any worthinesse in our owne persons as in deede there is none in vs But yelde God the whole prayse of his benefites knowing that he is not bound at all on his side but that hee doth all thinges of his own meere free goodnes and infinite mercie and therefore that wee on our side ought to sigh beseeching him to correct vs and reforme vs according to his will And for the better perceiuing hereof I pray you after what sort goe we forward when God calleth vs Wee partly limp and partely make many a false step Let euery man examine himselfe and see how foreward hee hath bin since the time that God hath reached him his hand True it is that euen before wee knew the Gospell wee were already without excuse of our rebelling against our God Rom. 1.20 but now seeing hee hath inlightened vs by his word and shewed vs the way of saluation and setteth his will before vs saying come and reacheth vs his hand to guide vs if of all this while wee haue not voutsafed to come vnto him how shall wee excuse our selues Let euery of vs consider how hee dischargeth himselfe and afterward let vs haue an eye to the common state Wee can well speake of Gospellyke reformation and it is a maruell to heare how wee will talke but yet for all that our filthinesse is so stinking as is lothsome to beholde and GOD needeth not to goe vp into his iudgement seate to giue sentence of it for the very infidels and ignoraunt sorte can bee our Iudges And of a trueth they may bee a great shame to vs seeing our lyfe is so leawde and wicked that euen the silie blinde sorte of Papistes may laugh vs to skorne And surely if vtter confusion shoulde fall vppon our heades wee haue well deserued it For by our meanes Gods name is blasphemed and yet notwithstanding wee regarde it not Howbeit the more that wee besotte our selues after that fashion in our vaine selfeflatterie the more will GOD make vs feele in the end that hee will not suffer his chastisements to bee lost To bee shorte let vs remember how Moses sayth heere Euer since the time that I haue knowen you you haue alwayes bin rebellious against God And this Rebelliousnesse whereof he speaketh is expressed lykewise in this saying that they resisted the mouth of God distrusting him and in countring his will Now then if we wil know what it is to be rebellious let vs first of all looke what God hath spoken For the thing wherein hee intendeth to trye vs is whether wee be willing to submit our selues simply in all respectes to his worde after hee hath beene so gratious vnto vs as to teach vs. What else is the holy scripture but an vttering or declaring of Gods will And therefore all that euer is conteined there is as though GOD opened his holy mouth to tell vs what he requireth at our hand Then if our lyfe bee not fully correspondent to Gods worde whereof wee make profession
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
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
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
knowledge of y e Gospell And in deede according heereunto it is sayde in the Psalme that kinges shall come to submitte themselues to him that was to bee sent to be the redeemer Psa. 72.10.11 â— 13â— 4 Esa. 49.7.23 And againe that they shal be as foster fathers to the Churche and that Queenes shall giue her sucke that is to saye that such as haue the sworde of Iustice in their hande shall take Gods Churche into their protection to mainteine it in the pure doctrine and in the same Religion that is set downe in Gods worde Sith it is so it is to be concluded not onely that it is Lawefull for all Kinges and Magistrates to punish heretikes and such as haue peruerted the pure trueth but also that they be bounde to doe it and that they misbehaue themselues towardes GOD if they suffer errours to roust without redresse and employ not their whole power to shewe a greater zeale in that behalfe than in all other thinges For is it reason that he which sitteth in the seate of Iustice shoulde punishe a theefe for doing wrong but to the valewe of fiue shillinges and in the meane while let a traytour to GOD goe vnpunished Gods name is thereby blasphemed 2. Cor. 3.18 his trueth whiche is his image is trampled vnder foote and it is much more than if a man should rende some princes Cotearmour in peeces In so dooing the liuing image of GOD is skorned and as it were spitted at and the saluation of mennes soules hindered and shall the Magistrates sit still at it like ydolles They must punish a theefe for the valewe of fifteene pence and beholde this is such a traytour as goeth about to confounde heauen and earth together and must the same go vnpunished What a dealing were that Doeth not euen nature teache what is to be doone in this behalfe And as for those that say that we should let the euill weedes growe still doe they not shewe themselues to be growen out of kinde like monsters and that they bee more intollerable than if they were starke madde For it shoulde seeme that their meaning is to defie the whole order of nature and men see that they not onely speake against GOD but also poyson mennes soules and bewray themselues not to haue one droppe of setled discretion Nowe then let vs marke that sith God hath declared that in the reigne of his Sonne euen kinges shoulde bee called to the knowledge of the trueth and become a parte of his Church It behoueth them to giue example to their people and it is good reason that they shoulde employ their whole power and authoritie to maintaine the good doctrine and to cause GOD to be honored and serued and to driue away all ydolatrie and superstition and to see that it bee not Lawefull for anie man to spewe out blasphemies agaynst GOD. That is the thing which we haue to marke vpon this place And whereas it is alleadged that Iesus Christ vsed not the materiall sworde to aduaunce his doctrine withall that is true and wee also bring not the sworde in our hande into the pulpit to prooue the things that wee preache But lette vs learne to put a difference betweene offices and let vs consider howe our Lorde Iesus Christe came to preache his worde when hee woulde that such as receiue it should euerie man in his owne state and calling followe whatsoeuer is ordeined for him Nowe it is true that in the time of our Lorde Iesus Christ the great men of the worlde claue not to the Gospell no more than we see them doe yet still at this day but the little ones and weakâ—linges were faine to be chosen thereby to beate downe the pride of the worlde as Saint Paule auoweth in the first to the Corinthians Ye see sayeth he that there bee not many noble men 1. Cor. 1.26 men of power or wise men among you And why For men are but too much giuen to the aduauncing of themselues and if God had begunne at the great ones the litle ones shoulde haue seemed as nothing But God ment to beate downe all pride that men might learne to chalendge nothing to themselues Notwithstanding howesoeuer the case stand when the great ones are called to the seruice of God then must they imploy theÌ„selues in the thinges that belong to their charge For the thinges that I alleadged out of Esay Dauid and diuerse other Psalmes belong to the reigne of our Lorde Iesus Christ and to the state of the Christian Church Therefore must we needes conclude that our Lorde will haue Princes and magistrates to vse the sworde that is giuen them to the mainteynaunce of his honour and of the vnitie of faith and good agreement so as if any man rayse vp trouble or goe about to sowe darnell he may be rooted out But is not that punishment too rigorous Yes for some will well ynough graunt as constrained thereunto that it is good that heresies shoulde be repressed but that it were too great an extremitie to proceede so farre as to punishe them with death Yea but as I sayde afore wee must esteeme Gods honour as it deserueth For if wee woulde that deceiuers shoulde be reprooued so as they might not haue their mouthes open and yet that they shoulde not bee vtterly suppressed as were requisite it were all one as if we shoulde say In deede we ought to please God but as for to put a man to death for blaspheming him what a thing were that Loe at what point we be Bet God for all that will not faile to be had in estimation as I sayde afore yea and that to our cost if wee goe that way to worke For the very cause in deede why we see the worlde infected with so many troubles and errours is our lasines in that wee haue neither zeale nor disposition to beate downe the leasinges of Satan Nay rather which worse is there are a great number which maintaine them willingly And yet in the meane while men crye out that all thinges are confounded that all thinges goe to hauocke and that there are so greate troubles as is pitie to beholde And what is the cause thereof Euen the princes that are willing to maintaine errours and further them by all meanes they can so as it may seeme that they bee of Satans setting vp as it were to vpholde his part against God and his worde Their people likewise desire nothing so much as to be fedde with lyes that is al their seeking and God sendeth it them For as I haue shewed afore it is a iust rewarde for them Why then should men cry alas or why should they be greeued at the matter when all men both great and small seeke the vtter defacing of Gods trueth and to giue scope to all manner of leasinges Therefore let vs learne in any wise to haue the zeale and affectioÌ„ which our Lorde commaundeth vs or else it wil come to passe the heresies
quite backe by these worldly things But let vs marke y t our Lord Iesus Christ hath not only draweÌ„ vs out of y e gulfe of death but also will haue vs dayly to passe further And forasmuch as we be not quite cleane rid of this bondage of sinne this passing on must continue still What is al our life then It is a continuall holding on to attaine to y e full and perfect freedome which God hath promised to his children And y t is y e cause why I sayd y t it behooued vs to eate the Pascall Lamb euery day For Iesus Christ is not our euerlasting Passouer for y t he is sacrificed euery day but for y t we doe daily take benefit by him for that he maketh y e vertue of his sacrifice continually auailable by his holy spirit Notwithstanding howsoeuer y e case go yet must we still keepe on foreward vntill we bee taken out of this world This doctrine ought to be very common yea and when it is preached euery man will thinke he knowes it wellynough but in the meane while where is y e practise thereof Where is the sayd freeheartednes to shewe by our deedes that our Lord hath broken the bondes of Satan so as we serue not sinne any more Where is y t earnestnes of minde to proceede more more vntil we be gone quite cleane out of the world And yet must we exersice this doctrine put it in vre if we wil be acknowledged for meÌ„bers of our Lord Iesus Christ. But we cannot haue him to bee our Redeemer except he haue alwayes y e saide title of Passeouer And that is in respect of vs for he hath made his passage by comming downe into the world by reconciling men to God his father 1. Tim. 3.16 by being receiued vp againe into his glorie and Maiestie Therfore there must not be any more chaunge in Iesus Christ. But we on our side must be made perfect in him and as soone as he calleth vs to be of his body we must begin to depart out of y e dungeons of sin from whence we must withdraw our selues euer more more and still trauell to attaine to the heauenly righteousnes To be short let vs note that a Christian may well perceiue whether hee haue profited in the Gospell or no by examining whether hee be withdrawen from the worlde or no and whether he be ready and weldisposed to depart from it as oft as it shall please God to pull him away from it so as his heart be not tyed to it as long as he is heere beneath For looke where our treasure is Matt. 6.21 there is also our heart with it but that seeing Iesus Christ is our full life and felicitie we alwaies tend to himward euer haue our mindes lifted vp on high And let vs marke further that to keepe the passeouer aright at this day it behoueth vs to be vnited together accordingly as we see how God hath giuen a strait commaundement thereof in this place where he saith it is not Lawfull to eate the pascall Lambe in any other of the Cities or towns of the contrey but y t they ought to assemble together to the Temple Which thing I haue told you heeretofore was doone to preserue the religion in his purenes Will we then nowadaies be partakers of our Lord Iesus Christ Let vs agree together that there may be a true brotherhood among vs. For if we bee at ods among our selues like dogs cats Iesus Christ must needes disclaime disauow vs. And therefore let vs not imagine our selues to be vnited to Iesus Christ except there be good agreement and brotherly loue among vs. And wherein must that be We may not conspire together as the wicked doe for they make confederacies and ioyne hands together to make warre against God Cursed be such vnion it behooueth vs to bee farre off from such dealing Nay we must resorte to the temple of God And although we haue not now a material temple as the Iewes had then in Ierusalem for our meeting togither is for common orders sake and not after the manner of the Iewes who had a place certaine appointed out to theÌ„ although say I we haue not the like figure yet must we walke as in the presence of our God Eph. 4.13 â— Iohn 17.11 we must be ruled by his word we must haue one melody of faith to praise God as it were with one mouth we must shew our selues truly to be al one in him Thus ye see how wee must be gathered together to Gods Church if we will bee partakers of our Lord Iesus Christ. And herein we see y t these scorners which turn away from y e order of y e church exclude theÌ„selues from al hope of the heauenly life They can say wel ynough y t their intent is to be Christians but yet for al y t inasmuch as they forsake y â— vnitie of faith yea euen fight against it by despising all order is it not to be concluded y t they cannot be partakers of the Pascall Lambe at leastwise after y e true maner thereof which we haue nowadaies Let vs marke well then y t to be partakers of our Lord Iesus Christ we must not be only vnited in y e doctrine of y e gospel but we must also make confession of our faith in assembling all togither as though God were present with vs. Matt. â—â— 2â— And truely we know how it is promised vs y t where two or three are gathered togither in y e name of Iesus Christ he will beare rule there be present among theÌ„ And therfore let vs haue a diligent regard of resorting vnto Sermons And therwithal let vs vse y e Sacrament of the Lords supper y t we may aske one another what is ment by it For in the xii of Exodus our Lord sheweth vs full well Exod. 1â— â—â— y t wee must profit in his schoole to be partakers of y e Pascall Lambe If thy sonne aske thee what this act of ours betokeneth Thou shalt answere wee were bondslaues in y e land of Egypt God pitied vs. Thus ye see what we haue to doe at this day not for y e eating of a rosted Lambe but to be made partakers of our Lorde Iesus Christ in spirit and truth Wee must inquire diligently to know y e benefits which our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought vs. And herein is our negligence bewrayed For it is ynough for vs to heare Iesus Christ spoken of yea there are a great sort which haue not the skil to discerne the father from the sonne They know not whether Iesus Christ were sent by God his father or no insomuch y t now then a man shall finde more beastlines in those y t haue their eares dayly beaten w t the Gospel than among y e Papists Nay it is to bee openly seene Why then come we to
Sermōs but to be taught Nay there are a nōber which fulfil y e prouerb y t saith a foole doubteth of nothing And they y t haue most need to learne think themselues to know most that they need not to opē their mouths to ask which is Gods truth But as for vs let vs inquire And for y t doing thereof let vs marke y t it behoueth vs to liue soberly for if we got to worke proudly presumptuously as a nōber do which think thēselues so great clerks as I haue said y t no man cā teach thē any more than they know alreadie wee shall be ful enough yea euē till we burst but it shal be but with wind we shal be voyde of all light of life But if wee can finde in our heartes to bee taught of God we must bee learners that is to say lowliminded and we must vnderstand that we haue neede to proceede further And truely the verie vse of the Lordes supper ought to put vs in minde that our cōming thither ought not to be without instruction For as I declared yesterday a sacrament without teaching instruction is a deade thing and a mocking of God and a defiling of the thing it selfe Therefore as oft as wee come to the supper let it bee awakening of vs to make vs inquire of y e things that we know not sufficiently before though we haue had some tast of them And truely if it be not lawful to admit young children to the Lords supper vntill they knowe what is meant by that Sacrament and wherefore it was ordeyned shoulde such as haue liued a fortie and threescore yeares come to it like dogges or swine And yet we see they doe so and woe be to them for it So then let the visible signe which our lord hath ordeyned be a meane to spurre vs forwarde the more that wee may seeke to profite more and more in the knowing of Iesus Christ specially seeing we be no more troubled nowadayes with resorting to a place which God hath appointed For wee haue Iesus Christ who is Gods temple 〈◊〉 3.11 and hee is not shut vp within any certaine place but filleth both heauen and earth with his power True it is that in the nature of man wherewith he clothed himselfe he is gone vp into heauen and yet for all that hee ceaseth not to dwell here in vs So then we must go to Ierusalem we neede not to goe on pilgrimage but only to make our repaire to the son of God and we shall finde in him the whole fulnesse and perfection of the Godhead Coloss. 2.9 〈◊〉 ◠9 Matt. 28.20 Col. 2.6 Neuerthelesse wee must marke well also that forasmuch as the fathers of olde time had not the thinges that are giuen vs at this time it shal be to our sorer condemnation if they haue beene diligenter than we in exercysing y e figures shadowes and that we nowadayes be lasie and colde so as the substance be put into our handes and yet we make no reckening of it The Iewes were faine to resort to the Temple of Ierusalem leauing their houses and householdes And their wiues and childrē were faine to come trotting thither with great trauell and not without charges And why You shall resort to the place which the Lorde shall haue chosen to set his name in He saith not to dwel there throughout but to shewe his presence in such wise as it may be knowen that we bee vnited to our God not onely by figures and shadowes but also by his dwelling among vs. As nowe there is not any one place which God hath chosen to put his name in that hee might bee called vppon alonely there but wee haue God manifested in the flesh For what is Iesus Christ Euen so is he intitled by Saint Paul 1. Tim. 3.16 Seeing then that hee calleth vs to himselfe and that we neede not to make any long circuites to finde him but rather that he preuenteth vs and that all his desire is to drawe vs to God his father shoulde we nowe be lasie and colde What excuse wil there be for vs when the Iewes tooke such paine hauing but y e first principles like yong childrens Apsies and y t we nowadayes being brought to the full perfection doe fare neuer the better by it or at leastwise it standeth vs not in so much steade as the auncient figures stood the Iewes vnder the law Thus ye see what we haue to remember vppon this text where it is saide that they resorted to the place which the Lord had chosen Now finally for a conclusion Moses telleth them that there should bee no Leauened breade in all their borders during those dayes and secondly that on the day of the passouer they should keep as great solemnitie as on the Sabboth day And hereby he sheweth that it is not enough for vs to absteyne from fraude and malice but that we must labor to the vtterm oft we can to put away al filth frō among vs. For if I alledge that as for my selfe I will bee no hypocrite and in the meane time doe suffer stumbling blockes in the Church yea or mainteyne them I must not thinke my selfe therefore discharged It is saide There shall no leauen bee seene in thy coastes As if he had said Euerie man must haue an eye to himselfe and to his house y t ye be not defiled in any thing that may hinder you to eat of the pascall Lambe in all purenesse Therefore beginne at your selues and at your owne householdes But yet therewithall bee so watchfull also as there may be no corruptiō in al y e rest of the people Wherfore let vs haue an eie nowadaies to the wel practising of this doctrine and let euerie man looke narrowly to himselfe And afterwarde let such as haue householdes to gouerne looke to the purging away of all filth and vncleannesse And then generally if there be any stumbling blockes among vs which may put thinges out of order let vs all looke to the reproouing of them out of hande And aboue all thinges let vs assure our selues that to bee partakers of Iesus Christ in true purenesse wee must begin at the cleansing of our selues y t God may gouerne vs and that our passeouer may be kept in spirit and trueth by casting ourselues vtterly downe and by yeelding to forbeare all our owne thoughtes and affections so as wee may keepe a spirituall Sabboth not for one day onely as I said afore but y t we may continue therein during all the time of our life Now let vs kneele downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs to feele thē better than we haue done that they may so mislike vs from day to day as euery of vs may inforce himselfe to repaire vnto him and to frame ourselues in such sort to his righteousnes as all our whole life may bee ordered c. And
the wicked Angels For he speaketh not there of the heauenly Angels but of the diuels by name which execute Gods vengeance vpon men And therefore let vs marke that as experience also sheweth y e diuels may worke many such illusions by inchauntmentes And truely such thinges are not done but in the dark For so long as we be inlightened by GOD we neede not feare that a man shall seeme a wolfe to vs or that such trishtrash shall get the vpper hand of vs. But if we be faithles it is a iust reward for our quenching of y e light y t should haue shone into vs of our turning of our backes vnto God And when we wil not bee ruled by him then discern we no more between white and black but men seeme vnto vs to bee wolues and al things are out of order that iustly Therefore whereas here is mention made of such as mishape things by their inchantments Let vs note y t the law is not superfluous For sith y e case standeth so it is to be cōcluded y t such things may befall as whereof we haue examples But yet for al that it is abhominable before God and so likewise are Soothsayers It is a questiō whether it be possible for mā to foretel of things for it is Gods office to foreknow things to come and how then may it belong to the diuell Sure it is as saith y e prophet Esay that idols can foresee nothing Esa. 41.23 And as for Satan hee must alwayes needs be the father of lies deceiue al such as aske counsel of him Yet notwithstanding God doth nowe then suffer satan to tel of things to come and y t is for the more hardening of such as wil not obey the truth 2. Thess. 2.11 12. Deut. 13.3 as we haue seene by example in the thirteenth chapter it hath been treated of partly already Yet notwithstanding it is true also that soothsayers do ly most cōmonly and by that meanes our Lorde deludeth them y t seeke counsel of satan after y e fashion And beside let vs not thinke it strange though inchaunters soothsayers such other like do now then tel of things to come for it is gods iust sufferance to y e intent they should be y e deeplier plunged in error For asmuch as they wold needs be willingly deceiued he letteth thē be so y t they may perish Thus ye see why the law was made concerning such as diuine of thinges to come Also hee speaketh of Sorcerers And this sort conteyneth manie thinges For what a sinne is it that men shoulde forsake God and giue themselues ouer to Satan Must they not needes fall into horrible confusion Yes For after Satan hath once possessed vs and stopped our eyes and that God hath withdrawen his light from vs so as we bee destitute of his holy spirite and voyde of all reason then follow infinite abuses without ende or measure And thereof come sorceries Manie incredible thinges are reported of Sorcerers And truely when wee heare them spoken of we ought not onely to mislike of them but also bee sorrowfull in our heartes yea the very haires of our heades ought to stand vp thereat But yet therewithall we must consider that they bee reuengementes of God cast vppon such as haue forsaken him And that the same may be a cause to holde vs in awe and feare let vs learne not to tempt our God nor to play with him sith we see men become so brutishe after they be once turned away from the right path Truely if there were no moe but two or three examples hereof yet might it well seeme straunge vnto vs. But we know that in al ages and in al Nations Sorcerie or witchcraft hath borne sway yea and y e more sway for y e reiecting of Gods truth Insomuch y t where men haue once fallen to withstanding y e truth haue disdained to be taught by the pure worde of God there haue followed the moe illusions of Sathan yea and the more excessiue which haue also beene the more manifest and greeuous And whereof commeth this but of the cause which Saint Paul sheweth vs in his epistle to the Thessalonians 2. Thess. 2.11 12. namely that such as will not obey the trueth are vtterly peruerted by leasinges and that thence forth the diuell must needes worke with the greater force bycause God giueth him the bridle to carie men so away as they become ougly monsters To be short wee must beare in minde that whereas God speaketh to vs of inchauntmentes and sorceries it is to holde vs shorte vnder the obedience of his worde least wee shoulde fall into such a maze as the wretched Infidels are in yea and proceede so farre as to wander quite away when we haue once forsaken his worde Therefore let vs abide in this simplicity of obeying him and of submitting our selues to his mouth Also here is mention made of workers with Familiars As touching the which needes must Satans illusions be horrible But what There haue beene of them in all ages and wee see a notable example thereof in king Saule when he went to the Witch 1. Sam. 28.7 He as king had erst forbidden all inchauntmentes and all kinde of damnable craftes and hee had behaued himselfe vertuously in executing Gods lawe And yet in the ende he became so wretched that hee fell to running after a Witch And what was y e cause thereof but that he dispised God Whereuppon in the end he fell into despaire and gaue himselfe ouer altogether to Satan which thing hee shewed full well For if ye looke aduisedly into the matter ye shall finde that Satans illusions doe then get the vpper hand of men when their wittes bee amased by reason of sorrowfulnesse that gnaweth them inwardly for that in steede of receiuing some comfort of Gods word they bee ouerwhelmed with such anguishe that they fall into vtter despayre When doeth Sathan meete a man in some bodily shape and tangle him in his snares When a man is in some greefe of minde or in some hatred against his neighbour or when a woman spiteth her husbande Well then although such affections beare sway yet doeth not God by and by giue Sathan the bridle to raigne ouer men vntill they be come to such extremitie that they fall to chawing vppon the bit and become so wilfull in their sorowe that they fall into despaire and will no more admit anie comforte but refuse all remēbraunce of GOD and woulde that his name were buried for there is the gate open to Satan and he entereth to worke his illusions which a man is not able to withstande Hereof we haue a faire warning is Saul For hee had offended God and therefore was to be bereft of his kingdome because it was Gods pleasure it shoulde be so and there was none other shifte for him but to humble himselfe But he would not doe that And when hee sawe
could any thing be condemned but all iustice must needs go to wreck we should liue together like brute beasts Not without cause therfore doth our Lord tel vs heere y t two or three witnesses must be credited yea euē in all cases though it concerned a mans life an hundred times yet ought it to stande for good But wee see how the diuel hath practised continually to ouerthrow this order And why For he knoweth that hee coulde not deuise a better way to win vs than by couering our faultes because that by that meanes Gods wrath is kindled daily more more euery man taketh y e greater more excessiue libertie to do what he listeth insomuch that the nonpunishing of his leawdnes maketh him to think it lawful so he goeth on from one wickednes to another Yea it becommeth a cōmon infection like y e plague if it be not remedied in time it will poyson all In like case is it with euil deedes That is y e cause why the diuel hath alwayes practised that there might be no proofe of things or else that there might be so many startingholes as mens offences might not come to knowledge to be cōdemned And therfore our Lord saith expressely that the matter must be tryed at the mouth of two or three witnesses It is not Gods wil y t there shold be any exemption in that behalf For they that be in high degree ought to giue y e greater light if they offend the fault is double deserueth to be the grieuouslyer punished Therfore they must hold themselues to that there ought to be as great rigor at the least vsed towards them as towards those y t may better be born withall And so let vs marke y t seeing our Lord hath told vs that two witnesses ought to be beleeued in all cases it is an ouerthrowing of that good lawe to alleage that inconueniences may insew of it as some always do casting this dout that dout to bring al things to confusion O say they such a thing may come of it A man may alleage that y e clouds wil fal out of the aire And we haue seene examples therof For without going any further when one was to be punished which went about here to ouerthrow Gods order y e things that our Lord Iesus hath ordained by his word O we will none of that said some And why For such an inconuenience might insue of it And was that incōuenience seene No. But a man cannot tel what might come And their meaning was that Iesus Christ shoulde not reigne by his word After that maner did they greeue God And vnder what pretence For sooth that some inconuenience might ensue of it Lo here a diuelish wisedome Nowe then if wee see necessitie pinch vs hold vs short whatsoeuer impediment or quarel doe set it selfe against vs let vs learne neuerthelesse to follow Gods cōmandement without disobedience in word or deede And that is a thing which we haue to gather vpon this text ouer beside the things that haue beene declared Nowe let vs cast our selues downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to vouchsafe to hold vs so within our bounds by his word as that the great number of our vices imperfections hinder vs not from obeying his holy wil from abyding within he listes which hee hath set vs but that we may be quickened vp by y e witnesses which he giueth vs And seeing hee draweth vs to him by so many means we may not be so vnthankful as to drag backe when he calleth vs to seeke starting holes to hyde our sinnes to bury them before men but rather giue him glorie by confessing them conceiue not any other hope of saluation than through his meere mercie that euery of vs may so looke to himselfe as we may be witnesses and Iudges to our selues y t he may receiue vs to mercie when hee shall see that the euill dislyketh vs and that we haue not gone about to shrinke away from yeelding obedience vnto him 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 Munday the xvj of December 1555. The Cxv. Sermon which is the fourth vpon the nineteenth Chapter 16 If a falsewitnesse rise vp against any man to beare witnesse against him for any transgression 17 Then the two men that are at variance shall stande before the Lorde in the presence of the high Priestes and Iudges that shal be in those dayes 18 And the Iudges shall make good inquirie and if it be founde that the false witnesse hath giuen falsewitnesse against his brother 19 Then shalt thou do vnto him as he ment to haue done to his brother And so thou shalt rid away euil from among you 20 And others hearing thereof shall be afraide and not doe any such wicked deede among you from thencefoorth 21 Thine eye shall not spare him but life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hande for hande and foote for foote WE haue seene heeretofore after what maner God wold haue all thinges brought to end namely by prouing the truth by good record and yet that no infinite number of witnesses should be required but y t men should hold themselues contented with twain that could beare record of the deede For as I sayd offences should abide vnpunished if men should not stand vpon the recorde of two witnesses Yea and we see how a number of men conceale the truth and foresweare themselues insomuch that when the proofe of a crime committed commeth to triall a man shall haue much ado to finde one faithfull witnesse among three or foure Therefore if the nūber were not determinate what a thing were it Notwithstanding forasmuch as y e witnesses doe more in a case than the Iudge himselfe as the common prouerb saith it behooueth them for their part to be held in awe and that they haue no libertie giuen thē nor gap opened to them to oppresse giltlesse persons For if y t might be suffered it were better for men to be in the woods among theeues than to be in a citie where law is to be executed for false witnesses woulde murther such men with their tongues as could defend thēselues from the robbers And therfore our Lord addeth y t if an vnfaithfull witnesse be falsly deposed and that the defendant feeling himselfe greeued alledge that the record is false and wicked he shal be heard Now a man may mislike of the witnesses before they giue their euidence if there be iust cause or at leastwise if there be some colour but here it is for the defendant to shewe that the witnessing was false And it is sayde that both of them shall come before the Highpriest and the Iudges that shal be in that time and the Iudges shall inquire diligently of the matter And if they
approch neare vnto him ought to be souÌ„d both in their bodies and in their soules For whatsoeuer was figured in y e law was referred vnto that spiritual and heauenly patron which Moses saw in the mount as it is written in the 25. Chapter of Leuiticus And this is wel obserued both by S. Steuen Act 7.44 Hebr. 8.5 and by the Apostle to the Hebrewes So then let vs note y t when God barreth those from entring into the sanctuary which had any mayme in their bodie he ment to betoken therby that he woulde haue his seruants sound pure Yea and that men should not in y t behalfe rest on that which is seen with the eye of man but rather seeke after the true soundnesse which God respecteth which is in our heartes and in our mindes The like is to bee saide of that which Moses addeth touching bastards God meant hereby to shewe first what a priuiledge he had graunted vnto the stocke of Abraham And this was done to the intent that his fauour shoulde be the better knowen Beholde howe God chose out of all the world one certaine people And why Wee haue before shewed that there was no worthines at all in them but this proceeded of his own free bestowed loue Nowe because men doe willingly darken the fauour of God or cleane forget it or happily not knowe it in such sort as they should God would that the children of AbrahaÌ„ before they entred into the sanctuary shoulde learne to reason thus with themselues What is y e cause y t we haue accesse entraÌ„ce vnto our god What is the cause why hee sheweth himselfe so familiar vnto vs and receiueth vs when wee come vnto him It is because he hath chosen the seed of Abraham howbeit such as are y e true seed of Abraham We see theÌ„ how god ment to make theÌ„ which were descended from y e stock of Abraham to perceiue y t without any desert of theirs he had chosen them to be the inheritaÌ„ce of y e euerlasting God I say he shewed this vnto theÌ„ exercised theÌ„ in the remembrance of y t benefite to y e intent it might be y e better acknowledged among theÌ„ That say I is y e thing which we haue to note first of all Secondly God by this meanes held the Iewes shorter y t they might keepe themselues pure chast and y t there might be no fornication among them nor any such confusion as men might not know which were right begotten and which were bastarde children when no difference might bee had in that behalfe Therefore GOD by ordayning this Lawe gaue the Iewes an occasion to liue more chastly to the ende their stocke might bee holie and not prophane and that he which intended to commit adultery should be moued thus to thinke and to reason with himself How now God chose me before I was borne because I am of the children of Abraham and yet not contented herewith he hath declared that hee will be my sauiour euen to a thousand generations he accepteth my ofspring hee hath dedicated it vnto himselfe although we be al cursed by nature yet this grace of adoption exceedeth in my stocke And shall I goe now and raise vp a defiled seede which shall not bee of the people of God which shal not be of the body of his congregation which shall haue no entrance into the sanctuary Were not y t a renouncing of the benefit of my god Iâ— it not to shut him far off from me to giue him no entertainment or to shew him no countenance when hee calleth mee so gently This say I ought to holde backe the Iewes or els they were more than blockish And that had beene too leawd an vnthankfulnes and 〈◊〉 forgetting of the benefit which God had graÌ„ted vnto them Therfore that we may nowe apply these two places to our instruction let vs note y t although God regard not nowadayes whether there be any blemish in a mans body or no ne respecteth our parentage yet notwithstanding his will is y t this law shold serue for vs and y t we should apply the truth therof to our vse that is to wit y t when we come vnto him we must bring with vs an vpright soundnes And wherein Surely not in our bodily members for we know y t his seruice is spiritual Therfore let vs purifie our soules I grant y t our bodies ought to be purified also as S. Paul warneth vs Iob. â— 23 â— Cor. â— 6 but that is not in such wise as there be no maime or fault of sicknes in them but it is meant that we must not defile them w t vile and wicked thinges as he speaketh of Idolatry fornication also as the scripture speaketh of briberies extortions He which falleth downe before ydols as much as in him lieth defileth his body which ought to be dedicated vnto the seruice of God The like is to be said of fornicators which giue theÌ„selues ouer â—nto such wickednes as God detesteth They which spoile rob another man of his goods 〈◊〉 1.15 haue bloudy hands as the Prophet Esay vpbraideth them Thus ye se how we ought to indeuor our selues to purifie our bodies But y e chiefe point is y t we haue this soundnes in our soules that they be not scarred w t any such maime as may hinder vs from being quicke and ready to obey our God We must not say I be womanish but we must haue an inuincible corage to make battaile against Satan against all temptatioÌ„s shewing ourselues to be meÌ„ indeed Likewise we must not be weake in faith but wee must proceede always forward and enforce our selues to come vnto y t maÌ„s estate wherof S. Paul speaketh to y e Ephesians Eph. â— 13 that we wauer not with euery word but hold vs fast to y t which is good abide coÌ„stant stable in y e truth which we haue knowen Wee must not be tottering wauering too fro but we must resist al temptations so as nothing may hinder vs to keepe on that course whereunto God hath called vs. Let vs therefore strengthen again y e weake knees let vs fortifie y e trembling hands by the power of y e holy Ghost Thus ye see whereof we are expresly warned in this place to occasion vs to cling vnto our God when we be to withstand any teÌ„ptations which hinder vs from seruing him And moreouer let vs note y t seeing God hath sanctified vs yea that together with our whole ofspring we ought to continue in true chastitie when we heare his voice at y e mouth of our God I wil be y e sauiour both of you of your children also after you Gen. 17.7 WheÌ„ God is so gratious as to giue vs children we ought to prouide diligently y t the stocke be pure vndefiled And let the faithfull take good heed that they intermingle not them selues
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
my name they shal bee blessed There is a promise made The priestes then when they opened their mouth in y e name of God had this trueth warranted from heaueÌ„ y t they might promise the fauor of God and the people were certaine y t they should prosper wheÌ„ they once had this warrant which was offered vnto them But yet for all that it behoued them to haue an eye vnto God For if y e wicked should come to seeke for a blessing at the priests haÌ„ds the priests on the one side should defie God make their gaine of him they on the other side which come vnto them haue hyred them to blesse what might be thought of it It were a diuelish superstition a peruerting of y e order of God And yet notwithstanding they do it daily in the popedom For ye see what our Lord Iesus Christ said vnto his disciples If you forgiue sins vpon earth Matt. 16.19 Iohn 20.21 they shal be forgiuen in heauen and whatsoeuer yee vnbinde vpon earth shal be vnbound in heauen Ye see then how our Lord Iesus Christs will is y t his blessing should be vttered vnto vs in his name But what do the papists Their prelacie forsooth on y e one side vsurp the office of God by their charmes sorceries they would so bleare y e eyes of the whole world y t men should not seeke after God It is ynough say they to haue a crosse on y e back or a sprinkling of holy water I know not what And the world on y e other side is soone entreated to receiue these dotages For men fal asleep in their vices beare themselues in hande it is ynough for them to haue discharged al their sinnes once a yere into a priestes bosome then to haue a Masse or two sung other like solemnities vsed After this maner haue men purchaced blessings not at Gods but at Balaams hand What is then to be done Because we see men swarue thus aside vnto these sinful extremities let vs know y t when Gods wil is y t his blessing be declared vnto vs by y e mouth of men it is to the intent wee should look vp vnto him receiue the blessing at his hand yea y t in such sort as wee seuer it not from his trueth or righteousnes On what condition is it y t he blesseth vs It is to the intent first y t we should know y t there is in vs nothing but cursednes secondly y t we should haue recourse vnto his maiestie hold our selues in y e right way which hee hath shewed vnto vs and therefore let vs not disioyne y t which is ioyned togither by God least we become guiltie of this crueltie of tearing God as it were in peeces as the Papists do nowadayes the Moabites did in time past Now then we see wherin Balac offended how we are warned by his fault which is that he thought Balaam had this priuilege to blesse at his pleasure that God had layed the bridle on his neck that he had resigned ouer vnto him his own office Let vs take heede of so vaine foolish thoughts And let vs vnderstand y t when God sendeth vs men to declare vnto vs his word it is not because himselfe would bee at rest sleepe in heauen in the mean time forsake his church here below suffer men to bestow at their pleasure y e treasure which he hath committed vnto them but it is to the intent y t we should be guyded vnto him according vnto our weaknes If we haue men to speake vnto vs in his name it is not to the end y t we shold stick vnto them but to the intent they might be our ayders helpers And yet notwithstanding if we wil come vnto God we must be blessed in his name yea receiue w t faith true repentance the good which he offereth vs. And when we be so blessed let vs knowe y t that which men shall haue done is no vaine or fruitles thing because God warranteth ratifieth it in heauen but yet for al y t he himself must gouerne vs he must always haue the chiefe preheminence we must not leane to creatures but resort vnto him and say Lord it is of thee that I desire to be blessed And how not by forging such imaginations as shal seeme good vnto vs but thou Lord hast appointed y t we should come vnto thee sith wee haue thy word it is ynough to assure vs that our labor shal not be lost but that the thing which thou hast pronounced decreed by thy worde by the doctrine of y e Gospel shal be fulfilled that although it be done on earth yet notwithstanding y e effect therof shal be shewed in heaueÌ„ Wherfore whensoeuer we heare the warrant of our saluation preached vnto vs it is all one as if we had seene an angel from heauen or as if god himself had taught vs in his own person and we must do God this honor to receiue his word reuerently without making any reply against it at leastwise if we wil be holden accounted for his people Now herewithal we are also warned y t God by witholding the mouth of Balaam declared therby the power of his promise which hee had made vnto Abraham Truely he might haue vsed other meanes but his intent was to certifie the Iewes more fully of their adoption Sometimes God giueth the bridle to the wicked to blaspheme with open ful mouth to peruert al truth whereupon they take so vnruly lawlesse leaue as none caÌ„ be greater do nothing else but pluck forward the vengeance of God vpon their heads To be short all the world groweth out of kind by their abuses God somtimes permitteth this And why so bicause meÌ„ are worthie somtimes of such scourges Secondly God meaneth to humble vs. And thirdly he will trye y e stedfastnes of our faith But in Balaam he vsed another manner of order y t is to wit he bridled his tongue so as he could not do what he would what he purposed for god withstood him And why did hee so Because y e people were ouer tender nyceharted they had neede of helpe and therefore God meant to giue them this aduantage So then let vs note y t he suffereth deceiuers sometimes to darken the trueth yea to cast forth their lyes at ful in the meane while notwithstanding disappointeth them of their purpose or if his wil be that they preuaile it is because of mens vnthaÌ„kfulnes for as S. Paul saith they haue wel deserued that God should forsake them 2. Thess. 2 â—â— But somtimes he wil bridle the touÌ„gs of y e wicked so as the enimies of the worde of God cannot speake that which full faine they would we see nowadayes many experiences hereof In deede a man may see on
the one side these hyreling villaines these hypocrites flatterers I meane which write nowadays as their knowledge serueth them as men grease them in y e hand like common strumpets of the stewes It is nothing with them to speake euil of God and to aduaunce themselues against his word We may see many such Balaams nowadayes which are at the Popes pay are of his stinking clergie be of the number of these horned beasts But yet we see also how God bridleth them locketh them vp in such close ward y t they speake sometimes cleane contrarie to that they purposed so as they profit vs more by that meanes than if they had set themselues purposely to serue god insomuch y t the throte of Popedom is cut by his own vnderlings by all these Balaams which endeuour to bring al to vtter destruction the things which are done by them doe serue vs to as good purpose as if the seruaunts of God had spoken written Therefore when we see this let vs acknowledge the goodnes of God and be confirmed more more therin And moreouer if he sometimes giue such great libertie vnto y e wicked y t they disguise al things falsifie the trueth by turning of it into a lie Let vs pray him to strengthen vs against such temptations and not suffer the weaklings to quayle altogither by that meanes Now it is to be noted also y t God heard not Balaam but held him backe notwithstanding that he declared his wil vnto him in the end did suffer him to goe Hereby wee are taught not to come with hypocrisie as Balaam did when we desire leaue for any thing at Gods hand For wee see what leaue he had The like was said vnto king Achab. Yea thou shalt haue y e victorie But God mocked him because he wold needes haue leaue of him whether he would or no. Wel God gaue him leaue but it was to doe him to vnderstand y t he was prouoked thereby to farther displeasure so hapned it vnto Balaam But how euer it be let vs thus conclude that for asmuch as Balaā was so stubbornly bent therefore his couetusnes so blinded him as he sought onely after gaine For as a swyne when he hath once winded his meat runnes on to swash himself in it though he see men readie to stick him because his lust carieth him on headlōg though it be to his death so doe the wicked which despise God And why For their desires blind thē cary them away headlong yet will they needes haue Gods leaue with them But wee see what befell of it namely y t God commādeth him to blesse his people to curse the Moabites Forasmuch as wee see this let vs know y t sith God did put the warrant of his truth in the mouth of a false prophet we must assure our selues that when he sheweth vs so great fauour as to speak vnto vs by those whom he hath appointed sheepheards in his church by whō he wil be serued it is an infallible warrant of his gracious goodnes towards vs. And seeing that a false prophet was constrayned to say y t God is not like vnto mortal men what ought we to do Seeing y t a false prophet speaketh thus Num. 23.19 we ought to be ashamed to call the trueth of God in question specially when he declareth it vnto vs by such as represent his person And therfore let euery man answere Amen in his heart Sith wee heare euery day y t God allureth vs vnto himself that he reneweth the remembrance of y e adoption which he hath made vs y t he layeth before vs the benefite of the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ declaring vnto vs that we are cleansed by that meanes y t we are reconciled vnto him let these thinges cause vs to aunswere Amen let vs rightly seale vp the same to shew y t when God speaketh we are content with that which he saith nothing douting but that he will fulfil the same in his time Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them more more yea y t knowing how there is nothing in vs but al maner of miserie wretchednes y t vntil he accept of vs through his mercie wee must needes be his enemies it may please him to grant vs the grace to seeke him not with fainednes hypocrisie but in plain truth ridding vs of all our wicked affections of whatsoeuer we haue besides which may hinder vs from cōming vnto him purely in such simplicitie as he requireth Let vs therfore go vnto him with repentance faith submitting our selues wholy vnto his word embracing his promises which he maketh vs to feele with their power effect And that albeit we heare them not but of mortal men which speake vnto vs yet wee may not fayle to sticke wholly vnto y e doctrine which is of God to y e order which he hath appointed knowing y t our Lord Iesus Christ wil shew howe it was not for nought y t he ordeined y t his church should be so ordered That it may please him to grant this grace not only vnto vs but also c. On Wednesday the xxij of Ianuarie 1556. The Cxxxij Sermon which is the third vpon the three and twentith Chapter 7 Thou shalt not abhorre an Edomite because he is thy brother Thou shalt not abhorre an Egyptian because thou wast a stranger in his land 8 The children which are borne to them in the third generation shal enter into the congregation of the Lord. 9 VVhen thou goest out with an host against thine enemies then keepe thy selfe from euery wicked thing 10 If any among you be vncleane by that which cōmeth vnto him by night he shall go out of the host not come into the host againe 11 But at euening he shall wash himselfe with water and when the Sunne is downe he shal come into the host againe WE haue already declared whereunto this which Moses treateth of here doth tend Namely to this that for asmuch as God had seuered the people of Israel from al other nations of the world that priuilege might be obserued and that was to the intent y t those whom he of his free fauour had so chosen might the better vnderstand how deepely they were bound vnto his frebestowed goodnes For as we haue before seene he preferred them not in this maner before all the world either for any worthines or nobilitie which was in their persons Ye see then how the children of Abraham were then adopted when God gathered them vnto himself to be taken for his children And therefore they are exhorted not to mingle thēselues with the defilements of y e Infidels but to continue in al holines because God hath so dedicated them vnto himselfe knowing y t they ought not to
dwel to nestle yea and altogether to rotte in their ignorance But contrariwise let vs trust and wholy rest vpon this promise knowing that God doth vs an inestimable good turn whensoeuer it pleaseth him to set his worde before our eyes and to deliuer it to bee preached in our eares Now then whensoeuer God giueth vs his knowledge let vs vnderstand that he will not haue such a treasure to be lost or to perish but that we should receiue it and turne it to our coÌ„moditie But herewithal we haue to mark also that vntill God haue spoken and taught vs in his schoole we haue neither learning not wit but are as stray cattell and at a worde vtterly forlorne It is not therefore without cause that Moses saith The commaundement which I giue thee is not hidden from thee nor farre off so as thou mightest say Who shall goe vp to heauen Who shall passe ouer the Sea or who shall goe downe into the deepe Hereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that if God doe pluck back his word so as we know not what hee requireth of vs nor haue any testimony of his will then may wee well seeke about lyke people in perplexitie crying alas what shall we doe Who is hee that shal goe vp aboue the clowdes who is hee that shall goe downe into the deepe Who is hee that shall passe the Sea To what end There is no other instruction at all whereby God giueth vs any certaine and infallibe direction When we bee thus destitute wee bee as lost people hauing neither way nor path to leade vs we can discerne nothing Howe much soeuer men doe attribute to their owne wisedome supposing themselues discreete enough to rule themselues all their lyfe long yet are they but wretched beastes vntill God haue shewed them his will Thus much for one poynt Nowe it is farther to bee vnderstood that if GOD come not first to vs wee haue no meane to come at him Who is he that can giue vs winges to mount vp to heauen Or howe shall wee be able to passe ouer the deepe Although we had the knowledge of all secrets of nature well might we trauell all the worlde from place to place and well might we mount aloft vnto the very skyes and yet in the meane while wee shoulde want the cheefest thing of all which is to vnderstand the trueth of God for that surmounteth al the wit of man Let vs learne therefore that God in his infinite goodnesse perceauing that we haue no meane to approch vnto him giueth vs an easie accesse thither Yea and hee commeth downe vnto vs to fashion himselfe to our rudenesse and infirmitie We see how he dooth as ye would say stammer with vs for hee speaketh not in such loftinesse as might well seeme agreeable to his infinite glory maiestie but the phrase of holy scripture is grosse and rude by the which God speaketh to vs in such plaine manner as there remaineth no excuse for vs if we vnderstand him not plainely Seeing it is so let vs vse this maruailous goodnesse which God hath bestowed on vs and let vs holde vs to the same and therewithall let vs also acknowledge our owne ignorance that wee may humble our selues for the very cause why so fewe folke doe profite in the holy scripture is their owne ouerweening in that they be forepossessed with an imagination of their owne wisedome and sharpnesse of wit and so being drunken with their owne conceite they alwayes despise the worde of GOD. Let vs therefore humble ourselues for wee knowe that God nameth himselfe the teacher of the lowly and of litle ones Psal. 19. â—â— Psal. 11â— â—â— to the ende wee shoulde not come to the hearing of his worde as people puffed vp with our owne greatnesse fondly surmising our selues to bee men of great abilitie to discerne but that our whole wisedome should consist in obeying him in considering that seeing hee hath stooped so lowe vnto vs it is not for any of vs to aduaunce himselfe And seeing wee haue no winges to mount vp aloft let vs take heede that wee attempt it not for so may wee fall and breake our neckes mount wee neuer so little But let vs marke moreouer that his promise dooth importe also a condemnation to them that haue their eares continually beaten with the worde of GOD and yet remaine hardhearted still and receiue no profite thereof at all In deede the Gospell wherein the Law of righteousnesse is conteyned is preached continually and if wee be of that sorte which S. Paul speaketh of 〈…〉 7. which are alwayes learning and neuer come to the knowledge of the trueth thinke we that wee bee excusable before God Surely no. It will come to passe that whatsoeuer we haue at any time heard of the worde of God the same must come to reckoning and we shall be reproued of vnthankfulnesse because great treasure shall haue perished without any benefite vnto vs. Wee shall not haue heard that Sermon in all our lyfe which God will not lay to our charge at the latter day as how How haue you profited by it Wee haue not heard one lecture that shall not bee recited vnto vs. Let vs therefore bee well aduised and whilest the Lorde is willing to teach vs giuing vs faithfull expounders of his worde and dealing so familiarly with vs let vs for our parte bee diligent to receiue it and embracing the doctrine that is deliuered vnto vs let vs shewe our selues more and more conformable to the same not alledging the obscuritie and depth of it therefore as the Papistes doe which goe about to shield them with their ignorance saying that the holy Scripture is too high and ouer deepe to bee conceiued It is true that the holy scripture is too high and too deepe but that is in respect that wee be wrapped in mistie darkenesse But it is the office of GOD to inlighten vs as wee shall see hereafter Howsoeuer the matter standeth let vs assure ourselues of this that if wee yeelde our selâ—es pliable to Gods direction he will instruct vs faithfully in his worde so as wee shall feele it to bee neere vnto vs. But yet is this neuer accomplished in vs vntill our Lorde instruct vs by his holy spirit together with the preaching of his worde by the mouthes of men And that is the cause why Saint Paul in the x. Chapter to the Romans sayth that this sentence is to bee applyed to the Gospel At the first sight it woulde seeme that S. Paul tooke it contrary to the meaning of Moses And for proofe thereof doth not Moses in this place speake of the Law Hee saith The commaundement which I ordayne for thee this day In saying this day hee speaketh of his office Nowe his office was to bring the Lawe and to publish it It is sayd in the first of Iohn that the Lawe was giuen by Moses but grace and trueth were giuen by Iesus Christ It seemeth not then
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
giue ouer himselfe to all manner of loosenesse as some are seene to do or rather as the common manner is that as soone as GOD giueth men that which they doe long for and desire they become drunken and doe lose both wit and reason if a man say I doe then ouershoote himselfe after that fashion when GOD dealeth with him so gratiously is not his sinne so much the more haynous Yes certainely That is the thing which Moses meant to declare in this place where he sayeth They shal come into the Lande which I haue promised them there will I sustaine them there shall they bee filled and made fatte and then will they turne away after straunge goddes By these woordes we are made to vnderstande that the more our Lorde maketh vs to feele his fauour and fatherly goodnesse the more ought we to be allured to rest wholly vppon him that hee may possesse vs and the more ought all our wittes and affections to bee stayed vppon his loue so as the diuell may not finde any breach nor gap open to deceyue vs for so much as GOD hath so wonne vs vnto himselfe That is the instruction which we must learne by this text otherwise the complaynt that GOD maketh against the Iewes by his Prophet Ieremie shall lyght vppon vs. 〈…〉 25. My people sayeth he what haue I doone to thee Heere GOD entereth into disputation with the people bycause they were so defiled with Idolatry and had peruerted all together Goe to saith hee let vs nowe pleade together my people what haue I doone to thee that thou shouldest complaine I haue brought thee out of the lande of Egypt I haue stretched out my mightie hand to deliuer thee from thence I haue ledde thee and directed thee I fedde thee in the wildernesse I caused Manna to come from heauen I gaue thee the foode of Angels and when thou wast come into the lande which I had promised thee I fought against thine Enemies and I gaue thee victorie against them all But these bee not the cheefe matters I haue moreouer giuen thee my Lawe which is the couenant of lyfe and saluation I haue giuen thee my Sacrifices to the intent thou shouldest haue a Testimonie that it is not without cause that I would haue you to my selfe Also I haue made thee to finde so great riches of my bountie that it is impossible to value the benefites which I haue bestowed on thee and doest thou nowe fall to despising me and to breaking thy fayth and to turning away after straunge Gods Is this the recompence that I looke for If a man doe plant him a vine and tend it he meaneth to eate and drinke the fruit thereof And if the vine do yeeld a strange and a bitter fruite to choke the maister withall what wil come of it Deserueth not such a vine to be quite plucked vp Let vs therefore bethink our selues and not tarie till our Lorde accuse vs to haue greeued his holy Spirite but let vs turne this text to our profite And for as much as we knowe by experience that he is a liberall father vnto vs let it mooue vs to soften our hearts how heard soeuer they bee that wee may learne to giue ouer our selues wholly to him Thus ye see whereto this Text ought to serue vs where it is sayde I will set them in the Lande which I haue promysed to their fathers they shall bee nourished there and made fatte and they shall turne away vnto straunge gods And therefore seeing that GOD maintaineth vs let vs suffer him also to guide and gouerne vs vntil he hath brought vs to y t eternal inheritaunce which he hath promised vs and which we looke for Yet moreouer hee saith that this song shall aunswere them as a witnesse because it shall neuer depart from their mouth Hereby we do see how it is our Lordes will y t his word should serue not to some one vse onely but also for a continuall instruction euen vnto the end that the fathers should conuey it ouer to their childrē And the chiefe succession which we ought to leaue to them that come after vs is that when God hath once vttered his will vnto vs wee must beware that it be not buried so as none of vs bee so fond as to hold himselfe contented with his owne only knowing thereof as though the light of saluation ought to die with vs but rather that they which come after vs may inioy it also And therfore when we our selues haue knowen God and haue had his trueth preached among vs wee must to the vttermost of our power indeuor that it may continue after our death and that our children may come to receive y e doctrine which we haue followed And if the word of God slip away and men think not thereon as it is come to passe in the Popedome as it was afore time it commeth of their owne leawdnesse and they must needes yeelde a reckoning for their disanulling of so great a benefite Wee see that the law was lost for a time amongst the people of Israel and this song was out of the mouthes of both great and small but yet God at the last did not suffer the people to continue in such ignoraunce but it was his will that the Lawe was founde and that the people came with great solemnitie to receiue it and hee tolde them that they were woorthy of blame for defacing the doctryne of Saluation and therefore hee willed them to repent Nowe seeing it is so as I haue already touched when GOD hath once taught vs his will let vs learne as I sayde afore not onely to profite therein for the present tyme or for the tyme of our owne life but also to procure as much as in vs lyeth that our Children after our death may still enioy the same Religion and that the name of GOD may euer bee had in remembraunce And although there be many that cannot profit themselues thereby yet shall it turne to their condemnation and God shall not fayle to bee glorified For surely Moses speaketh in this place not onely of Gods elect and of such as were the true seede of Abraham but also of such as were willing to take profite by the lawe and were not altogether reprobates For seeing it was Gods will that this song should bee in their mouthes thereby wee ought to be so much the better aduertised that our Lord doeth oftentimes leaue his worde to the worlde to bee a message and a testimonie of his loue and goodnes howbeit not for the saluation of all men but for the condemnation of the greater part Wee see that euen among the Heathen there remained alwayes a remnant of the trueth wee see such sentences vttered by the heathen as it is impossible for a naturall man to thinke the least of them which they haue alleaged By what meanes then did they it It was Gods dooing who brought them so farre foorth to their greater
for that they had purchased it by their owne policie or for that they had gotten it by any other way or mean of their own but for y t God had called them to it as we haue seene heretofore And so much the lesse excuse had they wheÌ„ they turned away from him and lifted vp their hornes against him For it is an inestimable benefite for vs to haue God to our father Because that therein we be made fellowes with the Angels who are lykewise called the childreÌ„ of God in respect that they be members of our Lord Iesus Christ. Seeing that God hath called vs to the fellowship of the Angels to be their brethren companions what a leawdnesse were it to make ourselues vnderlinges to the diuels to submit ourselues vnto their bondes and tyranny What a dealing were it that I being made a companioÌ„ to the Angels of heauen should take the diuel for my Lord king What a choyce were that Were I not worse than mad So then let vs mark well that when as Moses dooth here call God the father of the Israelites it is to inhaunce their vnthankfulnesse the more and to shewe their leawdnesse the playnlyer As if he should say Consider your former state For God had aduauÌ„ced you wonderfully high and you haue wilfully cast your selues downe to the bottom of hell After which maner he vpbraideth the king of Babilon that he had bin as the morning starre 〈…〉 12. and now behold saith he thou art in the bottom of hell 〈◊〉 2.6 True it is also that God calleth kinges his children lykewise all Princes and Magistrats But if we compare them with the childreÌ„ of the Church and with the flocke of our Lorde Iesus Christ surely Gods calling of vs to the knowing of him and his marking of vs out to aly himselfe vnto vs dooth farre surmount all the kingdomes and Empyres of the world And therefore it is certaine that when men turne away from their aliance with God it is all one as if they forsooke heauen to goe to the bottome of hell For as I haue sayd afore they cannot away with the company of the Angels but will needes goe to submit themselues in bondage to the diuels And according hereunto Moses addeth that God had possessed that people as he termeth them his heritage Whereby he doth vs to vnderstand as he will declare afterward that God meant to haue held that people as his owne houshold suffering the rest of the world to wander away to become straungers vnto him whereas his wil was to haue the people of Israell as people familiar and well acquainted with himselfe According whereunto he addeth It is he that hath created thee it is he that hath shaped thee And this creation is not the same that belongeth to all men and to all the childreÌ„ of Adam but it is the same that is spoken of in the hundreth Psalme It is he that made vs Psal. 100.3 and not we our selues And it is a very common speech in the holy scripture to say that God hath created and fashioned his Church This is a people whom I my selfe haue created Esa. 43.7 and they shall set forth my prayse saith he in the three and fourtith of Esay But it were needelesse to alledge many places for all the scripture is full of them And it is a notable point of doctrine that God declareth vs to bee newe creatures Eph. 2.10 at such time as he chooseth vs to himselfe True it is that wee be greatly bound vnto him for vouchsafing to set vs in this world For although he had made vs but brute beastes yet were it a great thing that we might bee counted the worke of his handes But it was not his will that wee shoulde bee Asses or Horses it was his will that wee shoulde bee reasonable creatures This is so high a preheminence that wee cannot commende it sufficiently Yet is that nothing in comparison of his calling of vs to the faith Insomuch that when hee telleth vs that hee will take vs to bee of his Church hee dooth after a sorte forget his former creating and sayth that he giueth vs a farre other thing than to haue bin mortal men which is nothing in comparison to bee of his Church And this serueth to humble vs to the intent we should not thinke our selues to bee come to the faith by our owne power but acknowledge the same to be the gift of God least we shold vsurpe the title of the creator by imagining our selues to haue gotten faith by our owne abilitie as the Papistes doe who say that although they cannot doe any thing but through the grace of God yet doe they prepare and dispose themselues thereto aforehand Againe they haue a kinde of concurrence or running together wherethrough they be as companions with GOD so as they worke together with his grace or else doe so aunswere thereunto that Gods grace dooth nothing but by halues Loe at what poynt the Papistes are and by that reason they should be halfe their owne creators For I haue declared already and the very truth is so that it is a farre greater thing for vs to be counted of the Church than of the common kinde of men for it is a farre nobler creation to bee the children of God than to be the children of Adam Yet notwithstanding the Papistes doe chalenge the one halfe thereofto themselues saying that they dispose themselues to it by their owne free-will and that they deserue grace at Gods hand and also that they worke together therewithall By which reason the one 〈…〉 of this creaâ—ion which is the excellentest shall belong to men And what a treacherie wore that Therefore when wee heare that it is God that made vs and not wee our selues Psal. 100.3 let vs not make account of our selues nor be puffed vp with the winde of presumption which serueth to no purpose but to make vs to swell Let vs vnderstand then that we haue nothing of our owne but that all is Gods in that it hath pleased him to call vs to his word it is not we A man might thinke it straunge why it should be sayd it is not wee that haue created our selues for there is none of vs al but he knoweth it and confesseth it Bâ—â— if we haue an eye to the fond and diuelish ouerweening wherewith men are besorted we shall see that this kinde of speach is not superfluous but that the holy ghost meant to exclude all such foolish imaginations to the intent that men should not reserue aught to themselues but yeeld fully vnto God that which is belonging vnto him And that is the cause also why S. Paul saith in the second Chapter to the Ephesians Eph. â— 10 We be his workemanship for he hath created vs to good workes namely which he hath prepared for vs before wee were borne If men think themselues to be y e founders of their owne good
fathers They alledge the greate Asses which neuer tasted any whit of the holy Scripture so that if a man marke what maner of fathers they auouche surely it is so fonde a thing that they bee woorthie to bee laughed to scorne for it euen of little babes True it is that for honours sake they will say that Saint Austine S. Ambrose and Saint Bernarde are their fathers but if any good thing be alledged that is founde in them they abhorre that in so much that if they had them aliue at this day they woulde burne them as well as they doe the Martyrs whom wee see them handle most cruelly Therefore as I sayde afore it behoueth vs to walke discreetely in that behalfe and to consider who bee our true fathers that wee may followe them namely those whome God auoweth for his children and haue begotten vs by his worde which haue helde vs to it and which haue taught vs it But as soone as this incorruptible seede of saluation is marred 1. Pet. 1.23 by and by there is no more fatherhood And herein wee must practise Saint Paules saying which is Eph. 3.15 that all kinred proceedeth of God Let vs then referre all kinred vnto God and so shall wee not bee ashamed But if euery man will needes followe his owne fathers without difference hee shall finde that when the blynde followeth the blynde both of them fall into the pit and breake their neckes together At that poynt are all they which stande stiffely in their owne opinion against God leane to y e things which haue beene deuised by men Therefore let vs bee well aduised and seeing GOD hath graunted vs the grace to haue his gospel planted once among vs let vs continue in all purenesse holding our selues wholly vnto him that there may bee a conformitie and agreement betweene vs and those that haue shewed vs the right way Thus yee see in effect what wee haue to remember vppon this text where Moses blameth the Iewes for starting backe for deuising of new gods which had not beene feared among their fathers Yea and wee must bethinke vs of that which is sayd in the seconde Chapter of Ieremy Go your wayes sayth hee into all the countryes afarre off 〈…〉 10. get ye ouer the sea seeke throughout al the yles and see if there be any people that forsaketh their gods yet are they no gods they bee but ydoles and dead thinges but you haue forsaken mee euen mee who am the fountaine of liuing water God sheweth there that ydolaters are wilful in their leasings insomuch that although the diuell haue so bewitched them that they bee voyde of discretion and reason cannot iudge of any thing yet notwithstanding they be wedded still to their follies And because they thinke they do well they holde them to it and they can by no meanes bee turned from it Yee shall see them as greatly bent to their willes as may bee and yet they haue no foundation nor proofe thereof Now then that we which haue knowen Gods trueth which are sure that it is hee which created and shaped vs and which hath vttered himselfe to vs by his lawe by his Prophets and by his Gospel that wee which haue such warrant and certeintie that wee which haue the fathers the greate clowde of witnesses to guyde vs as the Apostle termeth them in the Epistle to the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 12.1 that wee which after the Apostles haue also had the Martyrs those which haue receiued the Gospel with pure obediēce followed the simplicitie thereof that we I say should yet notwithstanding loue better the corruption dung filthines brought in by men that we should find in our hearts to haue Gods word falsifyed among vs what a rhing were that Must it not needes be that wee be as it were mad when we be o vnstedfast light mynded as to start away from that which is certaine and infallible After that maner then must wee put this text in vre to y e intent we be not accused before God as sekers of new gods which were not knowē to our fathers which came vp but a while agoe The word that Moses vseth here betokeneth properly to stand in awe to feare or to tremble before God Wherby he sheweth that Gods maiestie ought to bee so dreaded of vs y t we should stoope vnto it be cast down humbled at it Not that God would haue vs to be afrayd of it for we can neuer serue him with our good will with a pure free heart if wee conceiue such a feare of him as shal make vs to flee from him But there are two things in the seruice of God as is shewed vs in the Psalme which shal be song anon Psal. 5.8 namely that in comming vnto God wee must bee touched with a certeine feare to yeeld him his due reuerence That is one point And therewithall wee must also consider his goodnes that wee may take courage to come vnto him be bold to cal vpon him not douting but that he heareth vs that we shal be wel accepted at his hand Marke wel therefore what this word Feare importeth that wee may learne to hold our selues vnder the obedience of our God with such awe as none of vs may take leaue to runne astray as wee see men do whose boldnes is such that they fling abrode euery where because they make but a sporte a dalyance of God Therefore let vs beware that wee be not so rude as to daly with so great a Lorde but rather let vs be seasoned with such a feare aforehand as may alwayes hold vs in awe and yet notwithstanding not cause vs to ceasse frō worshipping of our God in such sort as hee may be amyable to vs and we may prease boldly to him knowing well that he will receiue vs with pitie as a father doth his children Psal. 103.13 seeing hee calleth vs to him before we come Nowe in the ende Moses sayeth that they offered sacrifice to diuels not vnto God This saying may seeme rough and hard at the first sight For if a man had asked the heathen concerning their intent they would haue sayd by by We knowe there is one chiefe God but wee haue many gods because the maiestie of God is spred out euery where And therefore forasmuch as we cannot attaine to so high a thing it behooueth vs to haue meanes That is the cause why they forged such a multitude of gods As for the diuels they abhorred them The Heathen could as will skill as the Papistes to say Wee intende not to haue aught to doe with the diuels sauing the sorcerers for there haue euer beene some such but I speake as touching their cōmon religion and it is certaine that all of them woulde haue protested Our will is to serue God But what is answered them heere by the mouth of Moses who is appoynted Iudge with full
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
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
among all the Tribes 496. b 50 What the Iewes might haue alledged for their owne aduancement against the Tribe of Iuda 496. b 10.20.30.40 The punishment of the Tribe of Leui turned into an honour 658. a 10 Tribes Why the townes of the Leuits were appointed of God to bee dispersed among the Tribes 508. a 10.20.30.40 50.60.513 a 60 The twelue Tribes had euerie one his portion to inherite in the lande of Chanaan 496. The Tribes of Ephraim and Manasses refused 496. b 40 Two Tribes put in steede of one to make vp twelue for the diuiding of the lande of Chanaan into twelue portions 568. b 10 The Tribes of Leui and Iuda priuileged the one more notably than the other and both aboue all the other Tribes 658. a 10.20 The rest of the Tribes hauing their portions ceased not to grudge against the Priestes and Leuites 656. b 50.60 657. a 40 The blessings of Moses vpō the twelue Tribes with their expositions Read sermons 192.193.194.195.196.197 What wee haue to note vppon these wordes God shall cut such a man off from among the Tribes of Israel 1038. a 40.50.60 b all What wee haue to learne by this that God woulde choose a place for his sanctuarie in one of y e twelue Tribes 509. b 10 How the twelue Tribes were diuided and the Leuites standing in y e midst whiles curssing and blessing were vttered of either side 922. b 60.923 a 10 Tributes Tributes allowed to be laide vpon vanquished or subdued cities 725. b 10 20. and what instructions wee are to gather thereby ibidem 30.40.50 60. c. Triumph The Triumph of Christ set forth vpon his crosse 764. b 40.50.60.765 a all Looke Victorie Trouble Against such as Trouble molest the church and that God will take vengeance of them in due time 798. b 40 50.60.799 all How a poore sillie man that is in anguish and Trouble of minde shoulde be comforted how he should bethinke himselfe 717. b 50.60 What wee haue to doe when wee feele such Trouble of minde in our selues that we cannot be comforted again out of hand 714. a 60. b 10.20.30 Looke Affliction Troubles The cause why wee see the worlde infected with so many Troubles errours 538. a 30.40.50 Why God doth exercise vs with Troubles in this life 368. a 60. and b 10.20 340. b 30.40 Through whose fault it is that God doeth not deliuer vs from all Troubles out of hand 340. a 40.50 Looke Chastisements True What we haue to learne in that God is said to be True 1108. a 60. b 10.20.30 Looke Faithfull Vpright Trust in God What trust God will haue vs yeld vnto his word 528. a 20.30.374 a all Reasons of proofe that wee haue no Trust in Gods alsufficiencie 595. a 10 How the Israelites might haue emboldened themselues with Trust that God would not faile thē 86. a 40.50 Words of great comfort for the confirming of our Trust in Gods helpe 87. b 30.40 The worlde vseth the words Faith and Trust vprightly how 87. a 60 An in separable bonde betweene Gods promises and the Trust that we haue in him 87. a 50 Vpon what Trust wee may be bolde to come vnto God in prayer 101. a 10 An exhortation to put our Trust in god in respect of his promises c. 335. b 30.40 The mightifull force of perfect Trust in God 335. a 10.20 Vntil what time wee cannot put any Trust in God 337. a 60 Into what extremities wee fall because wee put not our Trust in God 1077. a 10 Wee cannot exceede measure of Trust in God 147. a 40.50 Trust in men creatures Why no man should beguile himselfe vpon Trust of men 37. b 20 That it is not for vs to put our Trust in any worldly munition or defence but in God only 996. all Of a diuelish Trust that men haue in the things that they possesse 583. b 60.584 a 10 Trueth of God God is the author of Truth and wil bee the warranter thereof 5. a 10. b 30 We reply against Gods Truth as thogh he were not faithfull 26. a 40.50 What kind of truth gods Truth is which endureth for euer 22. b 20 How much honour wee should yeeld to Gods Truth 28. a 10 Gods Truth is not to bee measured by time 25. b 50.60 How farre foorth wee must be inquisitiue of Gods Truth 33. a 50.60 God suffereth not his Truth to fall to the grounde or to die without effect 44. a 10 The carelesnes of such as should maintaine Gods Truth 113. a 30 Gods Truth doeth not die with men 25. b 40 If God haue once taught vs his Truth it ought to suffice vs why 370. b 10.30 How the church is said to be the piller of Gods Truth 253. a 20.30.40 God giueth them ouer which turne away frō the Truth 404. b 10.147 a 20 That euen among the heathen there remained alwayes a remnant of the Truth 1095. b 60.1096 a 10 Of Gods Truth and what wee haue to gather by that title ascribed vnto him 1108. b all 1109. a all 177. b 30.40.26 a 50 Houshoulde enimies of the Truth noted farre worsse than the Papistes 129. b 40.50 It is a falsification of Gods Truth whēsoeuer men make any counterfeit of God 135. a 30 What the Iewes ought to haue done in so much as they were taught the Truth 149. b 10 The rewarde of such as would not obey the Truth 153. b 30 How and in what sort God will haue vs to learne his Truth 177. b 30.40 Wee cannot deuise to doe a greater outrage to God than to abolish or deface his Truth 194. b 50 Gods Truth being vnuariable is contained in the law 181. a 20 How wee must endeuour to get knowledge of the Truth 298. a 10.20.40.50 To what end God hath called vs to the knowledge of the Truth 300. a 40 How wee confirme Gods Truth to our saluation 487. a 10 That it is not enough for a mā to haue some taste of Gods Truth but a further matter is required Looke what 493. b 60.494 a 10 Howe wee must arme our selues against the open and secret enimies of gods Truth 528. b 50.60 529. a b all Looke Gospell Scripture and Word of God Trumpets Of the feast of Trumpets 612. a 10.613 b 10 Of what things the Iewes were warned when they heard the Trumpets 613. b 30.40 What kinde of Trumpets we should be that are Christians 613. b 50.60 Looke Feasts Turkes The Turkes cut off from Gods church through their owne fault 124. a 50 The Turkes haue some reuerence of their religion 124. a 50 Turne Without what it is vnpossible for vs to haue any desire to Turne vnto God 1050. b 50 To Turne to the right hande and to the left Read what is thereby meant 262. b 30.40.50.60 263. a 10 God doth Turne mens hearts maketh them to be inflamed with hatred 80. b 20 God doth Turne the hearts of men to gentlenes when