bound to serue and honor him not onely seuerally for our owne partes but also by teaching our children and by taking paynes to make them also to liue vertuously so as the doctrine which they shall haue heard in their youth bee not loste nor marde as wee see too much by experience And generally let vs all haue this regarde that such as come after vs may agree in the true religion so as there may be no chaunge But so far off is that from being done that the enemies of the trueth I meane the housholde enemies and not the Papistes for they bee farre woorse than the Papists think they shall neuer come time enough to ouerthrowe all order and to pull downe all that GOD hath set vp here Sith wee see it is so let vs vnderstand that wee ought to bee as earnest in building vp to the Lorde as the diuill is in pulling all downe For let vs not mistrust but that Gods power is stronger than al the fiendes of hell Thus yee see what wee haue to note vppon this streyne but the chiefe matter is the putting of it in vre And now Moses addeth that GOD shewed himselfe to his people with dreadfull tokens which were able to haue astonished them For hee spake to them sayth he from the middes of the fyre And therewithall there was a great clowde darknesse and miste By these wordes Moses sheweth that the lawe was not brought without good warrant for it was accompanied with wonders that were able to astonish the whole worlde And to what purpose serued that but to make it certainly knoweÌ that the lawe came from heauen and that God was the author thereof According whereunto it is sayd in Exodus Exod. 19.16 18. that when God appeared after that sorte in a thicke cloude and a flaming fire making the ayre to rore and the mountaine Sinay to shake and the sound of trumpets to be heard all those thinges sayth he were done of purpose to make you hearken to your Lorde God and to knowe that it was hee that spake and that whosoeuer receiueth not the doctrine that I haue brought you must fight against the maiestie of God But if he doe so he shall finde God too strong for him Thus yee see what belongeth to this text And so wee see now wherfore Moses made mention of the cloude darkenesse and mist namely to the ende it should be knowen that the lawe was not put forth but by the authoritie of the liuing God and that men might be fully assured that it came from heauen And let vs mark by the way that Gods chosing of the signe that is mentioned here was to do vs to vnderstand that we must not inquire of his maiestie further than he giueth vs leaue GOD shewed not himselfe in any visible shape least it might bee thought that his essence or being had some shape whereof we will treate to morrowe by Gods leaue but hee did set a cloude darkenesse and mistinesse before him 1. Tim. 6.16 And why To the ende that wee shoulde learne to be humble and to know that hee dwelleth in vnapprochable light Wee knowe howe curious and ouerbolde men are for they woulde faine knowe what Gods being or substance is and searche out euery whit of him by inchmeale and that so presumptuously as though they would pushe vp their hornes into heauen Such is their nature But God will haue vs to worship him in feare and humilitie as good reason is it should be so And he withdraweth himselfe the further from vs when wee inquire further of him than hee commaundeth vs. For otherwise were it not all one as if we would make him our vnderling What preheminence should he haue if he were so shut vp w tin mans conceit Therefore to expresse so great and so excessiue rashnesse hee did set a darke clowd before him But wee must marke that wheÌ God did set darknesse before the eyes of the people it was not to the intent to be vtterly vnknowen but to hold the people in awe that they should not preace nie the hill where the fire and flame appeared that are spoken of in Exodus as is said afore and therefore was there a great and thick clowd hard by the people That then was the meane which God vsed to shewe himselfe to the people Marke that for one poynt The other poynt is that God did vtter himselfe in such maner as the people sought no further than was lawfull for them but helde themselues contented with such discouerie as was giuen vnto them And these two poyntes are well woorthie to bee marked For many men when they list to excuse their ignorance will say that wee ought not to be inquisitiue of Gods secretes No truly but yet is it not meant that we should bee brute beastes Wherefore hath GOD created vs after his owne image Eph. â ââ but to the intent that his trueth should shine forth in vs And yet notwithstanding it is as a common prouerbe that hath reigned and doth reigne still in the popedome insomuch that the foundation whereon they haue grounded their implyed faith is that they must not knowe any thing but that it is enough to beleeue as the Churche beleeueth And in the meane while they wote not at what marke they shoote nor what God they worship nor how his name is to be called vppon But as I touched afore Gods meaning is not that men should so abolishe and destroy the grace that hee hath put into them for it were an vtter defacing of his image in dispite of him but rather after as hee coÌmeth neerer vnto vs we vnto him so wil he haue his Image y e more knowen in vs his trueth y e more shine foorth there Let vs vnderstand then that Gods intent is not that men should be ignorant of him but to vtter himselfe in such wise as we may be able to discerne him from the idols that haue bin forged 1. Cor. â 5.6 Eph. â Eph. â Eph. â â so as wee may take him for our father and assure our selues y t we be called to the knowledge of his truth and y t we may boldly resorte vnto him to call vppon him and to seeke succour at his hand After that maner was it Gods will to manifest himselfe to the people of Israell at the setting foorth of the lawe and after y e same maner continueth he still at this day But yet for all that the clowde is still before his face to make men knowe their owne rudenesse Againe forasmuch as wee be ouerfickle and would knowe dubble as much as is lawfull for vs insomuch that wee attempt to knowe the things that are vnpossible to bee knowen therefore did God cast a great and thicke clowde betweene himselfe and the people And if wee were throughly perswaded hereof it would be as a key to open vs the vnderstanding of y e whole holy scripture For why Whensoeuer we came to
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 meÌ 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 imperfectioÌ 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 maÌ 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 theÌselues into them Sure this lesson is verie profitable extendeth verie farre For we see how a great noÌber sticke not to fling out at randoÌ to offeÌd God And wherby Through rashnes To their owne seeming they be able to resist whatsoeuer coÌmeth 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 meÌ 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 takeÌ but if a maÌ 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
name should be magnifyed in all ages and that wee shoulde indeuour to the vttermost of our power that it decay not with vs but continue still vnappayred and florishe and reigne euen after wee be dead The other reason is that hee intended to quicken vp the Iewes to serue God with the better courage by putting them in minde of the deliuerance which God had wrought for them for needes must they haue bin too vnthankefull if that had not prouoked them to serue God Now then the intent of Moses is that those to whom he had declared the Lawe should not onely indeuour themselues to serue GOD during their owne liues but also finde the meanes that their children and successors should followe them in the same trace And this lesson belongeth to vs as well as to them For wee know that God calleth vs with the same condition not onely that we our selues should serue and honor him to our liues end but also that we should haue a care to cause them that come after vs to doe the lyke Verily there are very few that dischardge themselues in that behalfe but yet are we bound vnto it and there will be no excuse for vs if wee doe not our indeuour Therefore let euery man haue an eye to himselfe and let vs not thinke it enough to haue serued God so long as wee our selues liue but that we must also findy y e meanes that his name may continue for euer and that his trueth may alwayes bee knowen so as although wee bee taken out of the world yet they that come after vs being taught by our meanes may linke in with vs into the same fayth and so fashion themselues thereunto as God may alwayes be gloryfyed honored vnto the worldes end And specially they y t haue children ought to thinke that it is they to whom this warning is giuen True it is that euery one of vs is bound thereto for himselfe yea and we must teach eueÌ the most straungers so as the man needeth not to be my sonne or my nephew or my kinseman whom I should indeuour to cause to serue God to be of the same faith and religion that I am of but yet they which haue children ought to consider that they shall yeelde account for it if they doe not what they can to hold them in the feare of God and to see them so instructed and stablished in the pure doctrine as they may continue in it and as the knowledge of Gods trueth may still be conueied ouer from hand to hand Thus yee see what we haue to remember vppon this place where Moses sayth If thy childe aske hereafter what these commaundementes statutes and ordinances meane Now there is also a second poynt which is that Moses intended to stirre vp the people to honor God and to obey him because they had bin deliuered by his mighty hand Therefore it is all one as if hee should say Bethinke your selues well of the good which your GOD hath done for you for he hath shewed himselfe to be your redeemer hee hath smitten the realme of Egypt a people that did set greatly by themselues yea and which was rich and wealthie and where was nothing but all maner of pompe and glory to the worldward and yet notwithstanding your God hath loued you so dearely that he hath not spared the Egyptians for your sakes but hee hath smitten them with plagues and powred out such vengeance vpon them as is horrible to thinke of Hee hath stretched out his strong arme to bring you to this land which hee promised to your fathers Seeing then that God hath shewed himselfe so gratious and liberall towardes you and preuented you of purpose to be your father is it not reason that you should giue your selues to him all your lyfe long and indeuour to serue him and at leastwise shew that yee haue not forgotten his so great and inestimable benefites Yes And so wee see that forasmuch as the Iewes might bee negligent in keeping Gods lawe Moses renewed the rememberaunce thereof and set their deliuerance before them that they might bee the better minded and consider that they were bound at leastwise to serue GOD in such wise as they might acknowledge themselues to bee the same people whome hee had once deliuered after a maruellous fashion and with wonderful power Like as at this day if a man should speake to vs of the Christian religion and say Beholde our GOD hath vouchsafed to make vs partakers of the redemption which hee wrought in the person of his Sonne and therefore it is good reason that wee shoulde bee gathered here together vnder his worde to take him for our father and Sauour because hee hath chosen vs to bee his people And whereas Moses declareth that the Iewes were deliuered out of Aegypt hee meaneth to doe vs to witte that God intended to shoule them out from all other nations specially by assigning them the inheritaunce of the Lande which hee had promised to their fathers Yee see then how they should haue sanctifyed themselues to the seruice of God and haue held theÌselues in obedience to his law because he suffered them not to be intermingled with y e infidels but made a seuerall nation of them alone by theÌselues And hereupon we haue to note y t such as seeke counsell at Gods law doe alwayes finde instruction our Lord procureth them ayde help to bring theÌ to the knowledge of the truth It is sayd If thy sonne aske thee what meane these statutes He presupposeth that the children are not so brutish as at leastwise not to be willing desirous to knowe why they vse such maner of seruing God And wee see it is Gods ordinance that the fathers should helpe their children True it is that the fathers ought not to âary for that but if they see their children to be despisers of God or vnruly and carelesse both of the saluation of their owne soules and of all Christianitie and fayth they ought to correct such vices But the matter which wee treate of as now is that if children bee willing to learne and to profite God here assigneth them their fathers to be their teachers and schoolemasters to shewe them why the lawe was giuen Herein then wee see that if wee haue any good will to knowe the trueth our Lorde will not suffer vs to bee disappoynted but wil finde the meanes that wee shall know whatsoeuer hee thinketh profitable for our saluation And although hee appoynt not mortall creatures to teach vs yet will hee worke in such wise by his owne power as wee shall not bee destitute of knowledge But our owne slothfulnesse is the cause that GOD shutteth the gate against vs and that wee abide still in darknesse lyke blinde wretches For what is hee that vouchsafeth to seeke after the will of his GOD Wee bee giuen to worldly thinges to our owne pleasures to our owne vanities and to all manner of worldly businesses
Gods worde and haue but an opinion of it as who woulde say the thinges that are conteined in it haue some reason but yet wee doe but coniecture so what a thing were it What certaintie shoulde wee haue of God or of any of all his vertues for the which hee is to bee glorified Wee shall bee alwayes in a mammering And so wee see of what importance this saying is where Moses termeth God True For hee woulde haue vs to learne to yeelde such authoritie to his worde as it may benefite vs and that as soone as wee heare God speake wee shoulde bee fully resolued and perswaded that wee shall not bee disappointed in following all that hee saieth to vs and in beleeuing the same By this meane then wee may consider all Gods workes so as wee shall haue a lampe to guide vs and to giue vs light that wee may not runne reeling in continuall doubtfulnesse But forasmuch as Gods worde is the infallible trueth to vs wee shall haue a stayed iudgement concerning the thinges that are saide vnto vs and wee shall trust in God not as the heathenish sort doe who bee shaken from it out of hande because there is no steadinesse of faith in them but wee shall haue a good staffe to stande by so as Gods trueth shall fence vs against all distrust against all grudging and against all thinges that may turne vs from the glorifying of him And therewithall wee shall also haue a good foundation of our saluation when wee once knowe that God is True For if wee imbrace not the thinges that God doeth what will become of vs There is nothing but damnation in men and the more they trust in themselues the more must they needes bee confounded Then can wee not conceiue any hope of saluation vnlesse wee bee well assured that God foadeth vs not with wordes without effect but that wee knowe him to bee faithfull and trustie so as if wee haue but a worde of his mouth it is as good as if our saluation were already shewed And thereuppon hee saieth further that there is no wickednesse in him but that hee is iust and faithfull It shold seeme y t Moses speaketh too coldly of God in this place in saying There is no wickednesse in him For who doubts of that Nay it is to cut off all the wicked imaginations that men deuise when they be not helde in awe so as they may yeeld to conclude that God is faitfull good and iust yea and voide of vnfaithfulnesse Aâd who accuseth him thereof But yet wee see howe that euen the holy Prophets were driuen to resist those temptations Lorde I knowe that thou art iust ãâã â 1 ãâã 1.13 saieth Ieremie As much doeth Abacucke and they crie out so of purpose to shewe that they bee troubled with many incumberances when they see things so out of order in the worlde There then wee see howe they had easily beene caried away to blaspheme God and to deeme some vnrighteousnesse to bee in him if they had not beene restrained And so wee see that it is not without cause that Moses saieth heere that God is true without wickednesse There is nothing in him saieth hee but the same is praise worthie insomuch that when wee speake of his trueth and righteousnesse we must exclude all wisedome power of man And to be short he must be praised without exception and not after the common manner of men And that is the cause that when Gods word is spoken of in the Psalme it is saide to be like siluer tried seuentimes in the fire after it hath beene molten and all the drosse of it taken quite and cleane from it At the first sight this similitude may seeme to vs to bee but colde But let vs looke a little vppon our selues and we shall finde that our wits doe tickle vs incessantly insomuch that when wee haue confessed God yea euen without dissimulation to be true yet when wee come to his promises euermore we will haue some reply and we will neuer be contented in our minds nor well at rest For we haue a leawdnes which holdeth vs back and hindereth vs that wee cannot glorifie God as becommeth vs. So then let vs marke that Moses doth not heere without cause exclude all iniquitie to the ende that when we speake of God and of any of all his vertues wee shoulde doe it with such reuerence and admiration as wee may not onely not accuse him of any vnfaithfulnesse and confesse that wee perceiue not any vice in him but also be throughly perswaded and resolued that there is such perfection in him as that there remaineth no more for vs to doe but onely to worship him yea euen though we conceiue not the highnesse that is hidden from vs. Nowe let vs cast our selues downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to take from vs al hardnesse and stubbornnes and to frame vs to the obeying of him that the preaching of his worde vnto vs may not bee in vaine but that it may profite vs so as wee may become good ground and serue in such wise to the glorie of our God as that the labour and paine which he shall haue bestowed vpon vs may not be in vaine but that all may redounde to the full establishing of his kingdom And moreouer that seeing it pleaseth him that our saluation should be matched with his glorie he will also so further the same as wee may bee incouraged by that meanes to giue our selues more and more vnto him That it may please him to grant this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Friday the viij of May 1556. The CLXXIX Sermon which is the second vpon the two thirtith Chapter 5 They haue corrupted themselues before him by their sinne euen they that are not his children but a froward and wicked generation 6 Doest thou reward the Lorde so O thou foolish and vnwise generation Is not he thy father and thine owner is it not hee that hath made thee and fashioned thee 7 Remember the time past consider the yeares of so many generations Aske thy father and hee will shewe thee inquire of thine elders and they will tell thee YEsterday wee sawe why Moses speaketh here expresly of Gods truth For men had neede to be assured of Gods promises that they may holde themselues to them and rest vpon them and also to know that his worde is the rule of all perfection that they may receiue it with all reuerence And it is saide expresly that there is no vnrighteousnesse in him to the ende that men should learne not to measure him by their owne scantling as they be wont to doe For in asmuch as we comprehend not Gods iustice wee drawe it downe to ours by meanes whereof wee abace his maiesty too much Therfore if we will yeelde God his due honor we must separate him froÌ
slouthful there is no excuse for vs because his goodnesse is sufficiently warranted vnto vs and it is long of none but our selues that wee bee not fully resolued and perswaded that hee will goe through with the thing that hee hath begunne And that it is so if euerie of vs bethought himselfe well wee shoulde finde that God by infinite wayes made vs to ouercome the thinges that seemed vnpossible But what To set foorth our owne valiant deedes wee can well ynough alledge this and that and our memorie is but too good And though it bee but a thing of nothing that wee haue done yet wee can skill to magnifie it and to make great reportes of it Loe howe men can bee quicke ynough to remember all that euer they haue done in their life that may set foorth their owne glorie but in the meane whyle wee doe wickedly forget the benefites of GOD. And yet worketh hee in such wise towardes vs as ought to quicken vs vp to acknowledge his goodnesse or else on the contrarie parte wee doe but thrust all vnder foote Hee shall haue deliuered vs from manie after delays and hee shall haue made vs to haue passed manie greate lettes so as wee may haue thought that we had beene vtteâly shut out and fordone and hee shall haue reached vs his hand and yet for all that wee neuer thinke of it againe Nowe then where as wee see men to bee rechlesse and slothfull in following GOD it is because they forget his benefites which they haue had proofe of and become like the Iewes And therefore it behoueth vs all to acknowledge our fault in this behalfe and to mourne before God and to seeke redresse of it Thus yee see howe wee ought to put this text in vre by similitude that is to wit when the promises of the Gospell are set forth to bring vs to the kingdome of heauen let vs consider whereat God hath begunne in vs by what meanes he hath brought vs to him and howe hee hath strengthened vs to the intent to bring vs out of the damnation whereof wee are founde worthy by too too apparant conuiction Nowe therefore if wee thinke there vpon and consider thus with our selues beholde our God hath made vs paâtakers of his power wee haue had too apparant experience therof he hath deliuered vs out of y e gulfe of hel he hath ridde vs out of the bonds of the diuell and of death let vs not doubt but hee will alwayes continue like himselfe hereafter and hold out to the end Furthermore let vs also marke well this saying in this text The God of thy fathers hath promised thee the Lande Beholde therefore it is at thy commaundement enter into it and take possession of it The meaning is that wee shoulde yeelde so much honour to Gods truth as to bee fully and throughly resolued in our selues that inasmuch as hee hath adopted vs to his children our inheritance is certaine and infallible in heauen For to what purpose is the Gospell preached vnto vs but to make vs knowe that GOD is our father and that wee being become his children by his free adopting of vs shoulde bee assured that the kingdome of heauen belongeth vnto vs Mat. 13.24 and 31. And in verie deede for the same cause is the Gospell called the kingdome of heauen forasmuch as it openeth the gate vnto vs to the ende that wee nowadayes shoulde not doubte but that GOD auoweth vs to bee his heires But wee must haue a further consideration of the inheritance that God giueth vs than of all the benefites that Moses speakes of For it stoode the Iewes on hande to haue helde themselues still to the thing that had beene spoken to Abraham Isaac Iacob But now is the Gospel another warrant vnto vs. For God is called the father not onely of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but also of our Lord Iesus Christ who is our head in such wise that being once vnyted vnto him we become partakers of his own substance and life and therefore we must not doubt but that the inheritance of the kingdom of heaueÌ belongeth vnto vs. Nowe then like as Moses said vnto the Iewes The God of your fathers so must this voyce sounde in our eares The GOD and father of our Lorde Iesus Christ hath not onely promised vs the kingdome of heauen but also giuen vs wherewith to assure our selues the better of it For we haue the performance effect thereof in that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered death to recouer vs the inheritance whereof wee were bereft and dispossessed in the person of our father Adam Nowe then wee see after what sort we ought to looke vpon this doctrine that is to wit that although wee bee vnhappie wretches although wee deserue to bee reiected of our GOD although there bee nothing but cursednesse in vs and although that by nature wee bee plunged in the gulfe of hell yet notwithstanding seeing that God hath adopted vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ and made vs all one with him by faith wee neede not doubt but we be heires of the kingdom of heauen And why For GOD cannot lye and forasmuch as hee is vnchaungeable we haue sufficient warrant that wee shall not bee disappointed by putting our trust in him Againe wee haue our Lorde Iesus Christe who is the mediatour betweene God and men and hee hath not onely taken solemne recognisances as a publike notarie but also accomplished the thinges that were promised on the behalfe of GOD his father He hath signed the euidence in such wise with his owne bloude as wee see he hath payed that which hee owed not and that which he was not to bee charged withall So then let vs haue this stedfast assurednesse with vs that GOD auoweth vs for his children and consequently that wee bee heires of eternall life Howbeit let vs alwayes take that assurednesse out of the Gospell accordingly as we see that Moses leadeth the Iewes thither True it is that wee must not forget the heauenly power that was vttered euerie where in the rysing againe of our Lorde Iesus Christe But howe might we applie such a benefite to our selues or how could we inioy it if it were not by faith Therefore like as our Lorde Iesus Christ hath purchaced vs the kingdome of heauen by his death and passion so is it his will that comfort shoulde bee giuen vs nowadayes by his Gospell where hee witnesseth vnto vs that all that euer hee did was for our sakes and for our welfare so that hauing that once and being assured thereof we may inioy the benefite that was purchased for vs. But yet in the meane while wee must doe so much honour to the Gospell as to beholde that thing by faith which is hidden from our eyes It is saide that the Lande is at thy commandement Nowe if wee beleeue our senses wee cannot perceiue that the kingdome of heauen is ours or in our hande it will seeme to bee too farre off
y e whole world and so must wee doe Though all the whole world crie out with one voyce that it is not now needefull to rest vpon the holy scripture and that the opinions of the great wise men of the world shall stand let vs giue eare to that which GOD sayeth Albeit there were but one man that laboured to bring vs from the errours and superstitions that haue full scope euerywhere yet let that one man bee more esteemed at our handes than a hundred thousand others For wee see the rule thereof that is giuen vs here And although Moses was the writer of this Booke yet is it the holy Ghostes dooing who vsed him as an instrument Now then where it is saide That the spies reported it to bee a good land wee see that the two are set downe at it were in the roome of all the twelue and the other tenne are laid vnderfoote For they were not worthie to bee remembred and we knowe that God destroyed them for their vntrustinesse Then if there bee any deceiuers that seduce the common people so as their wicked doctrine is receiued and men like well of them and in the meane while there are very fewe that teache vs to serue God purely let vs heare those fewe let vs not sticke to say These are the teachers that instruct vs rightly what wee ought to doe Though the nomber of their aduersaries be neuer so great let vs not make any account of theÌ forasmuch as we see that God destroyeth them that they be as it were rased out of his booke for beholde this storie written by Moses is the very register of God Insomuch that whereas on the one side ten men had conspired to miscarie the people they were all reiected God made no reckening nor account of them And on the contrarie part whereas there were but two that incouraged the people faithfully those were put in nomber for all y e rest for they were well worthy to be esteemed as ministers and shepherdes in Gods Church for their due perfourming of their charge Therfore if we marke this text we shall be throughly armed and fenced against all the stumbling blockes y t trouble most men who when they see a sort of dogges barking at Gods trueth are vtterly at their wits ende and knowe not what to doe nor where to become Wherefore let vs looke to obserue the rule that God giueth vs then shall wee euer keepe on our course neuer be turned out of the way for the troubles and diuisions that we see in the world And hereunto also ought that to serue which Moses addeth You would not saith he but were disobedient To whom He saith not singly vnto God but vnto the mouth of God This maner of speache might seeme harsh at the first sight but yet it importeth good doctrine Wee know that men are alwayes desirous to excuse themselues wheÌ they withstand God and incounter his word and yet for all that they ceasse not to protest that they meane not to be against God Their intent then is that men should not thinke them to doe that which they do But here to cut off occasion of all startingholes the holy Ghost saith expresly that we must yeeld to Gods mouth And what is meÌt by this mouth of his It is his vttering of his will vnto vs when he speaketh to vs by his ministers by his Prophets and by such as he raiseth vp in his Church to gouerne hâs people That then is y e thing that wee must take heede vnto for God will not shewe himselfe to vs in visible maner True it is that at the same time he gaue signes tokens to the end it might bee knowân that he himselfe spake by Moses but yet in the meane while he vsed Moses as his instrument therewithall confirmed his lawe which was published at that time After him came the Prophets and them also did God vse as his mouth but in the Gospell wee haue his mouth open most of all So then let vs marke well y â they which protest that their intent is to serue God in the meane while make none account of his word as it is vttered and left in writing are but hypocrites yea euen shamelesse hypocrites bicause the deede it selfe proueth them liars For whereas they on the one side say that their intent is to serue God and God on y e other side intendeth to trie our obedience by setting his word before vs y e same is a good triall to discerne whether our saying that we be his seruantes be so in good earnest or no. For thereby it appeareth that they hearken not to his word but rather reiect it preferre their owne opinions and fancies before it And so ye see a point that ye ought to marke wel And hereby it appeareth how much y e whole world is to be condemned now adayes For y e Papistes can well ynough say y t their intent is to be subiect vnto God yea to what purpose else do they take so great paines martyr theÌselues in their foolish deuotions All the Idolatries which they commit they terme by the name of Gods seruice But yet for all that behold wee haue the holy scripture wherein God hath vttered his will vnto vs and he will haue men to be ruled thereby This is alledged to the Papistes to the end they should not followe their owne lykings but submit themselues to the bridle in such sorte as God hath layde it vppon vs and beare his yoke quietly But contrariwise they will needes serue God after their owne imaginations as we see by the confused mingling that is among theÌ which maketh it manifest that they haue no care at all to obserue Gods commaundements For their saying is mee thinkes that this is good thus were we taught by our fathers Wherby we see that they doe flatly resist Gods mouth They will not stick afterward to say O wee worship God Yea marie but God will haue men to harken to his mouth and we knowe what maner a one that is namely euen the same wherewith he hath spoken by Moses and the prophets and finally by the Apostles by whom he hath taught vs familiarly all that euer hee would haue vs to doe So then let vs nowe take good heede to this doctrine for wee cannot disobey Gods mouth that is to say his word but it is a manifest despising of him for they be things that differ not neither can they be separated asunder Furthermore not onely the Papistes doe prouoke God by resisting his word but also we see that euen they which possesse the Gospell will beleue nothing but that which lyketh theÌselues For what reuereÌce hath the holy scripture nowadayes among a nomber of men In deede the word Gospell costeth them nothing but in the meane while if a man tell them that God sayth not any thing which is not there euery man takes vpon him to bee an
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. ãâ¦ã 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 âhat 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
vs not play the Paynims and wretched Infidels who are harping vpon y e word God with their mouth and in the meane runne trotting vp and downe knowing not what God is in deede Let vs then followe the infallible trueth And seeing that God hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs yea euen in such sort as wee can not be deceiued nor beguiled let vs learne to stay thereupon and to holde vs to it throughout Let vs not bee so fond headed as not to profite our selues by the benefites that God bestoweth dayly vpon vs and by the which he will be glorified let all superstition and Idolatrie bee beaten downe and let Gods trueth haue full scope let all inuentions of men ceasse and let the world know which is the liuing God Thus ye see after what manner wee must proceede that is to wit when wee once know God wee must worship him wee must goe to the perfection which is onely he and whatsoeuer is set vp on the contrarie side against him it must bee brought to naught For it is not possible for vs to worship God as wee should doe except wee put all things vnder foote which men haue forged and imagined in their owne braine Wherefore let vs learne to exalt him in such wise as nothing may impeach or darken his preheminence And forasmuch as wee knowe not of our selues howe wee should glorifie God to yeeld him his deserued honour let vs take his worde for our guide and fetch light at his trueth which is in the holy scripture to the ende wee may knowe that there is none but onely God to whom we ought to resort and that it is onely he to whom wee must yeeld all praise and thanksgiuing Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better than wee haue done heretofore that we may returne vnto him with true repentance and that forasmuch as our nature is so corrupted we may fight without ceassing against our owne desires and holde them in such awe as wee may seeke nothing at his hand but that which wee knowe that he alloweth and liketh off not doubting but that in the meane while he will shewe himselfe bountifull towardes vs in prouiding of all things for vs which are meete for vs and necessarie to our saluation so as we may learne to submit our selues to him glorifying him and giuing him thankes for all his benefites in such wise as his bounteousnesse be not buried but euery of vs acknowledge more and more howe much he is bound vnto him and yeelde him praise for the same That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also c. On Fryday the x. day of May. 1555. The xviij Sermon which is the fourth vpon the third Chapter 26 And the Lord God was angrie with mee for your sakes and heard mee not but said vnto mee be contented speake no more to mee of this matter 27 Get thee vp to the top of Phasga and lift vp thine eyes towardes the West the North the South and the East and beholde with thine eyes for thou shalt not go ouer this Iordan 28 But charge Iosua and strengthen him and imbolden him for hee shall goe ouer before the people put them in possession of the land which thou shalt see 29 And so we abode in the valley against Beth-phogor I Told you yesterday how it was not any fleshly lust that moued Moses to desire to goe into the promised land but a holy zeale to the ende that y e people might haue bene the better confirmed in the grace of God And that it is so a man may gather by this speache where he desireth expressely to see the good Mountaine and the Libanus For it is verie certaine that Ierusalem the Countrie about it were neither the best nor the fairest nor the fruitfullest of all Iurie There were other soyles which were both richer and pleasanter also And yet doeth Moses preferre Libanus and the good Mountaine before all the rest And no doubt but he meaneth the Mountaine Morea Wee see then that he rested wholly vpon the thinges that were spirituall bicause God had reuealed vnto him that the Temple should bee builded there that it was the place which God had chosen to bee worshipped and called vpon there That was the cause why he set all his minde vpon it And therefore let vs marke that Moses desired not to enter into that land to fill his belly there or to liue in delight and pleasure there but onely to stirre vp himselfe the more to knowe Gods grace which he had tasted alreadie in spirit and likewise to help the people by his example Yet for all this he is refused howbeit not in such wise as if God had vtterly reiected him but as in respect that hee intended to chastise him by depriuing him of a temporall benefite And thereby we be yet more confirmed in the thing that was treated of yesterday that is to wit that albeit our affections be not alwaies wicked yet they shall not alwaies be graunted vs when God intendeth to humble vs For sometimes we may haue offended him and he must be faine to cut vs off from his benefites True it is that our saluation abydeth alwaies certaine but as for our present state it appaireth so farre as wee can see insomuch that whereas God made vs to feele his fauour most abundantly and in verie large measure we haue but a small peece of it If this befell to Moses let not vs thinke it straunge if God deale after the same maner with vs. Nowe whereas Moses saieth That he was not heard it is to be referred to this speciall sute of his For God doeth neuer quite shake off his faithfull ones when they call vpon him at leastwise generally for he is alwayes mercifull to them Matt. 7.7.9 and their praying to him is not in vaine But yet for all that he graunteth them not euery particular thing that they aske of him It may so happe that a faithfull man shall make some request in his prayer vnto God yea for as was said yesterday there is not a harder thing than to bridle our selues in such sort as wee passe not our boundes there may some such request I say slip from a faithfull man as shall bee good in it selfe and yet notwithstanding God shall not vouchsafe to graunt it Then is he not heard in that behalfe but yet shall not his prayer bee vaine and vnprofitable For though he obteine not in that point yet ceasseth he not to bee in Gods fauour neither doeth God faile to regarde his necessities So then let vs note that all the prayer of Moses was not reiected at Gods hand as though he had obtained nothing at al of him but onely as touching that point wherein it behoued him to haue deniall at Gods hand That is the thing which he meant here But it is
them earnestly to this care warenesse which Moses speaketh of here And he saieth purposely Take good heede that âhou 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 taâting 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 âo 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
must marke that when this poore heathen man spake after that fashion he meant not that wee resemble God either in eyes or in nose or in eares but in soule forasmuch as wee haue reason to discerne between good and euill vnderstanding to conceiue and comprehend thinges Psal. 8.4.7 and are so excellent aboue all brute beastes that there is no creature in the world so noble as man That is the thing wherein we resemble God But now with what paynting can mans soule be expressed Seeke all the cunning that can be what portraiture can be made thereof And yet for all that what are our soules They be but as little sparkes in comparison of the infinite brightnesse that is in God Our soules are created and God is without beginning He is the ground and welspring of all thinges Our soules are weake subiect to ignorance subiect to sin and subiect to many wicked lustes But God with his infinite being and maiestie is the perfection of all vertues To be short as oft as we thinke of him wee ought to be rauished into wondering and astonishment So then is it not apparant that men are worse than mad when they wil needs take vpon them to shape out Gods being seeing that no shape can be made of their owne soules which are nothing in comparison of him For seeing that S. Paul speaketh so to y e heathen I pray you do not the Papistes shewe that their meaning is to reproue him of ignorance and of the misapplying of Gods lawe Or else must they not needes be confounded in their blasphemies Yes and therefore let vs marke well that this doctrine y t God will not haue any maner of image made of him serueth not for two or three dayes but for all euer And there is euen one reason which ought to suffice vs which I alledged eueÌ now out of the prophet Esay Esa 40.15 How now sayth God consider who I am If I listed to gripe y e whole world I need not to stretch out my haÌd for the matter For though I kept my hand shut yet could I hold all the world close in it as a little grayne of dust It is true that God hath no handes for he hath no bodie but his speaking so is by a similitude As if hee should say doe yee thinke me to be like any creature No for all the world is nothing in comparison of me It is but as a grayne of dust in a mans hand you your selues are here beneth as a sort of frogges and grashoppers Now then if yee will needes make some puppet to represent me is it not as good as a defacing of my glory a spyting of me to y e vttermost of your power Wee see that God is a spirit as the scripture declareth shall wee then goe about to make him a bodie Iohn 4.24 It is he that giueth lyfe to all thinges shall we go take a dead thing to represent him thereby and say There is God When we haue shaped out a stone or a peece of wood and made it a nose eares and all the rest of mans limbes yet hath it no feeling at all and shall wee neuerthelesse say Behold there is God What a dealing were that For the same cause is it sayd in the psalme Psal. 115.5 Are idols remembraunces of God In deed men make them mouths and they haue feete handes noses eares but yet haue they no power to goe nor any other abilitie they be but corruptible dead things And is there any remembrance of God in theÌ Serue they not rather to leade men into error beastlynesse so as they should make no more account of God The very heathen men theÌselues could skill to say it not that they did practise it in deede but God wrested such woordes out of their mouthes to y e intent they might all be conuicted And albeit y t neither Moses nor y e prophets spake vnto them yet was it Gods will to condemne theÌ by themselues Ye see then how it is a sufficient peremptorie reason that inasmuch as there is no lykenesse betweene God and any of all the shapes that can be made to represent him withall hee hath wrong done vnto him and it is an abacing of his maiestie and glorie when men doe make images of him after that sorte And therewithall let vs also beholde mens madnesse Is it in mans power as sayth the prophet Esay to take a logge of wood Esa. 44.15 and with part thereof to goe heate his ouen or to seethe fleshe in a potte or to bake his bread or to warme himselfe and to take another parte of it and to fashion a nose and eares vppon it and to say vnto it Thou art my God and thereupon to worship it Now when men make Gods that is to say remembraunces or representations of God at their owne pleasure because the list to put a difference between two or three peeces of wood to preferre one before another and say behold this is GOD is it not too great a beastlynesse yes and the very heathen men themselues haue affirmed it as I haue declared Behold a Paynim a blinde wretch that was before the comming of Iesus Christ sayth Since the time that images came into the world Varro there hath bin nothing but errour Aug. lib. 4. de ciuâ Dei 9. and 31. and it hath bin the meane to make men brute beastes and to turne them away from the truth Seeing that euen blinde men knewe this or rather that God did cast foorth those words by their mouth is it not a horrible condemnation to suche as terme themselues Christians if they take not heede to it Another heathen man bringeth in an idoll speaking thus Horace The Carpenter or Caruer sayth hee was in doubt what to make of mee 1. Ser. Sat. 8 in the ende hee thought best to make me a God and so am I now worshipped See how this blinde wretch skoffeth at the beastlynesse that was among men and yet hee himselfe ceased not to worship idols still But what God wrested this acknowledgement from him by force to the ende that all mankinde shoulde bee condemned and that there shoulde bee no more excuse But as for vs wee will vaunt our selues to be taught by Gods word and yet we will not knowe so much as the sillie infidels haue spoken And truely are not wee warned by them If wee heare not the Prophets and Apostles at leastwise yet ought those heathen men to teach vs to our shame Therefore it muste needes be that wee bee woorse than bewitched by Satan if wee consider not all these reasons specially seeing they be of Gods owne alledging who will haue men to receiue them euen with all reuerence as at his maiesties hand and that for a further confirmation hee addeth the sayings of the infidels which I haue alledged And therefore let vs forbeare to take that vppon vs
repent yea and we must mourne before God praying him to keepe vs from such deadly plagues as are seene intermingled among vs. And so let vs marke well howe it is said here that it can not bee that such as doe so peruert themselues did euer know what Gods couenant is or of how excellent value For if his trueth ought so to restraine vs that we be not led away by any of the wyles and slightes of Satan how were it possible that men should so cast themselues into destruction if they had knowen God in good earnest bene strengthened in his word Although then that such folke professe the Gospel yea and haue taken some smack of it Hebr. 6.4.5 as saieth the Apostle yet may we perceiue that it neuer entered into their hearts in good earnest They be but hypocrites which make countenance to serue GOD for a time and afterward doe fleete away as wee see these roisters doe which band themselues togither As soone as they see any aide or support to vphold their wickednesse they fall to practising and confederating and they contriue all the drifts that they can possibly to ouerthrow Gods Church Therefore let vs vnderstand that although the Gospell be preached among vs yet are there many deafe folk which heare not what God saith to them not that that shall seeme to lessen their fault for they shall not faile to be taken for guiltie as wel as others Now here a man might demaund a question wherfore Moses saith that they shal not liue in y e land that is giuen them Deut. 31. but shall be shortly rooted out of it for wee see that God is patient and in deede it appeareth sufficiently And therfore it seemeth at the first sight that the thing which Moses saieth here shoulde not come to passe God spared his people a long time Although they gaue themselues to idolatrie and superstition yet did God vse long patience towards theÌ insomuch that the Prophets laboured to bring them backe againe wheÌ they were reuolted Although they were wilfull and hard hearted yet did God assay to win them to him Notwithstanding all this it is said here that they shall soone be rooted out Yea but this soone or shortly must agree with that which is written in many other places Num. 14â that is to wit that although Gods wrath light suddainly vpon offenders ouerwhelme them as a storme that commeth vnlooked for yet doth he not faile to be patient and to delay his vengance till mens wickednes bee growen ripe yea and euen till it be starke rotten Therfore it is to be vnderstoode that God punisheth not offenders out of hand for he saieth that he is slowe to wrath and he must needs keepe his owne nature Neuerthelesse in vsing patience and in bearing with them that haue doone amisse he ouerthroweth them sooner then they would Ye see then that this soone shortly by and by or out of hand must be referred to mens carelesnesse who make their account that all shall go well with them and beare themselues in hande that they haue made a couenant with death as saith the Prophet Esay Esa. 2â 1â and they be as drunken folkes in that behalfe so as if God winke at them for a time they thinke they bee scaped from his hand See how the hypocrites abuse Gods goodnesse bearing themselues in hand y t they shall neuer come to account for it For this cause doth Moses say here soone or shortly Not y â God forgetteth his owne nature as I said or tarieth not a long time for the amendment of offenders but that when all is done his vengeaunce is alwaies in a readinesse Psal. 2. ââ there needeth no more but to kindle it and by and by without any further tariance yea before one finger caÌ be stirred there needeth no more but to shewe forth his wrath and we shall bee euerie one of vs ouerwhelmed as it is saide in another song of Moses or in the XC Psalme Psal. âââ Sith it is so let vs not thinke it strauÌge that Moses threatneth the people here that they shall soone be rooted out And to the same purpose that is to say for a further declaration thereof serueth this also which he addeth namely When ye shall haue begotten children yea euen a two or three descentes if superstition doe then raigne among you thy God can roote thee out Hereby Moses sheweth that long possession will stand vs in no stead For though we beare our selues on hand that it is betweene God and vs as it is betweene man and man yet it wil not preuaile If a man haue bin a long time in authoritie estimation so as he be wel friended or of great kinred and aliance he beares himselfe on hand that hee shall neuer bee put from it But we see how the world passeth away and small occasions will serue to ouerthrow euen them that are mounted highest And therefore the Prophetes vpbraide them with their pride Esa. 28. â which glorie in their owne credit and authoritie saying vnto them ye beare your selues in hand that ye bee so fast setled as ye can neuer be shaken downe and yet if God doe but blowe vppon you by and by you bee gone in the turning of a hand Now according hereunto it is saide here that if we thinke to claime any title against God by prescription as they terme it that is to wit time bicause wee haue possessed his benefites a long time imagining that we can neuer bee disseased or dispossessed of them but that they must continue still in the same state not onely to vs but also to our children euen to the third fourth generation both they and wee shall for all that bee bereft of them and God will withdrawe his hand which he had erst stretched out to doe vs good So then let vs mark that whensoeuer God shall haue bin patient towardes vs it is not to be saide that he hath forgotten our transgressions but his bearing with them is for that it is not yet conuenient time to punish them Therefore let vs not trust to that but let vs alwayes beare in minde howe it is said here that if wee serue not God we shal soone be cut off Although it please him to wink at things and to tarie a time for vs yet shall his wrath come suddeinly vppon vs though it seeme not so to vs. And when we shall say 1. Thes. 5.3 all is whist and still imagining our selues to be safe and sure then must we be ouerwhelmed by his hand Let vs consider this that wee may walke warely and keepe good watch and not tarie till the fire be kindled And for y e same cause is this saying set downe Thy God is a consuming fire and a ielous God When Moses speaketh after that maner specially when he calleth him a ielous God he sheweth that God cannot abide that men should mocke him and despise him
to his owne vse and benefite so as when any man is in perplexitie that he woteth not what to say hee must alwayes come backe to this poynt how now Psal. 145.19 hath not thy GOD promised that hee will pitie such as call vpon him Yes in deed but I knowe not whether I be of that sort or no. Why haue I not bin baptized in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ Haue I not his holy Supper as a second pledge whereby hee sheweth mee that hee receiueth mee into the number of his children Be thou out of doubte therefore seeing thou hast so many records that thy God will be fauorable to thee and feare thou not but hee will shewe thee mercie Thus yee see the cause why Moses speaketh here expresly of the couenaunt of the fathers as it was made with their father Abraham and to all his seede after him For otherwise it woulde not haue booted at all in the time of Moses But forasmuch as GOD had sayd I will bee thy GOD to a thowsand generations Gen. 17.7 his ofspring is comprehended in it after his decease And therefore the Iewes ought to haue assured theÌselues by the vertue of the same couenaunt that they shoulde bee receiued so as if they repented theÌ of their sinnes they shoulde alwayes finde the mercie that they had neede of And now let vs vnderstand that seeing God vouchsafed to extend his goodnesse to the children of those with whome he had made his couenaunt and that although they were slidden backe and vtterly turned away from him and had quite forsaken him yet notwithstanding he ceased not to shew them mercie Now seeing he speaketh nowadays vnto vs and the voyce of our Lorde Iesus Christ soundeth lowde in calling vs to reconcile vs to our God and that the forgiuenesse of sinnes is preached vnto vs in his name 2. Cor. 5.18.19.20 Eph. 2.17 and tidings is brought vnto vs that God desireth to be friendes with vs and that all warre should be layd aside betweene him and vs let vs assure our selues I say that it is not for vs to bee wilfull and stubborne but that it behooueth vs to submit our selues to our God and therewithall to assure our selues throughly that this promise of his is not deceitefull Why for the couenant is ours so as our God intendeth not that his promises shall vanish into the aire but that they shall bee stedfast towards vs so as euery of vs may fare the better by them Thus much coÌcerning this saying of the couenant of the fathers But yet herewithall Moses faileth not to shew that it was not men that did first make the couenant with God but that God did preuent them and that it is hee that of his owne free goodnesse hath bound himselfe vnto them And for that cause is it sayd that God sware to that couenant and both of them are right necessarie For as I haue told you if wee take not Gods promises as peculiar to our selues it is vnpossible for vs to be so grounded vppon them as to call vppon him with a stedfast heart but wee shal bee euer wauering Therefore wee must be fully perswaded that God maketh vs partakers of all the benefites that hee promised to our auncesters And when wee be once at that poynt we must also consider on the otherside that it is not for vs to be on the forehand with God neither doth our Lorde tarie till wee come to seeke him but it is he y t hath preuented vs w t his mercie To be short it is he y t hath vouchsafed to take vs for his children and although we were straungers vnto him had not in any wise deserued to haue any acquaintance with him yet notwithstaÌding he hath vouchsafed of his owne accord to lincke himselfe with vs. It behoueth vs to thinke so For if wee knowe not that Gods promises are of free gift wee will fal to seeking of some deserte and worthinesse in our selues and wee will say that was the meane whereby to come vnto God he bestowed such a benefite or gratious gift vppon vs because wee deserued it wee haue gotten such a thing by the meanes of our own vertues Let vs beware of such fantasticall imaginations and let vs not thinke to doe our selues any good y â way So then let vs beare in mind that wheras God hath declared his couenant vnto vs calleth it ours yet notwithstaÌding he wil haue vs to know y t his vouchsafing to vtter himself vnto vs to giue himself vnto vs is of his owne accord without being bound thereto insomuch that wee did rather deserue to be vtterly reiected at his hand And Moses thinketh it not enough to say âingly that God made the sayd couenant but hee addeth also that hee sware it and not without cause doth he set that further here For as I haue declared already heretofore when GOD speaketh wee inquire whether the thing be so or no. Truely such manner of inquiring is very wicked But what for that Our vnbeliefe beareth such sway with vs as we cannot simply trust vnto GOD. Therefore doth he supply our want and sweareth to warrant his worde the better which hee hath giuen vs. If wee beleeue not a man vppon his bare worde wee doe him wrong And therefore are mortall men put to their othe because they bee inclined ouermuch to vanitie But when God sweareth at our request what a thing is that For seing he is the vnchangeable truthe why should not men trust him as soone as the worde is spoken with his mouth But hereby we see how frowarde wee bee and on the otherside we see also how God beareth with vs in humbling himself so farre as to sweare for our sakes because hee seeth that wee would else be alwayes vnquiet and that we shoulde still bee tempted to doubt Therefore vouchsafeth hee to confirme vs by swearing to the intent wee might bee the better assured of the hope of our saluation and not doubt any more of his promises Thus much concerning Gods swearing Now againe Moses sheweth after what maner men ought to seeke GOD and hee sheweth it by deede Hee had sayd afore that such as seeke God with all their heart and with all their soule shal find him And now he sheweth by what meanes men shall yeelde good proofe thereof that is to wit of their true and vnfeined repentance that is to wit by obeying the voyce of God For men will make bragges enowe that they beare a good heart to Godward and we see dayly this shamelesnesse that such as haue not one veine that tendeth to Godward cease not for all that to protest with full mouth that they loue God and they beare the worlde in hand that they bee wonderful zealous But there Moses bringeth vs backe to the tryall Wee must shewe whereby sayth hee so as it may appeare by our fruites that our sinnes mislyke vs in deede and that we bee desirous in
they terme it but that is for the time comming I meane not that diffinitiue sentence shoulde bee giuen according to that which hath bene knowen by a man aforetimes but howe shoulde men deale to come to the trueth of things done Let them consider what manner a one the man hath bin I see that one is a despiser of GOD I see a lewde vnthrifte that hath neither faith nor honestie in him I see a drunkarde that is full of furie and passeth no more to murder a man than to cutte the throate of a Capon or a Henne I see this also I see he is a quareller and is euer working of some mischiefe or other yea I see and can point one with my finger that seeketh to bring all goodnesse to decay and to put al things out of order I see al this now I pray you is not this a good inducement to leade mee to the trueth of the matter by comparing the faulte that hee shall haue committed with his former life As for example a man is founde at some murder or apprehended for some other misdeede that he is charged with and bicause there is not sufficient witnesse he will denie that hee knowes any thing of it notwithstanding by the markes that God sheweth mee of him I see his whole lyfe is as an euidence against him If I were to take information of the whole matter and had a doosen witnesses that coulde say vnto mee this is the murtherer I coulde not more clearly perceiue the murther than by beholding that the partie is a rank naughtipacke a despiser of God such a one as hath neither faith nor honestie a cutthrote and robber of a spitefull stomacke and ful of poison so as he is vtterly out of all square I pray you is it meete I should be blinded still when I see such proofes Now then let vs marke well that whereas Moses speakes here of the time past it is to shew vs that God wil helpe vs to the knowledge of matters and of the truth of them so wee on our side shut not the gate nor quenche not the light when it is offered vs. Loe what wee haue to beare in minde And on the other part let vs marke also that if wee haue knowen a man to be of a good conscience and seene none other signes in him but of the feare of GOD of honestie and of vpright dealing wee must not lightly take vppon vs to charge him with any cryme For to what purpose shoulde it serue such as haue lyued as becommeth them to haue giuen good example all their lyfe long if euerie ill reporâ shoulde bee admitted against them at the first dashe so as they should be condemned without further inquirie So then let vs marke that God meant here to restraine vs from iudging vnaduisedly and from thinking amisse on such as haue liued aright Nowe for the suÌme and conclusion of all here is the promise that Moses maketh that is to wit That the people shall prosper in the lande that is giuen them to inherite and that God will blesse them for euer and them also that come of their children And this doctrine is verie ryfe namely that if wee serue GOD he will blesse vs as though our seruice were recompensed But yet wee must not imagine hereupon as the Papistes doe that wee deserue any thing at all at Gods hand that he yeeldeth vs like for like as though he were bouÌd thereunto or as though there were some hire or wages due to vs we must not enter into such dotages but we must coÌsider y t the cause why God promiseth reward to such as serue him is to harten theÌ by doing theÌ to vnderstand y t it is not lost labor to serue God By y t means then God intendeth to incourage vs to serue him and to do wel and not to make vs proude or to put vs in beliefe that wee deserue aught Then let vs marke that wheras God promiseth vs reward it is for that hee had earst giuen vs the grace to serue him Whereof commeth it that wee liue as becommeth vs Commeth it of our owne freewill Commeth it of our owne selfmoouing No but of Gods gouerning of vs by his holy spirit Now then although it were a recompence yet ought not the same to bee attributed vnto vs 1. Cor. 15.10 but rather to y e grace that God hath put into vs which grace he crowneth But there is yet one point more which is that although God blesse vs and make vs to prosper yet haue not wee serued him as we ought to do for all that but he should alwayes rather finde somewhat wherefore to punish vs if he listed to vse rigour towardes vs. Therefore let vs not thinke that euer we haue so discharged our duetie as that God should in any thing be bound towards vs. But forasmuch as he beareth with vs and imputeth not our sinnes and offences to vs but winketh at them taketh all in good worth as at his childrens handes therefore doeth he vouchsafe to reward our workes And so wee see that all such as attribute any deserte to themselues are surely besotâed with fond selfweening must be fain to mislike of themselues not to make any account of their owne wretchednesse And soothly if we wist what our workes are wee should alwayes haue cause to sigh and to craue pardon at Gods hand and that will make our workes to be accepted at his hand notwithstanding they bee vnperfect And why Bicause he beareth with vs as with his children And so he yeeldeth vs not that which he oweth vs nor that which we haue deserued but that which it pleaseth him to giue vs of his meere liberalitie Neuerthelesse he giueth such recompence to our workes to the intent wee should be the willinger to serue him and vnderstand that our seruing of him shall not bee in vaine but that we must imploy our selues for him as for our maister and prince and giue our selues wholly to his seruice though it bee not with such perfection as were requisite Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them more and more that being humbled we may bee drawen to true repentance and therewithall knowe to what ende wee are chosen to bee his people namely to the ende wee should worship him as our King and obey his lawes not onely in outward deedes but also with true and heartie affection and liue in such wise vnder him as we may moreouer bee linked to our neighbours with brotherly loue and by that meanes bee assured more and more that his adopting of vs to bee his children is not in vaine That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Fryday the vij of Iune 1555. The xxx Sermon which is the twelfth vpon the fourth Chapter and the
as we be hild downe vnder the infirmities of our flesh it may please him to vphold vs vntill hee haue clothed vs with his own righteousnes And so let vs all say Almighty God c. On Munday the xvij of Iune 1555. The xxxij Sermon which is the third vpon the fifth Chapter 8 Thou shalt not make thee any grauen image nor the likenesse of anye thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the waters vnder the earth 9 Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them For I am the Lord thy God a ielous God visiting the sinnes of the fathers vppon the children euen vpon the third and fourth generation of them that hate mee 10 And shewing mercie in a thousand generations to them that loue mee and keepe my commaundementes FOrasmuch as men are so inclined to corrupt Gods seruice with wicked superstitions God is faine to threaten them that they may bee helde vnder as it were by force or els their fondnesse would carie them away to surmise of God contrarie to that which may beseeme his Maiestie And this is a verie notable point as I haue touched heretofore For in as much as the people of Israel knew the liuing God it may seeme to bee as it were needelesse to forbid them to make any image Howbeit by reason of our cursed inclination it was behoofefull that this forbidding should bee added as straite as wee see it here And it is well for vs that it is so For this sinne is rooted as it were in our verie bones in so much that if God tolde vs not that he cannot away with idolatrie and that he wounded vs not with that threate there is none of vs all which would not forge infinite idols to himselfe and by that meanes the honour of y e liuing God should be conueied ouer vnto our own imaginations Wherefore let vs marke well that here wee bee conuinced to haue a froward and cursed nature which draweth alwaies to superstition and that it is requisite for vs to bee restrained after a violent maner For of our owne will wee can neuer serue GOD so purely as to imagine nothing of him but as may beseeme him And herewithall wee see also whereunto our good intentes serue vs. For if there bee any thing wherein men may excuse themselues by imagining that they doe well it is in forging of idols For to what end do they make them but to serue GOD that they may bee stirred vp to the greater deuotion and be the surer that God will graunt their requests Therefore by this meanes men might shroude themselues vnder colour of good intent But we see on the contrarie part that God abhorreth it wee see howe he vttereth the grieuous sentence of condemnation against all such as proceede to behaue themselues so after their owne imagination They may well ynough say and so it is in deede that their meaning is to serue God But what for that He accepteth no such seruice but rather curseth it and vtterly misliketh it that iustly For as I haue shewed afore it is a disguising of his Maiestie to make any visible image vnto him Therefore this text teacheth vs to forbeare to doe the thinges that seeme good to our selues and specially that when Gods seruice commeth in question we must not attempt any thing vpon our owne head but in all simplicitie followe that which he ordaineth by his woord w tout putting any thing at all therto For looke how soone wee swarue neuer so little from that alledge wee what wee can and set wee neuer so good countenance vpon our case God will not faile to punish vs. For this threatening of his is not in vaine where he saieth That he is a ielous angrie God which visiteth the wickednesse of the fathers vpon the Children Ye see then how there are two pointes for vs to remember in this text The one is that forasmuch as we be naturally too much giuen to idolatrie wee must alwayes set this threate of God before our eyes that wee take not vppon vs to mingle any thing with his word or to deuise any worshipping of images but serue God purely according to his owne nature and not after our owne fansie Let that serue for one point The other is that we must consider that we must not pretend our owne good intentes to iustifie the things that we our selues haue inueÌted but contrariwise beare in minde that the chiefe seruice which God requireth 1. Sa. 15.22 Eccle. 4.17 is obedience But now let vs come to the wordes that are set downe here First God saieth I am thine euerlasting God yea euen the strong or rather mightie God Here againe he setteth himselfe against idols For wee haue seene heretofore that to correct superstition he did set himselfe forth in his Maiestie And surely Gods manifesting of himselfe is to bereaue men of all excuse So long as we knowe not the true Religion no nor can discerne which is the true God it is no maruaile though our wits runne at rouers and we gad vp and downe without any certaine stay so as we be euer straying But contrariwise when God hath once shewed himself vnto vs giueÌ vs knoledge of his trueth it is good reason that all our owne dotages should sinke and that wee should sticke to the thing that wee knowe For this cause God repeateth the matter how he had declared himselfe to the people of Israel and chosen them to himselfe of purpose to gouerne them euen by his Lawe which is nowe published And he termeth himselfe expressely a ielous or angrie God for the Hebrew word that is placed here betokeneth both twaine And although he call himselfe God here yet the word that he vseth commeth of strength Now then whereas he termeth himselfe ielous no doubt but his meaning is that he cannot abide the violating of his honour or that men should rob him of that which is his owne to giue it vnto creatures he is not so patient as to suffer such treacherie And therefore although Gods honour be not so greatly regarded of vs as it deserueth this argueth not y t he neglecteth it for in the ende wee shall finde that he hath not forgotten himselfe Num. 14. â Leuit. 10. â but that he will maintaine his glory accordingly also as he declareth thorough out the whole holy scripture Truely if we had but one drop of good reason we would be ielous ouer the honour of our God so as wee should neede no incouragement thereto but rather should indeuour to performe this saying of the Psalme Psal. 6âââ that the zeale of him should euen consume vs and we should be so set on fire within that whensoeuer we sawe his Maiestie dishonored or lightly esteemed we should feele as it were a burning fire within vs. But what We be nice in maintaining our own honor but in the meane while wee suffer Gods honour to be trodeÌ
specially wheÌ his word is preached as is said by the Prophet Esay Esa. 66.2.5 For so shall wee shewe not onely in wordes but also in deede that wee be true beleeuers and God also will auowe vs for his people and in the end gather vs into the heritage of the kingdome of heauen Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him not to impute those vnto vs which we haue committed heretofore but that it may please him so to reforme vs to himselfe as our whole seeking may bee to honour him and to giue our selues to his seruice y t he may dwell among vs and our Lorde Iesus raigne ouer vs both by his holy spirit and by his woord And so let vs all say Almighty God heauenly father c. On Thursday the xx of Iune 1555. The xxxiiij Sermon which is the fifth vpon the fifth Chapter 12 Keepe the day of rest to hallowe it as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thee 13 Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy businesses 14 But the seuenth day is the rest of the Lorde thy God Thou shalt not doe any worke therein AFter that he had spoken of the pure worshipping and seruing of GOD to the glorifying of his name without taking of it either in othes or in other thinges otherwise than in way of honour nowe mention is made of Gods seruice accordingly as he hath required it in his lawe and of the order which he hath set downe for the faithfull to exercise themselues in As for example the Sabaoth or day of rest was a figure partly to shewe that men could not serue God duetifully but by mortifying all that euer is of our owne nature and by dedicating themselues therewithall in such sort vnto him as they may bee as it were quite separated from the world Secondly the day of rest was a Ceremonie to bring the people togither that they might heare the Lawe and call vppon the name of GOD and offer the sacrifices and all other thinges that concerne the spirituall gouernment Thus then wee see nowe after what sorte the Sabaoth day was spoken of but yet would it not be well vnderstoode without distinction and without laying forth of the said two partes by peece meale Therefore we haue to note that the Sabaoth or day of rest was a shadow vnder the Law till the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ to doe meÌ to vnderstand that God requireth that they should vtterly ceasse from their owne workes and that is it which I meant in one word when I said y t we must mortifie all that euer is of our own nature if wee will conforme our selues to our God And that it is so Saint Paule declareth and besides that wee haue recordes ynow thereof in the newe Testament But it shall suffice to haue alledged that which is most apparant namely to the Colossians Col. 2.17 where it is saide that wee haue the substance and the body of the thinges that were vnder the Lawe wee haue it sayeth he in Iesus Christ. And therefore it was requisite for the fathers of old time to bee trained in this hope as well by the day of rest as by some other Ceremonies But nowe that the thing it selfe is giuen vnto vs wee must no more stay vppon the shadowes In deede the lawe is not so abolished but that we ought to holde still the substance and trueth of it Matt. 5.18 Eph. 2.15 Col. 2.14.17 but yet is the shadowe of it done away by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ If it bee demaunded how the fathers of olde time knewe that Moses hath giuen vs vnderstanding thereof as is shewed sufficiently in the Booke of Exodus Exod. ââ 17. For God hauing set foorth his Lawe in the twentieth of Exodus which hee vttered vnto Moses telleth him to what ende it tended saying that he had ordeyned the Sabaoth daye to bee as a warrant of the sanctifying of the people of Israel vnto him It is sayeth he a badge of my holynesse which I haue ordayned among you Now when as the scripture speaketh to vs of being made holy vnto GOD it is to separate vs from all thinges that are contrarie to his seruice But where is such purenesse to bee founde Wee bee in the worlde and wee knowe that in the worlde there is nothing but vtter frowardnesse and naughtinesse as sayeth Saint Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle 1. Ioh. âââ But men neede not to goe out of themselues to haue battell against God and his righteousnesse for all our senses and all our affections sayeth Saint Paule in the eyght to the Romanes are enemies vnto God Rom. âââ When men giue heede to their owne thoughts desires likings and lustes they make open warre against God Wee knowe howe it is tolde vs in the sixth of Genesis that all that euer man can imagine is alwayes euill Gen. â â and that all that euer man deuiseth in himselfe and hath of his owne store is vtterly vntowarde and corrupt afore God So then wee see well that wee cannot bee sanctifyed to our God that is to say wee cannot serue him vndefyledly except wee bee separated from the defylings that are contrarie to him and that the thinges which are of our owne nature bee abolished Nowe it was requisite that all these thinges should bee figured to the auncient fathers bicause Iesus Christ was not yet fully reuealed vnto them But wee in these dayes haue the full accomplishment and performance of all thinges in Iesus Christ. And for proofe thereof Roâ ââ Saint Paule saieth that the olde man is crucified with him Whereas Saint Paul speakes after that sort of the olde man he meaneth the things that we haue from Adam all which must be rypened and done away Not as touching the substance of our bodie or of our soule but as touching y e naughtines that is in vs. The blindnes that maketh vs to go astray and the wicked lustes likings which are vtterly disobedient to Gods rightuousnesse must be beaten downe bicause they be drawen froÌ Adam And how is that done Not by our owne power or policie but by our Lorde Iesus Christ 1. Cor. â who by dying for vs Rom. ââ to wipe away our sinnes y t they might no more bee imputed vnto vs hath also purchased vs this prerogatiue y t by y e power of his holy spirit we be able to forsake the world our selues so as our fleshly affectioÌs shall not ouermaister vs. And although we be ful of disobedience yet shall Gods spirit ouerrule vs to hold them downe to keep theÌ in awe And therefore it is sayd y t wee be risen againe with him Col. 2.12 as S. Paul declareth lykewise in y e forealledged text to y e Colossians But this was not yet manifested vnder y e Law Therfore it was requisit y t the fathers which liued at
bicause wee bee so corrupt and frowarde that all our thoughtes and affections goe the contrarie way it may please him to reforme vs by his holy spirit and to draw vs in such wise vnto him as we renouncing the world and despising these mortall and transitorie things may mount vp to the heauenly kingdome where we shall haue all contentation and rest And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the iiij of Iuly 1555. The xl Sermon which is the eleuenth vpon the fifth Chapter 20 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour WEe haue seene heretofore that it is not lawfull for vs in anye wise to vexe our neighbours in their persons or to do them any domage in their goods Notwithstanding for as much as harme may bee doone by the tongue God hath vouchsafed to make mention of y t also in his Law as we see in this text Now then like as heretofore he forbad the doing of any outrage to our neighbors which thing he comprehended vnder y e word Murther likewise all grieuing of them and all anoying of them by any meanes in their goods so he sheweth here y t we must not speake euill of them nor vse any such words as may cast any blemish or staine vppon them It is true that he speaketh expressely of False witnesse howbeit that is according to the rule that I haue set downe namely y t he setteth forth the thinges formost which we ought most to mislyke to the intent wee shoulde mislyke the sinnes that come neere them Then if wee speake euill of our neighbors so as wee slaunder them although it bee not taken for a grieuous sinne before men yet doeth God take it for a false witnessing But here a maÌ might demaund a question why GOD speaketh here of false witnessing and periurie seeing he had alreadie said Thou shalt not take y e name of y e Lord thy God in vayne For it seemeth to bee a needlesse repetition For in so short a sum of y e law where there be not aboue ten senteÌces it seemeth vnconuenient to repeate one thing twise But we must marke that the things which haue beene set downe heretofore concerning the not taking of Gods name in vayne were in the first table where GOD respected onely the Maiestie of his name to the intent it shoulde bee had in reuerence Therefore whensoeuer wee speake of God wee must thinke vppon the infinite glorie that is in him that wee may neuer open our mouth but with reuerence and humilitie And whether wee intend to sweare or to speake of him in any other wise wee must euer thinke that his name is to bee reuerenced and that wee must not fling it foorth at aduenture Thus much concerning the thinges that wee haue seene alreadie vppon this matter Now God speaketh of another thing namely of the not hurting or harming of our neighbours in any wise by our wicked tongue So then in as much as there is a dubble intent wee see nowe that these two sentences differ also that there is no superfluitie at all Wherefore let vs marke well that for as much as it is shewed here howe men ought to liue togither charitably and vprightly although Gods name be dishonoured by lewd witnessing yet the lawe is not superfluous which saieth That we must not beare false witnesse against our neighbours I tolde you before that Gods meaning here is to condemne generally all slaunders all false reportes all diffamations and all other such like things Leuit. 19.16 17. And for proofe therof it is expressely saide in another place Thou shalt not bring vp any euill reporte nor speake euill on thy neighbour to cast any blot vppon him If the Law of God containe all perfection of good life it insueth that this also is comprehended therein And where shall wee put it but vnder this sentence Therefore wee must conclude that although GOD haue peculiarly set down here the name of False witnesse yet notwithstanding hee meant to extend the doctrine thereof to all slaunders misreportes and crooked speeches that tend to the diffaming or defacing of our neighbours or to the hurting of their good name Wee see then that Gods meaning here is to keepe vs in good friendship one towards another and that so farre as he suffereth not any man to bee impeached any more in his name than in his person or his goods Therefore whosoeuer diffameth his neighbour or in any wise backebyteth him doeth to the vttermost of his power breake the bond of charitie among men and proclaime open warre And if we consider all thinges well it is certaine that sometimes misreportes slaunders and backebytings doe much more harme than robberies Wherefore let vs vnderstand that if wee minde to obey our God wee must maintaine the honestie and honour of our neighbours to the vttermost of our power For seeing he hath forbidden vs to hurt any mans good name it is his will on the contrarie part that wee should indeuour to preserue all mens honesties For it is not ynough to abstaine from dooing of euill Psal. 34.15 vnlesse a man doe good therewithall Now must we proceede by the degrees which God meant to set out vnto vs in this place speaking of False witnesse The first then is to beware that wee vtter not any false report Lye or periurie in place of Iustice whereby to hurt them whose honestie honour and welfare we be bouÌd to procure For hee that beareth false witnesse against his neighbour doeth kill him and robbe him as much as in him lyeth and doeth all the euill that may growe of his periurie In deede most commonly men thinke it not to bee so but yet is it so in trueth And for the same cause did God expressely command in his Lawe that the witnesse should be the first in executing the partie that was to bee punished for any misdeede Deut. ãâ¦ã to the intent a man might knowe that their words and their tongues put him to death and that the witnesses themselues might stande the more in awe consider y t they should yeeld account vnto God of their witnesse bearing against any man Therfore when any euidence is to bee giuen it standeth euery man in hand to looke neerely to himselfe that he inlarge not his conscience but speake the thing simply plainly which he knoweth to be true before God But the case concerneth not onely the giuing of false euidence in matters of life death but also in all matters that touch mens honour honestie good name or goods Therefore let vs haue a care to preserue the honour and welfare of our neighbour in all respectes when we be to beare witnesse Yet notwithstanding wee must not vnder this colour cloake the offence of him that hath doone amisse or lye against God to maintaine his good state For if the honour of men bee precious vnto vs howe much more precious ought Gods
Yes And therefore let vs beware that we beare not false witnesse against God 1 Cor. 15.15 according to Sainct Paules saying who auoweth that such as corrupt the purenesse of the Gospel are falsewitnesses against God and not against men What is to be done then Wee must maintaine Gods trueth and deale so roundly in it that forasmuch as wee see the doctrine is good wee beare it abroade and maintaine it knowing that God hath ordeyned vs to bee as his deputies Then if I see the trueth oppressed I must not suffer it to my power Why so God hath appointed mee to see that lying and vntrueth bee suppressed in his name And this is to bee obserued most specially when the doctrine of saluation commeth in question As for example when wee see the doctrine in daunger to bee falsified and that men woulde mingle Leuen with it to imbrewe men with falshood and leasings in that case we must be zealous indeede not suffer false witnesses to haue their full swindge against God vnlesse we mind to consent to them and to bee partakers with them as I haue declared alreadie Finally let vs learne that when wee haue liued in such plainenesse among men as it cannot bee laide to our charge that wee haue gone about to deface any man by slaundering rayling or backbyting wee must also haue such zeale to Godwarde as his trueth may continue sounde and be maintained to reigne among vs. Thus ye see in effect what wee haue to consider vppon this commaundement Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs perceiue them better than we haue done and to leade vs more and more to such repentance as we may learne to bethinke vs of our sinnes to be sorie for them and to mislike of them that hauing obtained forgiuenes of them we may learne to direct our life according to his holy commaundementes so as he may be honored of vs with true obedience not onely with confession of the mouth That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people nations of y e earth c. On Friday the fift of Iuly 1555. The xli Sermon which is the twelfth vpon the fifth Chapter 21 Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wife neither shalt thou couet thy neighbours house nor his fielde nor his manseruant nor his womanseruaunt nor his Oxe nor his Asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours IT might seeme at the first sight that this commandement were more than needeth because that in condemning of thefte whoredome God ment therby to represse all wicked affections For I told you that we must expounde these commandements according to gods nature and we knowe that it is Gods peculiar office to serch mens hearts Chr. 2â 9 Chr. 6.30 âal 7.11 â 2 ãâã 11.20 â 10 so as he knoweth euen the deepest secretest and hiddenest thoughtes It followeth then that in forbidding men to be theeues and whoremasters hee ment also to bridle their affections and lustes And indeede if it were not so God had no more power in making of lawes thaÌ mortal men For if an earthly man condemneth whoredome he will also condemne the intent of it If there appeare a wicked intent it shal be punished If Gods Lawe were no more but so it were a matter of no great importance for it were but a ciuil order to gouerne vs honestly to the worldward But there is much more in it for we see howe S. Paul saith 1 Tim. 1.15 that the lawe cannot be kept without a pure conscience and an vnfeined faith It it bee requisite for vs to haue such a soundnesse in vs for the well keeping of Gods Lawe it followeth that all wicked lusts were forbidden vnder the name of whoredome As much is to be said of the word Theft Also we might alledge the authoritie of our Lorde Iesus Christ who is a faithfull expounder of the Lawe Matt. 5.28 1. Pet. 3.19 For it is by his spirite that Moses and all the Prophets spake Why then is it added heere that we must not couet If all wicked lustes were spoken of before why shoulde they bee repeted againe Wee must marke that in this place God meaneth not to represse the affections that are fully intended and determined vpon but the other affections or motions that stirre vs vp and prouoke vs although we neither sticke to them nor consent to them This requireth a longer and plainer exposition Sometimes Couetousnesse or Lust betokeneth the will in man As for example when I see my neighbours goods and am tempted to couet them and to lust after them Now if I feede this temptation in my self and giue my selfe the bridle then doth the sinne so ouermaster me that my wil is fully resolued vpon it and I would faine that those goods were mine This is a kinde of couetousnes or lust that carieth the will with it for the partie consenteth to the sinne and hee would put his wicked intent in execution if hee were able Nowe such kinde of wicked couetings and lustings were forbidden heretofore where it is saide Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not commit aduoutrie For there God hath forbidden vs not onely the actuall deeds of theft and whordome but also the verie lusting and longing after another mans wife goods or possessions But there is another kinde of couetousnesse or lust wherevnto we doe not altogether cleaue as to consent thereto and yet notwithstanding it tickleth and moueth vs in such sort as wee feele some euill prouocation in our selues which is against God striueth against the righteousnes that is conteined in the Law Those are the lusts that are forbidden in this place And so we see that God hauing alreadie condemned all wicked intents and purposes doeth iustly adde that that is not yet such a perfection as he requireth at our handes but that we must vnderstande that all manner of affections which stirre vs vp to euill are sinfull insomuch that although wee determine not vppon any thing in our selues ne purpose it at all but onely that some lusting or liking doe glaunce through our heart A sinne is forthwith committed and wee bee guiltie before God Wee see then what manner of soundnesse is required in this text namely howe that our Lorde hauing alreadie forbidden wicked intents addeth that all our senses wits must be so imprisoned vnder the feare of him and so inflamed with loue and desire to liue in all holinesse as wee may not bee moued or stirred one way nor other by any wicked passion to luste after another mans gooddes or wife Seeing wee haue Gods meaning nowe let vs see whereto he bindeth vs for the Lawe shoulde be as a lookingglasse vnto vs to behold our own wretchednesse in And when we once knowe our dutie let vs assure our selues we be worthy to be condemned if we draw not
and in the meane while God is let alone and his lawe is forgotten And therefore it is not to bee wondered at that hee hardeneth vs in such brutishnes and that there is so grosse ignorance in the world as fewe folke haue the true taste and sauor of the doctrine of saluation but rather wee see that all men despise it and are so farre off from hauing any affection and zeale to the knowing of it that they doe rather thrust it from them when it is offered them and when GOD seeketh them they runne from him Sith wee see such vnthankefulnesse euerywhere it is any maruell that our Lorde reuealeth not his trueth as hee would doe if men were well minded towardes it It is true that God taryeth not till wee come vnto him but rather performeth that which hee sayth by his prophet Esay Esa. 65.1 namely that hee appeareth to them that aske not after him and that hee is found of them that seeke him not insomuch that hee sayth to them that are farre off from him Lo here I am Yet notwithstanding men must not vnder this color that God reacheth them his hand and draweth them out of the dungeons of ignorance before they euer thought vppon him men I say must not flatter and fode themselues in their carelesnesse but rather wee must learne according to this text that whereas wee bee ignorant of the trueth wee must at leastwise doe our indeuer to get knowledge of it and resorte to such as wee thinke that God hath reuealed more vnto than to our selues If wee doe so and with all humilitie seeke to knowe the thinges that are auaileable to our saluation God will shewe himselfe to vs and giue vs such meanes and helpes as he knoweth to be expedient for vs. And although mortall men faile vs yet will hee so supply our want by the power of his holy spirite as wee shall not continue still in darkenesse if wee seeke y e light for he wil not shut y e dore against vs if we knock Matt. 7.7 Luâ 11.9.10 do our indeuer to enter Thus ye see in effect what we haue to remember vppon y e text Furthermore it behoueth vs to marke that here God sheweth not the end of his commandements what is ment by them and to what vse he hath appoynted theÌ He doth not onely shew that the people were iustly bound to keepe the lawe that was giuen them seeing that God had bought them so dearly Here are two things The one is that inasmuch as God hath giuen vs his worde hee doth well deserue that wee should yeelde him obedience Why so Because we be his creatures and hee hath voutsafed to gather vs together vnto him to bee his people and to fight vnder his standard and hath made vs to bee of his flocke and of his Church Marke that for one poynt The other is that wee should know to what end hee hath giuen vs his Sacraments so as we haue the preceptes of his whole Lawe which pertaine to the exercising of vs in his feare and in the hope of our saluation and to what end he hath set such order among vs as wee now haue Wee must knowe what is meant by all this Neuerthelesse this briefenesse will bee darkesome if it be not declared better When wee consider how God hath created shaped vs and moreouer made vs after his owne image and giuen vs witte and reson and therewithall the hope of a better life and finally hath voutsafed to take vs as his houshold folke it sheweth vs that wee bee bound to submit our selues vnto him For seeing hee is our maker doe wee not owe him all obedience Nay there is yet more namely that in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ his sonne hee hath redeemed vs and made vs partakers of his Gospell to the ende that wee should bee guided by his hand Now then the first poynt is that when we haue knowledge it must stirre vs vp to serue God to stick to the pure religion that is comprehended in his word Howbeit this is not enough but wheÌ we be asked yet neerer Wherfore y e promises of y e forgiuenes of sins are giuen vs wee must answere Alas it is because we be wretched sinners we should be continually in anguish and sorrowe of minde if we knewe not that God is coÌtented to be mercifull vnto vs of his owne meere grace For hee cannot loue vs except we be righteous and wee shall neuer finde any holynesse in our lyfe Psal. ââ or perfection in our vertues but it is through Gods mercie which it pleaseth him to extend towards vs. And so now yee see whereunto the promises tend Againe if it be demaunded of vs why hee hath appoynted the order of prayer as wel publique as priuate it is for that euery of vs ought to inure himselfe to seeke all his succor at his hand For wee haue not any good thing wee be destitute both of wisedome strength and righteousnesse wee bee woorse than emptie vntill our good God doe succor our needes and the meane thereof is to flee to him for refuge To that end hath hee ordeined priuate prayer And publique or common prayer is ordeined to the intent to assure vs the better that hee will here the common accorde that is among vs when wee bee come together as it were into one bodie and therewithall wee make confession of our faith exercise our charitie By this meanes then we learne why and to what end our Lorde hath set order in his Churche that is to lay what he meant to betoken thereby and to what purpose it is to be referred If a man aske vs what is meant by Baptisme and wherefore it was ordeined it is to the intent wee should know that euen from our mothers wombe wee bring nothing but all maner of vncleanesse with vs and that wee be ful of infection and filth before the Lord so as wee must be faine to bee washed or else hee will not vouchsafe to auowe vs for his Eph. 5.26.27 And wherewithall must wee be washed With the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. 1 Iohn 1.7 That then is the way to make vs cleane For as long as wee liue in Adam and in our owne nature wee can doe nothing but euill We bee so marred as there is nothing in vs but vtter rebelliousnesse against GOD. Therefore wee must enter as it were into death and into the graue Rom. 6.4 to bee renewed and our Lord must bee faine to giue vs a new vnderstanding and a new heart and he must so shape vs new againe as we may no more be the same we were before but bee as yee would say cast in a newe mould Eph. 4.23.24 and bee made new creatures as the scripture vseth to speake of it Thus ye see how wee may learne what Baptisme is what it betokeneth and to what end it was ordeyned As
touching the Lordes supper if it bee inquired of vs why wee come together to receiue a bit of bread and a draught wine it is in way of acknowledgement that our soules haue neede of foode no lesse than our bodies and that as there is such frailetie in this present lyfe as it cannot continue without the helpes of meate and drinke so must our soules also bee mainteined after lyke sorte by reason of the infirmitie that is in them Neuerthelesse our soules are not nourished with the corruptible meates of this world Iohn 6.53.54.55.56 but it is the sonne of God that is our foode Matt. 26.26.28 Wee then haue Iesus Christ who is our lyfe it is hee of whome wee haue sustenance and nourishment â Cor. 11.24 forasmuch as hee was offered in sacrifice for vs and the bloud that he did shed for our saluation is our drinke Thus ye see how we nowadayes may learne whereunto y e ordinaÌces to teÌd which God hath stablished in his Church and to what end they be to be referred In lyke case was it vnder the lawe For God ordeyned not the ceremonies without further consideration of some reason in them It is true that hee meant to separate his people from all the heathen and vnbeleeuers of the earth Deut. 4.8 but yet in the meane while Heb. 9.10 10.3 11.12 the washinges which they vsed were done to shewe that they were full of naughtinesse as well as wee and that it stood them in hand to seeke the meanes to bee made cleane The sacrifices were a witnesse that they were worthy to bee condemned to euerlasting death and that there was none other shift for them but to flee to the sacrifice wherby they should bee reconciled to God The Sanctuary betokened that no man but onely Iesus Christ might enter into Gods kingdome Heb. 9.7 â0 18 nor come nye it and that by his meanes all nations haue accesse thither and that all such as are vnworthie in respect of their owne persons are brought in thither by that mediator To be shorte Heb. 7.19 all the ceremonies of the Lawe had some certaine vse and serued to trayne the people to put their trust in the redeemer that was promised them Heb. 8.5 And that was the cause why Moses was commaunded to make all things according to the spirituall patterne which hee had seene on the mount For Moses builded not the Tabernacle otherwise than GOD had giuen him the patterne of it And all was to shewe that there was a conformable resemblance betweene the outward thinges and the trueth which was to bee manifested in our Lord Iesus Christ. But in the text Moses speaketh but of the first and that is the cause why I sayd that it be behoued vs to haue an eye to his meaning For it was enough for him to say go too my friendes you which haue seene the redemption that GOD hath wrought you say I ought to consider how much you bee bound vnto him Therefore make account to the doctrine of the Lawe and frame your whole lyfe therafter that it may be as an acknowledgement of the deliuerance which you haue receiued at his hand And when ye shall haue walked thereafter all the time of your lyfe looke well to it that you teach your children also so as Gods seruice may continue among you and neuer decay nor bee abolished That is the playne meaning of Moses Furthermore let vs vnderstand that wee must consider that the Lawe was not inuented at the pleasure of men neither was it founded by them but God was the giuer thereof who holdeth vs vnder his gouernement and it is his trueth which we followe so as wee holde not any whit of thinges inuented by men That is the thing whereon wee must rest that we may not bee alwayes wauering and doubtfull And hereby wee knowe how wretched the state of the papistes is for they bee stubborne and wilfull in their own imaginations If a man aske theÌ of whoÌ they hold their superstitioÌs they alledge their fathers they alledge long antiquitie they alledge y e common fashion of y e whole world but in y e meane while they haue no certeintie y t their doinges please God or y t he alloweth theÌ whereas in very deed the thing y t God leadeth vs vnto is y t we should be sure that haue not ne holde not any thing y t is brought vs at al aduenture but y t the doctrine of our faith is y e pure truth Seeing then that God commaundeth vs so to doe let vs assure our selues y t to liue as becommeth vs wee must haue this certeintie y t wee be gouerned by Gods word that y e same is y e rule of our fayth that y e religion which wee sticke vnto is y e true religioÌ Now therefore we may profite our selues by this text sith we se y t y e meaning of Moses was y t the people should know y t the Law was not deuised by men but that God was the author of it And euen at this day the Lawe must beare this sway with vs y t wee must know to what purpose it was giueÌ Besides this although there be nothing set down here coÌcerning y e end wherunto Gods ordinances doe tend yet must we looke thereat For all things are not spoken in one place wee must take things in such order as God hath set them downe In other places hee will teach vs what marke it behoued the people to shoote at in keeping the lawe Rom. 3.20.21 4.15.16 Gal. 3.19.22 but here the case concerneth the continuall seruing of God with reuerence so as the people may knowe themselues to bee wholly at his deuotion and that therwithall he reserueth to himselfe the authoritie of gouerning his people and of holding them in subiection Those are the thinges which we haue to beare in minde Now let vs come to that which hee addeth in the conclusion that is to wit That God hauing deliuered his people and brought them into the land that hee had giuen them appointed them all his commaundements Hereby wee see that when God sheweth vs this grace to gather vs into his Church hee calleth vs not to bee idle but at the least to the ende wee shoulde glorify him as the thing whereof the whole Scripture speaketh And these sayings Esa. 12.5.6 Psal. 107.14.15 80.16 Behold I haue purchased a people that shall sing my praise Behold I haue planted a vine and I wil be glorified therby and such other are so often beaten into the peoples heads by the Prophets as it ought to be a doctrine wellinough knowne among them Nowe therefore Gods speaking after that maner is to shewe that his intent in chosing that people was to be honoured at their hands And this belongeth much more to vs forasmuch as God hath vttered a farre greater power in deliuering vs from the dungeons of
doe euill but gaue himselfe wholly to well doing and to walke according to Gods wil. So then to offer willing sacrifices vnto God let vs remember what is said in this text and what hath bin treated of alreadie heretofore namely that before there is any speech of the keeping of Gods commandements Loue is set downe in the first place bicause wee haue neede to giue our selues first vnto GOD and to haue our hearts as ye woulde say fast tyed and knit vnto him ere we can indeuour to behaue our selues according to his lawe and righteousnesse But nowe let vs returne to the matter that was touched before Moses sayeth That GOD will keepe Couenant yea euen with a thousand generations of them that loue him As if hee shoulde say When God hath once planted his worde hee continueth that grace not onely till the decease of those to whome he speaketh but also to their children and their ofspring Nowe then let vs looke about vs and whereas wee perceiue Gods grace in that he hath vouchsafed to reserue vnto vs his word which was in maner abolished and will haue the same now preached vnto vs if wee I say perceiue his goodnesse in that behalfe let vs also hope that hee will continue the same towardes our children which hee hath begunne towardes vs if wee serue him by dooing the thinges that hee commaundeth vs. Ye see then that the goodnesse which God sheweth vs in his word must not make vs slouthfull and carelesse but rather bee as a spurre to pricke vs foreward vnto him that his holy couenant bee not broken on our part and through our default Furthermore whereas he sayeth Knowe thou that thy God is God yea and a strong God thereby he meant to separate the liuing God from all the idols which the world hath forged in al ages And it is a text well woorth the noting For wee shall neuer serue God with all our heart neither shall wee be able to trust in him and to rest vpon him vnlesse we be sure that he is almightie and that he onely is God No doubt but the vnbeleeuers may well beare themselues in hand for a time that their religion is good and the worlde seeth how wilfull they be in that behalfe but yet all is but stubbornnesse whatsoeuer they make of it And therefore it behoueth vs to be fully resolued and perswaded of this that wee must not haue a flying faith so as our hoping to be saued is but at al aduenture For we must alwayes beare in minde how S. Paule saieth that we must know whom wee beleeue 2. Tim. 1.12 and that God is a faithfull keeper of that which wee haue committed vnto him Then if we know not that our God is one and that he is alone and that he is the verie true God we shal be alwayes wauering and our faith shall haue no stedinesse That is the cause why Moses saieth expresly Know thou that thy God is the God As if he should say Consider in what state the wretched heathen meÌ and such as giue ouer themselues to superstition are It is true that they wil talk ynough of God howbeit y t is but rouingly they knowe not who he is But it is not so with you For seeing that your God hath taught you and discouered himself to you he hath certified you of his wil and shewed you that ye need not doubt but your religion is such as you ought to sticke to Now then swarue neither one way nor other neither halt ye but go on right forth seeing you bee sure of your religion Marke that for one point Howbeit for as much as we see men giuen to follow their own fansies which notwithstanding doe but tend to their owne destruction we must remember by this text of Moses that vntill such time as we be sure that the God whoÌ we worship is the true God wee shall euer bee intangled in some one thing or other And albeit that we doe our indeuor to serue him at leastwise to our seeming yet is it nothing it is but faining and that hope or trust is but a besotting of our selues Wel may we haue some opinion but as for to haue a setled faith so as we may glorie that our saluation is laide vp in God and that he will keepe it safely bicause he hath taken vs to himself it is vnpossible that we should haue any such certaintie vnlesse wee can say with Saint Paule I knowe whom I haue beleeued and he will be a faithfull keeper of that which I haue committed vnto him So then let vs put such difference betweene the liuing God and all the idols which men haue forged of their owne braine as he may be knoweÌ alone aboue all others And that we may so doe let vs learne to deuise nothing of our own head For as soone as wee father any thing vpon God which is not in his owne word it is all one as if wee did set vp an idoll for by that meane we disguise him Therefore wee must so sticke to the liuing God to the ende we may bee his people and hearken quietly to so much of his will as he sheweth vs by his worde as it may suffice vs to haue so much knowledge of him as he hath reuealed by his word without seeking any further For as for those that are so bolde as to take leaue to say I weene this is good and why should not God take this or that in good worth and in the mean while haue no warrant of the holy scripture I say they forsake the liuing GOD and turne away after idoles For what else are the imaginations of men but verie idoles to deface the true Maiestie of the onely God Thus much concerning this place Moreouer Moses termeth God Faithfull to shewe that like as afore he attributed strength vnto him for the Hebrewe worde that he vseth commeth therof so must we also haue his truth before our eyes and in our rememberaunce to the end to leane vnto him to referre our selues wholly vnto him knowing that Gods strength serueth not to abash vs but that whensoeuer it is spoken of it is matched immediatly with mercy to the intent we should be drawen vnto him and come to him with a cheerefuller courage Then is it not without cause that Moses hath set down Gods trueth heere of purpose to hold the people in obedience to him And heereby wee bee taught not to preace into Gods priuities and to dispute of thinges that are too high for vs yea and vtterly vncomprehensible but rather that wee must rest vppon his word and trueth which he hath reuealed vnto vs. True it is that we must bee fully perswaded of this point that GOD chose vs in his euerlasting purpose Eph âââ not bicause wee were woorthie of it but bicause it pleased him so to doe and that there is none other cause thereof but onely his good pleasure as the holy Scripture sheweth vs.
they finde theÌselues in paine the things are harde and grieuous for them to beare but yet there is alwayes somewhat so sweeten them they haue still some coÌfort at Gods hand which serueth to make them vnderstand y t hee blesseth and prospereth them If he should giue them no more but one bit of bread yet haue they such an inward ioy as they can better thanke God for it than y e wicked can doe for great abundance who fret themselues inwardly insomuch that although they labor to bring theÌselues a sleepe that they might not haue any remorse of conscieÌce to trouble them striue euen against nature that they might be as it were senselesse Yet doeth not GOD let them so rest that they can be so mery at the heart euen with their abuÌdance as the silie faithful ones are with their pouertie who holde themselues contented from morrowe to morrowe waiting to be fed at Gods hand referring themselues wholy vnto him calling vppon him And againe although they haue not all that they would wish yet thinke thy thus w t themselues well yet doth not my God cease to watch ouer me therfore I betake me to his prouidence and rest my selfe vppon him Thus yee see howe the faithfull cease not to bee blessed of God though the world see not Gods benefites so apparantly in them But let vs come now to the vnbeleuers It is true that God sheddeth out his temporall benefites vpon them so as they be healthie haue aboundance of goods and so forth but yet shall all these thinges be turned into a curse to them If a man demaund whether the hauing of bodily health also wherewith to finde a mans selfe be not the blessinges of God yes verily be they But yet must wee note that as in respecte of the faithlesse Tit. 1.15 of the despisers of God they turne to their harme because they be foule vnclean doe defile Gods benefites with their handling of them Needes must it bee then that the order of nature is turned vpside downe in this behalfe For inasmuch as the wicked the vnbeleeuers are full of filth vncleanesse they can not touch any of Gods benefites but they must needes beray them and marre them And therefore all must needes turne to their condemnation Againe we see how the world goeth Haue theeues I meane such as are giueÌ to deceite fleecing haue they gathered much together They haue tormented themselues all the tim of their lyfe whay ioy haue they had of them God taketh vengeance on them for they be inflamed w t such greedinesse of them as they be neuer in quiet besides y t they cannot doe good w t their euilgotten goods But in the end doe they once dye Then goes all to hauock againe For the worlde sees how the diuell hath libertie to ouerthrowe euen such as a man would haue thought to haue bin well grounded that they shold neuer haue decayed to the worldes end A man would wonder to see how they be destroyed in y e turning of a hand Yea and moreouer the goods which they haue raked together for their children become as halters to hang them withall so as they become miserable euen in the sight of the world men behold the signes of Gods wrath vengeance in theÌ whereby it is well knowen that he neuer leaueth men vnpunished for the conteÌpt wrong which they doe to his maiestie in rushing foorth into all disorder insomuch y t if hee punish not the fathers themselues he layeth the execution of it vpon their children how long soeuer he make delay So then let vs marke that it is not without cause that God telleth vs hee will blesse such as serue him yea euen to the worldward And that is y e cause why Saint Paul saith that the feare of God hath promises 1. Tim. 4. â not onely of y e euerlasting life but also of this earthly life so as if we liue in the feare of God wee shall not onely be sure of the inheritance which hee hath prepared for vs aboue but also y t euen as long as we liue in this world he will guide vs and keep vs vnder his protection not suffer vs to want any thing whereof hee knoweth vs to haue neede Trueth it is that God wil alwayes be our karuer because he knoweth we bee too much giuen to these earthly thinges from the which he intendeth to pull vs away to the ende we should haue the better skill to lift vp our heades to heauen and to seeke after the goods that are prepared for vs there Therfore wheÌ God restreineth his benefites as we see he doth that is to say when he giueth vs them in smal slender portion it is to the intent we should not be hindred to keepe on our way stil in going right foorth vnto him Thus ye see what we haue to marke in this text And therfore if we serue our God let vs not dout but he wil blesse vs euen to the worldwarde and make vs to prosper better than y e wicked yea and although we see them puffed vp with pride although we see theÌ tryumph in pomp brauery although we see theÌ swimming in their pleasures let vs tary patiently a litle while we shal find y t God dalied not w t vs wheÌ he promised his blessing to such as ar willing to serue loue him And specially let vs marke well howe he telleth vs here expresly that he will blesse vs in our issue and in the increase of your Cattell I pray you if the fauor which God sheweth vs do extend euen to the brute beastes so as the marke of his fatherly good will towardes vs shall bee printed in them what wil he doe to our selues to our childreÌ and to the things y t touch vs much neerer For in deed me must make this coÌparison of our bodies with our soules If God haue a care to feede these wretched carkesses heere what will hee doe for vs when we be restored into his glorie If he haue a care of our mortall bodies what will he haue of our soules which are fashioned after his owne image But let vs returne to the present matter If God voutsafe to haue care of our cattell as of our Oxen our Asses and our sheepe for our sakes what care will hee haue of our persons What care will he haue of our children which are heires of the promised saluation and are adopted to belong to his couenant seeing it pleaseth him to choose and adopt vs to be his people For hee doth not onely say come vnto me but also I will be the God of thy children after thee vnto a thowsand generations Deut. 5.10 But what we be worthie to be left destitute of al Gods promises and it were much to if we could by that meane bee brought to right repentance Let vs see if Gods blessing
to whom the glorie of that benefite ought to bee yeelded And when wee haue bread to eate it is not the bread that sustaineth vs but it is God who powreth out his goodnesse continually vpon vs. Although he apply those meanes to our vse yet is it he himselfe that worketh it is he that is the author of them And in that respect is it that hee saith hee will breake the staffe of breade ãâã 4.16 ââ 16 ãâã 28.23 ãâã 2.21.22 True it is that hee threatneth to shut vp the heauen as if it were iron and to make the earth to bee of brasse so that when the earth crieth out to the heauen the heauen shall not heare it God then when he intendeth to send barrennesse vppon a land vseth such meanes as he thinketh good by reason whereof wee haue not wherewith to sustaine our selues in so much that when the grounde hath borne a haruest good and great ynough yet wil God wel ynough diminish it and make it to moulder away yea and when the corne is caried to the mill it shall consume in the grinding and when it is brought from the mill to the ouen if it bee measured or weied againe Leui. 26.26 it shall not hold full weight and measure Howbeit we must come to this point that the strength which bread hath is not of y e bread it selfe but of Gods breathing of this woord into it whereof Moses speaketh here that is to wit that when God will haue vs to bee nourished and susteined by the bread he vttereth his goodnesse towards vs by making vs to feele his blessing which sheadeth it selfe into it after a secret fashion Albeit that we behold it not with our eyesight yet must wee be throughly perswaded of it by faith Then let vs marke well that when wee haue whereof to feede we must not be so doultish as to think that the power is inclosed in the breade or in any other vittles or drinkes but that therein God vttereth his goodnesse towardes vs and sheadeth it into vs as we see the raine come from heauen which moisteneth y e earth and giueth it strength On the other side if wee haue want let vs vnderstand that God can sustaine vs by turning bread into Manna that is to say if all ordinarie meanes fayle vs God will prouide for vs after another fashion as wee see hee remedied the necessitie of his people when they were in the wildernes Matt. 4.4 And for y e same cause did our Lord Iesus Christ answere Satan it is written that man liueth not by bread only but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of God For Sathan tempted him to distrust vnder colour that in the wildernesse God sent him not the thinges that were expedient to liue withall He had not any foode there and yet in the meane while he was pinched with hunger as a mortall man for he vouchsafed to become subiect to our passions or sufferinges Now heere vpon Sathan taketh occasion to enter vppon him saying Seeing thou art the sonne of God shouldest thou want any thing Is it not reason that all creatures should serue thee yes for thou art the heire of the world Thou hast no bread and therefore thou must be faine to try the power of God that these stones may bee turned into bread or else thou seest how thy God forsaketh thee for if he had a care of thee thou shouldest perceiue his blessing and fauour so as thou shouldest haue heere wherwith to susteine thee Now theÌ seeing thou wantest such helpes it is a signe that God hath no regard of thee But Iesus Christ aunswereth hereunto I shal be susteined well enough though bread faile mee And why For the life of man dependeth not vpon these meanes And surely God were of very small and weake force if hee could not helpe a man but by breade he should be no better than an earthly man A riche man can doe welinough if hee haue wherewith but if he fall into pouerty he must be faine to begge a good heart to call vpon God and commit our selues vnto him assuring our selues that he will neuer faile vs. That is the care which God willeth vs to haue Neuerthelesse wee must also put the thing in practise that is spoken here that is to wit that God will giue vs sufficient to serue our turne so as if we want cote or shooes he will either prouide vs of them or else make one paire of soles to doe vs more seruice than a doosen when it pleaseth him And we may see this with our eyes For they that are warmest clad fayle not for all that to bee as it were halfe dead thorowe colde and on the other side whereas it seemeth that poore folke should starue and bee frosen with yee a hundred times ere the yeere goe about God warmeth them yea and they bee so preserued as though he kept them in a stooue or as though some PhisitioÌ were alwaies at hand with them ministring good remedies to them to saue them from the colde After that maner doeth God worke And that is the cause why that in the time of the Law God commanded that all newe things should be blessed Leui. 23.10.14.19 23. Num. 15.20 to the ende that men should thinke vpon him consider thus with themselues Go to I haue a newe garment and I must looke that I thanke him for it which gaue it mee For seeing it pleaseth my God to clothe mee thus and to giue me this apparell to vse it as mine owne it becommeth me to acknowledge that it is of his goodnesse and mercie that I am so prouided for Yee see then that the intent why he caused all things to bee dedicated vnto him which men should occupie was that they should acknowledge the giuor of them and that if he blessed not the helps which he had giuen them all was nothing and noughtwoorth And as for now adayes although wee haue not the like Ceremonie yet must we hold still the truth thereof Nowe for a conclusion Moses addeth Knowe thou in thy Heart that as a father nurtureth his owne childe so hath thy God nurtured thee In deede the hebrew woord that Moses vseth in this place signifieth sometimes to Chastise and therefore it might be taken as if he sayd thus Know thou that the intent of thy God in all the afflictions which thou hast indured hath beene to correct thy faultes that like as a man intending to reforme his child when he hath doone a misse taketh the rod by and by in his hande so likewise thy God hath chastised thee not suffering thee to become an vnruly and froward child but holding thee alwaies vnder awe And this doctrine were very good but the same woord doth by a similitude betoken likewise all instruction and good gouernment No doubt but the intent of Moses in this place was to make a generall conclusion of the matters that hee had treated
when GOD giueth sentence vppon our sinnes it is alwayes with this condition that hee doeth it not with out giuing of vs some respit to remedie the mischeefe so wee seeke the remedie by such meanes as he commaundeth in his worde And so yee see what we haue to remember vppon the example of Moses To bee shorte wee see that it is not lawfull for men to put forth themselues to make prayer and supplication except they haue the promise and be sure that it is Gods good will that they shoulde doe so But GOD will giue them such a zeale as the temptations which shall crosse them shall not stay them from going on forwarde though it seeme to themselues that GOD is not minded to heare them but rather to put them backe and to shake them quite off Therefore let vs not cease to resorte vnto him as it were importunately For the importunatenesse whereof our Lorde Iesus Christe speaketh Luke 18.2 in reporting the similitude concerning a widow y t had to do with a wicked iudge made y e iudge ashamed though he were a naughtie and frowarde man But surely when wee come to GOD we neede not to bee importunate for Iesus Christ telleth vs that if wee finde mercie in men that are lewde and ill minded towardes vs we shall much more obtayne fauour at Gods hande who âarieth not till we come vnto him but calleth and allureth vs to him Seeing then that he is so friendlie let vs not be afraide that we shall not obteyne our requestes But yet for all that let vs not giue ouer with once praying vnto him as it were for fashions sake but let vs holde out to the ende yea and euen be importunate vppon him Although he seeme vnwilling to heare vs and let vs alone in our distresses yea and that to our seeming our miserie doeth still increase yet notwithstanding let not vs fayle to holde on still resting vppon his promise which he hath giuen vs which is certayne and vnfallible that is to wit that hee will neuer faile those which come vnto him and call vpon him in trueth Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good GOD with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better than wee haue done heretofore and that forasmuch as wee knowe what neede wee haue to pray insomuch that euerie minute of an houre wee runne in daunger of endlesse death and are like to perishe both bodie and soule it may please him to inflame vs so by his holie spirite as we may call vppon him vnfaynedlie and be more carefull to doe it and to exercise our selues in it at all times as prouoked thereto by the great neede which wee haue thereof considering the miseries wherethrough wee shoulde perishe if wee were not succoured by him and by his grace and that in the meane whyle it may please him to beare with vs in our infirmities and not suffer vs to be rent off from y e bodie of his Church but make vs to perceiue by experience that the prayers which are made through the whole worlde are auailable to his chosen and y t their prayers also do auaile vs so as the same may stablishe vs continuallie more more in the holie vnion which he hath made with vs in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ. That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth reducing all poore ignoraunt people into the right way of saluation out of the bondage of errour and darkenesse and that for this purpose it woulde please him to rayse vp true and faithfull ministers of his worde which may not seeke their owne profite and ambition but the glorifying of his holy name and the saluation of his poore flocke On the other side c. On Saturday the xxxi of August 1555. The Lxvj Sermon which is the fifth vppon the ninth Chapter 15 Then turned I mee and went downe the Hill and the hill burned with fire and I had the two tables of the Couenant in my two hands 16 Then looked I and behold yee had sinned against the Lord your God and had made a molten Calfe and were turned out of hand from the way which the Lord your God had commaunded you 17 Then tooke I the two tables and cast them out of my two handes and brake them before your eies 18 And I fell downe flat before the Lorde fortie dayes and fortie nightes as afore without eating breade or drinking water for all your sinnes which you had committed in dooing euill in the sight of the Lord by prouoking him to wrath 19 For I was afrayde of the anger and wrath wherewith the Lord was displeased against you to destroy you And the Lorde hearde mee that time also 20 Likewise the Lord was sore angrie with Aaron to destroy him but I prayed also for Aaron the same time 21 Then tooke I your sinne which you had made that is to wit the Calfe and burnt it with fire and stomped it and grounde it throughlie euen vntill it was small as dust and cast the dust thereof in the brooke that came downe from the hill HEre Moses declareth the great good zeale that hee had at suche time as he sawe God so sore offended with the Iewes for making the golden calfe and for their forsaking of their Redeemer to giue theÌselues ouer to a deade thing rather than to him of whose power they had had experience so manie wayes Nowe he saith that hee had the two tables in his hande and that when hee sawe the people so falne away to Idolatrie hee brake them in peeces Heere it might bee asked whether Moses were not caried with ouerhastie moode For we haue seene that those two tables were written with Gods owne hande so as there was not anie workemanshippe of man in them but that the ingrauing of the tenne commaundementes in them was of Gods owne doing Nowe then that Moses threwe downe Gods handie worke after that fashion notwithstanding that the people had sinned it seemeth not to proceede of any modestie but rather of too vnaduised zeale and oueruiolent headinesse We must not presume to iudge of such odde things for wee see that God gouerneth his seruauntes by his holie spirit and we knowe that sometimes hee stirreth vp his faithfull ones to doe his pleasure by extraordinarie meanes And although wee may not make a certain rule of it yet is not the deed it selfe to bee blamed Numb 25.6 Wee see what happened vnto Phinees For although he was not ordeined to be a iudge but onely to bee a priest yet did he execute Iustice vpon the adulterer the adultresse which had defiled the Sanctuarie God allowed his doing and there is recorde of it in the holie scripture Psal. 106.30.31 and yet notwithstanding it was a peculiar deede which wee may not follow without a special mouing of the holy Ghost As much is
Christ Hebr. 5.2 should beare abroad his word that they shold prease vnto him to bee as mediators betweene him men Ye see then how it was Gods will to teache his people humilitie by visible signes and outward ceremonies to the ende that his worde should be embraced with all reuerence continue euermore in good state But as for vs wee haue not nowadayes the ceremonie any more but we haue the trueth which ought to continue to the worlds end Therefore whensoeuer Gods word is preached vnto vs Col. 2.17 let vs learne to stoope to it to know y t it is a heauenly doctrine wherunto it becommeth vs to encline that it is not for vs to bring our own fond imaginations in y t case for then wo be vnto vs. Neuerthelesse God granteth vs a special fauor in that he inableth vs to beare abroad his word maketh it to dwel in vs Esa. 66 2â whereby he sheweth that he hath performed the thing which he promised by his Prophets y t is to wit that he hath chosen vs for his Leuytes as shal be declared more at length to morrowe Now let vs fall downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better yea euen in such wise as it may lead vs to such repentance that we may be sorie for them all our life long be ashamed that we haue bin so wretched sinners And that therwithall wee may be quickened vp to glorifie him the more for the great goodnes which he hath shewed vpon vs proceede continually more more in obeying him to the intent that his law may be the better ingraued in vs by his writing of it in our hartes we become the readier to follow the things y t he shal haue shewed vs so as we may be forward to obey him all our life long our life be wholy dedicated vnto him That it may please him to graunt this grace c. On Wednesday the xi of September 1555. The Lxx. Sermon which is the seconde vpon the tenth Chapter 8 The same time the Lord c. 9 Therefore Leuie had no portion nor inheritaunce with his brethren but the Lord is his inheritaunce as the Lord thy God sayd vnto him 10 And I taried on the mountaine as I had doone afore fortie dayes and fortie nightes And the Lord heard mee that time also so as the Lord would not destroy thee 11 But the Lord sayde vnto mee vp get thee hence and goe before the people that they may goe and possesse the Land which I sware to their fathers to giue them WE sawe yesterday how Moses in this text did magnifie Gods mercie as well towardes the Leuites as towardes the whole people For in sheweing that Aaron was punished for his fault it appeareth plainly that all his whole linage deserued to haue ben disgraded Yet notwithstanding God of his goodnes vouchsafed y t there should bee a certaine number of men appointed to his seruice and them he chose not for any worthines that was in them but only for his owne mercies sake For if wee be not worthie of so much as that God should crowde vs into a litle corner of his house how should he aduaunce vs to farre higher degree That then is the meaning of Moses Neuerthelesse wee must marke herewithall the three charges which he setteth downe here which he reporteth to haue been assigned to the Leuites The first is To beare the Arke of Gods couenant the vessels of the sanctuary The seconde is To be at hand to serue God the third is To blesse in the name of God These are the three things that were incident to the priesthod of old time For as concerning the Sanctuarie with al the appurtenances therof it was but a figure which we must referre to the spiritual temple that is to wit to Gods church Hebr. 8.5 Rom. 12 1. to the sacrifices which are offered vnto him by the faithful when they dedicate themselues to him both in bodie soule by yelding vp their ownselues y t he may be glorified in them Marke that for one point The second is the seruice wherof he speaketh which consisteth likewise in figure but the trueth therof is performed toward vs when such as nowadayes are called to the gouerning of Gods church do their dutie in offering vp mens soules in sacrifice vnto God Rom. 15.6 by preaching y e gospell in maintaining the order state of the church in such wise as God be glorified and the church be cleansed from all stumbling blockes The third is to blesse in Gods name that is to yeeld a testimonie of Gods goodnes and grace to his people Now must we applie these things to y e trueth of them y t we may be edified by them Let vs say I haue a regarde to apply these three things to their trueth substance Col. 2 1â which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath brought vs by his comming It is said here that the Leuiâes must beare the vessels of God And this belongeth not only to the ministers of the worde or to such as beare publike office in the church but also to all the faithful in general And that is the cause why it is said by y e prophet Malachie Mal. 3.3 y t the Leuits were made priests which thing I say was accomplished at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ at which time the church was aduanced to greater perfection than it was vnder y e law Likewise Esay telleth vs that all men shal be Leuites vnto y e Lord. Esa. 6 ãâ¦ã Al the children of Israel saith he shal execute the office of priesthod vnto God And in the same respect doth S. Peter say 1. Peâ ãâ¦ã y t we be a royal priesthod S. Peter speaks not there of any peculiar sort of people after y e maner of y e Pope who hath villanously corrupted y e said sentence of his in attributing it to his owne clergie as he termeth them y t is to wit to y e stinking rable of his powlshorn greaslings but he attributeth y t honorable title to all the faithfull to as many as are of the church of God Moses could wel say euen in his time Exod. ãâ¦ã Yee be a priestly kingdome y t is to say a nation holy aboue all others But S. Peter turning the same words saith y t now we be become a royal priesthod inasmuch as our Lord Iesus Christ hauing shewed himself to the world is ordeined priest after the order of Melchizedech Hebâ ãâ¦ã to communicate the same grace to y e whole church Therfore let vs marke wel y t this gift of becoÌming Priestes Leuites is not a priuilege or prerogatiue graÌted to three or four but inasmuch as al y e things which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath receiued of God his father ar coÌmon to vs all
substance and truth of the Sacramentes that hee hath giuen vs it may please him to graunt vs the grace to be so washed in our hartes through the power of the holy Ghost as all our filthinesse may be purged and cleansed so as in the end we may be wholy transformed into his glory 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 Saturday the xiiij of September 1555. The Lxx. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the tenth Chapter 17 For the Lord c. 18 Who doth right to the fatherlesse and widowe and loueth the straunger to giue him foode and rayment 19 Therefore loue the straunger for you your selues haue beene straungers in the land of Egypt 20 Thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God and serue him and sticke to him and sweare by his name 21 Hee is thy praise hee is thy God who hath doone those great and terrible thinges for thee which thine eyes haue seene WE sawe yesterday that to haue a right zele and affection in seruing GOD wee must bee sure that the religion which wee holde of is good and allowed of him For so long as we stand in doubt it is vnpossible for vs to goe on with a free courage we shall alwayes goe limping and as constrained and if there bee any earnest minde in vs the same proceedeth of an insensiblenesse and not for that wee bee giuen in good earnest to serue the GOD whom wee knowe not And therefore wee must bee well and dewly instructed eare wee can bee disposed to doe well And that is the cause why Moses saith expresly heere that the GOD which vttered himselfe by the Law and shewed himselfe afore to the Patriarkes is the God of Gods and that there is not any other to bee sought insomuch that although wee were very well disposed and that wee were neuer so full of deuotion as they say yet should all that euer wee were able to doe bee nothing woorth Rom. 14.23 without faith Therefore wee must bee sure and knowe that wee doe not any thing in vaine nor at al aduenture but that we followe Gods will and that he liketh well of our dooinges Now Moses hauing tould the people that this Lawe was the Lawe of the liuing God addeth now further that hee is great strong and terrible For wee see how men take leaue to despise God and ouersotte themselues so much in their pride and presumption as they cannot bee brought to any subiection To the ende therefore that men should not dally with such a Lord he sayth expresly that the God which willed his Lawe to bee publshed vnto them at that tyme is great mighty dreadfull His terming of him Great is to shew what honour is dew to him His terming of him strong or mightie is to withhold men from standing against him And his terming of him terrible or dreadfull is to make vs knowe that if he doe but touch vs with his hand wee must needes be vndone Therefore let vs beware we despise him not and when he calleth vs before his Maiestie let vs tremble and quake for feare that we may come with right humilitie Thus do we now see Moseses meaning And therefore let vs marke that if we wil direct our liues aright wee must haue pure doctrine that our religion may be grounded vppon Gods truth so as wee may be sure that the doctrine which we professe is infallible therewithall we must beware that when we know God we set not light by him but y t our knowing of him doe bring a lowelines with it so as we submit our selues wholly to the honoring of him y t is so high and incomprehensible before whom the very Angels themselues doe tremble Iob. 41.16 Ye see then how the thing which wee haue to mark is y t men shal neuer know God vntill they haue gotten such feeling of the infinite glory that is in him as maketh them to stoope yea to make none account at al of themselues that they may giue ouer themselues wholly to the honoring seruing of him But this is very yll put in vre For euen they that make greatest boast of their profiting in the Gospell can skill to babble well ynough they beare themselues in hand y t they be iolly fellowes when they can prattle at pleasure though it be without any reuerence at all And we see how the holy scripture is shamefully abused nowe adayes by a nomber of mens discoursing of it as it were but of a fable or to shew the finenesse of their wit by raunging into curious and vnprofitable questions Thus ye see how Gods word is abused now adayes at mens pleasures without any feare or reuerence for want of coÌsidering that which Moses telleth here that is to wit y t when we resort vnto God wee must bethinke vs of the dreadfull Maiestie that is in him that it may bridle vs and holde vs in subiection to him and make vs to yeeld him such honour as to be abashed at his speaking to vs vntill we haue conceiued what he saith to vs vpon the knowledge thereof to be ready and foreward in obeying the same without any gainfaiyng And so ye see what we haue to gather vpoÌ this text where he saith y t the God which hath vttered himselfe by the Law is great terrible Certaine it is that GOD intendeth not to to driue vs away from him but rather to win vs to him by gentlenes But yet must we bee fayne to bee tamed bicause of the pride that is in vs least wee growe bold to offend him and cannot finde in our hearts to be inured to his yoke than the which there is not any thing more harde for vs to doe Wee must I say bee first subdued by the feare or terrour that Moses speaketh of here before wee can conceiue Gods goodnesse But yet must it be so tempered as we shunne noâ his good instruction ne bee so dismaied as to refuse Gods word out of hand but as it may be as a preparatiue to make vs good scholers and to drawe our wittes to such a teachablenesse as all that euer we haue of nature may be done away and nothing may hinder vs to receiue his doctrine without gainsaying but y t his word besides that wee loue it may also bee reuerenced at our handes and we follow it by submitting our selues to it alwayes and in all cases Now after that Moses hath said so he addeth that God hath no respect of persons nor receiueth any rewards Whereas he saieth y t he hath no respect of persons his meaning is that there is no fauor to be had at his hand for the things that men are willingly mooued with For this word Persoââ tokeneth the outward appearance It is not takeÌ here nor in any other places of the scripture for y t which we meane by the word person when we say Lo
nor other y t we may hold our selues continually in y e pure simplicitie of Gods word Againe let vs not be out of quiet though neuer so many meÌ do turne out of y e right way for it is their kinde so to do Wherfore let vs strengtheÌ our selues against such stumbling blocks when we see corruptions creepe in againe that such as were in a good trade doe disgrace themselues Sith it is so y t men doe easily fall asleepe take no heede to themselues let vs not maruell though euery thing of nothing do corrupt them Thus ye see how this sentence may serue vs to dubble purpose And it is sayde expresly that our heartes should not be beguiled For it is not enough for a man to absteine from doing of euill wilfully but also all fond deuotioÌs are lykewise condemned because our Lord wil not haue men to be selfewise but to obey simply whatsoeuer God commandeth theÌ Men thinke it to be a reasonable excuse before God when they can say I meant to doe wel but that meant is but a mockerie as Moses sheweth here And for proof thereof although our harts be beguiled so as men perceiue not their owne euil doings and destruction but make their reckoning that God will take their doinges in good worth yet are they condemned here as ye see with all their good intentes and they faile not to offend God neuerthelesse and in offending him they faile not also to heape vp vengeance vppon their owne heads And why so Euen because they walke not in obedience vnto him Now then let vs learne not to sheeld or shrowd our selues any more vnder deuotions after the foolishe maner that hath reigned too much in the world but let vs vnderstand that our Lord will haue vs to fetch light at his word and to rule our liues by that And sith he is so good to vs as to teach vs what is good to the intent that Satan may not haue any entrance into vs but that hee may bee put backe though hee goe prying about vs and indeuour to vndermine vs and seeke neuer so many by wayes to creepe into vs let vs assure our selues throughly y t we haue but only one way from y e which it is not lawful for vs to step aside in any wise And when we stand so vpon our gard let vs not doubt but y t God will reach vs his hand so fence vs on all sides as Satan may well practise what he listeth but hee shal neuer win any thing at our handes For otherwise this exhortation were to no purpose If God should say vnto vs beware in the meane while we had no meanes to beware hee might seeme to mocke vs. But inasmuch as when wee resorte vnto him he voutsafeth to guide vs by giuing vs y e spirit of wisedome discretion to y e end we should not be deceiued surely whatsoeuer the deuill practise yet shall he not preuaile but we shall euer ouercome his temptations at leastwise if wee suffer our selues to be gouerned by Gods pure word so as wee forsake our owne fansies trust not to our own wit but pray God to inlighten vs and to shew vs by his holy spirit what is acceptable vnto him When wee goe to worke after that fashion so as our warinesse is matched with humilitie it is certeine y t God will alwayes reach vs out his mightie hand Thus ye see that the thing which we haue to put in vre is first of all to be vigilant to keepe good watch and secoÌdly that forasmuch as we know we may quickly be deceiued we must pray God to defeÌd vs vtterly distrusting our selues leane onely vnto him These two thinges wil so preserue vs that we shall continually keepe y e right way eueÌ in the middest of darknesse For why God himselfe will serue vs both for Sunne and Moone Esa. 60 19.20 as it is sayd in the Prophet Esay And now by the way he sheweth that if y e children of Israel continued not in y e seruing of God and in his pure religion they were lesse to bee excused than all the infidels of the world for it is said vnto them turne not away Men that haue neuer had any good instruction are by nature as brute beates but when God hath called vs and shewed vs the true foundenesse then if we faile afterward it is not with vs as with the sillie infidels that haue euer bin blinde and ignorant but it is a rebellious turning away vnto wickednes as though we meant to spite our God by separating our selues from him by renouncing the couenant which he had made w t vs to hold vs vnder his subiection This saying therefore ought to be well weyed specially of vs in these dayes which haue the pure trueth of y e Gospel whereas wee see how all our neighbours round about vs runne headlong on still in blindnesse In deede it is pitie y t they haue not knowen Gods trueth but yet shal not y t excuse them But what is to be sayd to vs in comparison of them seeing that our God hath shewed himselfe to vs 1. Tim. 3.16 hath layd the matter so playne before vs as we caÌnot misse but knowe how to obey him Wherefore let vs take heede y t we keepe on our course when God shall haue set vs in y e way of his obedience taught vs how to do it Let vs beware I say that we step not aside in any wise vnlesse we inteÌd to be worthie of dubble blame Let vs bethinke vs of this saying Luk. 12.47 that y e seruant which knoweth his maisters will shal haue dubble punishment if he doe it not And y t we may so doe let vs seeke to settle our selues y e more by Gods word When he hath once told vs what he would haue vs to doe let vs profite therein let vs be so streÌgthened thereby y t the diuel doe what he can and inforce hee himselfe neuersomuch against vs may not bee able to turne vs out of the way Now he speaketh afterward of strange Gods For the welspring of all euil is the not knowing what God we should serue If men bee to seeke in that point needes must all the rest of their lyfe be vtterly vncerteine wrapped vp altogether in error And therefore it is not for naught y t God staÌdeth vpon this point y t men should know him serue worship onely him alone For when wee say we must serue no strange Gods it importeth two thinges The first is that we should be able to discern who is our God so as we ground not our selues vpon false opinion or fansie but vpon substantial certeintie which thing cannot be if we giue way to our own mother wit For y t is y e roote whence all the superstitions in the worlde haue sprong And the very cause of y e huge confusion y t is still in the
soule To the intent then y t men should not stand poring vpon y e outward fashion figure that is the chiefe poynt The marke say I whereat hee shoores and whereunto all this doctrine is to bee referred is that Gods lawe should be in our hearts and in our soules For though wee haue it euer before our eyes at our tongues end so as wee seeme to set neuer so great store by it and yet in the meane while our heart is locked vp wee haue no courage to serue God truely we doe but deceiue men procure our selues the sorer condemnation before God Now then let vs haue Gods law written let vs haue the sayings of it painted vpoÌ our walles as in tables let vs haue thinges to put vs in minde of it earely late but let not y t serue for our discharge as though God were to be payed in such coyne How then Let vs indeuer to haue it so grauen in our heartes as it may neuer be wiped out againe yea euen in our harts in our soules y t is to say in such sort as it may possesse al our affectioÌs For that is y e place where Gods word is to bee kept But what The thing y t S. Iames speaketh of Iames. 1.23 is seene more nowadayes than euer it was namely that they which come to heare Gods word take as much profite by it as by looking vpon themselues in a glasse they be no sooner gone but all is forgotten What fareth a man the better by his seeing of himselfe in a glasse As soone as he turneth away his face his shape vanisheth away Euen so is it with vs. Whereas our comming to Gods word should be to be transformed into y e lykenesse of God â Cor. 3.18 as S. Paul teacheth vs in the second to y e Corinthians whereas it is the power propertie of y e Gospel to transforme vs into the glory of God by beholding him in the person of Iesus Christ we come to it but to make a pastime of it so as anon all slippeth away againe there remaineth no substance nor power of it with vs. And by that meanes the precious seede of the Gospell perisheth For it lighteth amoÌg stones so as it can take no roote A man may loose a good deale of corne if he cast it vppon the drye ground Matt. 13.19 or in a footepath or vpon stones for the byrdes will picke it vp by and by Euen so let vs not maruel though Gods word enter not into vs for whereas our heartes ought to be tilled as when a plowgh hath eared a peece of land they lye still vnopened vnbroken vp at all By reason whereof Gods word may wel be giuen vs as a seede but it shall doe vs no good the diuell wil catche it away by and by because it sinketh not into our heartes our soules That is the cause why I sayd y t al y t Moses hath spoken offrontlets of bracelets of writings set vp in mens houses must be referred altogether to this y t wee shall fare neuerawhit y e better for y e vttering of y e Lawe vnto vs nor vnderstand any thing at all by it vntill it haue taken roote in vs that wee haue receiued it with hartie affection to giue our selues vnto God And yet is not all y t wee haue to doe neither doth God thinke it enough y t euery man shoulde indeuer to profite himselfe by it but he will also haue the fathers to teach their children Wherin he sheweth y t as I haue sayd afore it is not enough for vs to serue our God during our owne liues but we must also prouide y t the seede of religion may remaine after our decease For we be transitorie our lyfe is but a shadow therefore inasmuch as Gods trueth is immortall it is good reason y t it should continue for euer that it should be preserued froÌ hand to hand that men should put their indeuour thereunto And specially wheÌ God hath giueÌ them childreÌ it behoueth them to know y t it is a treasure and that they must yeeld an account thereof For it is no small honor y t God doth to men women when he giueth them children They be creatures fashioned after y e image of God we terme them y e seede of y e Church Now then seeing that God committeth theÌ to our charge it is good reason y t we should indeuour to bring theÌ vp in such wise as God may be serued by them y t when religion shal haue continued her course all our lyfe long it may also hold out and continue stil euen after our death But here we see our owne negligence or rather our leawdnesse For wee bee not onely slothfull but we see how the most part of vs doe shun eschew as much as we can to be trained in Gods worde If men bee spoken to of it it is a corsie to them if they perceiue y t there shall be talke of any good doctrine they haue no regard to come there It is well seene y t a number are worse than y e Turkes are so bewitched w t their owne fond opinions y t as soone as y e bell tolleth to call prouoke vs to come dayly to y e hearing of Gods worde they goe another way And for proofe thereof what a number are there which w tdrawe theÌselues from it as much as they can Yea when they come they stoppe their eares wilfully because they bee occupyed about their wicked affections and the diuel hath so besotted them as they finde not any sauor at all in any word that is spoken vnto theÌ but are weary of it as soone as there is any matter spoken concerning God As for y e bringing vp of children y e world sees what it is Fathers are loth to haue their childreÌ better than theÌselues for feare least they should put them to shame Forasmuch as they themselues haue despised God all y e time of their lyfe they be contented y t their children shall despise him full as much or dubble if they happen to haue any regard of y e doctrine it is but for fashions sake by way of constreint But wee bee so taught these thinges in this text y t it shal cost vs full deare to haue bin so warned by God if we regard not the thinges y t he hath tolde vs. Therefore let vs bee alwayes carefull to beare Gods word in minde assuring our selues y t although we haue profited neuer so wel yet are we but in the way we must goe on still so as the once knowing of things is not enough for vs but we must be faine to be put in remembrance of theÌ continually to be stirred vp by God or else wee shall start away by and by Now then let vs think vppon it let euery of vs haue
worse than madde if wee proceede on still What excuse will there bee for vs when God shal haue shewed vs the ditche and bidden vs beware that wee fall not into it and yet we bee so wilful in wickednesse that he cannot winne so much at our handes as to make vs turne backe againe from it Moreouer wee see by this text that it is but a simple shift to say Other men doe so as well as I and yet a greate number of sillie soules beguile themselues with it euen at this day If a man warne the Papistes of their superstitions to bring them to Gods trueth O say they I am not alone there be many others in the worlde They beare themselues in hand that they may by and by disappoint God with the multitude of their partakers But Moses telleth vs heere that all shall bee tyed together in one bundle and one of them shall not helpe to acquite another or to diminishe anothers fault but that all of them shall bee rooted out together according to this saying of our Lorde Iesus Christ Mat 15.14 Luke 6.39 If the blinde leade the blinde they shall both fall into the ditche What shall I haue gained by it when a great number of people shall haue perished with mee Then let vs not thinke our faults the lighter for the greatenes of the number of them that offende with vs but rather let vs marke on the contrarie parte that there is not a worse thing than euill custome and it is the thing that wee had neede to beware of as long as wee liue in this worlde For wee see verie fewe of that sort of men which guide vs the right way but on the contrarie part the multitude is infinite of those that thrust vs out of the way so as if wee leane vnto men wee shall scarsely finde one among a hundred which walketh aright but all of them doe go astray Also when the Prophet Esaie speaketh of the disorders that reigned eueriewhere Esa. 56.11 hee saieth no more but that euerie man had turned aside after his owne wayes Whereby hee doeth vs to vnderstande that we neede not to be beguiled by others for euerie of vs beguileth himselfe too much Therefore when men followe their owne imaginations then are they quite and cleane out of the way of saluation And sith it is so that we shal finde verie few that can amend vs and all the rest doe but draw vnto euill what shall become of vs if we grounde our selues vpon custome If wee say O there be thus many and thus many that take this or that to be good yea but God misliketh it and it makes no matter what men doe for wee see they bee all giuen to naughtinesse and are corrupted in their vnderstanding Againe their hearts are ful of malice so as they dragge cleane backe from that which God hath shewed them And if wee alledge It is not nowalate that this thing came vp it hath beene vsed of custome in all ages long agoe verily it is all one as if wee shoulde say the worlde is hardened in naughtinesse But yet hath it not gotten so sure holde that it can displace God from being Iudge that he shoulde not condemne them as they deserue And therfore let vs marke wel howe it is shewed vs here that if we followe the steppes of such as haue gone astray when God hath punished them wee also must come to account after them Yea and wee deserue double punishment when wee fare not the better by the corrections that God hath shewed vnto vs for it is all one as if we resisted him wilfully The matter in effect which wee haue to gather vppon this saying where Moses speaketh of the snares that are laide for vs is that when our Lorde hath once warned vs and we haue seene the verie examples themselues before our eyes we should set our minds vpon them that wee intangled not our selues in the curse that is prepared for the despisers of Gods word And it is saide further that men shoulde not inquire after their gods Heereby hee doeth vs to vnderstande that men are oftentimes turned away from well doing by their foolish curiositie For when wee bee once instructed in the pure simplicitie of Gods worde if wee holde our mindes imprisoned that is to say if wee holde our selues contented with Gods trueth then are wee sure that our Lorde will confirme vs more and more so as though all the worlde were on a broyle yet shoulde wee bee knitte still in good agreement of faith But our wittes are so fickle that they bee alwayes rouing wee cannot holde our selues from inquiring of this and that not for any benefite that wee reape by it for wee wote not what is the reason thereof but yet our desirousnesse so tickleth vs and so prouoketh vs that wee cannot holde our selues in quiet to say let vs obey our God Therefore Moses meant plainely to condemne the vice that reigneth ouermuch in men and is too deepe rooted in their nature which is that in steede of sobernesse to holde our selues in simple obedience to Gods worde wee bee continually turmoyled with vaine fancies and all our seeking is who did this and who did that that wee might bee cunning in iudging thereof As for example wee see a great sort that woulde faine knowe al the Religions of the worlde And to what ende It seemeth to them that they bee not sure of the Christian faith vnlesse they knowe Machomets Alcoran and al the diuelishnesse that hath reigned among the Paynims and Papistes and haue their heads full stuffed and besotted with all the dotages of the Iewes Thus doe they play the beastes through their wicked curiositie and it appeareth well that there hath beene nothing in them but vtter vanitie and hypocrisie Wherfore according to that which Moses hath declared heere let vs learne not to be too inquisitiue of the thinges that are not good for vs. Wee see that euen in reading Gods worde 1. ãâ¦ã ãâ¦ã wee must vse this modestie of forbearing to seeke thinges needelesse which serue not to edifying what will come of it if wee disguise Gods worde by ripping vp the thinges which cannot but infect our mindes and corrupt them and turne them from the pure trueth True it is that such as are to make warres are faine to be inquisitiue of the force and policy of their enemies that they may beware of them but when wee be so eager that without any occasion or neede wee will needes knowe that which doeth not touch vs nor concerne vs is it not a tempting of God is it not a casting of our selues into the snares which wee see that Sathan hath laide for vs Therefore when men haue beene taught the Gospell purely let them abide quietly therein let them bee contented with this that they are approued of God who cannot deceiue them and let them refuse all manner of trumperies which can serue to no purpose but
bât also to the ende wee shoulde staye vppon them and bee so grounded vppon them that if all the troubles of the worlde shoulde rise vp against vs wee shoulde still holde our owne and continue stedfast and inuincible If this were sayd to the people of olde time which had not so large instruction by a great deale as wee haue much more dooth it belong to vs nowadayes God gaue the Iewes sufficient instruction so farre foorth as was requisite for their welfare That is true but yet did he teach them vnder shadowes and figures which maner of teaching was darkesome in comparison of that which we haue nowadayes For in the Gospell we haue the sunne of righteousnesse shining as it were at nooneday Mal. 4.2 So then Gods worde must serue vs not onely to shewe vs the right way but also to inable vs to withstand all the temptations of Satan and his vpholders We must say I be so armed as we may fight and put backe all errors and falsehood so as after we haue once knowen God we may stick to him stedfastly to the vttermost And that is the cause why Saint Paul treating of the vse of the Gospell Eph. 4.14 sayth that we must not be lyke little babes which are drawen too and fro so as we should no sooner see any trifling toye to beguile vs but we should by and by be gadding after it and what a thing were that But we must sayth he be so setled in the fayth that if there come any cousiners that goe about to leade vs by craft and to deceiue vs wee may bee fenced against them and not bee shaken by them ouersoone True it is that we must needes haue a begetting in our Lord Iesus Christ and that at the first our faith may be so weake that we shall be lyke little babes But we must growe still and dayly gather new strength vntil we come to mans estate that we be perfect to meete with our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus yee see what force the doctrine of trueth ought to haue when it is taught vs. That is to wit we must not onely count it good in consenting to it but also be so well assured of it that the diuell doe what he can may not be able to remoue vs by reason of the certeintie which wee haue whereby wee bee inabled to beate backe whatsoeuer shall be set against vs. And doubtlesse wee see by the example of our Lorde Iesus Christ that such as haue bin faithfully taught may well repulse all the wiles of Satan Matt 4.7 For when Iesus Christ was tempted wherewith armed he himselfe but with the holy Scripture Wee see that if there rise vp neuer so many false Prophets among vs yet if wee be throughly well grounded in faith setled in it as we ought to be we shal coÌtinue stedfast the diuell shall win nothing at our handes True it is that now then we shal find some impedimeÌts for Gods seruauntes shall bee sure of trouble that serueth to humble theÌ but yet whatsoeuer it be their faith is alwayes the better prooued by errors heresies such other lyke thinges whereby our Lord sheweth that we haue profited well in his schoole that wee can neuer be led away vnto wickednesse whatsoeuer betideth Also we heare what Saint Paul sayth when hee armeth vs against all spirituall battels that may befall vs Eph. 6.12 16.17 hee giueth vs the sword of Gods word hee deliuereth vs the Shield of faith and hee giueth vs the helmette of hope And thereupon hee inferreth that wee shall not onely be inabled to withstand all the assaultes that Satan can make vppon vs but also bee defended from his fiery dartes when there is no lykelyhoode for vs to escape from his subtleties Now therefore whensoeuer the Gospell is preached vnto vs or that wee reade the holy scripture let vs learne not onely to receiue the thinges as true which are told vs out of the mouth of God but also to bee so fully resolued of them in our selues as we may not be trayned vnto wickednesse nor turned aside from the right way when the diuell stirreth vp any heresies And so ye see what is told vs in this text For our Lord thinkes it not enough that the faithfull should serue him and hold them to his trueth when they bee in quiet without temptation but also hee will haue them to yeeld such trust vnto his worde that if the diuell fall to sowing of his darnell to marre al and wicked men rise vp to deface the truth by al the meanes they can and to turne it into lyes such as haue learned what the true religion meaneth should not change nor be fickle and vnconstant but shewe that the thinges which they know are of God and an abiding trueth so as it is not for men to swarue or start from them in any wise Now theÌ let vs beare this warning wel in mind and euery of vs examine himselfe and when we haue once vnderstoode y e things y t haue bin told vs and are necessary to our saluation let vs not imagine our selues to haue a perfect and right faith as is requisite vnlesse wee bee so constant and fully resolued in the thinges that our Lorde hath shewed vs that we abide by it and followe our course still whatsoeuer come of it For whosoeuer fleeteth or starteth aside at euery matter sheweth that hee neuer knewe Iesus Christ as hee ought to doe And therefore Saint Paul in another place vseth two similitudes to shewe of what force Gods word ought to bee with vs to hold vs fast vnto him in his obedience Hee saith that wee must be throughly grounded and rooted For many haue a kinde of faith but that is but in outward shewe and appearaunce as for inwardly it hath no liuely nor deepe roote For if a man haue but a faire braunch couered with flowers to what purpose is that One blast of wind will deface it But if a tree bee well planted the roote of it will hold it fast in the middest of all stormes Euen so must wee bee rooted in our Lorde Iesus Christ and we must be throughly well grounded vppon him so as men may perceiue not onely that wee haue knowledge but also that our heartes doe yeeld record of our playne dealing And marke here the cause why so many men are so greatly hindered and indeuour no further but to purchase themselues credit among men When they come to a Sermon where the Gospell is preached for the most part they thinke they haue well profited when they can skill to talke of it and there are very feawe that haue a care to be so grounded in it as to lay it vp in their hartes that GOD may be witnesse of it there are very fewe that indeuour to atteine to that steddinesse And therefore doth God abhorre that foolish vaine gloriousnesse wherethrough men seeke but onely to win themselues
and false fellowes step vp amoÌg vs of purpose to deface by their suttletie the pure doctrine that hath beene preached to vs wherein we haue beene trayned vp Now first of all it is said Thou shalt not hearken to the Prophet when he sayth vnto thee Let vs go and serue other gods which thou hast not knowen It behoueth vs to wey well all these woordes of Moses For here he speaketh to al beleeuers He speakes not only to the great doctors that haue beene at the Vniuersitie all their life long but also to the vnlearned Although then that we be no clerks yet let vs learne that we must haue this constancie of faith of not following the wyles of Satan to bee withdrawen from our God when he hath beene so gracious vnto vs as to communicate himselfe to vs. Wee must not say Alas I haue no learning nor finenesse of witte to be so cunning euery man hath not like measure I graunt that euery man is not of abilitie to enter into disputation against sophisters and against such as are full fraught with malice to deceiue y e simple but yet all men from the moste to the least ought to haue this inuincible stedfastnes of sticking vnto God and his trueth when they once knowe it There is no excuse in that case For it is not in vaine that God hath set downe this generall law for all his Church And it is certaine also that he will giue vs power so wee resort to him and seeke to him for succour For what is y e cause why so many folke are seduced but onely their own fond presumption or their negligence or else their contempt of Gods worde For yee shall see some stand so much in their owne conceits as to their own seeming no man is able to ouermatch them and yet for all that they are but sillie beastes Our Lorde therefore doth blow away their pride as men may perceiue and experience sheweth that God punisheth many folkes pride which had too great an ouerweening of themselues Now theÌ what is to be done Let vs humble our selues pray God to gouern vs so by his holy spirit to giue vs such wise doÌe as wee may not bee taken tardie when the diuel goes about to make a breach into vs to enter at If we goe y t way to worke let vs assure our selues that God will guide vs and that wee shall neuer be caught in Satans snares But there are many that keepe on their race without care as though they were priuiledged from all dangers But let vs for our part keepe good watch and haue such a care to warde our selues as the deceiuers wheÌ they come may not finde vs asleepe And that will so bee if wee beare such reuerence to Gods worde as wee acknowledge it to bee the preciousest treasure that we haue For if a man make so little reckening of a thing that he leaue it at al aduenture the first that commeth may robbe him of it but as for him y t locketh vp his goods specialy those that are the chiefe and which he counteth to bee most worth he cannot bee so bereft of them And therefore let vs put our faith in good custodie and be so warie in the keping of it as it may appeare that we haue it in such estimation as it deserueth for it is an inestimable treasure Thus yee see what wee haue to note here where Moses speaketh to all such as had tasted what Gods lawe is exempting no man from standing stââtly in battaile and defence against the lyes and sleyghts of Satan Nowe hee addeth If he say vnto thee Let vs followe strange gods which thou hast not knowen This serueth to shewe vs who bee false prophets For God telleth vs that wee cannot withstande the wyles of Satan without the knowledge of the trueth that is the onely meane And no maruel though the wretched worlde nowadayes be allured to destruction for Gods worde is as it were buryed and when men are destitute of that light it is certaine that they bee in horrible darknesse so as they cannot but stumble stray here and there because they haue no certaine aime at any thing But here our Lorde declareth that wee must bee instructed in his worde and thereunto also is this saying after a sort referred For hee presupposeth that wee bee in a good trade alreadie and that wee knowe the way of saluation accordingly as Moses wil protest hereafter Deut. 30.15 19. saying I haue shewed you the way of life and the way of death Nowe therefore whensoeuer wee will resist false Prophets and their lyes let vs take to vs the doctrine of trueth And that is the cause why it is saide The gods which thou hast not knowen For in this case wee must match the liuing God whome wee haue knowen against all the ydolles which the worlde hath forged to it selfe For God speaketh not to such as neuer heard nor vnderstood any thing of him before but to such as he had giuen his lawe vnto whome hee had set in the right way and to whome hee had giuen an infallible rule When hee hath so fenced men aforehande then sayeth hee vnto them Beware that yee followe not the gods whome yee haue not beene acquainted with To be short then it is shewed vs that this doctrine concerneth such as haue beene duely instructed in the faith Will wee beate backe all Satans deuices Let vs haue the skill to say It is God that hath certified vs hee is a faithfull witnesse to vs wee neede not to be in dout or vncertaintie any more or to cast doutes or to say What Which way shall we goe We may well assure our selues that this is the way that is the thing which wee must stay vppon That in effect is the order which wee haue to keepe according as it is shewed vs in this text But let vs marke also that wee must haue our eares so stopped as we may vtterly mislike whatsoeuer may cause vs to swarue to the contrarie of those things which we haue learned by Gods worde For as soone as wee giue eare to them by and by wee be halfe corrupted according to this similitude which Saint Paul alleageth in the seconde to the Corinthians that when a woman giueth eare to a bawde or a Ruffian 2. Cor. ãâ¦ã 3. although shee consent not to him out of hande yet is shee alreadie peruerted and it is already an euill token For if a woman bee chaste and shamefast shee will in any wise shunne all such messages as may be brought to her to intyce her to follie and to make her to breake wedlocke Shee must eschewe such manner of thinges Nowe Saint Paul sayeth that as long as wee abyde in the simplicitie of the Gospell wee bee as a chaste wife that keepeth her faith troth to her husbande and that our Lorde Iesus Christ who hath made such couenant with vs to choose vs to bee of his
Councels Yea but before that God commaunded the punishment of Rentgates that shoulde goe about to trouble the Church and to set diuision in the faith he saide Thou shalt not doe what seemeth good in thine owne eyes Deut. 12. but thou shalt submit thy selfe obediently to my sayinges and not step aside from my worde but yeelde your selues to it both great and small and therefore that order ought to bee maintained But we see that all thinges are turned vpside downe And therefore let vs looke that wee bee well informed as I saide afore and that wee bee well assured that wee haue Gods certaine trueth and that wee bee throughly resolued of it so as wee may bee able to say It is God that hath spoken it we haue beene taught it in his schoole and wee renounce all imaginations of men for wee knowe there is nothing but vanitie and vntrueth in men God then must bee the author of our faith and allowe it before wee can say This is the trueth And when wee bee so resolued then may wee obey this commaundement here But wee must marke therewithall that it is not ynough for men to excuse themselues by saying as for mee I meane not to abolish all religion and yet if I like well of this thing why shoulde it not bee lawfull for mee to haue it Moses sheweth vs that although a man pretend the title of some god yet is that nothing for wee must haue the liuing GOD and that when wee haue once the knowledge of the true Religion that must suffice vs and that if wee goe astraye it is through our owne fault and there is no excuse for vs. That is the meaning of Moses and it is a doctrine well worthie to bee noted For many men might finde starting holes in this behalfe May not a man bee ouerseene through simplicitie Yes but when wee haue once knowen God wee cannot bee separated from him but our malice must needes bee vtterly vnexcusable And therefore let vs take courage to benefite our selues and when Gods worde is giuen vs freely and preached vnto vs purely let vs bee so confirmed in it as wee bee not anye more like wauering reedes yeelding to euery wynde nor as little children whome euery man may beguyle but let vs vse wit and discretion And in deede our Lorde giueth vs his worde not onely to the intent wee should saye Lo this or that is good but to the ende that euery man shoulde keepe himselfe from euill bee fenced and armed against al temptations of Satan so as wee might haue wherewith to resist him when hee goeth about to thrust vs out of the way Nowe Eph. 6. ââ Gods worde is tearmed a spirituall sworde and therefore wee haue wherewith to outstande all assaultes so wee haue profited in Gods worde as wee shoulde doe And hereby it appeareth what diuels they bee which would nowadayes leaue all things in dout For there are fantasticall persons which say What If a man will punish Heretikes hee must do it continually because all thinges are out of order True it is that men ought to serue God And if any many woulde saye there were no diuine maiestie in heauen there is no GOD there ought to bee no religion in the worlde O that were not to bee abidden But as long as men holde this grounde that there is a GOD it is ynough And although the heathen keepe stil their dotages although the Iewes be wilfull in maintayning their false exposition of y e lawe although the Turkes holde still their Mahomets Alcoran although the Papistes bee still intangled in their superstitions all is one so they holde fast this principle that there is a God Yea but Moses sayeth here expressely that although a man pretende an intent to serue God yet must hee bee stoned to death if it be knowen that hee meant but onely to ouerthrowe or disguise the true religion And what more then For as I haue sayd wee must not onely pronounce with our mouth that there is a God but wee must also discerne him from all the abuses that men haue inuented of their owne brayne For otherwise it is but a mocking of all the holy Scripture I shall say I worship God and in the meane time I worship a puppet And what is my God It is a fantasie that I haue deuised in mine owne head it is not the liuing God hee disclaymeth all such dealings so am I but a forger For as Saint Paul speaketh of it in the first to the Romanes Rom 1.21 such as haue wandred away after their owne imaginations haue transformed the maiestie of GOD though their intent was to worship the liuing God as the Papistes doe which protest that they worship God the maker of heauen and earth and likewise the Turkes who say the same thing and so also doe the Iewes notwithstanding that they abhorre Iesus Christ. And it is sayd in Saint Iohn that hee which beleeueth not in the Sonne beleeueth not in the Father which sent him 1. Ioâ â 23 Nay he that turneth away from Iesus Christ doeth vtterly renounce God For where dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead but in Iesus Christ Col. 2 17. When the Turks set their Mahomet in the place of Gods sonne 1. Tiââ 3.16 knowing not that God hath manifested himself in the flesh which is one of the chiefe articles of our faith what a dealing is it So then how many thinges soeuer men terme by the name of God they bee but diuels of their owne deuising and setting vp 1. Cor. 10. â0 if they keepe not themselues fast inclosed within the boundes of the holy scripture And therefore let vs marke well that wee must holde vs to the pure Religion and when wee bee well assured of that then must we come to this lawe whereof Moses speaketh here And whosoeuer aduaunceth himselfe against it let him bee rooted out Nowe if the man that woulde drawe vs to the seruing of straunge gods deserue to bee put to death what is to be done to these dogges whose whole indeuour is to turne all vpside downe and to be sorte the whole worlde so as men may not knowe any more what religion is And in these dayes wee see this kinde of weede to rise thorough the whole worlde a sorte of heathenish people which serue to no purpose but to scoffe and iest at all thinges that are spoken of GOD. Also what shall become of those that commit so open blasphemie as they may seeme to make but a mockerie of all the holye Scripture as though it were nothing else but fables Nowe then sith wee see that Moses speaketh so what doe they deserue which do so trouble and defile the holy thinges Beholde there comes mee an hypocrite that woulde deuise a newe Religion as it were to set vp a popedome here againe or to bring in the Alcoran of Mahomet nowe ought such a one to bee put to death without
you and haue seduced the inhabitants of their cities saying let vs go and serue other gods whome yee haue not knowen 14 Then shalt thou search and inquire and examine the matter throughly if it be true certaine that such abhomination hath beene doone among you 15 Thou shalt roote out the inhabitants of that citie with y e edge of the sword and vtterly destroy the citie and all that is in it and the verie cattell thereof with the edge of the sworde 16 And thou shalt gather al the spoyle thereof together into the middes of the citie and burne vp the citie and all the spoyle thereof with fire to the Lorde thy God and it shal be a heape for euer and neuer be builded againe 17 And none of the cursed thinges shall sticke to thy handes that the Lorde your God may turne away the fiercenesse of his wrath from thee and giue thee mercie and haue pitie vpon thee and multiply thee as he sware to thy fathers 18 Because thou shalt haue obeyed the voyce of the Lorde thy God in keeping all his commaundementes which I commaund thee this day to the ende thou mayest doe the thinges that are right in the eyes of the Lorde thy God WE haue seene heretofore what manner of zeale wee ought to haue to y e mainteining of Gods true seruice the pure religioÌ that is to wit that we must forget al y e friendship of the world and shewe that we make more account of the honor of our God than of all those that are as deere to vs as our owne soules But now Moses proceedeth further and sayth that wee must vse such rigour not only against particular persons but also against whole cities Now if a whole Citie ought to be rased for breaking y e seruice of God what shal be done to any one man Should he be borne with Here then we see how Gods honour ought to be preferred before the whole worlde And because he had set downe a right and pure order to y e people of Israel how to do it his mind was that it should be kept to the vttermost and that if any man transgressed it he should be cut off insomuch that if it were a whole people that had done it they should be delt withall after the same maner Now then we see yet better howe carefull wee ought to be for the preseruation of religion in his purenes True it is that we ought to be alwayes mindefull of y t which we haue sayd already namely that it serueth not to excuse ydolaters wheÌ they be so inraged with zeale without discretion For we must be sure a forehande that the religion which we holde is holy that God alloweth of it so as it is not a doctrine forged at the pleasure of men but Gods owne will vttered vnto vs of his owne free fauour whereof we haue good and infallible record that if any set himselfe against it he must be cutte off yea though it were a whole Citie So litle ought any priuate person to be forborne that euen a whole citie ought to be destroyed for it But to the intent this doctrine may be y e better vnderstoode let vs marke the order which God commandeth here to be kept If it be sayde that is to say if the report go that some wicked persons are gone from among you and haue led away the inhabitantes of a Citie make good inquisition of the matter search it out diligently and vnfainedly to the vttermost and if it be found to be so let that Citie bee vtterly destroyed with the edge of the sworde and so forth Now first our Lordes will is that when any brute goeth of an euill deede we should first inquire how y e case standeth And hereby he sheweth that such as haue authoritie of the sword sit in the seate of Iustice must not be retchlesse in suffering thinges to passe before their eyes without making any countenance to see them Is there then any brute of a thing Inquisition must be made of it For if it be let passe we shew that our intent is to nourishe the euill and the parties that haue so concealed it must in y e ende abide their payment which is that it must light wholly vpon their owne heads as we see it commeth to passe And it is a iust punishmeÌt of God that when such as are in office to remedie redresse euill doe beare with it they themselues should abide the paine of it And when they suffer it it happeneth not by haphazard but God yeeldeth them the iust wages which they haue deserued Therefore we must marke this text that God will haue vs to be doing aforehand as soone as the brute is reported or giuen forth not to tary till the thing be apparaunt without setting hand to it or without making inquisition of it but he will haue the Iustice to inquire of it betimes specialy when there goeth any brute of it And by the way to the intent there be not a slight inquirie made of it as it were but for fashions sake he vseth here three wordes and afterwarde he addeth that it must be done throughly so as there be an exquisite care vsed in the matter For diuers times informations are taken when some coÌplaint is made and that the euill is knowen yea and y t in suchwise as they be ashamed to cloke it altogether and so witnesses bee called But they will not seeke to vnderstand the pith of the matter they doe but vse a kinde of forme for fashions sake as who should say y e matter is not buried because there hath bin some seeking to knowe the truth of it But what This is no proofe that is to say we wil not search how the case stands in deede For the witnesses are dispatched ere they haue tolde halfe their tales and that which they haue spoken is let slip so as wee see not the thing that is as apparant as the nooneday Now to the end that men should not daly after that sort with God it is sayd expresly that inquisition should be made that the matter should be examined and information dewly taken And therfore let Iustices vnderstand that they shall not goe quit but that God will hold them giltie for neglecting their duetie if they do not what they can to bring matters to light when they heare any complaint or any brute of them Neuerthelesse our Lords meaning is not that meÌ should iudge at al aduenture but that the crime should be duly proued whether it be so of a truth in deede He vseth two wordes to shew that a Iudge ought not to be led by bare suspition to conclude what hee listeth For wee must be faine to beare with the euill when it is not knowen because God hath not yet brought it to light As for example there be some sinnes sayth S. Paul which make hast to come to their condemnation 1. Tim. 5.24 and
we see that God doth so thrust and driue some wicked men forward that they runne a head into mischiefe For sometimes it is Gods will to humble vs by making our offences knowen that we may feele them and be sorie at the heart for them Yea sometimes againe a man knowes not at what end to begin but is letted that he cannot punish because he findeth no mean how to do it Therfore a Iudge must be discreete and milde that he giue not sentence vpoÌ bare coniectures but that he first of all do see the matter substantially proued Now then here are two notable thinges the one is that we must not be rechlesse but diligent in searching out of thinges that y e euil may be discouered not nourished The other is that we should not iudge rashly but that the matter should be welknowen and throughly brought to light before me come to giue diffinitiue senteÌce of it so as our iudgement may be ripe settled Now this being so it is sayde thou shalt destroy the inhabitants of that Citie with the edge of the sword Wherby God sheweth as I haue declared already what affection wee ought to beare vnto his seruice For if we consider what a thing his glory is it ought to be more deere to vs thaÌ all y e whole world What see we either in heauen or on earth but litle sparks of y e power righteousnes goodnes wisedome which are infinite in God They be not to be measured we haue but only some litle signes and tokens of them in heauen and earth Therefore it were better that the worlde should perish ten thousand times than that Gods glory should be defaced But it falleth out that his glory is conueyed ouer vnto ydols yea bestowed vpon Satan when his seruice is corrupted And therefore it is not for vs to fal asleepe or to cocker ourselues in this case as we haue bin wont to doe making sale of Gods honour and letting it passe as though we seemed to count it as a thing of nothing But contrariwise we see here how he putteth all cities to destruction if they haue defaced his honor So then let vs vnderstand that it is not for vs to rowe any more betweene two streames as we haue bin wont to if we intend to keepe our religion vnappayred but we must see that all Church treasons that is to say all outrages that are doone to the maiestie of God may be punished Seeing we know and nature teacheth vs that robberies murthers theftes and all manner of pilfries ought not to bee borne with what shal we do when gods name is blasphemed all religion turned vpside downe and the pure doctrine falsified to thrust folke out of the way and to breake the vnion of faith Such thinges are not to be winked at for they be too heynous crymes Yea and it behoueth vs to marke how it is said heere that if any wicked men be risen vp and haue seduced the inhabitants of a Citie For it may seeme that this circumstance should somewhat abate the fault forasmuch as the whole citie went not away of their own accord but were carried away by certain wicked persons as in deed a few such firebrandes of hell are ynough to set all thinges out of order Yea but yet are not they to be born with which haue giuen eare to such deceiuers they must be punished for it neuerthelesse yea and y t not with stripes of roddes onely but euen with death And in deede how trifling an excuse is it for a man to say I was vndermined I would neuer haue done amisse if I had not bin inticed to it ye may see what ill counsell is Yea but yet notwithstanding thou haddest bin taught by the voyce of thy God thou knewest his will wast ascerteined of it Beholde a man whome thou knewest to be wicked came to seduce thee and thou gauest more credit to his leaudnesse and to thine owne wit than to y e infallible truth of thy God Thou knowest y t thy God speaketh for thy benefite and thou leauest him thou giuest him deafe eare thou art loth to giue him any hearing thou refusest all that he telleth thee and is that to be excused Nay rather shoulde wee not spit in the faces of such men as will needes make a shield of other mens inticementes Yes and for that cause doth not God hold a whole Citie excused when the people of it haue bin deluded by wicked persons Both great and small say I must be punishable and God is not cruell in punishing them all as wee see hee hath ordeined heere Furthermore let vs marke well y e God ment to do vs to vnderstand what it is to haue wicked persoÌs in a citie 1. Cor. 5. â Câl ââ For as saith S. Paul a little leueÌ soureth a whole lump of dow Nowe then whersoeuer deceiuers be there are the people by by infected God speaketh so thereof plainly to the intent we should not suffer euill to harbor amomoÌg vs. If there be any poysoninges we are all afraid of them and it troubleth vs to prouide howe to saue our selues froÌ them ô say we such a plague must not abide among vs. Now it is certain that there is not a worse nor a more deadly plague than the stepping vp of vnruly persons despisers of God and wicked men which seeke to turne al thinges vpside downe and to bring all to confusion corrupting all thinges to the intent to haue the more libertie to doe euill When such foke rise vp be borne withall it is good reason that al should be giltie of their fault And we see also that God punisheth those y t beare with euill doinges when they both should and could correct them insomuch that the common prouerbe is verified in them that when a man is saued from the gallous he could finde in his heart to see theÌ hanged y t deliuered him from it And good reasoÌ it is that they should haue such reward for their corrupting of Iustice and for their impeaching of right Therefore when we see men goe about to turne all thinges vpside downe wee must represse them aforehande and not tarie till y e end for that is a cursed patience True it is as I said afore that if God giue vs not the meane to rid away euill so soone as we would then must wee be sory for it haue patience But when things are euident there is none other let than lacke of corage then if we be cold and laâie and shut our eyes because wee be loth to susteine displeasure as if a man shoulde say I will not be too forwarde least I bee left in the bryers for feare least I pay for the shot when I haue entered into such a quarell for I see that such fellowes are ful of reuendge and may easily be euen with mee when we vse such cowardlynesse then must wee abide the penaltie of it And
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 meÌbers 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 theÌselues 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. ââ 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 ââ 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
is as I saide afore that there is no ill in it for the Christians to haue a certaine daie wherein this historie shoulde bee declared vnto them For we must not tie our selues to so streit a precisenesse that it should not be lawfull for vs to vse that helpe for our infirmitie But to make a seruice of God thereof and to take example at the Iewes as though it behoued vs to fashion our selues like vnto them or as though the feast of Whitsontide ought to be obserued at this day by reason of the sending of the holy Ghost that were too grosse a fondnesse Let vs vnderstand then first that the Iewes had but a figure shadowe of the trueth and on our owne part wee may knowe in Iesus Christ that God hath not figured anie thing in vaine Col. 2.17 but that all the ceremonies of the Law tended to verie good purpose because the effect of them is shewed vs in him Therefore let vs holde vs contended therewith and now let vs learne to reioyce in the presence of our God and to make otherfolks partakers of our mirth The Iewes were commanded to resort to Ierusalem as soone as haruest was done not only to reioyce there but also to impart of their goods to their neighbors so as there might be a common gladnes among them and God might be glorified with one accord And now that these things are at this day accomplished what haue we to doe We must not run trotting to IerusaleÌ to worship God there and to doe him homage there 1. Tim. 2.8 For we must lift vp our hands eueriwhere howbeit so as they be cleane And moreouer for asmuch as GOD hath not only sent vs a haruest of corruptible fruits to nourish our bodies withal but also powred out y e infinite riches of his holy spirit and sent vs the liuing waters as is saide in Ezechiel Ezech. 47.9 let vs vnderstand that it is to y e end we should haue the mirth whereof S. Paul speaketh in the fourteenth to the Romanes Let vs now reioyce then seeing our Lord hath shewed himselfe so bountifull towards vs that hee hath not withhelde any of the cheefe good thinges which he had but hath powred vppon vs all the benefites that concerne the endles life and heauenly glorie Seeing then that we haue receiued the holy Ghost let vs also be ioyful in our harts As how By withdrawing ourselues from y e vanities of this world by holding our selues conteÌted with the fauor of our God praising him euen in the middes of our afflictions Albeit that wee haue not all things at wil in this world yet let vs not cease to hold on still assuring our selues that it ought to suffice vs that our God is fauourable to vs that he sheweth vs his loue When wee be at that point once then shall wee haue such peace and contentment in vs Phil. 4.7 as passeth all the ioyes of this world yea and putteth away all the sorrowes that may trouble vs. And when wee haue such gladnesse our selues wee must to the vttermost of our power make them partakers of it which haue need For if the Iewes were commanded to cal the widowes the fatherles and the strangers to make merie with them in spending of the goods which God had giuen them much more reason is it that seeing the spirituall giftes which God hath bestowed vppon vs belong to the common building vp of the Church as saith Saint Paul in the twelfth to the Romanes Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 12 7. and also in the twelfth of the first to y e Corinthians we should take heed y t we defraude not our neighbours of the thing which GOD hath appointed for them Let vs marke also that as nowe there is no more any stranger as in respect of vs. For wheras God had separated the Iewes from the gentiles nowe it is his will to bee knowen through the whole worlde there is no more diuision of bodies the wall is broken downe as saith Saint Paul in an other place Eph. 2.14 Seeing then that God fully and thou must not tarie till there bee a solemne holy day to call thee to the Church there to keepe the feast of Trumpets but it must serue thee al thy life long for a spurre to make thee to return vnto God That is the thing say I which we haue to beare in mind And as much also is to be noted concerning sorrowing For it is not for one day onely that wee must be sorie in our heartes and bethinke vs of our sinnes But forasmuch as we fal to them incessantly there passeth not any day wherein we offend not GOD let vs match it with sorinesse and let vs mourne for it and not play the vnthriftes which make a skorne of all that euer a man can alleadge to them out of the worde of God but let vs bee afraide of his iudgementes and threats and yet therewithall let vs not doubt but he will giue vs whereof to reioyce and that although wee bee faine to passe through many sorrowes and hart-bitinges in this worlde yet in the ende he will deliuer vs from them to make vs partakers of the heauenly rest After this maner say I must wee put this doctrine in vre concerning the feastes which the Iewes had of old time in figure and whereof wee haue nowe the trueth substaunce as it is brought vnto vs by the sonne of God Now let vs kneele downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them better than we haue done so as wee may returne vnto him with true and vnfained repentaunce and bee stirred more and more to amende our faultes knowing that our good God is ready to receiue them all to mercie which come to him with lowlinesse And that for asmuch as he hath graunted vs the grace to haue nowe so full light of his Gospell as may wel inlighten vs throughly it may please him not to suffer our eyes to be blindfolded that wee should walke any more in darkenesse but to graunt that wee keepe y e right way and indeuer to bring others into the same so as God may be glorified with one common accorde of all men And that for the performance hereof it may please him to raise vp true and faithfull ministers of his word c. On Fryday the viij of Nouember 1555. The C. Sermon which is the fourth vpon the sixteenth Chapter 13 Thou shalt keepe the feast of Tabernacles seuen dayes after thou hast gathered in thy corne feeldes and thy vineyardes 14 And thou shalt reioyce in the feast thou thy sonne thy daughter thy man-seruant and thy woman seruant the Leuite the straunger the fatherles the widowe which are within thy gates 15 Seuen dayes shalt thou keepe the feast to the Lorde thy God in the place which the Lord shall haue chosen for the Lord thy God
according to the season of the Moones and as we see that opportunitie will serue best For otherwise it were an vtter vndoing of all thinges and an abolishing of the order that God hath set But his meaning is that men shoulde not through their fonde and wicked desires passe the boundes which God hath appointed So then let vs keepe our selues to this playnnesse that God hath set downe Moreouer whereas he speaketh of DiuinatioÌ by the flight of birdes It was too common a vice among the heathen as I saide afore When they were to take anie thing in hand they went gasing abroad in the aire and they might not conclude vppon any thing till they had seene some birde flying And there were three oâ foure of them or if they came froÌ the East or the North they tooke them by by for signes and that was a cursed kinde of diuination For why we must holde it for a generall rule that wee marre all when wee drawe Gods creatures to anie other vse than he hath ordeyned them vnto Let vs marke say I after what maner God will haue his creatures to be vsed For as soone as we turne from that point such disguising of his workes is a cursed corruption of them God hath not created the birdes to speake vnto vs by their flying from one place to another nor to the end that we shoulde make account whether there be foure or fiue of them or take their flying out of this coast or that coast to be a token of euil luck These are starke witcheries forged by men out of their owne fonde curiositie and blowen into their eares by Satan And therefore let vs not maruell though our Lord haue forbidden vs such thinges for as soone as wee happen to bee imbrewed w t such superstitions and follies we must needes bee turned away from Gods trueth Yea and there followeth iust punishment vpon such curious persons so as they bee euer doubtful in perplexitie For in as much as they resorte to deade creatures or to such creatures as haue no reason nor vnderstanding they must needes bee alwayes vncertaine But if wee feare our God we shall be sure of all things The feare of God is the best hold that wee can haue Psal. 33.1 I meane such a reuerende feare of GOD as therewithall we take him for our father For if we be agast at him we shall stil be in neuer the lesse anguish vnquietnes But if wee submit our selues to God for loue surelie his protection shall auaile vs to rest vppon so as we may defie Sathan and all that he practiseth against vs. On the contrarie part when we feare not God we shall be afraid both of the birdes and of the beasts of the winde and of the rayne of the Sun and of the Moone of the earth and of the heauen and to be short euen our owne shadowes as men say shal make vs afraide And as for them which submit them selues to the Sunne and Moone and make Idols of them as though they had dominion ouer vs all such doe showe in deede that they haue no feare of God in them and therefore needes must they bee caried away anewe And that is the cause why the Prophete Ieremie expressely forbiddeth vs to be afraide of the signes of the heauen Ier. 10.2 at leastwise according to the inchauntmentes which the Infidels haue inuented as is saide alreadie For if wee be afraide of them after y e maner we bereaue God of his dominion and impart it to the Stars and other dead creatures But God wil haue the Sunne the Moone to giue vs light and to doe vs seruice with their natural vse as the Sun to heate the earth the Moone and the Stars to giue their influences I say he will haue all these so to keepe their natures and proprieties as that he himselfe alone be the gouernour notwithstanding For when we imagine that the Sunne or the Moone haue such power ouer vs that we cannot goe one step without they bring vs some misaduenture or prosperitie by their aspectes towardes vs is not God himselfe so much debaced Yes verily If it be said that God worketh by his creatures that is true but yet will he not doe it after that fashion We must haue an eye to the meane which he hath helde and we must not go beyond that And therefore as many as rend Gods dominion in peeces and impart it so to the liuelesse creatures are starke mad and it is good reason that they should alwayes bee as men in a traunce or afrighted not know where to become Wherefore let vs learne to put our selues in such wise vnder the hand guiding of our God as we fall not to passing beyond the course of nature That is the thing which wee haue to remember here As touching the other kinds indeede a man might distinguish theÌ as many haue laboured to doe but it is enough for vs to vnderstande that here is mention made of Inchaunters Sorceres Calkers workers with Familiars and of such as aske counsell as the dead As concerning Inchaunters they be not these Iugglers that bleare mens eies with slight of hand and make men beleeue they doe the things which they doe not but the diuell hath such dominion ouer the vnbeleeuers that although a thing be not done in very deed yet the illusion is such as makes men beleeue they see that which they see not And so it is a kinde of Inchauntment that is to say of diuelish illusion when a man shall bee made to thinke that one is transformed into a wolfe or that hee sees theÌ shape of a thing that hath no substance or trueth indeede Now it is demaunded whether such thinges can be done or no. And why not we haue an example in Pharaoes sorcerers ââod â 7 who made frogges to come vp as well as Moses did not that the diuell hath any thing in his owne power for we must not imagine that hee can fight against God to doe aught whether he will or no we knowe he is vnder Gods hande can doe nothing without leaue or licence Hee may well attempt much but yet can he not stir one finger as ye woulde say And hereof wee haue example euident enough in Iob Iob. 1.6 for we see y t the diuel is there among the Angels that is to say that he is faine to come yeelde an account before Gods seate and to haue leaue of him and to be admitted As much is saide when God will haue Achab to bee beguiled for his Idolatrie 1. Kin. 32 21. Ye see then howe the scripture sheweth that the diuell hath not a seuerall dominion by himselfe as though he could attempt any thing against God But yet by permission he may indeede trouble the aire and also do other thinges after which maner God is saide to send tempestes hailes And by whome doeth he it Psal. 78.49 By
there was no meane to appease Gods displeasure but that for all his flattering of Samuell 1. Sam. 15.27.28 yet hee auayled so litle thereby that when hee had rent the Prophetes Cote the Prophete saide vnto him euen so will God rende the kingdome from thee hee cryed out and flang himselfe out of his bounds saying thus What should I doe more Seeing that God hath forsaken mee I also on my side must forsake him And what was the end hereof He went after Witches Whereas hee hadde punished inchaunters before nowe he goeth to seeke them And what came of it Samuell was shewed him in a shape that is to say in a shadowe and imagination so as he thought the Prophete to haue beene raised vp againe by meanes of the Witch Sith we see it befell thus to such a king as God had chosen and to whom hee had giuen the sacred authoritie til the kingdome of Dauid were set vp what shall wee say to it Let vs applie it to such instruction as I haue touched alreadie to make vs liue in feare For when men doe feele themselues after that sort in euil and wilfully shrinke away from God Satan must needes take possession of them and then is there not any thing vnpossible vnto him Wee shall heare incredible thinges reported of Witches and wee must not maruell though God execute so exceeding great vengeaunce For when men haue once turned their backes vpon him and forsaken him euen of wilfull malice they must needs become starke beastes Finally here is mention made of such as aske counsell of the deade For it is not our Lords will that wee shoulde haue anie thing to doe with the deade Therefore they that vse such coniurations goe about to peruert the whole order of nature For doe men what they can yet can they not bring the liuing and the deade together but the deuill steps in betwixt them and pretendeth the persons of the dead so as to outward seeming the dead man himselfe appeareth as was not long since rehearsed whereas in very deed it is the diuell that worketh such illusions And therefore let vs marke wel that seeing our Lord hath forbidden vs to haue to doe with the dead we cannot be deceiued so long as wee keepe within our bounds and attempt not anie thing which we see not to bee comprised within the order which he hath set And thereby we see also that al the things y t euer haue bin said of y e comming vp againe of dead mens ghosts haue bin but sleights of satan when men haue bin beguiled by thaÌ it was al one as if they had wilfully yeelded theÌselues slaues to satan And yet was it held for great deuotion in Poperie The cause why they made pilgrimages and Masses to be sung yea and their feast of all soules to be kept once a yeare was by reason of a ReuelatioÌ or dreame of some deuout Monke that had an idle head He heard y e crying of deadmens soules and thereupon the Papistes concluded that a solemne feast was to be kept for the dead such and such things were to be done for them To be short in that men haue inuented seruice for the dead in the Popedome that was nothing els but meere witcherie euen such as God disliketh in this text and vtterly abhorreth And all they y t haue their deuotion after y t fashion to pray for y e dead are witches and sorcerers for they beleeue in Satans inchantments in despite of God And now let vs marke that these thinges here are not noted as smal tolerable faults but it is said expresly that they be abhominable before God that the people of Chanaan were to be rooted out for such crimes misdeeds Wherby we see y t although other vices were to be pardoned yet ought this to be punished and vtterly roted out Therefore if we will be taken for Gods people let vs see that we vnderstand what this word Abhomination betokeneth namely y t we must be very ware of sorceries inchauntments such other like things And indeed wee see how such things haue euer bin misliked euen among y e heathen How much soeuer witchcraft had raigned yet was it a great thing for a man to haue asked is this well done For euery man would haue said How so It is a monster it is a shamefull cursed thing After y t maner did the heathen speake thereof For it was Gods will y t it should be so ingrauen in mens harts as it might be reproued euen without y e doctrine of the lawe True it is y t in Poperie all are witches in their idolatries for in y e fiftenth of the first booke of Samuel 1. Sâ 15.23 God cuppleth those two sins togither yea I haue told you already y t the seruice of y e dead is a kind of witchcraft Yet notwithstanding they alwaies abhorre y e terme and vtterly mislike thereof And why Because God hath suffered it to make theÌ y e more vnexcusable So then let vs marke y t it is not for vs to suffer either inchanters or witches amoÌg vs. And if these be forbidden we must vnderstand therwithall y t all other kinds of Wisardrie are deadly crimes before God And if Iudges Magistrats do their duties it is certain y t they wil no more beare with them than with murthers It seemeth a smal fault to turne about y e siue as we terme it in this couÌtry but it is more worthy to be punished than y e fleaing of a man quicke For why It is an ouerthrowing of Gods seruice and a peruerting of y e order of nature Were it not worthy of punishment and punishment againe if the order of nature should bee confounded betweene men and bruit beasts Were there any reason in so doing And surely when men begin with such inchauntments it is certain y t they fall into a deeper and dreadfuller dungeon than if they giue ouer their bodies to companie with the bruit beastes And yet wee see the selfe same illusions to bee wrought by satan vpon al witches sorcerers And what is the originall cause thereof but that they bee turned away from Gods truth Although there were no further euill in it than the attributing of Gods office vnto satan yet were it a matter in no wise to be borne with There is a thing concealed from me I wold know it yea but God is not minded to discouer it vnto thee That 's no matter I will find it out by some meanes or other though he say nay to it yea I will haue vnderstanding of it by diuelish illusion Is it not a making of warre against God if this be suffered So then let vs marke that if we will be taken for Christians Witchcraftes inchantments such other like thinges must bee lesse borne with among vs than Robberies and murthers Also it ought to make indeede the hayres to stand vp vpon our heads when
maner to superstitions and cannot bee contented with Gods trueth which is the perfection of all wisedome must it not needes bee that they are possessed of Satan and worse than starke madde or out of their wits Yes truely And therefore seeing our Lord protesteth that he hath so prouided for his Church as men may well holde themselues to that which he hath done Let euerie man bee readie to heare and receiue the doctrine which he setteth forth Nowe he commeth to those that are appointed to be teachers Let no man saith he Presume to speake in my name For I must put my worde in the mouth of the Prophetes Esa. 59 2â Hee saieth expresly I will put my word in their mouthes and therunto answereth the text of Esay which I cyted afore Whereby it is shewed vs that God raiseth not Prophets vp to lay the bridle in their necks and to giue them full libertie to preach what they list but hee raiseth them vp to be as his instrumentes to deliuer the thinges faithfully which they haue heard of him Yee see then with what condition God hath raised vp prophets in all ages namely y t he put his word in their mouthes And whereas we preach nowadayes it is not for that Christ hath giuen vp his office For he is alwayes a teacher ãâã 17.5 Eph. 5.23 he is the heade of the Church yea the only head not to be as an ydoll but to rule vs with his doctrine Therfore we must not presume to alledge any thing which we receiue not of the only sonne of God Wherefore let vs marke well that as it was Gods will heere to subdue folk to humble themselues so as they should not refuse to bee taught by his worde when it is preached so on the otherside he hath prouided that such as haue commission to speake must not bring their owne dotages and dreames nor deuise any newe doctrine but onely first learne of their master and afterwarde deliuer the same faithfully to others without adding any thing at all of their owne For whatsoeuer men inuent of their owne heades is vtter corruption there needs no more Leauen to sower the whole lump of paste 1. Cor. 5.6 And if a man take heade neuer so little he shall vtterly peruert Gods truth and turne it into vntruth And this serueth also to put al men in mind vpon what condition they should heare the Prophetes For here are two extremities as in deede wee neuer keepe any meane vnlesse our Lorde drawe vs to it by force If wee keepe it not wee become heathenish and his worde is skorned of those to whom hee sendeth vs which contempt wee see in the most part of the worlde Howe deale wee when wee come to framing of our selues We vse a kinde of fond and beastly deuotion without putting any difference betweene good and euill and God will none of that Indeede hee will haue our faith matched with humilitie but not that we should be starke blockes without discretion For cleane contrariwise hee willeth vs to trie mens spirites 1. Iohn 4.1 Then must wee haue skill to examine thinges whether they be true or no when men speake to vs in the name of God The way therefore which wee must holde is that when Gods name is alledged wee must bee touched with reuerence to hearken earnestly to the thinges that are spoken and howsoeuer the world go wee must bee prepared to receiue them And when wee haue this modestie of yeelding our selues teachable by the thinges that are set forth in the name of God Wee must also pray him to giue vs his holy spirite that wee bee able to discerne aright and not be beguiled nor imbrewed with lyes vnder false pretence of his name but that although Satan transforme himselfe into an Angell of light 2. Cor. 1â 14 yet he may not so blind our eyes but that wee may perceiue what is good That is the way which wee must holde And it is the thing whereto God intendeth to leade vs saying that although he will haue vs to hearken to the Prophets and addeth this threat that the despising of them shall not abide vnpunished yet notwithstanding hee meaneth not therefore to bereaue vs of all discretion and to stop our eyes that we should not knowe what to followe No but he wil haue vs to examine mens doctrine to âift the Prophetes whether they teach aright or no. We must not be so doltish as to admit al that euer is tolde vs without exception but as I saide when men speake to vs in the name of God we must serch whether it be truth or falsehood And now must we lay forth the things particularly which are conteined here First of all let vs marke that God meant not faithfully or no wee must compare the thinges that are cleane contrarie We knowe that the true touchstone whereby to try the goodnesse of any doctrine is the referring of all thinges vnto faith Rom. 12.6 as Saint Paul saith thereof and to the gloryfying of God that men be taught to put their whole trust in the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ to mislyke of themselues and to be ashamed of their own doings to frame themselues to a true amendment Thus is it a true tryall of good doctrine when wee see y e preacher indeuour that God may be purely honored and serued and that the prayse of all power wisedome and righteousnesse be yeelded vnto him That doctrine is alwayes good and that is an infallible rule When men are condemned in themselues when they be shewed that there is nothing but corruption in their nature and that they be accursed of God when they be so beaten downe as they wote not what to doe but onely to craue forgiuenesse lyke wretched sinners that is a sure doctrine For faith leadeth vs thereunto and compasseth it as a certeine rule Againe when sinnes are condemned by Gods lawe and men are shewed what true repentance is to wit a mislyking of their sinnes a desiring to be gouerned by Gods spirit and to bee altogether chaunged that is a sure doctrine Moreouer when men are tolde that they must flee to God for refuge and call vppon him onely and not be vnthankfull to him for his helping and succoring of them the doctrine also is of the holy scripture and men cannot faile in embracing of it If it be sayd that the very vse of the Sacraments is to leade vs to our Lord Iesus Christ and to assure vs the better of the benefites which he bringeth vs that we may be partakers of them and that God also putteth vs in possession of theÌ that also is a trueth which ought not to be reuoked nor doubted of And hereof there is no disputing to be made for men knowe that in those pointes is nothing but good doctrine On the contrarie part a man may iudge that a doctrine is false when it darkeneth or diminisheth the glorie of God
If the thing that belongeth to God bee plucked away from him to be bestowed vpon creatures it is a practise of Satans to turne vs out of the right way Againe if one doe puffe vp men with pride and ouerweening and make them beleeue that they be able folke so rock them asleepe in their sinnes or if he teach them to serue God with pelting toyes and to forget his Lawe and in the meane while to giue mens inuentions their ful scope or if the Sacraments be vsed but as light or fond pastimes a man may easily see that such doctrine is leawd and cursed and that it was forged in Satans shop Furthermore whereas nowadayes men are inquiring whereon to stay in y e middest of these troubles and diuersities of opinions that are in the world it is no very hard thing to doe so they be attentiue and discreete in discerning after the maner that our Lord hath shewed vs. For all the whole doctrine of poperie teÌdeth to none other end but to aduaunce men and to puffe them vp in such wise with their owne deserts as they may be halfe at defiance with God as though they could accuse him Againe it sendeth men too and fro In stead of putting their trust in the onely freegoodnesse of God and in stead of imbracing our Lorde Iesus Christ men are taught other infinite meanes to saue themselues Moreouer in steed of hauing the only Lawe of God for their onely rule in all thinges and for their onely holynesse and perfection men haue set out their owne trifling traditions Thus may ye easily iudge of these thinges And what is to be sayd of their Sacraments It is euident that they be meere witcheries in the Popedome so as Iesus Christ is driuen a great way off by them and men make idols of the visible signes liuelesse creatures and Satan hath so imbrued the wretched world with his illusions that men are become starke beastes Now then if a man intend to make trial of a good doctrine he shal find the thinges which I spake of afore to be sure infallible markes thereof But in this text our Lord meant onely to tel vs that he will discouer the false prophet at leastwise one way or other whereof hee setteth downe one kinde here I haue told you alreadie that there are diuers other meanes to discerne the true doctrine from the false but none of those come in question here Our Lorde hath tolde vs No no yee shall not be beguiled so long as ye indeuour to follow the trueth that proceedeth from me If a deceiuer haue any countenance among you I will make his leawdnes to be layd open I will giue you some such token thereof as ye may always keepe your selues vndefiled so ye haue the mind and zeale to sticke to my pure worde Thus much concerning this text which importeth a kinde of promise as if our Lord should tell his people that he would discouer the hypocrisie of deceiuers and not suffer them to reigne euer but that in the end they shall in some respect or other come to confusion Now we see the principall drift of Moseses wordes But here a question might be moued For heretofore in the thirteenth Chapter Deut. 13.2 it was said that if a Prophet tolde a thing to come and the same came to passe in deede yet was he not to be beleeued because God would suffer such thinges to try his people withall And here it is sayd that a false Prophet shall be knowen and iudged by the not falling out of the things which he prophesieth Now here seemeth to be some contrarietie But the solution is easie in marking that though a false prophet be knowen by his lying yet it followeth not that he should be takeÌ and deemed a true Prophet because it falleth out that he speaketh some trueth Truely if he spake the trueth at all times and in all cases then were he a true Prophet But hee may well say the trueth in some respect which may be done for some iust punishment from God as is declared in this same text and yet he shall be but a deceiuer neuerthelesse As how Put the case that folke seeke to bee soothed in their vices and are loth to be waked and quickened vp as they should be and had rather to be borne with for such hath the fashion of y e world euer bin Well God seeing such leawdnesse suffereth deceiuers to plaster them and to beare the folke in hand which are so desirous to sleepe in their wilfulnesse that their faultes are nothing Here ye see how those men are beguiled because of the desire which they had before And God addeth the same thing moreouer namely that those false Prophetes and deceiuers shall haue wherewith to confirme their doctrine that they which were imbrued w t lyes before may become more wilful For they will thinke then y t there is no more daunger in beleeuing them And what is the cause hereof Euen Gods iust vengeance Forasmuch as men shut their eyes at the light wil needs dwel in darknesse God giueth Satan the bridle By meanes whereof it commeth to passe y t false prophets doe sometimes speake y e trueth as is to be seene euen at this day For what a number are there to be found which seek after witchcraft to abolish y e authoritie of Gods word Ye shall see on y e one side a sorte of curious heads on y e other side another sorte y t haue no feare of God yet y e mark which they all shoote at is to put away Gods word y t they might not be ruled by it And in y e meane while they wil needs haue some Wizard to tel them of their good for tunes our Lord suffereth theÌ to be drawen by such meanes into al y e deceites of Satan notwithstanding y t some trueth bee mingled therew tall Now theÌ though a false Prophet speake y e truth yet is not that a warraÌt that his doctrine is true our Lord will not haue men to credit him a whit y e more for y t for we see for what cause he putteth the trueth ofteÌtimes into the mouthes of deceiuers And so notwithstanding the thinges that are set downe here yet doth it abide true still y t when our Lord is minded to haue pitie vppon his people and not to suffer them to bee abused by false doctrine he giueth them some token whereby to find the deceiuer and whereas earst he was in estimation and might haue amazed the wretched world God bewrayeth his leawdnesse so he is found to be a lyer Thus wee see now the whole meaning of Moses concerning the thinges that are conteyned in this text These thinges were performed among the people of olde time and the examples thereof which we see ought to shewe vs the vse of them and what fruit we should gather of this warning which Moses giueth When the Prophets meant to proue
droue which hath not beene labored nor hath drawen in the yoke 4 And the Elders of that Towne shall driue the young bullocke downe into a harde valley which hath neither beene plowed nor sowed and they shal strike off the bullocks neck there in the valley 5 Also the Priestes the children of Leuie shall come forth for the Lorde thy God hath chosen them to minister vnto him and to blesse in the Lords name And at their worde shall all cases and euery plague be determined 6 And all the Elders of that towne shall come to the deade man and wash their hands ouer the bullocke that is beheaded in the valley 7 And protest and say Our handes haue not shed this bloude neither haue our eyes seene it 8 O Lord be mercifull to thy people Israel whom thou hast purchased and lay not the guiltlesse bloud among thy people Israel And the manslaughter shal be forgiuen them 9 And so shalt thou take guiltles bloud from among you for thou shalt do that which is acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. I Haue spoken of this Law alreadie heretofore and declared briefly what god ment in the ordeining of that Ceremony namely that wee shoulde abhorre the shedding of bloud and murthers and outrages He had spoken heretofore of the law of armes And nowe hee addeth that the killing euen of one man is a defiling of the whole countrey vnlesse the remedie bee sought by praying vnto God to forgiue the fault and by protesting that none of them is guiltie thereof Wee see then that mens liues are deare vnto God sith hee will haue so solemne a redresse to bee made of a murther committed yea euen when the doer thereof is not knowen nor the trueth can bee founde out If a man had heene murdered and the doer thereof knowen then woulde not this ceremonie haue sufficed For God commandeth the crime to bee punished and if a murtherer be suffered to scape the Iudges and all the people become guiltie of the fact But when it is vnknowen by whom a man is slaine then GOD thinketh it not ynough for euery man to protest for himselfe y t hee is neither partie nor priuie to the matter but he will also that the town where the deede was done or which was neerest to the place where the deede was done shoulde bee examined for it For wee knowe that a partition of the townes villages was made to euerie tribe Insomuch that euerie Citie had the Countrie about it and the townes and villages in it were called as it were the daughters of that Citie Yet notwithstanding in this case our Lorde will haue them to make a newe suruey and measuring of the distance of places againe and that the Citie which is found to bee neerest to the dead bodie shal be at the charges to make a solemne sacrifice whereat hee will haue the Elders Iudges and Priestes to be present And he setteth downe the Priests by name as wel for sacrificing as also because it was their Office to make the purgations whensoeuer there befell any blotte so as the people were defiled before God it was the duetie of the Priestes to make them cleane againe towards God And that was the cause why that order was required in this case And therefore Moses addeth that God hath appointed them to serue him and to blesse in his name and that it belongeth to them to iudge of Leprosies and all other like thinges and of all other kindes of vncleannesse wherewith the people might be defiled In attributing this office vnto them he declareth to what purpose their presence ought to serue in this act Also there was prayer to bee made and the priestes were inioyned thereunto And because the whole order of them was a figure of our Lorde Iesus Christ they blessed in Gods name as I haue declared heeretofore and as I shall shewe somewhat more hereafter as I passe ouer it And therefore our Lorde appointed them to make the solemne prayer that is set downe heere Nowe wee see whereto this Lawe tended Namely that our Lorde hath shewed howe precious mens liues are vnto him that wee on our part might bee the more prouoked to take him for our father For what an vnthankfulnesse is it that God shoulde haue so great and so fatherly a care of vs of vs I say which are but Caryons and yet notwithstanding that hee shoulde not bee honoured of vs as of his children nor finde any obedience at our handes So then forasmuch as we see our Lord vouchsafeth to haue a regarde of our life let vs be the more moued to honor him and to yeeld him all reuerence Heerewithall it is shewed vs also that wee must maintaine our neighbours as much as in vs lyeth and abstaine from all violence For if murder bee so hatefull to GOD that although the doer thereof bee vnknowen yet it behoued a solemne clearing thereof to be made what will become of vs if wee spare not our neighbors Is it not a setting of our selues vtterly against God Here then is a bridle to restraine vs from all violence and outrage so as vnlesse wee will bee hatefull to our God wee must liue in concorde and brotherly loue with all our neighbours Nowe I haue tolde you heretofore that whereas murder is forbidden vs it is not meant thereby that wee shoulde but onely forbeare the drawing of our swords to slea men but also that forasmuch as all they which hate their brethren euen in secrete are murderers we should beware to haue our heartes as cleane as our handes and abstaine from all hatred and enmitie Thus yee see what wee haue to remember in the seconde place of this Lawe which is set downe heere For it is not ynough for vs to loue our neighbours and not to haue stepped out into any iniurie or violence but wee must also to the vttermost of our power bee a let to the anoyance that is done to others Indeede it is a great thing to be peaceable but God requireth yet more of his children namely that they shoulde procure peace towardes others Therefore whensoeuer any man fals to quareling or offereth wrong to his neighbour let vs looke that wee set our selues against him as much as wee can I knowe that euerie man is not armed with the sworde neither may euerie of vs take vppon him to redresse wrongs but yet let vs haue an eye to that which GOD permitteth so farre as our duetie will beare and as occasion is ministred to deale And therein wee shall shewe our selues not to consent to any outrage but rather that wee bee willing to succour the innocent that is oppressed and wronged whom let vs looke that we help to our power and abilitie That is the third point which we haue to gather vpon this text Moreouer let vs marke that Iudges and Ministers of iustice are warned heere to doe their dueties For it is not ynough for them to protest that they haue
approch neare vnto him ought to be souÌd 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 entraÌce 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 inheritaÌce 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 ãâã forgetting of the benefit which God had graÌted 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 theÌselues ouer ânto such wickednes as God detesteth They which spoile rob another man of his goods ãâã 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 temptatioÌs 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 maÌs 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 coÌstant 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 teÌptations 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
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 haÌds 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 vnthaÌkfulnes for as S. Paul saith they haue wel deserued that God should forsake them 2. Thess. 2 ââ But somtimes he wil bridle the touÌgs 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
were y e next way to make vs forget the duetie which we owe vnto God We also on our side must take heede of these things not in y e manner as the Iewes did which straitely obserued this law other such like touching the ceremony but we must keepe ourselues vnto y e truth and substance therof which they so much despised according to the coÌmon custom of y e world which is euer wont to busie it selfe about the formalitie or shew of things to make no account of the substance Let vs therefore learn to know y t whereas the Iewes obserued this ceremony w tout any minding at all of y t which God required of them they did but dally play with God and their whole obseruation thereof was but hypocrisie so as they did nothing else but prouoke y e anger of God For when men wrest peruert his word in such sort it is such a trecherie as he can not suffer But it is no wonder to see this abuse among men For they would faine content God with such outward things it is ynough for theÌ so they set a good face on y e matter And being theÌselues carnall they measure God by their owne ell But contrariwise let vs note y t when God coÌmaÌdeth vs smal things it is to lead vs to a farther matter therefore let vs alwayes aime at this mark not stay ourselues on things which are of no gret importaÌce according to y e rule which our Lord Iesus hath deliuered vnto vs in this behalf Maâ 23. â3 Ye ought in deede saith hee to doe these small things wheÌ they are coÌmanded by y e law but yet ye must alwaies come vnto y e chiefe principall point And we know what God sayth namely y t he requireth mercy not sacrifice his will is y t there shoul be faithfulnes iudgement and vprightnes among men And as for sacrifices washings such like thinges his meaning was y t by theÌ men shold be trained to put the assurance of their saluatioÌ in y e fauor which he hath promised vnto theÌ y t they be sory for their sins when they see them before their eyes y t they should serue theÌ for witnesses to endite themselues to y e intent y t when they offer themselues to God being in such displeasure with their sinnes they might attaine pardon and mercie of him Thus ye see what we haue to beare in minde And now seeing the figure is passed done away we haue no neede to busie ourselues in the outward obseruatioÌ of this law What remaineth then Is this law needeles nowadaies in respect of vs Ought not we to reade it Yes for ye see that God ment it should be an instruction for his church euen vnto y e end of y e world It remaineth then y t letting the figure passe we gather y t which is taught both to the Israelites to vs namely y t in all things we must take heede of stayning and defiling our selues Nowe we are not ignoraunt what the things are which defile a man Maâ 15.18 It is not y t which entereth into a man as our Lorde Iesus Christ speaking of meats sayth but it is y t which coÌmeth out of a maÌ Look how many wicked affectioÌs we haue so many stainings of vs haue we before god For froÌ whence coÌmeth fornication Proceedeth it not out of the heart of man From whence coÌmeth ambition From whence come other wicked desires as couetousnesse enuie pride and all the rest Now when y e soule of man is so full of such foule staines y t it is infected before God it draweth the body by by vnto theÌ and if we put wicked thoughtes in practise beholde howe our bodies also are wrapped in the same filthines with our soule we become altogether defiled Let vs therefore learne so to dedicate ourselues vnto God as our infectious filth be not a cause to driue him away from vs. And therewithall let vs beare in minde that which S. Paule sayth namely that seeing God will dwell within vs we must purifie both our minds bodies â Cor. 6.20 2. Cor. 6.16 And this is the reason which Moses alleadgeth when he sayth That God alwayes dwelt in the middes of the campe of Israel to deliuer theÌ to giue vp their enemies into their handes And afterwarde he addeth Take heede that the Lorde thy God depart not from thee when he shall find any vncleanesse in thee At this day this fauour is bestowed in more ample maner vpon vs than it was then vpon the auntient people For we know howe God is ioyned vnto vs in the person of his only sonne Now seeing y t the fulnes of the godhead doth dwell in our Lord Iesus Christ that not vnder a shadowe as in the arke of the couenant where y e lawe was enclosed but is assuredly our God being manifested in the flesh seeing it is so y t we are members of Iesus Christ ãâ¦ã 3. â6 that he hath vouchsafed vs so great a benefite as by coÌming downe from heauen to ioyne himselfe w t vs let vs note y t at this day God is more neere vnto vs than he was vnto y t people yea he will make vs to haue more feeling of his vertue and power For we are alwaies in such sort vnder his protection y t we neede not to feare but that his power is still stretched out to maintaine preserue vs. When our Lord Iesus sayd vnto his disciples I am with you euen vnto the ende of the worlde ãâã 28.20 surely he ment to strengthen them in all the conflictes which they were to suffer in preaching of the Gospel and it serued likewise to declare vnto vs also y t he will neuer forsake vs as in respect of his power Seeing it is so then that we are vnder the gouernment of the sonne of God and y t although he be ascended vp into heaueÌ he faileth not to fill all y t he is also our shepheard to the intent y t none of them whoÌ his heauenly father hath giuen vnto him should be lost ãâ¦ã .10 ãâã 5.30 that we are bone of his bone flesh of his flesh as S. Paul sayth and y t there is no greater coniunctioÌ betweene y e husband the wife than is betwene the son of God vs. Seeing it is so I say let such gratious fauour as this prouoke vs to withdraw ourselues froÌ al filthines let vs keepe this holy vnitie which we ought to haue with our God And moreouer let vs also diligeÌtly note how precious a thing it is y t God dwelleth with vs to giue vp our enemies into our hands to deliuer vs froÌ all euill For hereby we are warned y t were it not for his fauour we are set open to ten thousande deathes And in very deede let euery of
must the fault heereof be imputed To all of vs. For wee haue an hard heart Wheras if we were so pliable to be taught as that we could suffer our selues to be gouerned according to that which God commaundeth vs Lawes should bee better obserued Magistrates should not bee so hindered nor finde it such an hardnesse to do their duetie we should see especially the Church of God wherein nowe many shamefull things are better ordered And therfore in stead of this that hypocrits cloake themselues with this shrouding sheete to say What Men finde no fault with me and doe any thinke that I am culpable before God In place of this say I let vs learne to confesse that our selues are the cause why thinges are not so well ordered as they should bee it proceedeth from the hardnesse of our heart which can bee made pliable by no meanes Nowe wee must farther note how our Lorde Iesus Christ leadeth vs to the first institution of GOD to shew what is the true nature and condition of marriage It was not so sayeth hee in the beginning Heereby hee declareth that as GOD created man and woman and was himselfe the authour of marriage so hee deliuered a Lawe wherein nothing must be chaunged and as soone as men swarue from it what excuse soeuer they take what colour soeuer they haue as touching men yet fayle they not to forge a thing contrary vnto the institution of GOD which ought to suffice vs. And therefore if husbandes and wiues will discharge themselues of their dewtie they must looke farther than that which is before their eyes For things are too confusedly disordered in this worlde Therefore if men hang altogether vppon examples euery man will drawe his neighbour vnto vtter destruction But let them haue an eye vnto that which GOD hath ordayned Gen. 2 1â Hee sayde It is not good for man to bee alone let vs make him an helpe like vnto himselfe Seeing it is so let vs note that all those which are called vnto mariage that is to say such as are not priuileaged to bee without it and which feele that God hath not giuen them the gift of continenââ to abstayne from marriage let all those ãâã that of a truth GOD calleth them anâ ãâã it were leadeth them by the hande vââo this estate And if they bee well persââded of this doubtlesse they will goe with a franke and free goodwill euery husband will endeuour to discharge himselfe of his dewtie with all diligence when hee shall knowe howe hee is bound not onely vnto his wife but also vnto GOD. The wife also on hir parte will consider that seeing she ought to bee an ayde vnto her husbande shee must not bee as a diuell to hinder and to trouble him For that were a peruerting of the order of nature But shee will thus bethinke her selfe Beholde GOD with his owne holy mouth pronounced when hee spake of creating the woman Let vs make an helpe for man Hee sayde not Let vs make a woman for him but an helpe Nowe seeing that the woman ought to bee an helpe and ayde vnto her husbande it is greate reason that shee imploy her selfe to doe her dewtie therein yea and that of a franke and free goodwill knowing that it is not vnto her husbande that shee is bounde but vnto God who ordayned such a coniunction in the beginning Thus yee see what we haue to obserue And agayne note wee that when it is sayde That a man shall forsake father and mother and cleaue vnto his wife Gen. ãâ¦ã it is to magnifie so much the more that holy bond which was ordayned by GOD. For can a man renounce his father and mother Doubtlesse no. Nowe much lesse may hee renounce his wife If it bee not lawfull for a childe to renounce his father and mother an husband shall bee lesse to bee excused for separating himselfe from his wyfe For why God hath so pronounced that albeit a childe bee specially bound to his father and mother yet there is a straiter bonde of the husband towardes the wife Therefore if an husband bethinke himselfe of this he shall not be so easily tempted to forsake his wife as a childe to exempt himself from y e subiection of his father And the wife likewise on her part shall know to say behold my husband is my head he hath authoritie ouer me God hath bound me to him and shall I then separate my selfe from either through an headie will or affection or through some other frowardnesse Ye see how a wife shal be kept in the obedience of her husband when she shall thinke thus seeing God hath allotted vnto me such a condition that I must be subiect to my husband I must not hoyst vp my head like a wilde hinde and shake off the yoke For I shal not disobey a mortal man I shal not offende him ãâã in as much as I breake the faith wherein I promised to be subiect and obedient vnto him and do altogether the cleane contrary but I shall offend him which hath put me in subiection vnder him to wit God who gaue me into y e handes of my husband and wil that I be more subiect vnto him than vnto father and mother Ye see how ââis beginning ought to be as a brydle to holde âs backe that wee presume not to chaunge any ãâã in the institution and order of God And secondly let vs extend this vnto al other things knowing that the Lawe of God is not as mans lawe is If there bee an olde lawe it may be forgotten and buried men will not thinke on it and a man shall not bee condemned for hauing transgressed such a lawe If a man say it was three hundred yeeres since it was published there is no remembraunce of it nowe if a man offend against it it skils not the lawe is no longer in force But the matter is otherwise in the lawe of God For wee can make no prescription of time against him wee cannot lie and sape our selues in our vices and say I haue not beene warned I remember the lawe of God no longer the worlde transgresseth beyond all measure against it men make but a game of it wee may not I say couer our faultes with any of these excuses for they are vayne and of no value But wee cannot handle this whole matter at this time wee will keepe it in store therefore for to morrowe with that exception of fornication Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better yea in such sort that being cast downe in our selues wee may lament and bee sorie that wee haue so greatly offended him And seeing it hath pleased him to remedie our faultes and to declare vnto vs that they are forgiuen in the name and by the meane of our Lorde Iesus Christ pray wee him that he will likewise hereafter giue vs the grace by the power
flock and to stay men as much as we caÌ from departing from y e same Yea and we knowe how we be commanded not only to nourish theÌ which are already begotten the children of god but also to do our indeuor to win theÌ which are straungers what wickednes then were it to turne theÌ out which are already receiued vnto y e church of God I meane those which in very deede doe shew declare theÌselues to be y e children of god For we know y t there is a regard to be had y t al tag âag be not receiued into y e church For there are many which seeke after Christ to haue their bodily ease there are many deceiuers and if there be no discretion in receiuing theÌ in it were altogether a mocking of god as we haue too many examples in this case Therfore we haue need of wisedom in this behalf Neuertheles if we thorowe a cruelty or wickednes doe diminish the church of god we must render an accouÌt therof and y t not as for som smal fault but for so weighty a crime as we see God accounteth it and as the paine which he ordained vnder the law of Moses declareth it to be Yet notwithstanding wee finde many who for their owne profites sake doe in this sort disseuer their neighbors cut theÌ off from y e Church of God We see what marchaÌdise of soules is made by them which seeke as it seemeth nothing els but to rent y e world and many are not contented to steale their neighbours away but they steale themselues too For al they who for their teÌporal transitory profite do turne aside and w tdrawe themselues from y e seruice of God commit they not I beseech you this theft wherof I now speak There is one which belongeth vnto y e body of y e church God hath vouchsafed him y e grace to cal him vnto y e knowledge of his truth what doth he Because y t nowadayes he which is knowen to be a faithful maÌ is persecuted in y e world it were better to shrowd himself in a corner thaÌ to make a shew countenaÌce of any thing he reasoneth thus w t himself what Shal I take in hand so hard a thing And is there any other likelihood but y t in y e end I shal be put beside my liuing my life O this were too heauy a burdeÌ for me to beare Now he beareth himself in hand y t he is so excused And thus meÌ steale theÌselues away both froÌ god from his church They make marchaÌdise sale of their own soules as it were for a messe of potage Gen. 25.32 as it is said of Esau that is to say for earthly foode they sel themselues become the bondslaues of satan And so we see y t this lawe is nowadays very ill kept and therefore we ought so much y e more to note the intent meaning of God to the end y t euery man after that god hath vouchsafed him y e grace to gather him into the number of his people may keep himself among them and y e better to maintaine y e libertie which wee haue let vs consider as S. Paul saith howe dearely it hath cost the son of God Rom. 6 17. 1. Cor. 7.23 let vs not enter againe into the bondage of satan and of sin seeing we are freed thence by the bloude of the only sonne of God but let vs walke according vnto that priuiledge which god hath giuen vnto vs and hold fast the possession therof as long as we liue And when euerie of vs shall haue had such a regarde of himselfe let vs doe the like towardes all our brethren that they whom God hath ioyned vnto vs depart not out of his house but let vs so imploy our paines as euery of vs may keepe his estate that none bee diminished that none wander nor go astray And farther let vs be afraid to make marchandise of those soules which haue beene redeemed by our Lord Iesus Christ with so deare a price and let vs not seeke after our owne commoditie in that behalfe as we see howe retchlesly many giue themselues ouer in this point and so they may finde the fatter fare they care not one whit whether they remaine in the Church of God or no. Euen in this citie without seeking any farther we haue examples hereof namely y â men haue bin sold for redy mony insomuch y t for y e pleasure of a drunkard or I know not of whoÌ one hath bin sold as an open marchaÌdise to y e same wickednes such leaudnes hath bin seene heere at Geneua But let vs not take this example for a two or three but let vs know y t God ment in this place to giue a general rule and instruction that wee ought asmuch as lieth in vs to seeke and procure y t they which are of the body of the Church may remaine therein euen vnto y e end Ye see in effect what we haue to beare in mind And if the liberty of y e bodies was held so deare of God in y e time of y e lawe let vs at this day make far greater account of y e freedome which our soules haue obtained by the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. Let vs come now vnto y e second law which is meÌtioned in this place It is said That men shal diligeÌtly iudge of the leprosie and take heede thereof obseruing all the things which were commanded in the lawe that the priests of the stock of Leuie shal be Iudges that the people shall stand to the iudgement which they shal giue which they shall giue I say not as they lust themselues but as God had made a declaratioÌ thereof as we may see in Leuiticus from y e thirteenth chapter to y e fifteenth where it is fully treted of Moses in this place speaketh of it as by y e way and saith that they shal keepe al y t order And for more ample confirmatioÌ he addeth Remember what GOD did vnto Marie by the way when ye came out of Egypt For because Marie Aaron murmured against their brother Moses for his wiues sake who was an Aethiopian Numb 12. they bare themselues in hand that they ought to bee aduanced in as high a degree as hee in somuch that Mary became so arrogant presumptuous that shee would needs be a Prophetise in equall degree with Moses But God punisheth her for such presumption Aaron is born withal although he had in like sort deserued to be chastised Mary therfore was striken with the leprosie and was shut vp by y e space of seuendayes And there she had bin like a rotten carrion all her life long but that Moses prayed for her her sin was pardoned Neuerthelesse he addeth there If her father had spit in her face she ought to haue hiddeÌ her self for hauing offended him therefore she must depart
mind Now as touching y e ceremony it hath bin very fondly foolishly abused in y e Popedome the abuse therof raigneth in y t synagogue yet stil to this day First for that hearing y e name of leprosie they supposed it was y e scurfe and so haue taken the one for the other And therupon what haue they done Forsooth their officers must iudge of this disease whether any be touched w t it or no. And by what knowledge They sende to the barbers and to the phisitians and when they haue iudged therof then they themselues afterward giue their verdit And by what right Because god ordained y e priests to be Iudges of y e leprosie That is true But y e priests whom God orned were of y e stocke of Leuie Now since y e comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ this Priesthoode hath beene transferred vnto him as the Apostle saith in the Epistle to the Hebrewes ãâã 5.5 I know the Papists are so shameles y t they stick not to mock God openly in saying that it came from Leuie vnto the Pope But the Apostle expresly declareth y t it belongeth vnto him who by a solemne oth was appointed according vnto the order of Melchisedech And because our lord Iesus Christ being now risen from the deade dieth no more the priesthood likewise must remaine vnto him in his own person he hath no successour The Papists therfore rob Christ of his dignity when they snatch in such wise vnto themselues that which is belonging vnto him And moreouer let vs note as I haue already touched y t they play the beasts ouergrosly in this point for god spake of the leprosie which was a disease which he sent vpon the people of Israel and they transfer it to the scurfe a thing far different from it But for al this they haue not left to reare vp an other tyranny for they say y t this is a ceremonial lawe I grant it Therfore it importeth a figure Al this is true We must come then now vnto the trueth substance which is correspoÌdent therunto They say that sinne is the leprosie Well let all this bee graunted vnto them It must be purged therfore say they the priests must be Iudges of it Yea but let them enter into the place of Iesus Christ and then shall they be taken for Iudges but vntill that Iesus Christ be deposed from his priestly dignity whith God his father gaue him it appertaineth not vnto any liuing creature in the whole worlde Wee must therefore conclude that the Papists are trecherous traitours in that they beare vs in hande that they are succeeded in the roome of Iesus Christ to iudge the spirituall leprosie And hereupon they haue ordained the law of Christ. That is the very ground of their confession or shrift For there is not one worde for it in the holy scripture but they vse this suttle cauilling Sinne is the leprosie the priestes must bee Iudges of it but we are priests therefore the iudging is ours But wee haue alreadie shewed that by vsurping the priesthood they are theeues and treacherous traitours and that they lift themselues vp against the sonne of God Take that for one note But let vs proceede farther A man cannot iudge say they without hee knowe the cause and the cause cannot bee knowen without there bee a confession of the sinne and therefore it followeth that euery one is bound to confesse his sinnes once a yeare For al are stained with this spiritual leprosie because al are sinners As touching that which they say that no maÌ can iudge except he know the cause it is true but he must not iudge by coniectures vpon vncertainty as they doe For I pray you iudge they vpon knowledge when they cannot skill to discerne whether they which confesse themselues in their eares dissemble with them or speak the truth Behold a man commeth to confession and who knoweth what his minde or will is Who knoweth any of these thinges whether he mocke the priest or no whether he speaketh any thing by constraint whether he keepe any thing close for shame that he hath of it What knowe they of all these thinges And therefore these Popish Priestes cannot iudge vpon knowledge of the cause Againe it is well knowen how great clerks they be insomuch that when a thing is told them they can hardly discerne either the thing it selfe or the end or qualitie thereof And though they coulde yet were not that ynough Men know what maner of Iudges howe competent they be And in very deede they say well that in confession there must be some degree of knowledge but a little after they say that it skilleth not greatly whether there be any or no for autority abideth still albeit that knowledge bee wanting they gainsay themselues manifestly for first they say that there must bee a degree of knowledge and afterwardes they say that it is breake the ordinance of God they shal be confounded Therefore sith we see so notable an example in the person of Marie let vs knowe that God ment to warne vs that we ought not to take it in euill part to be chastised at his hand but rather to know our faults and to be sorie for them and thereupon to endeuor that the punishment which we haue suffered may serue all others for an example Now let vs kneele downe before the maiesty of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs to feele them better than we haue done that we may endeuor w t all our might not only to keepe our selues in that holy vnion which he hath made with vs but also to win them which are yet estraunged and to confirme those which are already called with vs into his Church and that therwithal we may not suffer the name of our God to be vnhallowed but endeuour to remoue our selues from all filthes and defilementes that seeing it hath pleased him to sanctifie vs for himselfe wee may remaine temples of his holy spirite and sacred vessels to be applied vnto any vse whereunto he hath appointed vs that is that his righteousnes may shine in vs so as wee may neuer desire any other thing than to frame our selues in all points vnto the obeying of his holy lawe That it will please him to graunt this grace not onely vnto vs but also vnto all people and Nations of c. On Wednesday the v. of Februarie 1556. The Cxxxix Sermon which is the fourth vpon the foure twentith Chapter 10 When thou lendest any thing vnto thy neighbour thou shalt not enter into his house to take his pledge 11 But thou shalt abide without and the man which borroweth of thee shall bring the pledge out of the doores vnto thee 12 And if the man be poore thou shalt not sleepe with his pledge 12 But shalt restore him the pledge when the sunne goeth downe that he may sleepe in his raiment and
expressely commaunded to the intent that the Iewes shoulde bee reyned the shorter as in deede men must bee so vsed or else there is no dealing with them Wee see howe euery man draweth backe with myght and maine as if hee woulde exempt himselfe from the seruice which he oweth vnto GOD. True it is in deede that when wee doe any thing beyng forced and constrayned thereunto GOD will none of it but reiecteth and refuseth such seruice neuerthelesse hee ceasseth not to giue vs the spurre when hee seeth vs on our side to bee lasie and that is to bring vs vnto willing obedience to make vs to goe to it with a free courage But wee must needes bee driuen forewarde at the first or else wee will neuer bee brought to yeelde our selues vnto him But wee must also note that which hath beene declared afore to wit that GOD by ordayning a certayne place wherein hee woulde bee worshipped and haue sacryfyce doone vnto him had an eye vnto the weakenesse and rawenesse of men True it is that GOD passeth not for these outwarde thinges neither doeth any holynesse consist therein but ceremonies are ordayned for our sakes If wee were Angels wee shall neede no such helpes but bycause wee bee intangled with our flesh and bee so lumpish and earthly as wee are God is fayne to stoope vnto vs that hee may lift vs vp vnto himselfe God therefore vnder the Lawe chose a certaine place wherein he woulde bee worshipped And why Bycause the people comming thither and hauing the Sanctuarie there had a witnesse of the presence of GOD which was in the arke Againe the Aultar for sacrifices was there and all the rest as it was seene in y t heauenly patron whereof mention is made in Exodus Exod. 25.40 In y t place therefore there was as it were a lookingglasse whereby a man might direct his eye higher For like as when a man hath a weake dimme sight he must vse spectacles to helpe his sight euen so bicause men are ouergrosse and cannot see farre it was requisite that GOD shoulde giue the Iewes a kynde of spectacles whereby they might bee the better inabled to seeke him yea euen in such manner as behoued them And that is the cause why no mention is made heere but onely of the name of God For there was daunger least the people would stande too much on the corruptible elements For this cause God saith not I will dwell in this temple as the Iewes sometimes imagined that hee did and therefore it was requisite that they shoulde bee vpbraided with that imagination by the Prophet saying What house will ye builde mee Esa. 66.1 Act. 7.48 And in another place it is saide that the euerliuing God dwelleth not in any temple made with mans hand But he saith I will put my name there that is to say I wil giue you a certaine signe and marke that I am neere vnto you if you worship me after a spirituall manner and intangle not your selues in your superstitions ne transforme mee at your owne pleasure as men will needes be alwayes forging of ydoles but knowe you that I come neare vnto you to the intent that you might come the more familiarly vnto mee and for the leading of you thereunto you shall haue my worde preached and sacrifices offered among you And hee saieth further before the Lorde thy God or In the presence of the Lorde thy God For why The ceremonies must profite vs or otherwise they shall bee no better vnto vs than childrens toyes If in baptisme wee had nothing but the water ne knewe what the vse and vertue thereof is it were but a contemptible thing But forasmuch as we knowe that the water is a certaine warrant that wee are washed with the bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ and that it liuely representeth vnto vs the spirite of God by the which wee are regenerated and borne a newe wee see that baptisme is a certaine warrant vnto vs that wee are clothed with the righteousnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ and that by this meanes wee are reconciled vnto GOD as beeing cleansed and washed with his bloude so as wee bee made newe creatures by his holy spirite All this wee see there In the supper of the Lorde when wee heare Iesus Christ say vnto vs 1. Cor. 11.24 This is my bodie which is deliuered for you wee knowe that it is not for nought that a morsell of breade is giuen vnto vs wee knowe it is not for the nourishment of our bodies but to leade vs to the foode of our soules Yee see I say in what sort wee may feele the presence of God not as I haue alreadie saide that hee is enclosed in these corruptible elementes and that wee must seeke him there but that these visible signes must leade vs vp on high Wee coulde not mount so hye of our selues were it not that God reacheth vs forth his hande Hee reacheth vs his hande by those meanes which hee hath ordained as himselfe knoweth most fitte and conuenient for our weakenesse and rawnesse Let vs therefore beare in minde that where as God in this place commaundeth the Iewes to offer their first fruites in the Sanctuarie hee did it to this ende that men shoulde exercise themselues in such ceremonies as are conuenient for them and that they shoulde knowe that they serue to drawe them vnto God and that they stande in neede of them euen because their nature is earthly Moreouer by this saying that God will put his name there men are warned to worshippe God spiritually and that the hauing of ceremonies serueth not to tye relygion and holinesse to them but to make them goe further and to mount vp higher namely to doe them to vnderstande that therefore GOD ought to bee worshipped in spirite and in trueth Iohn 4. â3 as it is saide in the fowerth of Iohn Also there is this saying That God will choose the place And that serueth to bereaue the people of all libertie of inuenting any thing at their owne lust and pleasure For wee knowe howe venterously men presume on such libertie in somuch that when God is to bee serued euery man forgeth some priuate deuotion to himselfe saying it is better for mee to doe thus and then must I doe that And why For to my seeming it is good I weene so Euerie man groundeth himselfe vppon his owne fancie And by this meanes the worshipping of God is vtterly corrupted And euen that also hath beene the verie cause of the bringing in of such confusion throughout all Christendome as we may yet perceiue to bee among the Papistes What is it which they terme the seruice of God Euen that which hath beene forged by men For they cannot shewe one syllable in the holy Scripture to warrant that which they doe And therefore God liketh not of it but reiecteth and refuseth it by good right For hee will haue men to holde themselues altogether vnto his will without
the principall good thing whereunto the faithfull should aspire and we be verie blockes and beastes if wee preferre not the same before all manner of riches and pleasures and before all our case and commodities Nowe then on the contrarie parte the plague which ought to be most dreadfull to vs and the horriblest calamitie that can fall vppon vs is to be depriued of Gods seruice and to haue our mouth shutte so as wee can not call vppon him and not onely that but also through Tyrannie to be compelled to honour Idolles and to defile ourselues with their abhominations and to peruert that which GOD hath ordayned for the magnifying of his name amongest vs. When thinges be thus confounded let vs vnderstande that GOD is departed from vs and declareth himselfe to bee our mortall enemie and hath quite forsaken and refused vs and is loath that wee should thencefoorth haue anie token or inkling at all either of his presence or of his fauour And so whereas Moses sayeth in this Text That the Iewes shall serue straunge Gods he meaneth to threaten them more dreadfully than before As if he should say Right greeuous will it be vnto you when you shall be famished and want bread to eate and water to drink when your enemies shall robbe you of all your substaunce and make hauocke of all your possessions when ye shall pine away in griefe and sorrowe without any meane to helpe you surely these wil be verie hard thinges for you specially when you can obtaine no fauour of your enemies who shall be as wilde beastes against you but yet is all this nothing in comparison of the other curse that whereas in steede of honoring the liuing GOD and of confessing that he hath chosen you to be his people which is an immeasurable blessing in steede of such thinges I say you should serue Idolles and bee conuersant amongest the superstitions of the Paynimes and haue no more prayers neither Psalmes nor Sacrifices but be dispersed and forlorne Nowe seeing that wee perceiue the naturall sense of Moses let vs vnderstande that amongst all the blessinges of GOD which we enioy in this present life this ought to be preferred aboue all the rest namely to haue libertie to serue our GOD and to make confession of our faith and to declare that wee bee his people of his Church and of his flocke Truely it is slenderly knowen howbeit it is not in vaine that we be admonished thereof Seeing then that it hath beene the will of God to plant his Church amongest vs and that we should haue his worde and his sacramentes by the which he declareth that he dwelleth amongest vs lette vs accept such a blessing according as it is worthye It will serue vs to a double vse First of all when wee fare the better by the doctrine that is preached vnto vs euery day such a treasure perisheth not but through our owne vnthankefulnesse as wee see that manie folke thinke it ynough to bee at sermons and it seemeth vnto them that God hath his duetie so they haue vsed some ceremonie But in the meane while the seede of life doeth perish without yeelding any fruite To the ende therefore that we may apply the blessing that GOD bestoweth on vs to this vse when as wee haue libertie to heare his doctrine and to bee trayned therein and haue the Sacramentes for an establishment of our faith and may declare that it is the liuing God whome wee worshippe and that hee gouerneth vs I say let the same profite vs and so will it if we acknowledge that our Lord can not bestowe on vs any greater blessing than that is And in the meane whyle we will take it patiently if other thinges doe faile vs as where many want their commodities let them not be greeued at the children of this worlde which haue their delightes and do triumph weltring themselues in their earthly pleasures if the children of God haue not the same let them knowe that they enioy a thing which recompenseth double yea an hundreth folde that is that they can serue God For to what purpose is it that these wretched people which dwell in papistrie may lye slumbring in their neastes and in the meane while be banished from the kingdome of GOD and that Christ Iesus himselfe and his worde be banished from the countrey wherein they dwel What auayleth it that they bee serued in their houses and in the meane while bee not suffered to serue GOD What auayleth it that they haue whereof to eate and drinke till they burst and in the meane while be starued for want of ghostly foode What auaileth it that they be in honour and credite and in the meane while be constrayned to defile themselues with these trecherous dealinges whereby GOD is despised and his honour spoyled and conueyed ouer to Idolles and they be guiltie thereof Alas is not this a cursed state Let vs therefore take it patiently albeit that we we be had in contempt to the worlde warde and counted as vnderlings and castawayes not hauing our ease nor that which our fleshe desireth seeing that GOD giueth vs this special libertie that we may purely worshippe him and serue him and be deliuered from this cursed seruitude of Idolles let vs be contented and esteeme this sayde benefite according as it is worthie so as wee be not grieued towarde them that enioy the goods of this worlde and in he meane while are destitute of the grace of God which remaineth amongst vs. Besides this heere is a warning that seeing God hath put vs in possession and fruition of this libertie we must take good heede that wee bee not depriued thereof through our owne leaudenesse for this threatning which was made to the Iewes is in likewise directed vnto vs. Let vs vnderstande therefore that seeing we haue the Gospell preached vnto vs if it preuaile not with vs God must deliuer vs into the handes of other teachers when wee shall haue refused to obey him And in verie deede wee may not thinke that the horrible confusion which is in the Popedome befalleth for any other cause than that whereas they haue beene taught the pure doctrine of the Gospell yet they haue beene rebelles to Gods and haue not bounde their neckes to beare his yoke and therefore GOD could not otherwise doe than deliuer them ouer to such Tyrannie as wee see And truely the same was tolde them aforehand by Saint Paule It is good reason sayeth hee that the worlde ãâã 1.17 seeing that it will not beleeue the truth should obey lies and that they which would not be subiect to the liuing God shoulde be obedient to the creature euen to the Idolles which be nothing Beholding therefore the examples before our eyes and hearing the threatning as it yeth heere let vs learne whilest GOD doeth keepe vs in his schoole so to walke in his feare and awe as we may noâ bee bereft of the welfare which we nowe enioy but that God
then that the case standeth so let vs learne to walke in such obedience to our God as hee may make the redemption auailable which is wrought by our Lorde Iesus Christ and let vs serue him in all holinesse and righteousnesse that wee bee not bereft of the fauour which hee hath purchased for vs as wee see this people were who after they had beene setled in the lande of Chanaan were put out againe for their vnthankfulnesse Therefore let vs bee well ware that God dispossesse vs not of the grace which he hath bestowed on vs but let vs learne to take such profite thereby as all the whole may yeelde fruite to his glory to the intent he may make vs to vnderstand that as well in life as in death hee is euermore our Sauiour and our redeemer and y t we may make our boast that he hath not redeemed vs in vaine but with condition that we shoulde henceforth liue in libertie in despite of the diuell and of death according as wee haue example thereof in Sainct Paul Nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes beseeching him to touch vs more and more to the quicke that being striken with such a feare as may make vs to see that of our selues we bee deade and forlorne we may yet for all y t not faile to flee for refuge to his mercie Let vs therfore seeke the way thither which is that we acknowledge ourselues to be recoÌciled by Iesus Christ and that hee is our peace vnto the ende according as he doeth continually declare and testifie vnto vs by the doctrine of his Gospell Eph. 2.14 And that in the meane while it may please our good God to giue vs the spirite of mieldnesse and meekenesse to the ende wee rebell not against him any more nor haue our affections any more striuing and rebelling against his Lawe but rather that wee may commit ouer our selues to his guiding and bee confirmed in the assurance which hee hath giuen vs that hee holdeth vs for his people so as he may shew by effect that hee watcheth ouer vs and that hee will continue with vs to the ende to preserue vs both in life and in death 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 vj. of Aprill 1556. The CLXIIII Sermon which is the first vppon the nine twentith Chapter THese bee the wordes of the couenant which the Lorde God commaunded Moses to enter into with the children of Israel in the lande of Moab ouer and besides the couenant which he had made with them in Horeb. 2 And Moses called all Israel and saide vnto them you haue seene all that the Lorde hath done before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharao and to all his seruants and to all his Countrie 3 The great trials which thine eyes haue seene and the great signes and wonders 4 And yet the Lord hath not giuen you a heart to vnderstand eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this present day WHen GOD hath once shewed his wil vnto meÌ it ought to suffice for euer For what would wee more when wee vnderstand y t we ought to walke in the obedience of our God euen of him who hath formed and created vs to whome wee belong and who hath so dearely bought vs Needs then must men be wonderfully vnthankful wheÌ they can forget that which God hath taught them And that is the cause why it is so often times tolde vs that wee must not turne away from the trueth when it is once knowen vnto vs. But we see howe God was faine to ratifie his Law againe the second time to the end it might be receiued yea euen of that verie people whom he had chosen and yet we see that at that time the Iewes ought to haue beene sufficiently reclaimed to obey God for hee had brought them lowe with long affliction and surely it is a thing that ought to make men y e more pliable to learn when they haue bin beaten with the scourges of God and their pride bin long punished in them so as they haue beene driuen to flie vnto God to pray him to take compassion of their miseries It may well seeme that this should make them as gentle and meeke as lambes The people of Israel were in that case but they did foorthwith forget the miseries which they had suffered they kicked against their God and they coulde not finde in their harts to receiue the yoke that was laide vpon their necke Therefore we haue here a faire lookingglasse of the naughtinesse and frowardnes of our nature for this is not written to this ende onely that we should blame the Iewes but much rather that wee shoulde consider that we our selues doe nothing differ from them vntill God haue reformed vs by his holy spirite Here then in y e person of the Iewes God sheweth vs what we are of purpose to humble vs. Therefore he saith that God commaunded Moses to make a couenant the seconde time with the children of Israel in the Land of Moab yea ouer besides that couenaunt which hee made in Horeb where the law was first deliuered It is certaine y t Gods declaring of his law was to the intent that euerie man shoulde remember this lesson both night and day and for that cause was the law set downe in writing For it is not ynough for vs to haue had God speake once but the fathers must also teach their children and euerie man must exercise himselfe in that which he hath heard y t he may frame himselfe thereafter froÌ day to day bee the better edified Gods intent then was y t this people shoulde bee dayly furthered and for that purpose also were the Priests ordained For I haue tolde you for what purpose our Lord had chosen them from among the people It was not for the ceremonies of the Temple onely but as it is touched in the Prophet Malachy it was to sowe good and profitable doctrine throughout all the whole lande Mal. 2.7 and to that ende also were they dispersed euerie where that the people might be retayned in the purity of Religion and in obedience to the lawe But the question here concerneth the solemne couenant When God published his law in Horeb we vnderstand that the lightnings did flie foorth Exod. 19.16 Exod. 20.18 that there was a sounde of trumpets that the heauen moued that the mountaine flamed that mens minds were afraide and to bee short that God there shewed his presence with such maiestie as all men must needes know that obedience was due vnto him Marke heere the solemnitie that was kept to make the Lawe autenticall I haue saide that this ought to suffice vs to the ende of the worlde Shoulde wee then looke to haue him to doe it againe the seconde time Seeing that God hath
good earnest and that hee will bee founde and that when hee speaketh it is his will that wee shoulde vnderstande his doctrine Nowe if this were spoken in the time of the lawe much more reason is it that it shoulde bee verified at this daie For wee know that Iesus Christ hath declared himselfe vnto vs more familiarlie by his Gospell Therefore let vs not be afraide that things be too obseure for vs. For beholde our God allureth vs to profit in his schoole and saith that it belongeth to vs and to our children and that the things which hee hath reuealed vnto vs are directed vnto vs to the intent we should aduise ourselues to walke according to his will This is a thing that ought to encourage vs to seeke God so farre foorth as is lawfull for vs according to the measure that he appointeth And heerein wee see what the malice of the Pope and of al his is in shutting out al the world from the word of God like as at this daie they do yet still exercise the same tyrannie maintaining that the holie Scripture was made for none but Monkes Friers and Clergie men so seemeth it to them And yet haue they no care thereof For they haue a diuinitie by themselues which is as it were but a brawling of beggers As for holie Scripture they leaue it at their heeles Albeit thaâ they despise it yet they take out some worde as it were by peeces and gobbets and in the meane while suffer not the people to enter into the kingdome of GOD. They hold the keye to keepe the gate fast shutte and like as they list not to enter themselues Matt. 6.23 so woulde they haue all others to bee shutte out They say it is a daungerous matter to deale with holie Scripture that it is a nose of waxe that men may turne it which way they list and that there bee so high secretes therein as men may thereby enter into a bottomelesse pitte In deede they haue made a playne mockerie of Gods worde for they haue falsifyed it in such wise as men can scarcelie know the meaning thereof If wee shoulde hearken vnto them it is but a hodge podge yet neuerthelesse wee see that it is the certayne and infallible trueth of GOD. And moreouer albeit that the doctrine thereof bee high and that wee are not able to attayne thereunto by our owne vnderstanding yet will GOD neuer fayle them that yeelde themselues lowelie and apte to learne Hereby therefore wee see howe the diuell reigned altogether in the Popedome seeing they vnderstoode not what Moses meaneth in this place namely that the doctrine of GOD which is deliuered vnto men is not a hidden nor an obscure matter but open and manifest and that it is the lampe which must giue vs light and the true myrrour wherein wee may beholde the face of our GOD Psa. 109.105 and whereby wee may bee transformed to the likenesse of his glorie yea in verie deede so wee resorte vnto it with such vnfayned zeale and affection as I haue tolde you of But there are but fewe that vnderstande the thing which is heere declared and in deede the greater part of the worlde is not worthie thereof for wee see manie that doe continuallie holde on and bee deafe eared in somuch that although GOD speaketh loude and shirle yet they doe wilfully despise him Nowe then let him that is ignoraunt bee ignoraunt still See how Saint Paul skorneth all such as will needes bee wildeheaded 1. Cor. 14.38 and not submit themselues quietlie to the obedience of Gods worde Goe too sayth hee will you bee ignoraunt Then bee ignoraunt And wee see howe in an other place hee sayth that they which woulde not beleeue the trueth nor regarde the light of lyfe and saluation 2. Thess. 2. ââ must needes be cast into horrible darkenesse as we see many bee which make a ieste of GOD. When they come to heare his woorde what reuerence yeelde they vnto it It is rather a vayne curiositie GOD must bee fayne to punishe such foolke and to depriue them of the fruite which all the faithfull receyue that is to say that they submitte themselues vnto him seeking nothing but the profite by hearing Gods worde and beholding the force which it hath in woorking Now therfore when we see y t the word of God is after a sorte vnprofitable vnto many people and also a sauor of death vnto the misbeleeuing which disdaine to be partakers of the grace that was offered them ãâã 2.16 let vs not starte aside for all that but let vs heare our God and in like wise be afrayde to bee punished for our despising of such a treasure Let vs benefite our selues by the doctrine of saluation As how Euen by yeelding our selues quietlie vnto GOD as I said afore to be instructed by him who sheweth him selfe to bee a teacher of the little ones and lowlie ones and seeking nothing but to bee edified through faith in the feare of his name and in all godlinesse that wee may bee mooued to call vppon him and labour to serue him When wee be so minded let vs not doubt but that hee will vtter vnto vs that power of his which is shewed vnto vs in this text And nowe Moses addeth a comfort to them that are afflicted when they haue offended God and that hee vseth rigour towarde them and that is verie necessarie For the lande of Chanaan was as a speciall earnest pennie and pawne to the Iewes that GOD had chosen and adopted them for his people they were separated there from the rest of the worlde it was a lande that GOD had dedicated and reserued to himselfe as if hee had saide Here shal my name bee called vppon The lande of Chanaan was as it were a mirrour of the kingdome of heauen and of the euerlasting inheritaunce When the Iewes were banished from that land it was as if God shoulde haue rooted them out of his house and saide I doe refuse you and I renounce you and that was enough to bring them in dispaire On the otherside God promised to keepe them euermore with a fatherlie care and to cause them to prosper continually Therefore when they sawe themselues ouerwhelmed with many miseries yea almost infinite it was a kinde of driuing of them into dispaire yea euen into vnmeasurable dispaire as if God had forgotten them Finally GOD saide that hee woulde bee their heade and their king and that they shoulde be as a bodie gathered together vnto him Nowe when they bee dispersed vnder the Painyms and the infidels vnder the wicked and the despisers of the lawe among people vnholie and vncleane the raygning of such kinde of people ouer the Iewes made it seeme vnto them that God had forsaken them and that his whole adopting of them was lost so as they should all haue perished in their afflictions vnlesse they were comforted And that was the thing which Moses amed at Hee sheweth them
bee nowe out of daunger for hee entred thither to the ende that wee should be free from it We adde thereunto that hee is also ascended into heauen And why To the ende that wee might knowe that the gate thereof standeth open for vs. We heare also how hee tolde his disciples In my fathers house are many mansions Iohn 14.2 signifying therby that heauen was not onely for himselfe but that it is a common heritage for all the faithfull and that hee hath taken possession thereof as it were in our behalfe Nowe then we protest in the article of our beliefe that the heauens at this time stand open for vs and that wee ought to assure our selues to come thither because our Lorde Iesus Christ our heade is gone vp thither and will not bee separated from the members of his bodie Notwithstanding that wee haue confessed this yet wee stand scanning still and are full of wauering fancies Ah say wee I know not for all that what shall become of mee I cannot tell whether God doth recken me to be one of his children who is he that hath bin in heauen who is he that hath come thence againe to bring vs newes See these diuelish blasphemies This is not onely to stande in doubt of the trueth of the Gospel but also to teare Christ Iesus in peeces asmuch as we can O horrible outrage against the sonne of God for hee that doubteth of his saluation sheweth himselfe to beleeue no whit of that which wee confesse namely that Iesus Christ hath soueraigne dominion both in heauen in earth that God gouerneth the world by him y t he maketh al creatures to kneel down to do him homage Phil. 2.10 to be short wee acknowledge not that the Lorde Iesus Christ is risen againe from the deade but to the vttermost of our power we go about to deface and to abolish the power of the holy Ghost which shewed it selfe in his resurrection See nowe in what case wee be if we receiue not the Testimonie of the Gospell to assure vs that wee bee as it were rapted vp into heauen euen to enter directly into the possession of all those goods which ly hidden from vs and are not visible as the Prophet Esay saieth Esa. 64.4 2. Cor. 2.9 such as the heart of man is not able to conceiue If wee see not an open gappe euen vnto hell to spyte Sathan to defie death and to triumph ouer all thinges that may impeach our saluation well let vs on the one side consider howe sainct Paul saieth that when wee haue receiued the Gospell through faith wee bee foorthwith set downe in the heauenly places Eph. 2.6 we bee as yee would say enthronished with the Angels of Paradise as alreadie raised vp thither by God It is true that heere beneath wee be as wretched wormes creeping vppon the grounde but when wee haue once the doctrine of faith â Pet. 1.3.4.5 we haue the earnest penny of our saluation according as saint Peter saieth that through faith wee may put our selues into the handes of God in such manner that lifting vp our eyes minds into heaueÌ we be brought in thither because that Iesus Christ our heade is there before in our behalfe and hath there prepared the heritage which he will hold in coÌmon with vs. Thus ye see how we must practise this point following the exhortation of S. Paul Moreouer wee must likewise marke howe hee saith that wee must beleeue with the heart to iustification and confesse with the mouth to saluation I haue heretofore shewed you briefly the substance of our faith howe it must rest wholly vppon the death and resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christ I say vppon his death because that hee by his obedience hath put away all our iniquities and transgressions hee hath suffered the punishment that was due vnto vs to discharge vs of the same he hath also dispatched away the curse which lay vppon vs. So much concerning the first point Nowe concerning the seconde wee must vnderstande that by his rising againe he hath purchased righteousnesse vnto vs and therby shewed himselfe a conquerour ouer sinne and death and his resurrection doeth also import that hee is ascended into heauen of purpose to take the possession of that inheritance which hee will make common vnto vs and of the which hee will make vs partakers with himselfe This is the substance of our faith Nowe it behooueth to haue this faith both in our heart and in our mouth Truely it were to small purpose if wee did but talke of the graces and blessings which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath brought vnto vs as wee see a great number of bablers doe they talke much thereof but what are they the better for it sauing that it increaseth their condemnation It is no great matter then to haue the confession of faith on the tippe of the tongue before men for it must be rooted in the heart we must say I haue y e vertue of the death and resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christ imprinted within vs and sainct Paul saieth that that serueth vs for righteousnesse And why Because wee knowe that wee bee reconciled to GOD insomuch that Christ hath taken our burden vppon him so as wee being thereof discharged are become acceptable vnto God so y t he will no more impute our sinnes vnto vs. And why For Christ should haue suffered in vain for vs if we should nowe be called to reckening for our sins Thus then wee stand acquited through the satisfaction made for vs by Christ Iesus and that is the righteousnesse whereof Sainct Paul speaketh For when wee receiue Iesus Christ it is certaine that hee reneweth vs by his holy Spirit And wee bee not onely adopted to bee the children of God by his meanes but also wee receiue therewith the warrant of our Election which is that wee bee reserued for the inheritage of God So then let vs vnderstande that there is none other meane whereby wee may attaine to righteousnesse but by beleeuing with the heart Nowe this worde Beleeuing importeth that wee shoulde seeke in Iesus Christ for that which wee want in our selues For if wee rest vppon the Lawe for as much as it commaundeth vs to doe that which wee ought to doe it is nothing woorth But if wee repaire vnto God knowing that hee is readie to releeue our wants that is the thing which is meant by the worde Beleeue according to the meaning of Sainct Paul And of a trueth when wee doe so beleeue and are so iustified the same sufficeth for our saluation For iustification doeth of it selfe import life euerlasting Neuerthelesse Sainct Paul doeth put ouer saluation to the confession doing vs to vnderstande that the children of GOD ought not to bee tongue tyed but to magnifie the goodnesse whereof they haue had triall and euerie man to edifie his neighbour as much as in him lyeth Nowe then like as wee haue our heartes set vppon God to
him vppon the promyse of GOD. And that is the thing which must bee the stay of all our strength For if wee will bee stout vppon our owne heade GOD will ouerthrowe such a rashnesse lyke a fond thing as it is What must then bee done Wee must embrace the promises of GOD and when hee hath once tolde vs that he is our defender wee must not feare that wee shall bee forsaken of him but bee resolute in all thinges And although the worlde doe offer vs many ouerthwartes to make vs to distrust yet let vs stande stedfast in the thing which our GOD hath told vs. For it is good reason to doe him the honour that his woorde may bee preferred before all thinges that may turne vs away from the affiaunce that hee hath giuen vs. Thus see you heere a very profitable lesson which is y t bycause we feele so many infirmities in our selues y t there needeth nothing to beate vs downe but as soone as y e wind bloweth we be shaken or else doe fall altogether we perceiuing such feeblenesse in vs must receiue the remedie that is offered vs here which is to hearken to the promises of our God And for as much as hee assureth vs that he will neuer faile vs let vs trust to that stay For when the winds the Stormes and the Tempestes of this present world come wee shall neuer bee shaken Ye see then that the strength and stay of the faithfull is to rest altogether vpon that which God hath promised them And for that cause doeth Moses say to Iosuah Thou shale put the children of Israell in possession of the land And Moses speaketh it not at aladuenture Deut. 30. but to ratifie that which we haue seene more at large here before namely that God had chosen Iosuah to that office and that hauing committed the charge vnto him he promised him in likewise to vphold him with his mightie hande Whereupon it is saide vnto him be strong and behaue thy selfe manfully So then let vs learn to fight against al temptations when wee haue once tasted the force of Gods promises For it is a token that wee giue no credite to that which God speaketh when wee continue lyke Reedes shaking with euery winde and tremble at euery trouble that commeth standing in a mamering or starting from the right way and waxing rechlesse in discharging our duetie As often as such thinges happen wee shewe our weakenesse and wee giue good proofe that wee beleeue not that which GOD hath spoken Wee may well alleage and say As for my selfe I hold the promises of God for certaine I doubt not but that whatsoeuer proceedeth from his mouth is an infallible trueth Wee may well so say but the deede it selfe proueth that there is nothing in vs but hypocrisie and that wee bee not firme to go through with that which is commaunded vs and to discharge our duetie in following our vocation ne walke steadily when all thinges seeme forlorne To be short let vs learne that faith is ioyned with such power as ought alwayes to make vs to go foreward still whithersoeuer God calleth vs And so shall it doe conditionally that we bee grounded vppon his woorde And on the contrary side we must needes be tossed with vnquietnesse and be wandering hither and thither and trotte vp and downe without any stay if we haue not the word of God to guide vs and to be our lanterne And it is the right payment of all them that leane to their owne fansies and make foolishe enterprises and passe their boundes and lymites It is requisite say I that our Lord should beate them downe at the last though they were aduaunced for a tyme. And what is the cause Bycause as I saide afore there is no power but that which is grounded vppon the woorde of God But there is yet one point more which is that euerie one of vs must haue respect whereunto hee is called and what it is that God hath committed to his hands for as we see heere if Iosua had thrust in himselfe without God had appointed him what power could hee then haue had PeradueÌture for a braide or twain he might haue done wonders as we see y e Children of this worlde doe who in their brauerie doe as it were spitte fire for a whyle as they say but in the end are quite confounded And euen so shoulde it haue happened to Iosua But forasmuch as hee taryed till God had shewed him his wil therfore he was not disappointed of his hope So then let none of vs take more vppon him than is lawfull for him but let vs consider what our office and calling require and so let euery of vs keepe him within his degree with all sobernesse and modestie and then will GOD bee our guide according to this saying of his that his Angels shall alwayes beare vs company Psal. 9â 11 euen in our iourneyes so wee goe not astray Nowe heerewithall it is declared heere that Moses did write this Song and all the booke of the Lawe and that hauing written it hee red it openly before all the people and gaue the booke of the Lawe to the Leuites willing them to lay it in the side of the Arke or Coffer of the Couenant and telling them that it should be a Testymonie against the people Yea and once againe he accuseth theÌ of rebellioÌ Thou shalt know saith he what a one thou art God must alwayes haue an action framed against thee and bee thy Iudge for thou art full of Rebellion thou wilt not bee gouerned but by strong hand If thou wouldest willingly serue thy God hee would vse thee after a more myeld and gentle fashion But what Bycause thou art so hardened in euill that thou wilt not by any meanes bee bowed GOD is fayne to vse rigour And nowe yet once againe sayeth hee I will call heauen and earth to witnesse against you That is the effect of that which is declared in this place Now as concerning the first poynt we must marke that this woorde Writing doeth import that Moses was not the author of the Lawe nor of the song but was onely the writer or recorder thereof at the mouth of God Nowe then like as a clearke of an office writeth what is appoynted him Euen so it is sayd expressely here that Moses wrate the things which he receiued of God and not any thing that was forged in his owne brayne And this serueth to giue such authoritie to the Lawe and to the song which wee shall see heereafter as may make vs to giue eare with all reuerence not to a mortall creature but to the liuing GOD whose will it is to haue his Maiestie knowen there Thus much for one poynt And herewithall it is shewed vs that our faith oweth no obedience but to him onely neyther ought to depend vppon men howe wise soeuer they be but that God ought to haue the gouerning and whole Lordship thereof According whereunto Saint
authoritie and is as the instrument of the holy Ghost Ye serue the diuel Wee see then that all their excuses shall stande them in no steede and that this must holde to the condemnation of the whole worlde namely that as soone as men swarue neuer so litle from y e pure trueth it is a seruing of the diuell and the diuel hath a parte in all their doings for God refuseth euery whit of it And it is a text well worthie to bee noted to the intent that the ignorant wretches may bee wakened and vnderstande that in grounding themselues vpon their owne good intentes they doe nothing else but increase Gods vengeance vppon their heads without amending their case thereby Wherefore let vs on our syde vtterly abhorre all that euer is contrarie to the seruice of God make much of the fauour that hath beene shewed vs in his deliuering of vs from such a bottomlesse pit We haue thought our selues to haue done maruellously well in seruing of ydols we haue esteemed it an Angels life to trot vp and down from altar to altar and from chappel to chappel to babble before puppets to heare Masses and to set our mindes vppon such other gewgawes But in the meane while beholde God telleth vs that wee serued the diuel It is a horrible thing for vs to heare him say so Therefore let vs looke that wee condemne our ydolatries and bee sory that wee haue so prouoked Gods wrath against vs. And therewithall let vs consider the inestimable good which he hath done vs in reaching vs his hande to lift vs out of the gulfe wherein wee were plunged That is the thing which wee haue to remember vppon this Text. And therfore let vs be throughly settled in the pure doctrine and in the simplicitie of the holy Scripture For why As long as wee holde that rule wee bee sure that GOD will allowe of the seruice which wee doe vnto him But if wee mingle any thing with it of our owne fancies or if we borrowe any thing of men all is marde and corrupted and the diuel is foorthwith put in possession of all that euer wee doe and God renounceth vs according to this saying of his by the Prophet Ezechiel Hence sayeth he I giue ouer my part Ezec. 20.39 I will haue neither little nor much to doe in this case I require no more of you yee thinke to serue mee and your ydoles together but I renounce you and giue you ouer quite and cleane to the diuell for I intende not that you shall so mingle mee with your dung and filthinesse Thus you see in effect what Moses meant to declare heere Nowe hee addeth that the people forgate the God which had begotten them and the mightie one which had created and shaped them Hee vseth still the same worde which I haue translated before and which signifieth properly a Rocke And God is so termed because we be preserued and mayntained by his power as if a house were grounded and buylded vpon a rocke Whereas hee sayeth that the people had forgotten the God which had begotten them it is to bereaue them of all excuse of ignorance For the Heathen might well haue sayde that they had neuer tasted a whit of the true religion and that their weltring after that manner in their owne dotages was for want of teaching and that it is no woonder though a blynd man stumble or goe astray in the darke The Heathen might haue alleaged after that sort for themselues But as for those to whome the lawe had bin giuen there was no such starting hole for them For God had drawen their father Abraham from the ydolatrie wherein he liued Iosâ 24.2 Exod. 3.15 34.1 as is declared in the last Chapter of Iosua Hereupon about a foure hundred yeres after he put them the better in mynde againe that he was the liuing God And afterward he did set down his wil euen in writing It was his minde that it should bee a president of authoritie whereby to knit a mutuall agreement betweene him and them as if hee shoulde say I wil bee your father and bee you my children Seeing then that the people of Israel were taught after that fashion and God vttered himselfe so familiarly vnto them what can they say or what excuse can they alledge for their turning away to the superstitions of the Heathen and for their peruerting of the trueth which was so throughly knowen vnto them and yet they turned it into lyes insomuch as they fell to the quenching of the light of saluation and woulde needes goe wilfully and wittingly astray seeking their owne destruction euen after that God had reached them his hande and shewed them the way of saluation According whereunto wee haue seene the protestation that Moses made in the thirtith Chapter saying This is he way Deut. 30.15 walke therein Is it not too shamefull a rebelliousnesse when folke will so despise God and not sticke vnto him So then it is not causelesse that they bee accused in this text to haue forgotten the GOD which shaped them And therefore let vs marke well that when wee haue once knowen God the same ought to suffice to holde vs in continuall obedience towardes him if wee were not too too vnthankfull Nothing ought to holde vs so sure as the knowing of GOD. For then may wee say This is our GOD wee haue no dout nor misweening of him as they haue which deceiue them selues by following their owne imaginations but wee haue the certaine trueth which cannot beguyle vs. Had we therefore well profited in the knowledge of GOD surely it woulde suffice to holde vs in awe And although wee were neuer so sore turmoyled on all sydes so as the diuell did cast neuer so many stumbling blockes in our wayes and wee had neuer so many occasions giuen to turne vs asyde and wee see neuer so greate diuersitie of opinions and whatsoeuer else is possible surely if wee haue profited in Gods schoole and knowe him as wee ought to doe wee shall neuer bee turned away from him And that is Saint Paules meaning where hee sayeth Eph. 4.14 that such as are well grounded in the Gospel shall no more bee like little babes that wil bee allured at the shewing of an apple and turne their heads this way and that way after it and that if a man put a toye in their head by and by they bee carryed away with it and forget the thing which they were in loue withall a litle afore S. Paul sayth that if wee be well settled in the Gospell wee shall not bee any more so led by the billes neither shall the diuell bee able to woorke vs such illusions but that wee shall abyde vnuanquishable and hee shall gayne nothing at our hands For our faith shall be stedfast Also on the contrarie parte if wee doe estrange ourselues from GOD after wee haue once knowen him it betokeneth a desperate malice in vs it is not for vs
doctrine is not vnprofitable to vs. And ought not this to prouoke vs to fight against all such imaginations as trouble our mindes and make vs to wander away Yes and so wee see how greatly this exhortation ought to preuaile with vs considering that we be so fickle minded and lightheaded as experience proueth Nowe after this Moses sayeth that the people must commaund their children Heerein it is shewed vs that it is not ynough for vs to profite euery man himselfe in Gods schoole but that when we our selues haue learned we must also indeuer to bring others into the right way of saluation specially wee to whom God hath committed the charge of such as want learning and instruction As for example fathers and mothers shall yeeld an account for their Children bicause God giueth them with this condition that they shall be brought vp in his feare Lykewise Maysters and Mistresses haue to aunswere for their menseruauntes and womenseruauntes and if they âay the brydle in their neckes they must not thinke that our Lorde will let their negligence scape vnpunished Therefore let vs take warning by this text that such as haue children must haue a care to teache them and to make it knowen that God is the father of all their whole ofspring if they themselues wil be taken to bee the children of God Lykewise they that haue menseruauntes and maideseruauntes must vnderstand that their house must bee so dedicated to the seruing of God as he may haue all souerainty in the same After that maner ought we to take paines in the behalfe of those which are committed to our charge For the more we see that the world fayleth in that behalfe the more carefull ought wee to bee to doe our duetie therein For it wil bee no excuse for vs to alleage y t it was a common vice but it will rather turne to our sorer condemnation bycause one corrupteth and marreth another Nowe then let vs learne to haue the zeale that is commaunded vs here namely that where God hath graunted vs the grace to be drawen to y e knowledge of his truth then to consider that we must also indeuour to make all other men partakers thereof that after our death Gods word may haue his course still and not be buried with vs. For wee bee mortall creatures and as touching this world we doe but passe away and that very swiftly But we knowe that Gods truth indureth for euer Esa. 40.8 and therefore wee must so deale as that Gods woorde may continue and bee knowen and bee receiued of men from hand to hand euen after that wee be departed out of this worlde And those which haue any charge ought to bende themselues cheefely heereunto according to this saying of Saint Peter concerning the same matter I will cause you sayeth he to haue a remembraunce of my doctrine after that God shall haue taken mee out of this worlde 2. Pet 1.15 Although I liue not to speake to you any more with my mouth yet to discharge my duetie I must so deale y t when my mouth shal be shut and I shal be no more conuersant with you heere belowe to teach you yet the same doctrine which I haue brought vnto you may haue his course still so as you may keepe it to your benefite and edification For although fathers and mothers bee bounde to teache their children and maisters and mistresses to teache those that are vnder them and likewise the ministers of Gods woorde according as the Lorde hath called them to speake in his name are bounde to shewe the right way and to giue good example to other men yet notwithstanding we ought all generally to indeuour that all folkes may hearken to God and receiue his word and that not for two or three dayes onely but for euer Thus yee see to what purpose Moses hath saide heere that Fathers must trayne vp their Children in all the woordes of the Lawe Nowe hee saieth consequently To doe them and keepe them Heere Moses repeateth that which hee had spoken afore namely that our Lordes speaking vnto vs is not to the end wee shoulde alowe of his sayinges and confesse the same to bee true rightfull and iust but to trye our obedience Gods word then must reforme our lyfe for to that end and purpose is it spoken vnto vs. Neuerthelesse wee see howe many a one doe thinke themselues well discharged when they haue but ducked downe with their heades in token that they gainesaie it not And they thinke GOD to bee beeholden to them if they blaspheme not his doctrine and shewe not themselues to bee enemies to it but confesse the same to bee good and holy for they wilnot haue GOD to vrge them any further But that were too easie a market For if GODS woorde were preached but onely to the ende it shoulde bee receiued and confessed with the mouth to what purpose shoulde it serue when in the meane while euerie man might take the brydle in his necke and liue as though wee neuer had any rule of GOD Were it not an vnhallowing and defiling of the holy thinges and a disfeating of the power of GODS woorde Let vs beare well in minde therefore that if wee come hither to Sermons and yet continue still lyke our selues so as our lyfe bee not aunswerable to that which hath beene taught vs heere wee shal be dubble to blame bycause it is but a mocking and skorning of the doctrine of saluation when wee let it slip away and haue but our eares beaten with it without any touching of our heartes or any reforming of our liues thereafter What is to bee doone then Wee must vnderstande that GODS woorde is not named a Garde without cause for as much as men are lyke wretched beastes without discretion vntill God haue shewed them howe they ought to walke Yee see then that it is our Gard or defence And therefore if wee keepe Gods word we also shal be kept and garded thereby and we shal haue our bonds certaine so as we shal neuer erre while we liue and moreouer we shall haue wisedome to iudge betweene good aud euill And that is the cause why Moses saith Let your children keepe the woorde and againe let them obserue it True it is that wee can neither keepe Gods woord nor doe it vntill hee haue written it in our heartes But Moses presupposeth that God will shedde out his holy spirite vppon the people so they shut not the doore against him but bee readie to receiue the grace which our Lorde had promised them as wee haue seene heretofore ãâã 30.14 where he sayth Behold the worde is nygh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart And not without cause doth Saint Paul say that this worde is the same which is preached in the Gospell ãâã 10 16. bycause Gods speaking there is not to make a noyse in our eares onely but also to ingraue the doctrine in our heartes by his holy spirit which
respect of his owne auncetrie for as we see he is not led by fleshly affection and that doth the verie thing it selfe shewe insomuch that all the malicious sort and all the skorners of God must needes haue their mouthes stopped heere considering his wonderful prouideÌce in cutting off occasion of all slaunder as I saide afore Moses then had none other respect but that God shoulde he honoured that the doctrine of the Lawe should be receiued with al reuerence and that forsomuch as Leuie was chosen thereunto and the Priesthood was to continue in his house those which were so set in office shoulde not be hindered in their proceedings for the building vp of the Church nor haue any blemish in their persons which might diminish the authoritie of the doctrine which they brought That is the thing in effect whereat God amed But nowe let vs lay forth the whole by percelmeale He saith first of all Thy Thumim thy Vrim I haue tolde you already that these two words betoken Gods perfections and his lights or doctrines Now in effect we be done to vnderstande heere that Aarons apparell was no vaine thing it was not an attyre to giue a glittering shewe to mens eyes but God intended to figure a greater and more excellent thing thereby which is that the Priest should not be as a common man but should haue in him things which could not be comprehended And in very deed his bearing of Gods esseÌtial name in his Mytre Exod. 28.36 serued to shewe that hee surmounted all the worlde and al the creatures therein There was in his Mytre The Euerlasting and that name agreed to none but to God himselfe Needs then must it bee that the highpriest was a figure of our Lorde Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 3.16 who is God manifested in flesh God therefore intended to shewe that none of all the Ceremonies of the Lawe were as toyes for babes to play withall like the trash of the Papistes who haue a great sort of pelting gewgawes and in all their Ceremonies doe nothing but make as it were may games or stage-playes after which manner the heathen folke also haue store of murlymewes and trifles and yet all is but a hotchpotch And why For there is no doctrine there is nothing but daseling of mens eyes it cannot bee saide vpon knowledge that God hath commaunded them or that hee hath appointed them to such ende or such vse I graunt that the Papistes contriue good store of gay thinges in their Masse as who would say this figureth such a thing and this such a thing And yet for all that all is but leasing for they haue forged them of their owne heads But God had as it were his lampe lighted in all the Ceremonies of the Lawe to the intent that the people shoulde be furthered by the helpe of them insomuch that they knewe wherefore Aarons Brestlap was named Rightfulnesse and why these parts of Thumim and Vrim were named Perfections and lights It was to doe vs to wit that God tooke no pleasure in outward things for hee is not like men which are rauished with the outwarde appearance and gay shew of things God hath no such thing in his nature But by those Ceremonies he meant to betoken farre greater things vntill the trueth of them appeared in Iesus Christ. Likewise all the things that were done in the Lawe had a respect to the paterne which Moses had seene in the mountaine Exo. 25.40 Heb. 8.5 and so consequently all things were spirituall as is saide of them in the 25. of Exodus Let that then serue for one point Much more reason is it that we nowadayes shoulde abstaine from all trifling Ceremonies because our Lorde Iesus Christ is come hath brought vs the trueth of the things which were set downe in shadowes vnder the lawe In the time of the Lawe it behoued the highpriest to bee appareled after his peculiar manner yea and all the whole lyne of the priestes had certaine markes to be knowen by as who woulde say We be sanctified to God But specially when the highpriest was to go into the sanctuary hee was then as it were to bee altogether disguised there were not the thinges to bee perceiued in him which had beene in men afore and that order was to bee obserued in the absence of our Lorde Iesus Christ. But nowe all those thinges are abolished Nowe if men inuent thinges of their owne fancie as we see there is an infinite gulfe of gewgawes in the popedome what will become of it The things which God inioyned with his owne mouth tooke their ende at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And why For we haue no mo lightes or teachings in pictures wee haue them not any more in Aarons brestlap Exod 28.12 Colos. 1.15 but wee haue them in our Lorde Iesus Christ who is the liuely image of God his father in beholding of whom face to face we bee there as it were transfigured into the glorie of God 2. Cor. 3.14 As sainct Paul saith there is no more any veyle in the Gospel as there was in the Lawe Moses was to haue his face couered with a veile to shewe that the Lawe did not yet discouer things so plainly as the Gospel doth at this day If men theÌ take vpon them to inuent figures of their owne braine what can they be but illusions from Satan Wherefore let vs conclude that when the Priestes do apparell themselues with their trinkets in the popedome they be but maskingtoyes and whereas in so doing they will needes resemble the Iewes it is all one as if they trode Iesus Christ vnderfoot or else would burie him that men might no more looke him in the face nor he be neere vnto vs nor wee any more perceiue the worthines that is in him and in his office That is the thing which wee haue to remember vppon this text where Aarons ornamentes are termed perfections and teachings And it is said that his perfections and teachings are of God to shewe that in the gouernement of the Church it is not for vs to inuent what seemeth good vnto vs but that that matter lyeth simply in the will of God and that whatsoeuer he ordeyneth ought to bee held and that it is not lawfull for men to attempt any thing in that behalfe yea and that such additions and minglinges are mere corruptions Therefore when Moses sayeth Lord God thy Thumim and thy Vrim thereby he openly witnesseth that when men do so farre passe their boundes as to frame a gouernement after their owne fancie and to ordaine laws and statutes in the church to say this is good for it liketh me well It is but a tradition that commeth from some one man and when men do so presume of themselues it is a taking away of Gods right and a committing of diuelish trecherie And why Because the Thumim and Vrim belong to none but God If the figures of the law which seemed
blessing of Aser Gen 49.20 sayeth that hee shall haue a country that is fruitfull of corne Here it is sayd that hee shal be honoured for his children and that hee shal bee acceptable to his brethren Wee see then howe God hath distributed to euery of them according to his owne will and therewithall that it was not lawfull for any of the trybes to murmure against him but that it behooued all of them to bee contented that euery of them shoulde receiue the portion that was giuen him And againe that all of them shoulde thinke thus with them selues Wee haue all one GOD and one father although hee deale dyuersly with vs as touching our bodyes yet will hee haue vs to abyde all fast knit togither as whome hee hath called all to one selfe same inheritance Lo what wee haue in effect to beare in mynd But here is no mention made of the trybe of Simeon It is alledged that they were ydolaters And what else were all the other trybes also Wee knowe that all the Israelites were alienated from God they were all backslyders all the whole countrey was infected with abhomination and in the ende the very trybe of Iuda was corrupted It was meete then that all should be buryed Deut. 33.8 Gen. 34.25 Others say that Simeon was companion to Leuy and therefore that Moses had already repaired that which had beene spoken against Leuie and Simeon which ought to suffise and that God gaue him no peculiar blessing because of the cruell deede which they had committed togither but that it was ynough for him that hee was comforted in the person of Leuye Howbeit we haue not a better or a more likely coniecture than this that although Simeon was then accounted as of the body of that people yet God gaue him no seuerall blessâng but left him to languish and yet notwithstanding that hee was not destitute of all comfort forasmuch as hee knew y t his fault was forgiuen him Deut. 33.8 as we haue seene afore In likewise our Lorde doeth sometime giue an incling of his fauour though somewhat dimly so as we be not named nor haue y e thing so cleare as we could wel find in our harts to haue it but our Lord maketh vs as it were to licke vp his grace like poore hungry soules wee shall haue some darke promises and wee shall finde them very leane but yet howsoeuer wee fare wee must vnderstande that wee must not bee out of heart Therefore when our Lorde sheweth not his goodnes so largely as we would desire wee must fall to the examining of our faults whereby it is possible that wee haue prouoked him in such sort that wee bee vnwoorthie to haue him returne vnto vs out of hande but hee is fayne to deale with vs as a father that will shewe some signe of displeasure to his childe insomuch that although hee say well I forgiue thee yet will he not take home his chyld to him to make him a cockeney in his house he will not say vnto him I wil take thee home but he will say I will not vtterly disclaim him I will take him stil as one of my houshold and yet for all this the chyld shall daunce attendance he shall see his fathers countenance very strange towards him so as he shall dwell still in dout and in suspence Euen so was it betweene Simeon and God Our Lord shewed not openly vnto him that hee was mynded to receiue him but yet for all that he did not in the meane while vtterly cast him off Although he gaue him not such warrant as was requisite to shewe that he would admit him to mercy yet as we haue seene afore he might perceiue by the blessing which belonged to them both and was as it were common to them both because it was vttered in common by the mouth of the Patriark Iacob Gen. 49.5 that God did not banish him altogither out of his house Deut. 33.8 Howsoeuer the case stand wee see that to reioyce in God to receiue his gracious giftes in such sort as we may haue our mouthes always open to glorifie god and also to bee disposed thereunto all our life long it behooueth vs to behold heere as in a mirrour that seeing God is our father and that we be partakers of the adoption which is made in our Lorde Iesus Christ by whome hee hath drawen vs out of the destruction and gulfe wherein wee were plunged and hath receiued chosen vs to be of his flocke the same ought to suffise vs and to make vs to call vpon him to beare the afflictions patiently which he sendeth vs and to learne also to giue him thankes for his mainteining of vs in this mortall life not to be so grosse in gobbling vp his benefites as not to consider that hee continually giueth vs some taste of his goodnes and fatherly loue towards vs. Therefore let vs haue the skill to apply all these things to our profite that wee may be more and more confirmed in beliefe of the immortall inheritance whereunto wee bee inuited Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him so to refourme vs as wee may not be sotted in our wicked lustes affections nor Satan so bewitch vs with the pleasures of this world that wee should bee estranged from our God but that seeing he hath once vouchsafed to call vs to the knowledge of his trueth and that his whole seeking is to drawe vs vnto himselfe we on our side may come vnto him and euery of vs so do his indeuer as our liues may be dedicated to his honor and men may knowe that he reigneth among vs in verie deede and that wee shoote at none other mark but to frame our selues in all pointes and all respects according to his lawes holy ordinances That it may please him to grant this grace not only to vs but also to all people nations of the earth c. On Munday the xiij of Iuly 1556. The CXCVIII. Sermon which is the eighth vpon the xxxiij Chapter 26 There is none like the God of Israel who rideth vpon the heauens to help thee and whose glorie is in the clowdes 27 Thy dwelling place is the Euerlasting God vnder his armes shalt thou be for euer He will put thine enemies to flight before thee say destroy them 28 Israel shall dwell in safetie alone The eye of Iacob shall dwel vpon a land of corne and wine and his heauens shall drop dewes WE can welynough confesse in one worde the greatnesse and highnesse of God but yet yee shal scarcely find one man of a hundred which yeldeâh vnto God that which belongeth vnto him For euery man will needes haue his share of it as though it were a bootie or a pray For proofe whereof who is hee that presumeth not eyther vpon his owne vertue or vpon his riches or vpon his courage
10. Looke Couenants Promise of man What sinne is committed when a Promise bounde with an oth is broken 94. a 50.60 Of the Promise made in Marriage and of how great importance it is 789. b 10 Howe farre foorth men keepe touch in the thing that they Promise 94. a 10 Looke Couenant Promises of Men. When and by what default there wil alwaies bee some fainednesse in our Promises 94. a 10 The deceitfulnesse of men notwithstanding their Promises neuer so autentically made 94. a 40 Prophesie both true and false Howe âhe Iewes make their boast of the gift of Prophesie and why the same was giuen them 682. b 50.60 Two places touching the Prophesie of false Prophets comming to passe and not comming to passe reconciled 534. a 30.40.50.60 and b all Of Ieremies Prophesie touching the Iewes captiuitie in Babylon howe Homaniah went about to discredite and scorne the same 534. a 60. and b all Whether the Diuell can Prophesie or no. 533. b 50.60 534. a 10 Prophesies The blessinges that Iacob and Moses gaue the twelue tribes were Prophesies 1212. b 10. and a 20.30.40 What we must doe that wee maie not bee deceiued as in respect of particular Prophesies 533. b 10 All Prophesies performed in Christ to which intent he came 674. b 50.60 Prophet Vnto what Prophet we must not hearken and vnto whome these wordes appertaine 529. b 30.40.50.60 c. That a Prophet maie saie something that shall come to passe afterwarde and yet neuerthelesse not haue the more warran to be taken for a seruant of God 535. a 20.30 Howe euill Ieremie the Prophete was intreated for telling the trueth 538. a 60. b 10.20.30 Not the title onelie but the effect also of a Prophet must bee had and what that is 678. a 60. and b 10.677 a 20 Of a true Prophet and a false the differences of both and infallible tokens to knowe them 680. b 50.60 534. a all and 535. a 10 The meaning of Moses by these words God will raise vs vp a Prophet 664. a 20.30.40.50.60 â 10. c. 665. a 10. 674. b 20.30 Howe Moseses wordes Yee shall obey the Prophet are meant 666. a 50.60 Notable doctrine vpon these wordes The man that will not heare y e Prophet shall die without release 675. a 30. c. Christ the great and cheefe Prophete promised to the Iewes 665. b 30. 642. a 40 False Prophet Howe a False Prophete preuailed against a true Prophet and withstood him to his facâ 538. b 10.20.30 Howe we bee affected when the thing that a false Prophet saith to vs doth come to passe 531. a 10. and what we must do in such a case ibidem 20 Though a False Prophet speake the truth yet is not that a warrant that his doctrine is true 681. a. 30. Notable doctrine vpon these wordes Thou shalt not be afraide of such a False Prophet 684. a 20.30 Of a False Prophete that spake in as excellent a stile and manner of speech as could be of Gods vnchangeable truth 804. b 60. and 805. a 10.30.40 Prophetes Against such as holde that there is no more neede of the law and the Prophetes 463. a 30.40.50 God will haue vs to sift the Prophetes whether they teach aright or no. 677. b 50.60 and 678. a 10 To what ende God raiseth vp Prophetes and their charge 677. a 50.60 Why wee haue no Prophetes nowe adaies to tell vs of things to come by speciall reuelation 681. b 60. 682. a 10 Howe the true Prophetes did set them selues against the False Prophetes 681. b 10.20 What the Prophetes would saie when they meant to proue that they were sent of God 681. a 50. Example of Ieremie ibid. 60. b 10 Of the office of Prophets and in what pointes the same consisted 679. b 40 50.60 Ministers of the Church are in the same degree that the Prophets were and how 666. a 20.30 All the Prophetes tooke their end in Christ and he made a perfect conclusion of all 666. a 10 No more Prophetes in Israell after the time of Zacharie and Aggeus 665. b 40 That there shall be Prophetes alwaies in Gods Church 665. a 30 That God will raise vp Prophetes from time to time among the people and to what intent 665. a 10.20.30 and 67â all What Christ meant by this saying That Iohn Baptist excelled all the Prophetes 675. b 50.60 676. a 10 Moses and his fellowe Prophetes were but seruantes and how 674. b 40 The Iewes were destitute of Prophets from Malachies time till the comming of Christ. 1247. a 40. b 10 Moses excelled all the Prophetes that were to be founde in Israell why 1246.30.40.50.60.1247 al. False Prophetes What ought to bee our refuge when there rise vp neuer so manie False Prophets among vs. 527. b 50.60.529 a 50.60 b 10 Of False Prophetes who they bee and howe wee must withstande them 528. b. 40.50.60 and 530. a 30. and 531. a 30 The order that False Prophets true Prophets vse in their admonitions doe differ and how 534. b 40.50 The offence of False Prophetes aggrauated by comparison 536. a 60. and b 10.20.30 and 537. b 10.20 Remedies for the rooting of False Prophetes and heretikes out of the Church 536. a 20.30.40.50.60 Why God setteth downe a lawe for False Prophetes 679. a 30 Howe it commeth to passe that False Prophets doe sometimes speake the truth 680.50 b. 60. 681. a 10.20 Tokens whereby to discerne False Prophetes aright 679. b 40.50.60 Two sorts of False Prophets set downe by the Lord himselfe 682. a 60. and b 10 Howe God will turne the sayings of the False Prophetes into the contrarie 682. a 40.50 The pride and presumption of False Prophetes noted and condemned 683. a 30.40.50.60 The cause why Moses saith that he wil discouer False Prophets 682. a 10.20 False Prophetes or teachers that goe about to seduce Gods people from the right waie compared to bitter rootes 1032. a 50. b all 1033. a b all To what ende God suffereth False Prophets to bee stirred vp by Satan to sowe their daânell among vs. 533. a 10 Prosper Howe a man should bethinke himselfe if he would Prosper in his owne person 952. b 50.60 953. a 10.20 948 b 50.60 How it is not alwaies perceiuable that God doeth prosper them that serue him and why 324. b 60. 325. a 10 The way how to Prosper all our life loÌg 482. a 50.519 a 20. 551. a 30.40 345. b 10.20 How we seeke and intend to Prosper as it were in despite of God and of the ende of our drifts therein 518. b 10.20 What a kinde of contentation we must haue if God list to Prosper vs. 355. b 40 What wee haue to learne when God promiseth to Prosper vs if wee serue him 347. a 10. Looke Blessed Prosperitie Prosperitie a good trial to bewray what is in mens hearts see howe 349. a 10 From whence all manner of Prosperitie
king must not take many wiues It is certaine that this rule is common to all men For although some of the Patââârkes had many wiues yet was it not therefore lawful for we must haue recourse to Gods institution True it is that mans custome may well peruert the doctrine but yet can it not change euill into good for all that It is God that ordeyned marryage and as he is the author therof so will hee haue men to holde them to his pure institution Nowe did hee create two wiues for Adam No and yet as sayeth the Prophet Malachie hee had abundance of spirit in him Mal. 2.15 It had beene no harder a matter to him to haue created two or three women than to haue created one Was God letted by any vnabilitie Nay and yet he created two in one flesh Sith the case staÌdeth so then it is a changing of the order of nature a despising of God when a man taketh two wiues O say they the Patriarkes did so Yea but theâeby it appeareth that the custome of men cannot alter Gods ordinance how great vertue or holines so euer be in them And it serueth also to shewe y t such as shielde themselues vnder the example of other men offend double For is it meete y t Gods authoritie should bee diminished vnder pretence y t men haue done this or y t And therfore let vs vnderstand y t it was neuer lawfull for any man liuing to take two wiues in mariage at once for it is a breaking of Gods order Why then is it forbidden here but onely to kinges Because there was more libertie And the thing that I haue touched already is the better confirmed vnto vs in this text If a priuate person had taken two wiues hee should haue beene neerely looked vnto What Shall I go giue my daughter to him that is marryed alreadie Shee shal be sure to haue sorrowe to her soppes shee shall liue in continuall stryfe and vnquietnesse Yet were shee better to bee dead out of hande But men were so desirous of honour that if a king required a daughter of theirs to his wife they easily condescended vnto it What I shall haue my daughter marryed to a king And it was a blynding of a womaÌ when shee was sued vnto by such a one Nowe then for as much as kinges had larger scope in this case and consequently might more offend God our Lorde hath specially forbidden them to haue many wiues and moreouer because the example of such as are in authoritie is woorse than the example of priuate persons If a common person doe any euill it goeth no further than his owne house and his next neighbours but hee that is in authoritie standeth vppon a skaffolde and is seene afarre off and if he ouershoote himselfe the corruption of him spreadeth throughout the realme Therefore it was requisite that God should forbid kinges to haue many wiues euen because the corruption therof woulde haue spread ouer the whole lande And although it could not be letted altogither yet came it first from the heathen And if it bee asked from whence the hauing of many wyues came ãâã 4.19 it wil bee founde in the house of Cain not among the people of God This leawdnesse then of hauing many wyues was brought vp by Satan And the Patriarkes were intangled in it as in deede it is harde for a man to keepe him selfe from a thing when it is once growen into a custome for then it seemeth to be permitted Yet notwithstanding to the intent it should no more be so because there was occasion therof our Lorde forbad kinges to haue many wiues But heere it might be demanded what is to be sayd of Dauid and much more of SalomoÌ in respect of wiues as well as of riches It cannot be denyed but that Dauid had many wyues and as for Salomon he had many moe and he seemeth not to haue bin blamed in that behalfe for the scripture speaketh but of the turning away of his hart after straunge women which infected him with their superstitions and ydolatryes 1. King 1â 4 And as touching gould and siluer wee knowe how it is sayd that Dauid gathered so great a masse of them that Salomons Temple and his palace were builded therwith Therefore there was a maruelous riches 1. Kin. 10.27 Yea and it is said expresly y t in the raigne of Salomon men made no more accompt of gold and siluer than of grauel y e quantity therof was so exceeding great And there seemeth to be some contrarietie in the scripture in as much as among other thinges our Lord sayeth that hee will cause the gould of Arabye and all the riches of the worlde to bee brought to Ierusalem Psal. 72.15 And why should he promise that if he ment not that kinges should be riche and wealthie Nay it is a figure of the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ. If this blessing of God bee set downe as so worthie a thing howe are kings forbidden to gather golde and siluer As touching wiues no dout but both Dauid and Salomon offended in that behalfe and Salomon most As for Dauid hee had many wiues and all the excuses that can bee alledged wil not be able to iustifie him before God But howsoeuer the case stande he did it not through inordinate lust For he had maryed Michol Saules daughter and hee coulde haue contented himselfe with that one wife if shee had not beene taken away from him by force And when she was giuen to another man it was lawfull for him to take Bersabee Againe there happened other things afterwarde so that if a man consider wherefore Dauid tooke many wiues surely there wil euer be some occasion to excuse him to the worldward but yet for all that he was blameworthie stil before God And as touching Salomon he rebelled openly as a man too much giuen to y e flesh in that he proceeded euen against the prohibition that was giuen both to himselfe and to all other kinges And it appeareth what insued to him for it For that hee was so abused and deceiued by strange women it was a iust punishment and because he had taken such libertie to himselfe God shewed him that he had cast him selfe into Satans snares When a fish thinkes to swallowe vp other fishes he himselfe is caught or choked by that meane Euen so was SalomoÌ faine to receiue his payment because hee gaue himselfe too much to his delightes and pleasures And it is a dreadful thing a thing that ought to make the hayre to stande vp vpon our heades that so excellent a man indued with so great giftes of Gods spirit shoulde become an ydolater and fall away from the pure seruing of God specially being himselfe a prophet to teach the whole worlde and a lampe to direct not only the children of Israell but also the verie Infidels and to draw them to the knowledge of the trueth O that such a
man shoulde ouershoote himselfe after that fashion And whereof came this Euen of giuing heade to his owne lustes therefore God payed him his iust hyre Seeing we know this ought we not to quake at such veÌgeance set before our eyes Yes and therefore let vs marke wel that whereas Dauid and Salomon had many wiues it was not without fault and transgression and thereby wee see so much the more howe needefull this lawe is For if God had neuer forbidden kings to haue many wiues had not their libertie beene yet the more excessiue Yes verily For they cannot bee withhelde from rebelling against God Their flesh carryeth them so away that they forget the thing which ought to bee best knowen vnto them This text ought to bee noted aboue all others specially for kinges and yet they thinke not of it at all And therefore wee see it was not for nought that GOD preuented that mischiefe But we must vnderstand by the way how it is not ynough that the law be set downe vnlesse God write it in our hearts by his holy spirite For else it is but a dead letter 2. Cor. 3.36 and so will kill vs because wee shal bee iustly condemned by the doctrine therof which serueth to bereaue vs of all excuse Therefore whensoeuer our Lorde commaundeth vs any thing let vs learne that wee must runne vnto him that he may write the things in our heartes which we read written in paper or parchment As touching riches wee must not conclude that there was the like fault For why 2. Sam 8.11 1. Chron. 22.14 1. Kin. 12.4 When Dauid gathered such a masse of golde and siluer it was to build the temple of God and not to make any other enterprises as wee knowe Againe wee see not that he grieued his people though there were great complaints after the death of Salomon but of that wee will treate hereafter both for Dauid and for Salomon The intent of Dauid then was good and holy forasmuch as in gathering all thinges together which were requisite for the building of the Temple hee attempted not any thing which was not commaunded him of God Also the meanes were lawfull For hee layde no tyrannicall charge vppon his people As for Salomon hee had the greate riches gathered aforehande by his father And againe wee must marke that a greate parte of those thinges were such as hee had conquered of the Infidels Psa. 68.12.13 and their spoyles were as yee woulde say presentes which God had giuen him as is spoken thereof in the Psalme And therefore Salomon for his parte might lawfully vse all those goods specially forsomuch as it was sayde that the kinges of Tharsis and of all the yles and farre countryes shoulde come and bring golde and siluer Psal. 72.10 and all manner of precious things and againe that there shoulde bee giuen vnto him of y e gold of Arabia because it was Gods will that the kingdome of Israell shoulde flourish after that manner It was lawfull for Dauid and Salomon to gather treasure so it were not vppon ambition and pryde nor to vndertake foolish enterprises and to ouershoote themselues into loosenesse of life and also so the people were not grieued by it with any impositions but that Dauid did but onely receiue the golde and siluer that was brought vnto them But whether Salomon exceeded measure or no I am not able to affirme Wee see what his disobedient sonne Roboam sayde 1. Kin. 11.24 namely that whereas his father had beaten the people with roddes hee woulde beate them with whippes and he would lay vppon them as much as they coulde beare vntill hee made all the backes of them to bowe In which saying Roboam vaunteth of his fathers tyrannie And wee may well gather therby that there was some excesse in Salomon So much the more therefore ought wee to marke that God hath not for nought forbidden kinges to gather great masses of golde and siluer And for the same cause also did Dauid vse the prayer which I haue rehearsed before for there was good cause for him to doe it He sawe the temptations that myght assayle him on all sides and hee coulde neuer haue withstoode them if God had not strengthened him with his power And in the same respect hee protesteth that Gods lawe is deerer to him than golde and siluer Psal. 19.11 and that all the riches of the worlde were nothing to him in comparison of Gods lawe because hee sawe there his true felicitie and glorie So then let vs remember in fewe wordes that whereas our Lorde forbad kings to hoorde vp great treasures it was not for that it is not lawfull for them to be riche so their heartes inclyne not to pride vaynglorie and couetousnes and that they vse not any tyrannie ouer their subiectes but onely take that which is offered them as it were by the hande of God content themselues therewith applying the same vnto good For wee see in what taking king Ezechias was âsa 39.2.6 Albeit that hee had not the thirde parte of Dauids reuenewe by reason of the cutting away of the kingdome of Israell yet had hee his chambers so well furnished and stored that hee made a shewe and a boasting of it when Ambassadours were sent vnto him from Babylon commending and setting out himselfe to the ende that the king of the Chaldyes shoulde bee desirous of his friendship But wee see what befell vnto him The Prophet Esay brought him this message Go too sayeth hee thou hast made a showe this day of thy gold and siluer and of the precious thinges which thou hast but assure thy selfe thou hast kindled a fire which shall neuer bee quenched vntill the Babylonians haue fetched away all that thou hast so as there shall not remaine one peece of money in Ierusalem but all shal bee sacked and pilled away and wee see howe the same punishment was executed afterwarde 2. Kiâ 24 1â And this example sheweth vs sufficiently wherefore God forbad kinges to gather much golde and siluer For when Princes haue such treasures they can hardly keepe themselues from beeing prouoked to vaunt and exalt themselues continually after some manner or other For asmuch as it is so let vs learne that in this place God meant to holde the kinges of Israell within some measure and meane degree that they might not looke too high And afterwarde hee sayeth That his heart turne not away that is to say least his greatnesse make him to forget himselfe and hee addeth yet further That hee exalt not himselfe aboue his brethren Whereas it is sayde that the king must not turne away that is because that when men bee aduaunced to honour they commonly forgette themselues and thinke not themselues to bee the same they were before Aboue all thinges the dignitie of a king is a state that will bleare a mannes eyes yea and put them quyte and cleane out in so much that Princes thinke