no lesse than the world despiseth them Behold they which walk purely simply before God which loue righteousnesse and vpright dealing which will neither deceiue nor hurt any man euen they neuerthelesse are faine to abide hunger and thirst and are greeued with many temptations and troubles so as they wote not which way to turne thē Now they might bee brought to despaire if God withheld them not by dooing them to vnderstand that they haue neede to be chasticed and put in minde of their sinnes On the other side they see the wicked and the despisers of God sporting themselues in all manner of disorder and in the meane while they bee neither chasticed nor corrected but seeme rather to be exempted and priuiledged from all harme Psal. 73.5 as it is sayd in the threescore and thirteenth psalme Loe here a very sore temptation We see generally that Gods Church is as a sheep in the midst of a great sorte of Woolues For the power of our enemies is such as they might swallowe vs vp out of hand and we see there is no meane of resistance in vs we be all scattered abroad Seeing then that wee see such thinges were it possible for vs to holde out one minute of an houre if wee had not our refuge to this doctrine that God scourgeth his owne and that he beginneth at them because he must needes haue a care of his owne houshold But the wicked shall fare neuer the better for his bearing with them as now neither is it to be sayd that their state is therefore better than ours Therefore we must tary his leasure with patience vntil he take the sword in hand and keepe his Assises Let vs referre all vnto him and in the meane whyle keep silence without grudging against him Let not the corrections which wee suffer set vs in such a chafe as to make vs play the desperate persons Thus ye see how profitable this doctrine is to vs if we can apply it to our instruction Now it is sayd consequently that God will requite his enemies with the lyke and pay them their hyre which hate him hee wil make his arrowes dronke with bloud and make such a slaughter of them that they shall all bee discomfited His speaking after that maner is to make his Iustice the more terrible to vs because we be slow and dulheadded as I haue sayd afore insomuch that wordes moue vs not a whit Therefore doth our Lorde set downe a vehement kinde of speech here to the ende to waken vs and to make vs yeeld due honor to his Iustice and that as I haue sayd afore it might be to vs as though wee sawe both heauen and earth shaken For after the same maner speaketh hee by his Prophet Aggeus the Apostle shewing vs the maiestie of the Gospell Agge 2.7 Heb. 12.26 alledgeth the same text that as oft as wee heare the voyce thereof sound it behoueth vs to call to minde that God will bee heard and knowen both aboue and beneath Now it is certaine y t the holy Ghost would not haue vsed such speach but for our blockishnes sake Seeing then that our Lord setteth downe here so many figures and so many comparisons let vs accuse our selues and consider that hee doth it for the brutishnes of our nature by reason whereof hee is faine to chawe thinges to vs aforehand to the end we may finde some tast in them and be touched with them But yet must we alwayes haue an eye to the end and to the intent where at this doctrine ameth And our Lord sayth that it is for the slaines sakes and for the prisoners sake◠Whereby he dooth vs to vnderstand that the vengeance which hee speaketh of is for the welfare of his Church howbeit not for all that haue borne y e name of faithfull for wee know there are many which make false bragges of Gods name that is to their double condemnation We know that the chaffe is mingled with the good corne and the wicked are intermedled with the godly But yet they which falsely abuse Gods name after that fashion must not looke that their hypocrisie shall any whit boote them nay rather they shall pay full deere for it They then which pretend to bee faithfull and are not shall not be allowed before GOD for euer but hee will mark them out for falsifyers of his trueth But our Lorde here comforteth such as are not altogether past grace but which notwithstanding that they haue offended doe neuerthelesse turne againe vnto him and beeing sory for their sinnes doe humble themselues to him and seeke to bee reformed by his hand and by his holy spirit Those therefore which are so ouermastred haue neede to be comforted at Gods hand accordingly also as we see howe our Lord Iesus Christ speaketh to that sorte of men saying Matt. 11.28.29 Come vnto me al ye that are wearie and ouerloden and I will refresh you and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules So then in this text our Lord hath an eye to such as might be drowned in dispaire if he should not giue them some taste of his goodnesse to stay them vp withall And therefore he saith that although hee haue shewed himselfe rigorous to his Church for a time yet notwithstanding he hath not disanulled the couenant which hee had made with his seruaunt Abraham but he wil shew that the people whom hee had chosen and adopted are his own and that seeing he is their protector he will performe this faying of his Gen. 12.3 Ezo 23.22 I will be a friend to thy friendes and an enemie to thine enemies That is the thing in effect which Moses had respect vnto Sith it is so let vs learne to arme our selues with this lesson and whensoeuer our enemies behaue themselues lyke wood beastes yea and are as furious as flaming fire let vs on our side vnderstand that our God hath power enough to maintaine vs and that if he do it not at the first it is to try our patience and to make vs to ouercome all temptations Wherefore let vs learn to proceede on still yea euen though he shoulde leade vs vnto death assuring our selues that hee dooth it to giue vs a better lyfe and therefore let vs alwayes goe on still whither soeuer it shal please him to lead vs. But yet howsoeuer we fare let vs not beare any spite to our aduersaries Although as now they execute their rage against vs yet let vs be throughly perswaded that in the end they must come to account and that as thē God will shewe how deere our welfare was vnto him that although he seemed to haue forgotten vs and to haue cast vs quite and cleane vp yet notwithstanding hee did still esteeme vs as his flocke God then will shew that he had vs alwayes in his protection Therefore let vs in the meane time abide quiet and let vs not be so cast downe with temptations that wee should
name should be called vpon there so as he offered the promises of saluation to them that descended of the same race and linage the redeemer y t was to be sent into the worlde was set forth vnto theÌ„ that they might be gathered together vnder him Loe here I say a general election that belonged to al the children of Abraham and yet was that grace to be confirmed by faith but in a parte of them in some of them For we see that many of them were cut off not for that they were not Abrahams children in respect of the fleshe and the worlde But for that they were not his children in spirite and before God which was the chiefe point Rom. 2.28 9.7.8 as S. Paul declareth As for those which were vnbeleeuers and vnthriftes and imbraced not the promise that was made vnto Abraham with true faith those were set beside the inheritance In deede they were accounted for his children howbeit that was but as Ismael was who was not lawfully begotten Now then Gods generall election which extended to the whole people was not sufficient But it behoued euerie man to be partaker of it in his own peculiar behalfe And how was y t to be done by faith But let vs see from whence faith proceedeth but only of Gods wil in that he vouchsafeth to confirm his fauor towardes whoÌ„ he thought good Therfore chose he whom he listed out of this people Eph. 1.13.14 and sealed his promise in their hearts by his holy spirite so as they were made partakers of his trueth it tooke full and perfect effect in them Lo here the double election of God The one extendeth to the whole people because circumcision was giuen indifferently to all both smal and great and the promises likewise were common But yet for all that God was faine to adde a seconde grace by touching the hearts of his chosen namely of such as he listed to reserue to him selfe and those came vnto him he made them to receiue the benefit that was offered them And in deede we see that the greatest number of that people haue bin cast off and as it were banished from Gods fauour so as there remained but a small remnant of them not onely at some one time but also euen after the captiuity of Babilon according to this foresaying of the prophet Esay Esa. 10.22 Although thou wart neuer so many in nuÌ„ber so as thy folke were as the sande of the sea yet shall the remnant of you be very small y t God wil saue For the hypocrites abused Gods promise falsly And because it was sayd y t the people shold be in multitude as the sande of the sea they bragged at the sight of a great number and in the meane while dispised God But he telleth them that he coulde aswell diminish them as he had multiplied them so as there should remaine but a small portion of them And so it came to passe insomuch as the prophet sayth Esa. 1.9 y t if God had not reserued some seede the countrie of Iuda had bin as Sodom Gomorre God had vtterly rooted them out as they had well deserued Now is this very profitable for vs. For nowadayes when it is tolde vs y t we haue the pure doctrine of y e Gospell preached vnto vs we haue the sacrament of baptism for the warrant of our saluation y t is one choice that God maketh of vs. We be no better than other men y t are drowned in ydolatrie abhominations on whoÌ„ God hath not vouchsaâ—ed to looke w t such pity as to make y e truth of his gospel to shine vpon theÌ„ but hath let theÌ„ alone as destitute of all things so as there is nothing but horrible coÌ„fusion amongest them yet in the meane season he taketh vs between his armes and into his bosome vouchsafing to cause his word to be preached vnto vs whereby we see Iesus Christ who inlightneth vs as y e day-sun of righteousnes we haue the sacramentes whereof we knowe the vse Lo here one choise y t God maketh of vs which is well worthy to be esteemed wherin it behoueth vs to coÌ„sider Gods only infinite goodnes for y t he espieth nothing in vs for y e which he should preferre vs before such as are nobler thaÌ„ we haue much more thaÌ„ we to outward appearance But yet is it not ynough for vs to be so choseÌ„ of God as y t he taketh vs into his house admitteth vs to bee of his flocke dwelleth among vs euery of vs must haue an eie to himself so as y e gospel be not preached in vain nor we beare the bare name of Christians without shewing y e effect of it in our deedes For vntil our adoptioÌ„ be sealed by y e holy Ghost let vs not thinke y t it auaileth vs any whit to haue herd the word of God but it shal turne to our double condemnation because y t when God had chosen vs we offended him wheÌ„ he had entered into a couenant with vs wee brake our faithfull promise which wee had made plighted vnto him and therfore me must be punished y e more greuously But wheÌ„ we haue once a warrant in our hearts y t his promises belong vnto vs are behighted vnto vs by reason y t we receiue them w t true obedience sticke to our Lord Iesus Christ suffring him to gouerne vs 1. Pet. 1.10 y t is a sure seale of Gods chosing of vs so as we not onely haue the outwarde apparance of it before men but also the truth of it before our God And like as AbrahaÌ„ was made the father of all y e faithfull before God Rom. 4.11 so are we made his children in spirit truth and not only as in respect of adoption to y e world Thus we see what we haue to gather vpoÌ„ this text vpoÌ„ this declaration y t Moses maketh here to the Iewes And for the same cause he addeth the exhortation which we haue read in that he willeth the Iewes to circumcise their heartes and to beware that they harden not their neckes any more Good reason it is that men should submit themselues to God after y â— maner by forsaking theÌ„selues seeing that his seeking to win vs to him is not for any coÌ„moditie to himselfe as was shewed yesterday but because hee is desirous of our welfare so as hee putteth vs not to the doing of any thing which redoundeth not to our own benefit profit Seeing then y t God respecteth nothing but vs in his alluring of vs to come vnto him should we drag backe in that case Or should wee haue proude and loftie heartes to aduaunce ourselues against him Nowe for the better vnderstanding of this doctrine let vs note that Moses had an ey to the outward signe that was giuen at that time to the Iewes after the same maner that wee haue
safetie doe thinke it better to behaue themselues after another sorte and to chaunge their state and what a kinde of dealing is that It is a diuelishe rage that we be caried away withall when wee cannot bee quiet in our selues at such time as god hath giuen vs outward rest and holdeth our enimies locked vp so as although they be round about vs yet he suffereth them not to make any chaunge to disquiet vs with all and yet we our selues cannot abyde to sit in quiet Wherefore let vs marke wel y t seeing God is so gracious to vs as to grant vs libertie to serue him purely it is our dewtie to holde our selues quietly vnder his obedience without attempting any thing at all But the Papistes haue well shewed in this case that they cannot find in their harts in any wise to submit themselues vnto God and that their intent is not to yeeld him any obedience For first of all they looked not what God ment by the olde figures of the Lawe and yet they followed the things that Moses cōmaunded concerning lightes perfumes and apparell And why was that Bicause they considered not that all those things were referred to our Lord Iesus Christ. They were much more brutish than the very Iewes that had no faith at all For the Iewes at leastwise held themselues to the rule that was giuen them In deede they knewe not the right vse of their Ceremonies but yet had they an expresse commaundement from God durst not attempt any thing against the same But as for the Papistes notwithstanding that Iesus Christ bee manifested and haue accomplished all the thinges that were betokened in olde time yet haue they vtterly ouerthrowen that good and substantial foundation and thrust his death and passion vnder foote They fall to taking vp of lightes And what needes that The holy ghost hath shewed himselfe visibly in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ Ma◠3. 〈…〉 Act. 1.3 and afterward vpon the Apostles to doe vs to vnderstand that we must no more looke for any outward figures bicause we haue the truth and substance of them But what The Papists haue abolished the infinite grace of God and vtterly made a mocke of it They will needes offer sacrifice and haue attyred their priestes thereafter disguising them as though it were to the playing of an enterlude And all this geere is but gugawes for they bee not commaunded of God and besides that they be done as it were in despite of him All that was doone in the law was of Gods setting vp these men fall to setting vppe of newe fashions such as God neuer spake of Againe they place a mortall man in y e roome of our Lord Iesus Christ as who shold say that the office of our Lord Iesus Christ were not welynough knowne and apparant vnlesse it were figured out with newe and straunge toyes It is all one as if a body should shew forth the picture of a man when the partie himselfe is present and shoulde saye Behoulde this picture and yet the man is there himselfe who can much better shew himselfe what he is than the picture can doe Euen so doe the Papists in setting forth of y e picture of Iesus Christ. He is named the liuely image of God Although the father be incomprehensible in his owne maiesty yet hath he so vttered himselfe in the person of his sonne ◠Cor. 〈…〉 He 〈…〉 2. Cor. 〈…〉 as wee may behold him there face to face as sayth Saynt Paule in the second to the Corinthians But the Papistes drawe a Curteine before it and tell vs that wee must bee contented with pictures It is therefore a turning of all thinges vpside downe and a bringing in of diuelish confusion Neuerthelesse wee see that in the Popedom there is no harkning what God saies but all is doone at the appointment of man Looke whatsoeuer they do they terme it by the name of Gods seruice Yea but how is God dewly serued God sayth ye shall not doe whatsoeuer seemeth good to your selues seeing that I haue set you downe a certaine order bee contented to bee gouerned by my woord But what say the Papistes Mee thinkes this is good This we take to be excellent euery man castes to his collup and in all Gods woord a man shall not finde one syllable of al the things which they terme Gods seruice and which they will needes haue to passe in their account For let a man search all y e things through which are comprised vnder y t name in y e Popedom he shall find thē euerychone to bee forged and builded by men and that God not onely disclaymeth them but also condemneth them bicause he hath shewed vs his certaine and infallible truth which is the thing that we must frame our selues vnto Wee see then howe all this doctrine hath beene wickedly throwen downe in the Popedome and that is bicause they haue peruerted the true vse of the figures of the Lawe and taken inordinate liberty to doe whatsoeuer came in their heades without hauing any regarde to the witnessinges that God giueth vs whereby they might haue said These be the thinges which we ought to do Now so much the more diligēt ought we to be in marking this place For were wee still in doubt nowadayes what to doe so as wee knewe not what thinges God alloweth then might wee haue some fancie to make vs to sway to and fro But seeing that God hath tould vs what hee requireth at our handes that ought to be ynough for vs. And now hath hee abolished the Ceremonies of the law that were of his owne appointing Col. 2.14 Yea And wherfore To shew vs therby y t he wil not haue vs any more intangled in the outward figures Col. 2.17 The reason is added bicause we haue them throughly fulfilled in Iesus Christ. Now then if we wil not deface the glory of our Lorde Iesus Christ and ouerthrowe the benefits that he bringeth vs we must put away the old figures Marke that for one point Againe wee see that God is contented with fewe ceremonies For it is not his will that wee shold haue any more deckings lights perfumes Cakes sacrificings of beastes nor other such thinges but his wil is that in our baptisme we should haue such an assurance of our washing clensing by the grace that is purchased for vs in our Lord Iesus Christ Eph. 5.26 as should continue with vs for euer Haue we that We must hold our selues contented with it For God could haue added more if he had listed but he listed not so to do And so ye see heere is a bridle which must reine vs backe to gather vs home to GOD or else he shall neuer be able to weeld vs. Now what haue the Papistes done Tush this simplicitie of baptisme pleased not them they would needs adde this that to it at their own pleasure What say they Should there be but sheere water
by the laying on of my handes be not hindered Saint Paul challengeth not to himselfe y e thing that is peculiar to the holy Ghost neither meaneth he that he had the holy Ghost in his sleeue to giue him to whom hee listed by the reaching out of his arme but hee sheweth vs that the signe which God had appointed vnto it was not vaine or vneffectuall Moreouer the same is to be considered more in all the Sacramentes whereof the Scripture speaketh than in all other signes that are to be had in the world I haue alreadie alleadged a similitude of y e deliuering of a fether or of a wand to him y t purchaseth an inheritance but there is yet much more in the Sacraments we must go yet one step higher Forthere our Lord worketh that by his power which men cannot doe True it is that when such a ceremonie is once done performed the lawe will maintaine a man in possession of the thing that he hath purchased howbeit that is not all For as I saide afore God performeth by the secret power of his spirite whatsoeuer hee sheweth and witnesseth to the eye So then wee must euer come to this point that the sacraments are effectuall that they be no trifling signes which vanish away in the aire but that the trueth is alwayes matched with them because that God who is faithfull sheweth that he hath not ordained any thing in vain And y t is the cause why y t in baptisme we receiue truly the forgiuenes of our sins we be washed and clensed w t the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ we be renewed by y e operation of his holy spirit And how so Hath a little water such power when it is cast vpon y e head of a child No But because it is y e will of our Lord Iesus Christ y t the water should be a visible signe of his bloud of y e holy Ghost therfore baptisme hath y t vertue whatsoeuer is there set forth to the eye is forth with accomplished in verie deede If wee come to the Lordes supper it is certaine that a little cantle of bread and a drop of wine cannot quicken our soules for they be corruptible thinges but therby we haue a record y t we be fed with y e body blud of our Lord Iesus Christ by y t record we know y t our Lord Iesus Christ sheweth y t will not deceiue vs in his promises nor holde vs downe with our nebbes in the water as they say but that he performeth all that euer is tolde vs there insomuch that when we come to that holy table we must assure ourselues that our soules are nourished with the spirituall foode which we see not and that our faith must mount vp vnto heauen there to be ioyned with our Lord Iesus Christ. Heere then wee haue to note that when the scripture speaketh vnto vs of the signes which we haue in vse according to Gods ordinaunce the very trueth of them is present with them And why For as I haue sayde our Lorde alloweth of our sayth in that behalfe shewing vnto vs that the thinges which proceede from him are not deceiueable And as we ought to be fully resolued heereof in the Sacramentes so let vs marke on the contrary part that when men inuent things of their owne heades without the ordinance of God they be but toyes and may-games and no better As for example in the Popedome they haue many signes which they would haue men to accept as hygh mysteries What a sort fonde thinges are in the Masse And yet if a man will beleeue them there is nothing which is not well worthy to bee commended They would haue it y t there they be as it were rauished vp among the Angelles when they play their pretie pageantes And yet all is but vtter vanitie and a blearing or daseling of mens eyes And why For if a man demaunde from whence those thinges come he shall finde that men forged them and that there is no warrant for them from God yea and euen we ourselues doe see that they haue defiled baptisme True it is that they could not vtterly dispatch it out of the way but that euen in spyte of their teeth and in spyte of Satan who stirreth them thereunto and reigneth ouer them yet still at this day our Lorde Iesus Christ hath brought to passe that his baptisme continueth still in his Church But yet we see howe it is infected with many spottes among the Papistes so as the baptisme it selfe is nothing in cōparison of the rest For they esteeme not a childe to bee baptised with the water as it is of it selfe but the water must bee charmed aforehande and it must haue coniurations made ouer it and then must other inuentions be mingled with it as Spittle Sault and Tapers a number of other gawdes which would make a man amased And what importeth all this Euery whit of it is but doung taken from Satan and held still and yet the Papistes set all their holinesse therein Againe they haue inuented Sacramentes of their owne brayne as their Sacrament of conformation as they terme it and their Sacrament of Anealing and al their other pelting toyes And to be short what else are all the Ceremonies which we see among them but vtter illusions of Satan Therfore let vs learne to discerne the thinges which God ordeyneth and alloweth by his worde from the thinges that men haue putfoorth at aduenture and after their owne fancies And let vs vnderstande that as Gods trueth is alwayes certaine and infallible so y e things that are brought vp by men can not proceede but of vntrueth and falshoode For they be gouerned by Satan who is the father thereof That is the thing in effect which we haue to beare in minde And let vs marke further that when men are chosen to gouerne Gods Church so it be by orderly proceeding according to his word they shal be guyded and gouerned by him and hee will furnish them with his gratious gifts as farre as shal be needefull for them and whereas wee perceiue not nowadayes the thinges by experience which are contayned heere it is by reason of our vnbeleefe and leaudnesse For had wee such order of election as ought to be in choosing ministers to preach Gods worde and that wee went about it with such reuerence as is requisite with calling vpon the name of God with obseruing the order in such sort as hee hath set it downe by his worde and againe if the like were done in the choosing of magistrates and officers of Iustice It is certaine that GOD also would shedfoorth the gratious giftes of his holy spirite and we should see that his blessing should not be vayne in those elections But what Because we be oftentimes puffed vp with presumption and euery man deales after his owne fancie and a great sort of vs neuer passe for the obseruing of the thinges
THE SERMONS OF M. IOHN CALVIN VPON THE FIFTH BOOKE OF Moses called Deuteronomie Faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open Pulpet Together with a preface of the Ministers of the Church of Geneua and an admonishment made by the Deacons there Also there are annexed two profitable Tables the one containing the chiefe matters the other the places of Scripture herein alledged Translated out of French by ARTHVR GOLDING ET INVENTA EST PERIIT AT LONDON Printed by Henry Middleton for GEORGE BISHOP Anno Domini 1583. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Syr Thomas Bromley Knight Lord Chauncelour of England one of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell his singular good Lord health prosperitie and increase of Honour BEing desirous to testifie my duetifull minde towardes your good Lordship I thought there could be no better meane in all respects than the dedication of this present worke which containeth a large exposition of the whole Lawe of God and of the practise thereof in the Commonweale of Israel wherof the onely reading with due consideration may iustly commend it many wayes euen to such as are of greatest learning wisedome authoritie and vertue For if we haue an eye to the author of the groundworks thereof it is God and not man If to the Lawemaker it is the Lawe of the Iudge of the whole world the lampe of light the welspring of wisdome the touchstone of truth the rule of right the ground of goodnesse the bond of blessednesse the loadstarre to life the opener of our vnderstanding and the gouernour of our wits the faithfull following whereof is the way to welfare the procurer of peace the path of true pleasure the entrie of immortalitie and the harbourer of happinesse Or if we haue an eye to the maner of the deliuering thereof it is most woonderful accompanied with many great myracles signes and tokens and honoured with the glorie and maiestie of Gods owne presence If to the intent of the Lawegiuer it is the repayring and reforming of man according to the Image of his maker in true holinesse and righteousnesse If to the end of the Lawe it is to driue vs vnto Christ that by him wee might be saued If to the obedience which it requireth it is altogether spirituall holie euerlasting All which things are not onelie great but the greatest that can be and fuller of maiestie and glorie than can be expressed or conceiued by man Againe if we haue an eye to the partie by whose seruice and ministery this law was published hee was a man peculiarlie chosen of God indued with most excellent giftes ful of the holy Ghost such a prophet as neuer had his like Christ onlie excepted a figure of Christ familiar with God a perfect paterne of a good gouernour and a verie father of his Commonweale Or if we haue an eye to the parties to whom it was deliuered they were a people whom God had purposely chosen redeemed and deliuered from most miserable thraldome to the intent to be their King and to dwell among them and that they should be vnto him a holie people and a royall Priesthoode for euer which things are surelie most excellent and singular prerogatiues And as for the Preacher of these Sermons by whom the sayde things are laide foorth and expounded to the better vnderstanding of the Reader it is well knowen that for the manifold talents and excellent gifts which God had bestowed vpon him and for his diligent and most painfull imploying of the same to the beating downe of Idolatrie and superstition to the winning of folke vnto God and to the edifying of Christs flock he was in his lifetime and yet still is a man of great reputation and renowme As for mine owne trauell in translating this worke I humbly submit the iudgement and censure thereof to your Lordships fauourable acceptation the obtainement whereof shall greatlie increase my gladnesse in that I haue done any thing whereby the Church of GOD is or may bee any whit edified Written the xxj of December 1582. Your good Lordships most humble alvvaies at Commaundement ARTHVR GOLDING To the Christian Reader Grace and Peace from GOD c. IT is no small fauour that wee daily receiue from the hands of our God partly by the publike ministerie of his word and partlie by the priuate reading of such good workes as by the meanes of manie his faithfull seruants he hath published and spread abroad in this last age of the world But as the beholding of this doth make manie Godly mindes to reioyce in that they see Gods great goodnes striuing continuallie to ouercome the malice and frowardnesse of mans minde So on the otherside it pincheth them at the heart when they perceiue not only what slender entertainment Gods graces haue amongst vs but euen what manifest contempt is offered vnto them while men notwithstanding the woonderful sunshine of Gods holie trueth remaine in as great darkenesse almost in respect of iudgement and be as dissolute and carelesse in their conuersation as euer they were in the time of the most grosse and palpable blindnes Would to God that the miserable experience of our dayes were not too plaine a proofe of this point And yet this is not spoken either as in dislike of our state with some discontented people or to the discrediting and defacing of Gods religion which we professe with the practising Papists who with one blow at the Gospel would if they could crafâ—â—lie cut the throate both of Religion and policie but in all holie loue and affection to make this carelesse generation more studious to labour to abound both in sound knowledge of the trueth and in all holie obedience to the same In which respect not onelie are these few lines written at this present but this notable worke of Master Caluins Sermons vpon Deuteronomie published that in our owne natiue Language wherein what paine and cost hath beene bestowed that they might come foorth as beneficiall to the Christian Reader as might be though I my selfe may speake much in trueth as an argument of some weight to induce the godly brethren to the buying and reading thereof yet letting that point passe as a matter not much to be stoode vpon I minde onely to presse those things and that also in very fewe words which shal be most material And that is that as al states and conditions of men may out of the same fetch many profitable points for their instruction both in faith and obedience towards God and man so particularly if a man would ouerthrow Atheists or confute Papists and other Heretikes or wound the wicked or encourage the faint hearted or comfort the afflicted conscience cast downe with the sight of sinne or performe any other seruice towards God himselfe or other men he shall haue matter and that in great store plentifully ministred vnto him for the performance of these and all other dueties whatsoeuer Wherefore I would aduise thee good Reader to get it speedilie
giue vs such power to resist him as wee may haue victorie euen vnto the ende Thus yee see what wee haue to remember vppon this text of Moseses Furthermore where as hee saith that God led his people about by the space of eight and thirtie yeeres vntill such time as all those that were able to beare armour at the time that the people murmured were consumed it serueth still to bring to rememberance the thing that hath beene spoken namely that God executed the vengeance which he had threatened to his people And as wee see it is a verie profitable lesson to teach vs to tremble at Gods threatenings as well as to bee mooued at his promises Such is our nature that when GOD promiseth vs any thing wee fall to scanning and disputing of it so as wee cannot rest vppon it to say it shall bee so wee cannot conclude that it is Gods will True it is that we will confesse it with our mouth but as for to bee fully resolued of it wee will none of that vnlesse his trueth bee well sealed and warranted in our heartes by his holie spirite And yet euen then too we be so inclyned to distrust that we draw still backe from the thing that God promiseth vs so brutish and dulheaded are we And this appeareth yet more when he threatneth vs So much the more then ought wee to thinke vppon his iudgementes and to consider that if hee bee prouoked the threatenings that hee hath vttered with his mouth shall not fall to the grounde but haue their effect and performance Thus ye see to what purpose Moses rehearseth again that all they which were aboue twentie yeere olde at the time that the people murmured were consumed and that not by casualtie but according to the Lordes owne saying And this was to assure the people yet more to the ende they might perceiue that Gods threatening of them was in good earnest And herewith all let vs also call to rememberance that God cannot abide that men shoulde despise and refuse the benefite that hee offereth and let occasion slippe for if hee open the gate and men will not enter hee cannot beare with that negligence of theirs matched with disobedience For what was the cause that God was so prouoked to anger that hee sware that all the carkeises of the people shoulde rotte in the wildernesse Num. 14.31 and that hee vsed so sharpe wordes vnto them It was for that they had refused to enter into the lande that hee had promised them Wee see then that vnthankefulnesse prouoketh Gods vengeance against vs to the vttermost specially when wee refuse the benefite that hee offereth vs and that such refusall proceedeth of wilfulnesse and malice which happeneth in manner continually For what maketh vs so loath to receiue the good turnes that GOD woulde doe vs but our owne vnbeleefe forasmuch as wee thinke not that he will keepe touch with vs but rather fall to reasoning what will become of it And therefore let vs marke well that men shall neuer bereaue themselues of Gods benefits but through their owne distrust Wherefore it standeth vs so much the more on hande to indeuour to beleeue al the promises of our God and to receiue his sayings purely and simply and to yeeld vnto them without any gainesaying Lo wherupon it behoueth vs to rest Nowe as concerning the time true it is that God coulde haue destroyed them all at the first day which prouoked him so to anger he coulde haue sent an Angell to haue made cleane riddaunce of them and yet haue preserued the young folke by myracle so as they shoulde haue come into the lande the first day but hee ledde them vp and downe by the space of fortie yeares And why did hee so To the ende that others shoulde take example by them For God seeth that wee profite better by his corrections and iudgements in processe of time than if hee shoulde punish vs out of hande and away Indeede in our owne imagination wee had leuer that God shoulde thunder downe at the first dash and wee thinke wee shoulde perceiue his power much better if hee wiped them quite out of the world which haue offended him and that wee might see the wicked consumed at once And what woulde become of it if hee shoulde out of hande destroy and take away all those out of the worlde which are not worthie to liue in it If it were so wee woulde within a day or twaine forget the thinges that he had shewed vs before our eyes Wee may well weene the contrarie but God knoweth that it is so For hee leaueth the wicked heere in this worlde where they haue their delightes sportes and triumphes at their pleasure and that is to trie our patience Neuerthelesse sometimes God setteth them languish as well as other folkes so as a man may see them dragge their legges after them and they bee as it were vppon the racke and God setteth them before vs as looking glasses so as we may well perceiue that it is more for our profite to see his iustice so prolonged by making the wicked to languish after that manner than if hee shoulde sende them their punishmentes out of hande This saye I stickes faster in our rememberance Yee see then howe wee be better taught by the delay of Gods iustice than if it were executed at once and out of hande And that was the cause why it behoued God to bee fortie yeeres space in consuming the people to shewe them that they were not worthie to enter into the promised lande For thereby the younger sort were occasioned to thinke why did not God giue vs the fruition of the lande at the first day It is because our fathers murmured against him And so are wee depriued of the inheriting thereof from our childhoode and that not for a day or two but it was Gods will that we shoulde wander in this wildernesse a long time to the end that the sinne of our fathers might be the better printed in our minds to beware that wee followed them not in that behalfe Yee see then that by this meanes the yonger folke were taught to liue in the feare of God and to be better aduised than their fathers were And therefore whensoeuer God executeth not his iustice vppon the wicked to make cleane riddance out of hande but consumeth them by little and little let vs learne to hold our wittes alwayes tied vp and as it were in suspense And in the meane time let vs take the instruction that God giueth vs thereby learne to beare them wel in mind and neuer to forget them for his intent is to put vs in minde of them vntil we haue throughly digested them After this manner must wee practise this doctrine concerning the time that is set downe heere by Moses wherein God led his people vp and downe by the space of eight and thirtie yeares wherevnto two yeares moe were added afterwarde to make vp the full number of fortie
Because they haue misused his goodnesse and the instruction that he gaue them When wee see that this cause went afore that is to wit that men did wilfully shut their eyes that they would not heare and that they would not receiue any instruction but rather labored to abolish Gods truth vtterly is it not reason that they should bee giuen vp to the spirit of giddinesse Nay moreouer they will needes be wittie to mocke God and we see a nomber of these skoffers which are alwayes frumping and to their seeming God is but a babe By reason hereof hee shaketh them vtterly of in such wise as they become brute beastes Now then when that cause goeth afore wee see that God executeth his Iustice and punisheth men in such sort as wee can not but glorifie him Marke that for one poynt True it is that sometime there shall be speciall causes Rom. 1.19 but the saying of Saint Paul in the first chapter to the Romans extendeth yet further For there wee see that God hath iust reason to blinde all the world and that if hee should doe so he should doe but the office of a iudge For why although the heathen had no doctrine preached vnto them yet doe the heauens and the earth speake sufficiently vnto them inasmuch as God doth shewe himselfe there But who are they that honor and serue God for all their inioying of the benefites which he bestoweth vpon them in this world All are vnthankefull all are malicious wee cobble vp Gods riches here and in the meane while regard not how much we be beholden to him at leastwise to doe him homage for them And therefore it is reason that he should giue vp men into a leude minde â—om 1.24 â—6 28 as sayth Sainte Paule and that hee should deliuer them into wicked lustes so as they should forget themselues and ouershoote themselues and giue ouer themselues to all vngratiousnesse and to all maner of shamefull and horrible dealings And why For they honoured not their creator that made them had shewed himselfe so bountifull and mercifull to them And therefore whensoeuer God hardeneth men wee must thinke he hath iust reason to doe so because our leawdnesse and vnthankfulnesse are to be found euery where But yet neuerthelesse if there appeare no apparant cause and that when we haue sought neuer so much why God hardeneth men wee finde no cause at all yet let vs not therefore cease to glorifie him though wee see not the reason of his doings As for example a man might aske why Sehon was hardened rather than the Moabites Edomites and Ammonites Ye see here foure nations betweene whom there was no oddes I meane as in respect of naughtinesse For if wee thinke that the Ammonites and Edomites were better than the Amorrhits it is but folly and a deceiuing of our selues Then were they all as infidelles and coulde haue found in their hartes that Gods people had bin vtterly sunk But God boweth the heartes of the Ammonites and such others to the end that they should not enter into warre Hee meckeneth and suppleth them as if a wilde beaste were tamed and in the meane while he hardeneth Sehons hart pricking him and inflaming him foreward to the ende he should come to giue battell Whence commeth such diuersitie Wee cannot alleadge any reason our wit is too rawe and weake thereto And againe God concealeth his purpose from vs in that behalfe What shall wee doe then although wee be at our wits end in this case let vs learne to doe God so much honor as to acknowledge that hee is iust and vpright in all his doinges And although the thing be straunge to our vnderstanding and it seeme to vs that wee might speake against it yet notwithstanding let vs forbeare to reply and let vs humble our selues vnder the maiestie of our God For truely the thing wherein he wil try mens humilitie is that wee should glorifie him in al his works yea euen though they agree not ne match not with our natural reasoÌ„ Rom. 1.5.16 26. There is not a truer obedience of faith than that And if they which babble so much nowadayes against Gods prouidence had learned but this one principle of honoring GOD by confessing that hee is righteous and measured not his Iustice or righteousnesse by their owne brayne there would be no more difficultie But what There are a sorte of proud beggers which set themselues against GOD and swelle at him lyke Toades Insomuch that if they haue once taken a toy in their head although GOD haue spoken the flat contrary they passe not for that neither will they surcease their rage for it But as for our part to the intent wee may be Gods true disciples let vs bridle our wittes and hold them as prisoners and captiues vnder the doctrine of the holy scripture which is that God holdeth mens hartes in his hand and turneth them to gentlenesse when hee listeth as we see he did in Egypt Exod. 11.3 12.36 Behold the Egyptians were ful of spite and crueltie so as they ment nothing else but to haue vtterly destroyed the people of Israel But yet in one minute of an houre and euen in the turning of a hand God wrought in such wise that they were chaunged They yeelded vp all their vessell of golde and siluer at the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of y e people To be short they did more for the children of Israel than the fathers would haue done for their owne children And whereof came this Euen of Gods changing of their hartes when hee thought good Also on the contrary part God holdeth mens hartes in his hand to harden them as he listeth And if this seeme straunge vnto vs let vs acknowledge the weakenesse of our vnderstanding and let vs alwayes first and formost confesse God to bee righteous and therewithall reuerence his high and deepe secretes sith wee cannot atteine vnto them Thus yee see what we haue to remember in the first place Also wee haue to note the ende for which this was done God sayth Moses was determined to destroy Sehon GOD had already assigned him his iudgement that was the cause why hee hardened him It is not in this text onely that the holy Ghost speaketh so But when God sendeth his Prophet Esay and telleth him that the people shal be hardened and blinded yea euen the more after their hearing of all the matters and warninges that should be giuen them he addeth I will haue this people blinded to the ende they conuert not and I should heale them As if he should say this people is not worthie to bee pitied at my hand or to haue any mercy shewed them and therefore they must dwell still in their destruction And that they may doe so I will harden their hartes stop their eares and blinde their eyes so as they shall be past all amendement Let vs vnderstand that in so doing God hath alwayes iust reason but yet is it not to be
sillie sheepe should hearken to our shepeheardes voyce and quite forget the sufficiencie which the vnbeleeuers imagine themselues to haue Let vs thinke there is nothing in vs but errour and follie there is nothing but vanitie and leasing vntil our God haue taught vs. That is the point that God wold bring vs to But it is exceeding hard for men to restaine them selues continually from being puffed vp with this fond ouerweening of selfe-wisedome And therewithall is mingled curiositie Our eares itch to heare this and that wee make discourses we haue our imaginations and a nomber of things do runne in our heads Why should not this be good say we Why should not that bee lawfull Bicause then that curiositie hath taken so deepe roote in our mindes therefore cannot God hold vs to the pure simplicitie of his worde Rom. 8.7 Besides this wee haue a sorte of naughtie affections which turne vs away from God and are al of them enemies to make warre against God so as wee cannot so much as thinke a good thought but we bee full of vice and corruption That is the cause why wee cannot hold our selues in obedience vnto God And yet notwithstanding when wee haue offended him a thousand wayes doe wee fall to amending of any whit of it Yea marie but after what fashion After our owne guise Wee lay on plaisters that make the sore worse as wee see hath befallen in all ages For the Prophets fought against these same vices without ceassing Although the people of Israel had the lawe with such strait restraints as ye see here yet were their fingers alwaies itching to intermingle some inuentions of their own therewithall The Prophets cried out how now Shall your God neuer ouerrule you as his flocke He hath purchased you by deliuering you from the bondage of Pharao he hath giuen you his lawe hee hath helped you a nomber of wayes besides and yet ye cannot finde in your hearts to liue as he will haue ye And wherefore was this people so vnruly First bicause of pride which as I told you hath reigned in men in all ages for that the Iewes would needes be able to rule themselues For they were of opinion that whatsoeuer seemed good to themselues y e same ought to haue bene allowed of God The verie ground frō whence they tooke their boldnes to make al the chāges of Religion y t happened among thē was their gasing about them their thinking w t themselues wee see that our neighbours do thus Hereby superstition gat ful scope so as they ran gadding after the idoles of y e heathen And when they sawe that they had troden Gods lawe vnder foote Oh said they this must be amended And howe By dubling y e mischiefe from time to time Wee see the like in the Popedome and would God wee had the wit to profite our selues by such examples and lookingglasses For what is the chief point that troubleth Christendome at this day Wee demaund that men should heare God speake and that therevppon there should no doctrine be receiued that is deuised at the pleasure of men but that the world shoulde submit it selfe to God that the holye scripture should be taken as the doctrine of perfection and that wee should acknowledge it to bee Gods trueth whereunto it behoueth our whole life to be framed w tout adding or diminishing That is our demand On the cōtrarie part it is certaine that all Poperie must needes fall to the ground except mens inuentions may haue their full course so as Gods word may bee mingled turmoiled stuffed yea and euen falsified w t mens deuises And yet notwithstanding the Papists are so shamelesse still as to vpbraide vs that we will needes be too wise in our owne conceits Yea marie but wherein When it comes to the triall wee desire no more but that Gods worde may not in any wise be diminished and that the thinges which wee thinke good of our selues should not be admitted but that wee should forsake whatsoeuer is of man and thrust it vtterly vnder foote and abolish it so as onely God may bee exalted Is it our intent to be ouerwise when we confesse first of all that there is nothing but foolishnesse in men and that such as will needes be skilfull and wittie of themselues are starke mad inasmuch as they can not put themselues wholly into Gods hand to bee gouerned by him as he listeth And yet notwithstāding that is the thing wherein wee differ And that is it that ingendreth most strife in these dayes bicause the Papistes cannot yeelde to this reason that God should bee obeyed according to his worde and that men should be contented to bee taught by him in his schole In deede they will not bee so bolde as to denie that Gods lawe is holy and rightful but yet to their seeming God hath spoken but by halues men had neede of a higher and profounder doctrine and of straiter lawes But it is not said here that men should but onely heare what God saith afterward do what they list themselues No God giueth them no such choise For what a thing were that He shoulde not onely admit vs to bee his fellowes but also giue vs superioritie ouer him And y t were euen a turmoiling of heauen earth togither a hellish cōfounding of al things Yet notwithstāding such hath it bin such is it still among the Papists at this day For notwithstanding that they graunt Gods Law to be holy and righteous yet they ceasse not to turmoile it with whatsoeuer seemes good to themselues O say they this is the commandemēt of our mother holy Church this is a doctrine of hirs y t must be obserued this is a good deuotion this is a law of hirs this is an ordināce To be short there is no ho. And is this an obeying of y t which Moses saith here So then let vs learne to giue attentiue eare to this exhortation seeing it is not for nought y t it is so often repeated vnto vs. And if y e Prophets in old time had so hard hold w t the people for this vice let vs assure our selues y t we also shall euer be vnruly wildheaded vntill our Lorde haue tamed vs by long handling made vs to sticke to this groūd That it is no more lawfull for vs in any wise to adde any thing to his law than it is lawfull for vs to take any thing from it Now in deede the Papists alledge y t this was spoken to the Iewes but y t as for vs we be now vnder the law of libertie But they speake like beasts For when the Gospell is named the Law of libertie it is not ment y t God layeth the bridle in our neckes and that we may henceforth followe our owne swindge but as I said afore it is bicause it beareth with vs continueth not the extreme rigor of cursing vs whē wee haue not performed Gods commandemēts in
shewed himselfe to our face and vouchsafed to bee knowen of vs familiarlie Now we we see what Moses ment For his meaning is to set forth the greeuousnesse of the peoples sin if it should so fall out that they shoulde turne away from the purenes which they had learned in the lawe As if he should say True it is that euen from the creation of the worlde most men haue not ceased to ouershoote themselues into a number of errors and follies but that came to passe because they had not so special a teaching as you haue whereby they might haue had certeinetie of faith to rest themselues vpon Therefore the wretched infidels went astray but yet was not their sin so greeuous and outragious For although they were vnexcusable yet had they not any such teaching as you But as for you yee haue had Gods couenaÌ„t wherby ye were brought into his house hee hath shewed himselfe as a father towards you taught you as his childreÌ„ this is that holy band wherby god hath tyed him selfe to you now then if you should turne backe againe and become like those wretched beastes which neuer knew nor tasted of gods truth what a thing were it Might you pretende them for a shrowding sheete and say other men do so as wel as we Yea but yet had not those othermen such teaching as you haue had Nowe therefore acknowledge the grace that God hath bestowed vppon you in shouling you out from all nations of the earth in coming so nigh vnto you And in deed y e same is the very cause why y t when the heathen are condeÌ„ned in their supertitions it is said on the contrarie part that y e Lord dwelleth in Sion his maiesty is knowen there After that manner doth the Prophet Abacucke speake in his second chapter Abac. 2.20 and it is a doctrine that is rife ynough euery where As if it were saide The world runnes at randon and euery man forgeth and setteth vp some God priuately to himselfe but as for the God which hath shewed himself to bee the true liuing God his voyce soundeth in mount Sion where the temple was builded TheÌ„ sith it is so although the whole world bee caried away go wandering in the darke yet must not we be remoued forasmuch as he hath set vp his seat among vs and we know him by his voyce by his word And here we see why it is said in the Psalmes where Gods kingdome is spoken of in such wise as it was to bee stablished in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ Psal. 97.1.3 5. 115.3.4 as wel in the fourescore and sixteenth psalme as in other psalmes The Lord reigneth Let y e far countries reioyce therat let all ydols be confounded and let all that is set vp by men be throwen downe For when wee haue the truth which driueth away al darkness ignorance then haue we the verie meane to destroy al superstition And to the same purpose also is there this like saying in Esay Esa. 19.1 when the Lord reigneth then shal al the ydols of Egypt fal And why For the wretched Infidels weene they doe well and thinke they do God good seruice in following their fond superstitions But when God is once set afore them then his maiestie bereaueth them of all excuse and he must needs as then be magnified And that is y e cause why it is said in another place Esa. 25.9 This is the Lord this is the Lord. The prophet in the person of all the faithful defieth the ydols with their abuses because GOD should be knowen accordingly as al things were accomplished at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Now then the thing y t we haue to gather vpon this tâ—xt is that when we once knowe God by his word wee must be so fully resolued and assured thereof that although the whole wretched world run rouing after their owne abuses and superstitions yet we must keepe on our way still that seing we haue a sure foundation which cannot be shaken that is to wit gods infallible truth wee must let those blinde wretches breake their necks sith we cannot remedie it and in y e meane while we must go forward still as the Lord commaundeth vs seing he hath reached vs his hand to draw vs to him And although this was spoken to the Iewes by Moses yet it perteineth eueÌ„ now vnto vs. For wee see what fauor God hath shewed vs aboue others All the worlde is full of error and diuelish imaginations wretched men are become brutish in their ignorance But what Neither hath the doctrine of life bene preached vnto them neither haue they euer in good earnest vnderstood what God is Indeede they can speake of him but that is but at randon without order But wee haue the scripture declared vnto vs and by that mean God communicateth himself to vs and allureth vs so sweetly vnto him as he could not doe any more for vs except hee should take vs into his lap and yet we see he applieth himselfe to our infirmitie he chaweth our morsels to vs he feedeth vs with pappe speaketh to vs like a nurse Now when we see that our God manifesteth himselfe so familiarly vnto vs there is no more excuse for vs wee may no more mingle our selues in the order or ranâ—ke of vnbeleeuers For our state is cleane contrarie Rom. â—â—â— God is hidden from them and yet shall they not faile to perish in their ignorance as they be worthie But as for vs if we be so stubborne against God that euen of a spitefull malice wee will not obey the things that he sheweth vs but wil play the wilde beastes with him so as hee cannot reclaime vs to himselfe and that euen when we knowe him and do vnderstand that it is hee which ought to be honored yet wee be so vnconstant and wauering still as to turne away after our owne dotages shall we not bee doublie condemned Shall not horrible vengeance hang ouer our heades Then let vs beare in mind that in asmuch as our Lorde hath made a couenant with vs that is to say hath called vs into his Church to be taught by his worde that this is the onely meane wherewith wee may bee armed and fortified against all superstitions This is one point And let vs also marke therewithall that horrible condemnation hangeth ouer our heades if we wander away and hold not our selues to the simplicitie of Gods doctrine but bee carried away hither and thither by our owne lusts These are the two pointes which we haue to marke vpon this text Wherefore let vs learne to make our profite and commoditie of the worde that is preached vnto vs for the same purpose That is to wit albeit that all bee full of corruption and errour yet let not vs bee shaken downe nor bee wauering as manie men are to saye yea marie but there is so much disagreement that
leuer to winne vs by his goodnesse than to restraine vs by his threatnings And therefore hee saith My children looke not that I shoulde punish you Truely if yee prouoke mee I will not suffer my selfe to bee so mocked at your hands but yet for all that when I haue told you of my displeasure I had much leuer to traine you and to winne you to me by mercie Therefore I tell you that if you abide pure and sounde in my obedience I also will continue in doing good vnto you euen vnto a thousande generations so as your children after you shall find me the same still Thus yee see what we haue to remember vpon that sentence Moreouer for a conclusion it is not for nought that God vseth the terme Mercie notwithstanding that it bee as a rewarde for the seruice that is done vnto him Hee might well haue saide I will consider the seruice of such as shall haue honoured and serued mee and when men shall haue loued mee by keeping my commaundementes I will shewe them that they haue not lost their labour in taking paines to honour me God might haue spoken so but hee saieth I will shewe mercie And howe may that bee Doeth it not seeme that if we serue God hee oweth vs recompence No but hee sheweth that his doing of good to such as honour him and followe his commaundements is not of bounde duetie nor for any desert of theirs for euen in so doing hee vseth mercie still And the terme Mercie serueth to beate down all pride of men so as they may not boast of their owne workes as though they were worthy of recompence but rather consider that thereby God ment to declare that when we serue him the best that we can we haue still neede to be borne withall at his hande and to haue our faultes and infirmities forgiuen vs. Thus are there two thinges for vs to marke in this place The one is that although wee serue God neuer so purely yet his recompensing of vs is not vppon any duetie that hee oweth vnto vs. 1. Cor. 15.10 For indeede whence commeth our seruing of him but of his meere grace And what can hee then owe vnto vs Nay there is yet a further matter namely that we should all of vs be found faultie in his sight Rom. 3.4 if he listed to examine vs rigorously So then whereas God recompenseth vs for our seruing of him hee doeth it for his owne meere goodnesse and therfore not of any bounde duetie but which more is hee is faine to pardon our sinnes and to beare with vs yea euen in the good that wee doe Wherefore let vs consider that God sheweth himselfe so gratious and freeharted towards vs that where as hee might make vs to feele his rigour hee is contented to make vs tast of his mercie by bearing with vs in our infirmities For let vs not think but that without his mercie we were al vndone and that although we stroue neuer so much to obey him yet wee shoulde be found faultie if he vsed not y e foresaid gracious goodnes wherof he speaketh So then that is the thing wherevnto we must flee for refuge if we intend to be sure of our saluation Nowe let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs feele them better than wee haue done that it may leade vs to true repentance so as being taught to feare him wee may stande in such awe that as soone as he threateneth vs with his wrath wee may conceiue the power that is in him to the ende that being humbled in our selues wee may haue recourse to his fatherly goodnesse not doubting but that when hee hath once begunne to shewe himselfe a father and Sauiour towards vs he will continue so stil yea euen after our decease so that wee shrinke not from him through our owne naughtinesse and disobedience That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the xix of Iune 1555. The xxxiij Sermon which is the fourth vpon the fift Chapter 11 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him guiltlesse which taketh his name in vaine IF we were well aduised we needed not to bee taught to yeelde reuerence to our God for nature ought to leade vs thereto To what ende are we created in this worlde To what ende liue we here but to honour him to whom wee be beholden for al good things and to giue our selues to the glorifying of his maiestie That then is the end and whole summe of our life But in the meane season in steede of honouring our God and of applying our selues that way we seeme to haue conspyred the cleane contrarie For some of vs woulde haue all remembrance of God buried some despise him and mocke him and othersome blaspheme him with open mouth so as we shewe sufficiently that wee knowe not to what end we liue or should liue Now forasmuch as there is this vice in vs God intending to redresse the same telleth vs that we ought at leastwise to refraine from abusing his holy name for that is as an vnhallowing thereof And therefore hath hee forbidden men to take his name in vaine By these wordes he meaneth that wee must consider well which is the right and lawfull vse of his name Of a trueth wee be not worthie to take Gods name in our mouth after any manner at all for wee must remember what the Prophet Esay saide in his sixt Chapter Esa. 6.5 Lorde quoth he I haue vncleane lippes and dwell among a people that is altogether defiled Seeing then that we haue nothing but infection and filthinesse in vs it is certain that we may not take Gods name in our mouth at leastwise if it were not that God of his goodnes were willing that we should vse his name so it bee to glorifie him withall Therefore let vs marke well that when as it is saide that we shall not take the name of God in vaine our Lord rebuketh vs for our vnthankfulnesse if we haue not the skill to vse his name as he hath giuen vs leaue by following the rule that is set downe in his worde for that is the lawful meane whereby wee may rightly vse the name of God Neuerthelesse to the end that this may be yet plainlyer vnderstoode wee must marke that vnder one particular God meant to shewe vs here what a maiestie is in his name to the intent we shoulde not speake of it but with all reuerence and honour Therefore he taketh one particular kinde to wit of an othe specially when occasion serueth to sweare and vseth it for all prophaning of God his name whatsoeuer We see howe our Lorde loueth vs seeing he lendeth vs his name whereby to communicate with our neighbours Exod. 22.10 11. Hebr. 6.16 so as
That God spake with a loude voyce Hereby Moses sheweth that the Lawe is no hidden doctrine and that men can not alledge that they bee not of sufficient learning for not with out cause did God so lift vp his voyce when he intended to giue a rule for men to liue by It is added expressely That it was doone to the whole multitude As if he should say It is true that God hath chosen men from among you to gouerne you and that he hath giuen them his spirit but yet for all that he will haue his lawe knowen euen of the rudest and most ignorant Psal. 19.8 so as it may be a wisedome common to all men That is one of the pointes which we haue to marke here The seconde is That God added not any thing more after those ten sentences Wherein Moses doeth the people to vnderstand that this briefenesse which God vseth ought to incourage vs to receiue the thinges that he speaketh For if he should lay great volumes before vs we might replie that all our life would not suffice to studie them God therefore was not ouerlong in giuing vs his woord There are but onely ten verses of them Let vs count them vpon our fingers and wee shall haue instruction ynough in all things that are requisite for our life Yea herewithall Moses meant to doe vs to wit also that seeing God hath giuen vs such a sure rule as he intended not to adde any whit at all to y t which he had spoken alreadie it behoueth vs to holde vs to it and it is not lawfull for any creature to adde aught vnto it Thus much concerning the second point For the third point he rehearseth that againe which he had sayde heretofore that is to wit That God in setting forth his lawe Deut. 4.11 spake from out of the cloud and that the mountaine smoked and that there were flames of fire and flashes of lightening flew to and fro Whereto tendeth all this That the doctrine might carrie the greater Maiestie and that men might be moued to humble themselues reuerently before GOD and to submit themselues wholly to his word and to obey the same These are the three notable points which Moses rehearseth here before he proceede to the rest Now as touching y e first let vs remember what hath bene said afore that is to say That God spake loud and shirle and not to a fewe folke but generally to all the people which thing was doone to make vs vnderstand that Gods woord shall bee cleare and certaine to vs so wee playe not the deafe folkes wilfully True it is that our wits are so weake as we shall neuer vnderstand one word of the things that God speaketh to vs except he inlighten vs by his holy spirit 1. Cor. 2.13 for the sensuall man vnderstandeth not the heauenly thinges Those then are too high for vs. But whereof cōmeth that fault and vice but of our owne blindnesse Yet notwithstanding Gods trueth as in respect of it selfe and in it owne nature is easie open ynough and therefore let vs not charge it with darksomnesse Againe what is to be done if we would haue God to make vs profite in his word Let vs be lowely and of small reputation for it is not in vaine that he hath promised to teache the lowely Psal. 25.9 Then let vs not trust to our own wit let vs not come with ouerweening and loftinesse as though wee thought our selues of sufficient capacitie to iudge of the thinges that shall bee said vnto vs but let vs rather beseeche God to open our eyes and to reach vs his hand and let vs confesse that we haue not the aptnesse to profite in his schoole further foorth than he giueth it vs. If wee bee at that point let vs not doubt but that Gods word will be easie to vs and wee shall vnderstand what he intendeth to say Hereby we see what wretchednes hath bin in y e world whereby the cōmon people and welneere all other men haue bene plucked backe from reading the holy scriptures For it hath bene an opinion that it belonged to none but Monkes Priestes yea in the end there was such beastlinesse as it seemed that diuinitie ought to bee locked vp in chestes or caskets But yet for all that this record hath indured and must indure to the worldes ende namely that God hath spoken with a loude voyce not hidden or shrunke himselfe aside into some litle odde nooke Therfore it was too shamefull a thanklesnesse that men haue so left Gods woord as it were in a wildernesse And wee ought to marke this text so much the more where it is saide that God spake not to some Doctor onely but to all the people in common yea euen to the verie simplest sort of them In respect whereof we haue cause to magnifie the goodnesse of our God in restoring the benefite vnto vs whereof wee see the most part of the world bereft for their churlishnesse and retchlesnesse sake so that now adays Gods word soundeth among vs and we may reade it and be partakers of it both openly and secretly and the treasures thereof are set foorth to vs so as wee may inioy them and that is an inestimable benefite which wee ought to magnifie Againe let vs be diligent in giuing eare to our God and let no man alledge excuses to shift himselfe from him For seeing that God speaketh to all y e companie of the faithfull euen to as many as are baptized in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ let euery man on his owne behalfe and in his degree indeuour to profite thereby and let all of vs in common take God for our schoolemaister and bee readie to hearken to him whensoeuer it pleaseth him to speake vnto vs which thing he doth daily Thus much concerning the first point where it is said that God spake to the whole multitude Now let vs come to the second point that is to wit That he added not any thing and that is to the end that we should be the willinger to heare what is contained in the Lawe It is true that all that euer is set downe in writing by Moses belongeth to the Lawe Likewise the thinges that the Prophets haue left vnto vs and finally that which is added in the Gospell containe all one substance And though the Byble be very great yet notwithstanding GOD hath made it all to ame at one certaine marke to the intent wee should not goe wandering at rouers nor bee driuen to make too much seeking whither wee should goe For why All is referred to ten verses as I haue said alreadie Let vs recken vppon our fingers and wee shall haue Gods commaundements we shall haue a summe of the thinges which we ought to beare in minde that we may be good schollers to Godward Seeing there is such briefenesse must in not needes be that men are too froward if they refuse such teaching and
vttered his trueth to men by his Lawe and by the Prophetes and Apostles his will is that the same ministerie should indure continualy namely that there should bee men ordeined and appointed to the office of expounding his worde and of building vp his Church Then let vs vnderstand that after that maner the Church is the meane of vpholding Gods trueth sounde and vnappayred For when God rayseth vppe men indued with his spirite to confirme vs in the faith and to inlighten vs and to shewe vs the right way by that meane Gods trueth continueth in the worlde so as it is not quenched nor vtterly done away Let vs mark then that Moseses meaning here is not to make him selfe the onely possessor or owner of Gods lawe and to shake off the people and to shutte them out of the gate but to vtter his minde plainely to this effect my friendes in deede the Lawe is common to vs all all of vs are Gods children I chalendge no more to my selfe in that behalfe than to you but yet will I dischardge my selfe of the commission that God hath giuen mee which is that I should serue you for a faithfull expounder of the Lawe and bee as a keeper thereof that yee might not thrust it vnder foote nor forget it for euer but alwayes bee put in minde of it by mee Sith it is so let all ministers of Gods worde looke that they bee readie prepared to serue the ignoraunt and let all men consider howe it is not for vs onely to reade the holy scripture but wee must also be diligent to profit therein and humbly come to y e hearing of those whom he hath appointed to be his ministers to giue vs the exposition vnderstanding therof Thus ye see whereto this text is to be referred Now let vs kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better and to drawe vs dayly to such repentance as our whole desire may be to serue him and to please him without seeking any whit of our own will And that forasmuch as we be so greatly giuen to worldly thinges it may please him to drawe vs from them and therewithall to graunt that wee may submit our lyfe to his will and frame it to his righteousnesse and that for the bringing thereof to passe his worde may so ouerrule vs as wee may bee gouerned by it and all our whole lyfe be framed thereafter vntill that being quite rid of all our fleshly affections wee be clothed againe with his heauenly glory at such time as wee shall haue no more neede neither of writing nor of preaching That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the xvij of Iuly 1555. The xliij Sermon which is the fourteenth vpon the fifth Chapter 23 And when yee heard the voice from the middest of darkenesse because the Hill burned yee came to mee all the heades of your tribes and your Elders 24 Then saide you Behold the Lord our God hath shewed vs his glorie and his greatnesse and wee haue hearde his voice from the middest of the fire This day haue wee seene that GOD hath spoken with man and man is still aliue 25 Now then why die wee for if wee heare the voice of our Lord God againe this great fire will deuour vs and we shall die 26 For what man is hee that may heare the voice of the liuing God speaking from the middest of the fire as we doe and yet liue 27 Goe thou and heare whatsoeuer the Lord our God shall say and then tell thou vs what the Lord our GOD saieth to thee and wee will heare it and doe it WEe bee of opinion that where as God causeth his worde to be preached vnto vs by y e meanes of men if he spake to vs in his owne maiestie or sent some Angell to appeare vnto vs wee would bee the better touched and all the world would bee conuerted by and by and euery man obey without gaine saying or rebelling but wee knowe not what is for our owne benefite and behoofe For if wee looke vppon our owne frailtie it is not possible that God should make vs feele his power but it shoulde be to our vtter vndooing and destruction Now therefore when men are desirous that God should come downe from heauen or manifest himselfe by some visible token they know not what they bee nor how frayle their state is For did they wel consider it they would bee agast at Gods infinite glorie knowing well that they were not able to abide it Besides this let vs assure our selues that God tendereth our welfare and saluation in shewing vs his will by the mouth of men when hee ordeyneth and appoynteth them to be ministers of his worde to bring vs such message as hee knoweth to bee for our benefite Neuerthelesse it was his pleasure to auowe it by open proofe to mens faces that it is not good for them to heare his voyce thunder from heauen And that is the cause why hee thought good to giue forth his lawe not simply by Moses but by comming downe in his owne person as I haue declared already and as I tolde you yesterday that the lightninges and whirlewindes and the flaming of the fire and all that is written in the ninteenth and twentith chapters of Exodus Exod. 19.18.19 20.18 was done euery whit of it to the end that the people of Israell should learne to yeede reuerence to Gods word And this lesson belongeth to vs also For Gods inteÌ„t was that the remembrance of those thinges shoulde indure for euer and that they should be put in vre continually So then we see here that God hath vttered his glorious maiestie once for all to teach vs to receiue his worde with all reuerence and lowlynesse But yet furthermore hee intended lykewise y t the people should bee driuen of themselues to say It is not good that God should speake to vs againe Onely let vs haue a man to bring vs the doctrine which it shall please him to send vs. And this rule serueth to condemne vs if wee followe not this people which stepped forth to say so And if any man alledge that the thinges which were spoken at that time cannot binde vs The answere is easie namely that if God should doe the lyke at this day that is to wit if hee should speake y e thinges with his owne mouth which we heare at the mouthes of men it were impossible for vs to abide his glory wee should bee vtterly vndone And therefore let vs learne that this is rehearsed vnto vs to the ende that in the person of the people of Israell wee might vnderstand that God applyeth himselfe to our â—lendernesse and infirmitie and that in voutsafing to send vs his worde to bee preached vnto vs by men lyke our selues whome hee maketh his
1.18 That no man euer saw God but the sonne who hath alwayes beene in the bosome of the father hath reuealed him vnto vs. The fathers of olde time had a knowledge as I said but that knowledge is esteemed as none at all in comparison of the knowledge which we haue now adayes by the Gospell Matt. 4.2 God sheweth himselfe more plainely vnto vs by the shining forth of the daysunne of righteousnesse And for the same cause the Prophet Esay treating of the redemption that was to bee perfourmed in the person of the sonne of God Esa. 25.9 saith expressely Behold this is he beholde this is our God The Prophet crieth out this is he this is our God He contenteth not himselfe to say behold our God but he speaketh as if the thing were present and as though God had appeared vnto him How so And was not God in y e mids of his people Exod. 25.8 Yes for he said I will dwel among you And againe This is my rest Sion is y e place where I will dwell Psal. 131.13.14 And afterward he protesteth that he will neuer depart thence and that the people is his temple and a royall Priesthood Why then doeth the Prophet Esay say Behold behold our God this is he this is he when our Lorde Iesus Christ was to come into the world Euen bicause God reuealed himselfe to vs in greater perfection Now then we be the lesse to be excused if we run gadding nowe adayes without holding of our selues to the pure trueth so as euerie of vs turneth away after his own dotages to say it seemeth so to mee this thinke I good Let vs assure our selues that all this is nothing worth but we must repaire to the certaintie that is brought vs by our Lord Iesus Christ. Neuerthelesse so farre off is the worlde from knowing this that it should seeme they bee all bent to spyte God and haue conspired to turne their backes vppon him and to shake off all subiection that they may haue libertie to continue in their disorders and to scape in the meane while vnespyed with their lewdnesse The Iewes are vnexcusable according as wee see howe the Prophetes vpbrayde them with their wilfull forsaking of God Es. 42.19.20 65.10.11 Esa. 55.11 so as they coulde not excuse themselues by saying y t they had not heard any thing as the poore Paynims might doe for God protesteth that he spake not in vaine And now adayes when God speaketh to vs with open mouth 2. Cor. 3.18 and wee haue him perfectly discouered vnto vs by the Gospell is it not too great a lewdnesse that men should runne astray after that fashion Were there euer any superstitions more grosse and more outragious than are to bee seene nowe adayes in the Popedome It is true that the Iewes medled with the superstitions of the Heathen and tooke much filth and vncleannesse of them but if all bee well searched it will bee founde that the Papists haue farre exceeded them For Gods word is as it were at this day buryed among them When they treate of fayth they fetch the points of it from mens inuentions and the holy scripture is in as much reuerence among them as if it were dead and that all thinges went to hauocke Loe at what poynt they bee And if a man speake to them of Gods seruice as I sayde they bee busie about their owne inuentions Yea verily myne intent is good say they and so they beare themselues in hand that God will suffer himselfe to bee dandled lyke a little babe and will neuer come to examine any whit of the doctrine of Poperie Againe if they speake of fayth exhort they men to resort to Gods free promises No but they chalendge all to themselues When they take in hand to treate of the office of Iesus Christ they ouerthrowe the vertue of his death and passion as much as they can When they treate of their saluation then step forth their owne free-will their merites and their satisfactions But contrariwise we should resort to the mere grace of the holy Ghost Ro. 7.17.18 acknowledging our selues to bee in bondage to sinne vntill God deliuer vs from it through his mercie And thereuppon it commeth that the holy Scripture calleth the forgiuenesse of sinnes our righteousnesse That is the point which wee must resort vnto Rom. 3. â—2 23 â—4 to know that when wee haue done amisse wee can bring none other amendes or payment for it than such as wee borrowe of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ. But there is not a word of all this in Poperie When God is to be prayed vnto they make their vagaries to their Heesaintes and Sheesaintes in the meane while Iesus Christ is not knowen to bee as he is neither is let alone with the office that is giuen him by God his father but they depose him lyke a sorte of theeues and traytours that seeke nothing else but to burie him againe and to make hauocke of all the glorie that was giuen him by God his Father After the same sort deale they also in all other things Wee see how the Sacramentes are defiled to the vttermost In stead of the Supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ they haue set vp that same hellish abhomination of the Masse wherein they say that Iesus Christ is sacrificed as though he had done nothing alreadie nor were appointed to be the onely euerlasting Priest by God his father Heb. 7 2â— Wee see then that the Papists haue so dalyed with Gods word wherein he hath reuealed himselfe as it should seeme that they meant of set purpose to wype away the knowledge that is in the Gospell And therefore wee haue so much the more neede to marke well this saying That the Lord is God yea eâ—en the onely one God Nowe then as oft as this word God commeth to our minde let vs assure ourselues that it serueth to cut off all toyes that may come in our heades and all inuentions of men and all other things whereof we haue not warrant in the holy scriptures For God will haue vs to consider him in such wise as wee snarle not ourselues in the imaginations and errours of idolatrie And of a truth we cannot haue the true God except wee haue him alone that is to say without adding any companion vnto him For as soone as we fall to bringing in of vndergoddes we forsake the liuing God And why Bicause his will is to bee alone as he auoweth in another place by his Prophet Esay saying Esa. 41. â—â— I am the liuing God saieth the Lord and I will not giue my glory to any other Againe we haue seene heretofore how he called himselfe a iealous God And why was that but to withdrawe vs from all corruptions 2. Cor. â—â— as S. Paule affirmeth in the second to the Corinthians For as soone as we be turned aside from the simplicitie of Gods word it
stedfastnesse to obey him Thus ye see what we haue to remember vppon that text Furthermore let vs marke that God thought it not ynough to proclaime his Lawe but he did also put it in writing And why because men are shorte witted in bearing away the trueth Therefore is our Lorde faine to prouide for it to warne vs to looke well to all thinges because we be so feeble Had the Iewes done their duetie Gods speaking to them had beene ynough for he had giuen his lawe in so small roome as euerie man might count it vpon his fingers ends These are the ten commaundementes in these hath God comprehended his whole wil which is the rule of good life All this doctrine say I is comprehended in ten verses Ye see then that the people had beene taught familiarly ynough Now if they that heard Gods voyce vpon the mount had done their duetie they should haue taught their children so as the doctrine might haue beene kept in mind from the father to the childe Deut. 6.8 For God had taught them familiarly ynough as I saide afore Insomuch that he had willed them to make their ornaments of y e sentences of the lawe so as in steed of bracelets and other pretie toyes which foolkes do weare to make themselues gay all the deckings of his people shoulde be to haue the sentences of the lawe written ingraued about them that which way soeuer they turned their eyes they might still haue some marke to put them in minde of Gods lawe Howbeit to the ende they shoulde haue a more certaine remembrance therof like as men haue bin wont to ingraue their leages in some tables of brasse or stone so God took stone to write and ingraue his lawe in It was not his pleasure to vse paper or parchment but to haue his law written in stone and that was done not by handicraft for hee borowed no workemanship of man in that behalfe but with his owne finger Not that God hath anie handes but that the holy scripture speaketh so by a resemblance as if it were saide the lawe was not written or ingrauen by mans hand but God approoued and ratified it by way of myracle Now then sith it is so let vs learne that God hath prouided well for the assuring of our faith to the intente we should not be put to any great paine or hardnesse to knowe what wee ought to follow True it is that the worlde will runne into al lewdenes as we see it doeth and the examples thereof are too rise It is pitie to see howe oft the Iewes swarued aside vnto idolatrie it semed that gods name should haue beene abolished among thē all was out of order they had so grosse superstitions as a man coulde not discerne betweene them and the heathen they had so imbaced thēselues as there remained not any more certaintie among them But yet for al that such as were disposed to serue God helde alwayes this point still that they sticked to the certaine doctrine And why For Gods will was set downe in writing When superstitions were to bee corrected the meane to doe it was not harde For why The lawe was written That is the thing which wee must sticke vnto if wee will obey our God and if wee forsake that doctrine God will also forsake vs. VVe see then that God hath prouided sufficiently for the suretie of his people that their faith might not be doutfull but firme and constant As for vs nowe adayes wee haue more than the fathers had in the time of the lawe For wee haue both the lawe and the prophetes and also the gospell What is to bee done then They that alleadge in these dayes I wote not which way to turne mee I see disputinges debates and contrarietie of opinions therefore I will let all alone in suspence must consider also with themselues Yea hath God lost his labour in setting downe his lawe in writing and in adding the exposition thereof by his prophetes to the ende that wee might the better knowe that the gospel is the true and full accomplishment thereof Shall wee accuse God as though hee had left vs at randome so as wee shoulde not knowe what wee haue to doe when he hath giuen vs his infallible trueth and tolde vs that we can neuer be deceiued in obeying the things that proceede out of his mouth So then let vs vnderstande that whereas the worlde goes astray and is ill instructed the onely cause therof is mens own vnthankfulnes For why there is inough prouided to make vs walk in the broade daylight so as wee may defile the superstitions of the faithles and not suffer things to hang any longer in suspence if we haue God reigning ouer vs. Whereby wee see that Gods speaking was not for one day onely but of purpose that the same shoulde continue still euen to the worldes ende Therefore let vs go on boldly seeing we haue the doctrine of the holy scripture and let vs assure our selues that that is the thing which wee must holde vs to so as we must not any more say whither shoulde we go That is the way Deut. 13.5 Esa. 30.21 let vs walke therein as Moses protesteth hereafter Trueth it is that in those two tables are not conteyned all the things that are written in Exodus Leuiticus and the booke which we doe nowe expounde those tables are but an abridgement of them and they conteyne but ten verses Neuerthelesse our Lord meant to shewe by those two tables that all the things which Moses left in writing were of him So then here are two thinges That is to wit that Gods will was there shoulde bee scripture like as when couenants are set downe in writing or leages are ingrauen in tables of brasse euen so was it his will that there shoulde be a perpetuall memoriall of his lawe that men might take no occasion to turne away from it And he made those two tables not to shewe any cunning of man therin but to ingraue his law in thē without out mans hande that it might bee knowen that the same came of him As touching Gods writting twice in the two stones we wil treate thereof hereafter For it is meete that things shoulde be set downe in order and therefore I will not medle with them nowe Nowe remayneth howe Moses addeth that after the tearme of fortie dayes God saide vnto him Vp and get thee downe apace for this people haue soone marred themselues by forgetting mee and the fauour that I haue shewed them Here Moses goeth on still with his matter shewing the people that their reuolting and starting away so soone from GOD was too too shamefull and detestable True it is that although they had helde out foure hundred yea or a thousande yeares yet had they not beene to be excused But now when as they fell to making of an idol and did set vp a Puppet within fortie dayes space euen whyle God was about
that God disclaimed them as if hee had sayd your God giueth you ouer and hath diuorced himselfe from you For in as much as your wickednesse hath separated you from him it is good reason that hee also should stand discharged of his promise and be no more bound to so malicious froward a people as you be who haue vsed such vnfaithfulnes towards him That then is the first reason But there is also another cause which is that wee haue as it were a figure or image that Gods once writing of his Lawe is not ynough for vs but that wee haue neede of a second wryting of it to the intent it may auaile vs and the doctrine thereof benefite vs by shewing it selfe to bee liuely and of effectuall force and power And that is the thing which the Prophetes meane in saying Ier. 31.32.33 that GOD will make a new Couenaunt with his faythfull ones not as hee did with their fathers in Egypt but by writing his Lawe in their heartes and by ingrauing it in their bowels And therefore let vs marke well that GOD meant to doe vs to vnderstand that his wryting of his Lawe in the two tables of stone was by and by voyd and of none effect And why Bycause that if God doe but write his Lawe or cause it to bee preached to vs onely by woorde of mouth there will neuer bee any holde or tacke in it and hee sheweth that the blame thereof is in our selues bycause wee bee not stedfast in keeping the promise that wee haue made vnto GOD but become variable and starte aside out of hand God for his part doth well performe whatsoeuer hee promiseth vs but wee breake off all acquaintance and vnion with him so as we be cut off and banished from him and wee bereaue our selues of all the promises that he offered vs and therefore after he hath once written his law he must be faine to turne againe and write it the second tyme. As how For figures doe not alwaies represent the full truth but there is oftentimes some difference Then let vs marke that the figure varieth from the truth which God sheweth vs and maketh vs to perceiue For hee writeth not his Law the second time in stones but rather whereas our hartes were hard before he chaungeth them and maketh them soft and in stead of stony heartes as sayeth Ezechiell Ezec. 11.19 36.26 he giueth vs hearts of flesh that is to say hee softeneth our heartes and maketh them pliable to the intent wee shoulde receaue his Lawe and haue it ingrauen vs and be able to doe and to follow whatsoeuer he commaundeth vs. Therefore let vs beare this figure well in mynde for as much as it is for our benefite In deede as concerning the first reason it behooueth vs to bethinke our selues well when GOD hath called vs. For if we corrupt his seruice or alter religion at our owne pleasure although there be no Moses to breake the tables of stone yet hath God shewed once for all that he is alyenated from vs and that hee will haue vs to bee as straungers to his house Trueth it is that his election is without repentaunce yet notwithstanding as it is sayd in Exodus Exod 33 19. he will saue whom hee listeth Howbeit if wee sticke not purely to his woorde it is all one as if wee fell out with him and playd the fugitiue and vnruly children and hee will not suffer vs to despise his couenaunt after that maner without auenging of himselfe of such vnthankfulnesse And hee hath shewed vs at that tyme in the person of Moses that hee giueth ouer and forsaketh all those which turne away from the trueth and holde not themselues to it so that for his part hee will haue no more to doe with them nor any more acquaintance with them Wherfore let vs beware that this horrible sentence bee not cast vppon us and whensoeuer our Lorde shall haue called vs let it serue to hold vs in awe and feare But yet let vs know also that it is not ynough for vs to haue our cares beaten with Gods commaundementes and to haue them set before vs and to be incouraged to keepe them for God must bee fayne to worke within our hartes or else all the teaching in the world wil stand vs in no stead it wil be but a sound ringing in the ayre whereof no profite will redownd Nowe then come wee to heare Gods woorde In deede wee ought to make account of the fauour that hee sheweth vs in causing it to bee preached vnto vs but yet let vs assure our selues that that would but turne to our greater condemnation if he ingraued it not in our heartes What is to bee done then We must discharge our selues of all selftrust assuring our selues that wee shall be but euill schollers vntil GOD haue taught vs by his holy spirite Notwithstanding that hee shall haue vsed men as his instrumentes to bring vs to the knowledge of his trueth yet must hee himself bore our eares Psal. â—â—â— that we may hearken to him and hee must touch our hearts and soften them that we may receiue y e doctrine which is vttered vnto vs. Wherefore let vs learn to mislike our selues by acknowledging our owne sinne and wretchednesse and therewithall let vs pray him to woorke in such sort as the things which we shall haue heard and vnderstoode bee not a witnesse against vs of our rebelliousnesse and that wee haue beene foolke past amendment And so as ofte as wee come to any sermon or read the holy Scripture let vs pray God to touche vs inwardly and to make the doctrine auaylable which wee shall haue heard so as it may not bee spoken to the stones but to such as haue beene foretaught by his holy spirite Thus ye see what wee haue to marke vppon tha place Now for the attainement of this second writing wee must not goe to Moses but to our Lord Iesus Christ. For it is he that hath brought vs the holy Ghost Iob. 1◠〈…〉 and the renewment whereby our heartes are refourmed to the obeying of GOD and whereby they bee circumcised that they may be dedicated to his seruice Col. â—â—â— 2. Cor. â—â—â— The if Moses be compared to our Lord Iesus Christ hee is but a minister of the letter And why Bycause hee coulde goe no further than he had commission which was to set foorth Gods doctrine But it belonged to Iesus Christ to giue light to that which Moses had vttered and to giue strength thereunto And how was that By his holy spirit 2. Cor. â—â—â— True is that Saint Paule termeth himselfe a minister of the spirite Howbeit that is not to deface his Maister it is not to drawe to himselfe the thing that belongeth to the sonne of GOD but it is to shewe that our Lorde Iesus Christ vttereth his grace now adayes by the preaching of his Gospell As howe Let vs marke first of all that the
baptisme at this day For circumcision serued to two endes First God thereby condemned all mankinde and all that is of mans owne nature shewing them thereby that all of it is euill And secondely he gaue hope of saluation in y e seede of Abraham accordingly as he had promised To this purpose say I serued y e figure of circumcision namely to put the Iewes in minde y t frō their mothers wombe they brought nothing with thē but condemnation that all y t euer was of man was cursed before God because it had nothing in it but sinne corruption Secondarily againe they were comforted forasmuch as they sawe that God promised them saluation Eph. 1.3 by the seede of man and y t he receiued them into fauour and iustified thē of purpose to haue them separated frō all y e rest of the worlde Gen. 1◠1◠Seeing the Iewes had this prerogatiue surely if they had not ment to deface Gods power as much as in thē lay they should haue made their circumcision auailable by cutting off al y t euer was of their owne nature assuring themselues y t men can not please God Rom. 1. ◠vntill they haue giuen ouer the thinges y t were their owne Hereunto had Moses an eye when he sayd Circumcise your heartes this day For their obseruing of y e figure was nothing except they cōsidered to what end God ment to lead them by it They beguiled themselues with y e visible signes and y t was ynough to thē for Satan hath alwaies this policie with him to make men busie their wits about the thinges y t they see with their eyes as whereunto he seeth them inclined For all our seeking is to content God with faire couers and though we neuer come nie him in verie deede yet would we fain pay him with a sort of pelting trifles The Iewes then esteemed their circumcision ynough too much but yet in so dooing they abused it because they regarded not y e thing y t God ment to shew thē therby but were tied altogether to y e visible signe Therfore doth Moses rebuke them saying thinke not y t the hauing of circumcision in your bodies is all y t you haue to doe for Gods giuing of y t signe vnto you was to help your infirmity of purpose to leade you further therby namely to bring you to true repentāce For when ye once perceiue y t al y t euer is of your own nature bringeth nothing but cursing you shall see that all of it is to be done quite and cleane away Therefore bethinke ye to mortifie your selues as if he should say Circumcision consisteth not in the outwarde paring away of the fleshe but the trueth thereof is within it is your heartes that must bee circumcised Moses his meaning hereby is not to condemne the outwarde signe but to shewe the true vse of it which folke had corrupted through superstition and hypocrisie Accordingly whereunto Ioell sayth Ioel. ◠◠Rend your heartes not your garments Wherin his meaning is not that men should no more shew any token of repētance by humbling themselues before God but to shew that all that euer men do by outwarde signes as by rending of the hayre from their heades and beardes by much weeping by knocking vpon their brests and by al other maner of gestures that may shew them to be abashed in maner out of comfort before God is nothing except y e hart be broken afore Euen so circumcision is vtterly vnprofitable vnles y e hart be circumcised as wel as y e body Now we see the meaning of Moses but it will become the plainer easier vnto vs if we come to our baptisme I haue already touched the likenesse that is betweene these two sacraments and it is all one as if a man should say vnto vs nowe adayes if you would y t God should take you for his people and heritage yee must be baptised in your soules What baptised in our soules Yea for south For the water that is cast vpon our bodies is nothing if wee haue not the trueth of it namely that we be so plunged vnder the water as if we werein a graue Rom. 6.4 Col. 2.12 that is to say y t it maketh vs to die in our selues so as our owne affections our owne thoughtes our owne witte our owne reason and our owne wisedome beare not any more sway in vs but y t we suffer our selues to be gouerned by God so as all our fleshly lustes bee subdued and held in captiuitie vnder him and vnder his yoke Therefore if a man would shew vs the true meaning of our baptisme he shoulde say looke that yee be baptised within And for the same cause also doeth Saint Paule in the seconde to the Romans Rom. 2.28 sette downe a difference betweene the circumcision of the letter and the circumcision of the spirite And he sayeth that the one is inwarde and the other outward Whereas he termeth it the Circumcision of the letter it is by a similitude for he hath an eye to the worde To what purpose serueth the reading of Gods Law and of the Gospel if it touch vs not inwardely Verily if euery of vs haue his Bible in print and yet let it alone what doe we else but make it vnholy by our not applying of so great a treasure to our vse by our not imploying of the same to our profite according to the intent of our God Euen so standeth the case with the sacramentes sayeth Saint Paule For they be but as a dead letter so long as wee haue no more but the visible signes it is but a gay appearance and shew before men But the whole matter consisteth in hauing the trueth before God Wil we haue the true Circumcision then must it be inwardly that is to say in the Spirite That is to say God must worke there So we see nowe that the meaning of Moses was that folke shoulde not boast vainely of the bare name of God nor of the wearing of his badge without the trueth of it so as they could shewe the power thereof but that they should fare the better by the signe that is giuen them to warrant their adoption to the entent it might appeare that God hath not without cause separated them from the heathen which were as good as banished out of his church had no acquaintāce at al with him Againe we see that this doctrin toucheth and concerneth vs nowadayes because we haue baptisme which serueth to the same vse y t circumcision did namely to lead vs to repentance Therfore must we apply it to our vse And forasmuch as God hath vouchsafed to giue vs a seale of the fatherly loue which hee beareth vs and that it pleased him to gather vs into his Church and to shew y t he hath taken vs vnto himself to be heirs of his kingdome Let not vs disappoint our selues of such a benefite through our
owne lewdenesse and vnthankefulnesse but lette vs endeuour to fare the better by it by beeing washed in our soules that is to say by mortifying our owne imaginations reasons and lustes and by offering vp of our selues in sacrifice vnto god to the ende that he may renewe vs and that nothing else but his spirite may reigne in vs so as hee may beare the whole swaye This exhortation is made vnto the Iewes because it was their dutie to apply their sacramentes vnto such ende Neuerthelesse let vs marke that it is not in our power to performe the thing y t is required here For although the Iewes ought to haue bin circūcised in their heartes yet was it verie necessary that God should worke in y t behalfe Likewise it standeth vs in hande nowadayes to mortifie our selues we be cōmanded so to do but yet must wee be faine to resort vnto God who reserueth to himselfe y e office of renewing our soules And that is the cause why it is sayd y t our Lorde Iesus Christ is only he which baptiseth with fire the holy Ghost Iohn 1.33 For if a man y t ministreth baptisme had power to regenerate then had he in himself the power maiestie glory which is giuen to y e sonne of God But our baptising is only with water y t is to say we haue but the signe of baptisme cōmitted vnto vs yet notwithstanding our doing is not in vaine for we must needes be faithfull witnesses of God And forasmuch as we doe it in his name we must not thinke y t the thing is voide vnprofitable But yet for all that it behoueth vs to resort to our Lord Iesus Christ and to consider y t our ministring of baptisme in his Church is by his authoritie therefore that it belongeth vnto him to make it auaileable that it is only his spirit wherby we be regenerate For if euerie man could wash his own soule it might be sayde that the minister baptiseth with water and y t euerie man baptiseth himselfe with truth but it can not be sayd so for that were as much as to robbe Gods sonne of the thing that is peculiar vnto him He hath reserued that honour to himselfe neuer giuen it to any creature no not vnto y e Angels of heauen Therefore let vs vnderstand that nowadayes when it is tolde vs that we must make the outwarde signe auailable vnto vs by being baptised in our soules we must therewithall immediately submit our selues vnto God praying him to performe the thing by the power of his holy spirit which he representeth to vs outwardly by the figure thereof and to mortifie and renewe vs in such wise as we may haue the trueth of baptisme sealed vppe and ingrauen in our soules In like case was it with the people of olde time True it is that here Moses exhorteth y e Iewes to Circumcise their heartes but yet we shall see hereafter Deut. 3◠6 howe he will say the Lorde our God themselues so ill as it was verie requisite for thē to be done to vnderstand that it was but a fondnesse for them to boast themselues to be Gods people Nowe to the intent we may learne to put this doctrine in practise as it ought to be Let vs vnderstande that such as will needes harden them selues in naughtinesse shal be destroyed by God who will make them to feele y e force of his power according to this saying of his If ye fall to stubbornes with me Leuit. 26.23 24. I will deale stubbornly with you againe And it is all one with this saying of the xviij Psalme Psal. 18.27 With the frowarde I wil be froward and I wil deale roughly with such as harden thēselues against me Then let vs learne that Gods intent is to lay a yoke vppon our neckes by his worde of purpose to bring vs in subiection to his righteousnesse And all is for our benefite Insomuch that although it bee so vnpossible for vs to fulfill the Lawe that wee can not so much as put foorth one of our litle fingers to the furtheraunce of it no nor once thinke a good thought yet is that yoke gentle amiable of it selfe and all the harme of it commeth of our selues For if wee will not bowe downe our neckes but strout them out as hard as if they were steele or brasse so as in steede of being as Oxen to labour or as sheep to heare the voyce of our shepherd we become sturdy buls and fall to striking with rage furie to shake off the yoke so as we not only followe not the worde but also shake off all subiection and inharden ourselues against God what excuse will there be for vs seeing wee yeelde not ourselues vnto him willingly to be taught at his hande Yet for all that we see how the world goeth God therefore must be faine to ouermaster vs to tame vs by maine hande And in verie deede looke what afflictions soeuer light vpon vs we ought to take thē as strokes of Gods hād to make vs bowe our neckes vnder him and to become tractable and obedient But when we go awke and cleane contrary after that fashion thē doth he threaten vs thus by Moses I will deale stubbornely as well as you He vseth that terme of purpose to the intent y t men should not dally with him For at the first blush the saying might seeme straunge which I alledged out of the xviij Psalme Psal. 18.27 namely that hee will deale frowardely with such as are froward For howe can that be Can God be frowarde No But it is all one as if he shoulde say yee shall finde in me a greater hardnesse than yours is Let vs incounter together and see which of vs is stoutest and best able to holde out I tell you it is you that are like to be confounded and go to wrecke And therfore let vs leaue our naughtinesse and repaire vnto God while he calleth vs and when we be come to him let vs suffer ourselues to be gouerned by his holy spirite which is the spirit of meeknesse that we may submit our selues obediently vnto him And for perfourmaunce thereof lette vs marke the lesson that Moses addeth immediatly The euerlasting thy God sayeth he is the God of Gods a great a mightie a strong God yea but let vs marke also that he doth not accept that is to say regard mens persons but iudgeth according to the truth Beware therefore y t ye trust not any more in your circūcision nor in such like thinges but beare in mind that God wil haue your seruice to be such as your hearts may be wholly dedicated vnto him and that he wold haue you to submit your selues vnto him so as he may haue you in his possession and you enioy the inheritance which hee promised to your fathers and which belongeth vnto you Gods greatnesse which Moses speaketh of in this place is the first
of September 1555. The Lxxiiii Sermon in which the last verse of the tenth Chapter is expounded and this is the first Sermon vpon the eleuenth Chapter 22 Thy fathers went downe into Egypt in number threescore and ten soules and now the Lord thy God hath made thee in multitude as the stars of the skie The eleuenth Chapter LOue the Lorde thy God therefore and keepe his appointmentes Ordinances Lawes and Commaundementes for euer 2 And consider you this day for I speake not to your children which haue neither knowen nor seene them the instruction of the Lord your God his greatnesse his mightie hande and his stretched out arme 3 And his wonders and workes which hee did in the middes of Egypt vnto Pharao king of Egypt and all his Land 4 And what he did to the host of the Egyptians vnto their horses Chariots when the Lord brought the waters of the read sea vpon their faces when they pursued you and how the Lord destroyed them vnto this day I Haue alreadie shewed y e meaning of Moses how that by rehearsinge y e wonders y t GOD had wrought for the deliuering of his people out of captiuity he shewed the Iewes that they ought to haue bin the more conformable to him in respect of the fauor and loue which he had shewed to them at al times For he had alwayes shewed by his doings that his promising to take Abraham all his ofspring into his protection was not in vain Ye see then an euident proofe y t God hauing receiued Abrahams ofspring into his free fauour hath also confirmed it by deedes experience And thereupon it is to be concluded that if that people had not beene altogether froward they ought of reason to haue serued God And that is the point that Moses shot at Consider with your selues saith he if ye be not bounde to giue your selues wholy to the obeying of your God For he hath multiplied you as the stars of the skie Through his gratious goodnes you are become so great a nūber y t euen you your selues may be astonished at it To be short if ye look vpō your body y t is to say your state you cānot but see such a wōderful fauor of your God as you could neuer haue once looked for or hoped Sith it is so there is now no excuse for you if you cannot find in your hartes to glorifie his name Gen. 15.5 seeing he hath shewed him selfe so good merciful towards you That is y e sūme of y e matter y t Moses intended to set down And he speaketh expresly of the stars of the skie because of the promise For God speaking to his seruāt Abrahā shewed him in a vision y e multitude of the stars which is infinite Euen as they be past reckening saith god so also shal thy seed be Now then the meaning of Moses in this text is y t Gods saying so was not in vain that Abraham was not disappointed of his hope in resting altogether vpon y t promise for we see the thing performed before our eies And this is wel worth the noting For if God haue done vs any good we wil indeed for maners sake say it was he y t did it but to be throughly persuaded of it in our hart that is a very hard thing Therefore is it requisit in respect of such rudenes y t we should be cōdemned by Gods word to the end we may y e better consider of his hand power As for example if we had neuer read any whit of holy scripture yet notwithstanding god should haue deliuered vs frō some aduersitie to say y e truth our own naturall wit would put vs in mind to think our selues indetted to God for y e same But when we be exercised in the holy scriptures and haue seene there y t God reserueth to himself the issues of death that it is in him to succor vs yea euē after a strange fashion when al seemeth to be vtterly forlorne so as if we call vpon him he will heare our sighes the performance therfore maketh it the easier for vs to conceiue his goodnes bicause we be taught aforehand the same things which we come to find by experience For why The word y t went afore is as a lampe to giue vs light Of our owne nature we be as it were blind True it is that God inlighteneth vs by his holy spirit but yet are we still in darknes cannot see two fingers bredth afore vs. But whē God teacheth vs by his word y t is as a lampe to guide vs shew vs our way Therfore let vs marke well y t to profit our selues by the benefits y t God bestoweth vpō vs it is good yea nedful for vs to be put in mind of his promises to compare thē together God had promised it now he hath performed it here we see a testimony y t he is alwaies faithful in his sayings y t a man may safely rest vpō his truth That is y e thing which Moses sheweth vs in this text in that he speaketh not simply of the great multitude whereinto the people had bin increased but also saith y t God had multiplied them as the stars of the skie to the intent that euery mā should think vpon y e promise which was vniuersally knowen among them thereby confirme themselues inasmuch as God had so kept touch with his seruāt Abraham euery man consider thus in himself Indeed we ought to receiue gods simple single word although the effecte of it were not scene But now that Gods hande his mouth go iointly together so as he hath shewed a true proofe of his presēce before our eyes and that he meant not to disappoint the hope of his seruants we know y t our God hath a care of vs forgat vs not at such time as we were in the land of Egypt For y e time of the peoples abode there was as a kinde of buriall in their graues so as it might haue seemed y t all Gods promises had bin quite dashed Whē he drew Abraham out of the land y t he was borne in he said vnto him I giue thee al this land frō one side to another Gen. 12.7 to thee to thine ofspring for euer And yet for al this yee see howe Abraham did but soiourne there as a strāger he was hunted faine to fleet frō place to place he trotted vp and downe like a poore man that had not a corner to hide him in Hebr. 11.9 The like befel to his sonne Isaac Iacob was banished thence during al the flower of his youth when he returned thither againe hee was faine to remoue oftentimes in his old age and in the ende God conueied him away into Egypt Thus was y t house as it were broken vp cleane banished out of the countrie And where is the lande of Chanaan which was
with their turning away from his word when it is preached vnto them is that their so doing is through a diuelish stubbornes y t euen by y e witnes of their own conscieÌ„ces it is a worshipping of gods which they haue not knowwen For our faith must not be vncerteine it must not be an opinion or weening but it must bring a sure knowledge with it And what maner of knowledge Truely as in respect of our own wit reason if we intend to come vnto god we must worship him w t all humilitie remeÌ„ber that his secrets surmount our vnderstaÌ„ding But yet here withall it behoueth vs to stande vppon so sure a ground euen by knowledge as our owne consciences may beare record of it wee bee able to say with S Iohn 1. Iohn 3.2 we wote well y t we be y e children of God Lo here what the true Religion is It is not an vnaduised zeale or a liking that men cast to this thing or that but a sure knowen doctrine grounded vpon Gods trueth wherethrough we be able to say y t it is he which hath spoken to vs y t he is a faithfull witnesse of y e things y t are for our welfare saluation And againe whatsoeuer we alleage wee shall alwayes abide conuicted of our malice So that when wee haue once beene taught y e word of God if wee afterwarde worship gods whom we haue not knowen if we swarue aside to any superstition or if we continue not in y e pure simplicitie of y e holy scripture surely we shal iustly be accused to haue had strange Gods to haue bin forgers of them as folke y t loue the vntrueth better than y e trueth According wherunto S. Paul speaking of all such as obeyed not the Gospel 〈◊〉 1.25.28 saith it is good reason they shold be striken with horrible blindnes that forasmuch as they honored not the creator it was meete that they should become vnderlings to the creatures y t is to say to the things which they had dreamed in their own fond braine foolish fancies Now theÌ„ seeing y t our God hath taught vs let vs learn to hold our selues at a stay to his word to vnderstand in what maner he hath shewed himself vnto vs let vs benefite our selues by al the records which he giueth vs beware y t we wander not one way or other ne followe not our owne leasings For there wil be no excuse for such as would not be certified of God when he was readie to do it Now in the end Moses addeth that when the people were come into the land of promise they shoulde diuide their companie in two partes the one halfe vpoÌ„ mount Garizim the other halfe vpon mount Eâ—all that they which should bee vppon mount Garizim should pronounce the blessings that those which should be vpon mount Ebal should pronounce the curses which thing wee see was done accordingly For this commandement shal bee rehearsed yet againe in the 27. Chapter of this booke Deâ—t 27. â—â— Ios. 3. â—â— And Iosua in his eyghth Chapter declareth y t he had obeyed the coÌ„mandement of Moses The effect of y e storie is that when y e people were entred into y e land they should meete with two mountaines y e one called Hebal y e other Garizim Now god had commanded y t one part of y e people namely certaine tribes shold be on y e one side on mount Garizim y t the rest of the tribes should be vpoÌ„ mount Hebal y t the Leuites shold stand in the middes of y e host bearing the Ark of God to shew y t God was chiefe souerein there that the Leuites were as witnesses or sureties to vndertake matters in y e behalf of the people like as if there were two parties to make som solemne match or couenant a notarie or register is present to take an othe betwixt them euen so God had ordeyned y t the people shoulde be there to heare receiue y e doctrine of saluation y t they should answere on their part as in y e passing of som solemn contract to y e end they might knowe vpon what condition God had chosen theÌ„ preferred theÌ„ before al other nations of y e earth as shal be shewed hereafter in the foresaid 27. Chapter And what were y e blessings They were a rehersal of y e same thing that God had spoken afore namely al such as keepe my law shal be blessed Al such as worship me with a pure conscience shal be blessed all such as hallow my name shal be blessed al such as obey their fathers mothers shal bee blessed all y t liue chastly shal be blessed all y t abstaine from deceit extortion al maner of euil shal be blessed God then on his parte promised blessing after y t maner Hereunto the people answered Amen Amen y t is to say So be it whereby they ratified y t which had been spoken by the mouth of God Again on y e contrarie part y e curses were vttered on mount Hebal in this wise Cursed be he y t turneth aside after strange gods Cursed be he y t dishonoreth his father or his motheâ— Cursed be hee that offendeth in theft or in whoredom Cursed be he y t performeth not all y e coÌ„mandements conteined in this booke Amen Amen said y e people When the curses were vttered after y t fashion it behoueth euery man to answer AmeÌ„ And so ye see what is said in this text Now let vs mark y t by that meanes god ment to touch y e people neerer to y e quicke by their agreing to such a couenant And the same belongeth vnto vs. For although wee haue not y e same cerermonie y t was obserued at y t time yet haue we y e trueth howsoeuer the world go whensoeuer Gods word is preached vnto vs although we receiue it not yet shal it not fal to y e grounde but it shal light vpoÌ„ our heads spite of our teeth it shal be an intolerable burthen to sink vs down to y e bottom of hel Therfore when we receiue gods word into our harts let beware y t we like wel of it y t we ratifie the promise of our saluatioÌ„ which he maketh vs. Nowe hee adopteth vs to be his children and if we be his children we be also his heires Therfore when we imbrace the preached word by faith obedience although our mouth speake not a worde yet doe wee confirme Gods truth to our saluation according to this saying of S. Iohns that as many as beleeue in the only sonne of God Iohn 3.33 haue set to their seales that God is true Thus ye see howe the full measure of our saluation and of the promise is accomplished hath his full effect power when we on our side do aunswere rightly Amen And
y t our Lord Iesus Christ is the redeemer that hath appeared vnto vs that we be sanctified by the holy Ghost and also y t we can beare record of the maiesty of our God at leastwise according to his vttering of himselfe vnto vs by his holy scriptures Which done then let vs adde y t we beleeue the holy catholike Church and that there is a coÌ„munion of Saincts so as there is but one body But yet must God be faine to shewe himselfe to vs to be the almighty that he is y e same which made both heauen earth that he is the same at whose hande we must hope for saluation y t he is able to maintaine his owne glory so as all the thinges y t men haue deuised of their owne braine are but lies That is the first end whereat we must begin And afterward we must agree with the holy patriarks Apostles all the faithfull that haue liued since the worlde began We must haue y t indissoluble band of faith al must come to this point namely that they be grounded vpon the certaine and vnfallible truth As for example The Iewes that came after had the fathers as well as they of whom also they made theÌ„selues a sheelde but God did vtterly mislike their so doing according to this saying of the prophet Ezechiel â—â—ech â—0 18 Walk not after the righteousnes of your forefathers At the first blush here seemeth to be some coÌ„trarity For in this same place it is sayd Worship ye the God of your fathers stick to him beware ye change not your religion And there y e prophet Ezechiel sayth contrariwise beware that ye follow not y e deuotion of your fathers Yea verily for there were two sortes of fathers among the Iewes the one was Abraham the holy Patriarkes Prophetes and such as knewe the liuing God serued him in all purenesse those it behoued the Iewes to rule theÌ„selues by And in y t respect doth Moses say now vnto them beware y t ye turne not away from the God of your fathers but coÌ„tinue still in their faith Besides this they had other fathers also which were backesliders frowarde and had corrupted the Lawe made a mingle-mangle of it with all the superstitions of the heathen In respect of this it is said beware ye folow not your fathers for they were frowarde false-harted towardes God In the same taking is the world at this day The Papistes alledge their fathers But what Are not the Apostles the true fathers of the christian Church Yes but the papistes will not heare them speake nor any other that haue stablished such order in the Church as God coÌ„manded But they haue their bastarde fathers like themselues which being a misbegotteÌ„ generation they take Monkes old dotterelles for their fathers Againe when they alledge any of the auncient doctors if there be any folly or superstitioÌ„ in their writings they can skill to cull it out euery whit but as for the good they cast y t a great way off Now then let vs beware of such maner of fathership let vs vse discretioÌ„ in chosing out y e true fathers let vs put y t in vre which Paul speakes of where he sayth y t all fatherhood dependeth vpon God and vpon our Lord Iesus Christ. Eph. 3.15 Thither say I must we refer our fatherhood if we wil haue good fathers so as God may be the chiefe father of them all they giue record y t they be his sonnes y t they may beget vs by the vncorruptible seede of his word or els there wil be nothing but vtter confusion Thus ye see what we haue to remember vpon that saying Now heretofore Moses addeth further y t the Iewes must not serue God at the first and afterward become cold but y t they must perseuere in it all the time of their life And after y t maner will God be honoured of vs. For he taketh vs not to hyre for certain dayes then to let vs go or to giue vs leaue to depart at the ende of our terme he taketh vs for life death And it is good reason as S. Paul sheweth vs where he sayth y t our Lord Iesus died rose again to reigne both ouer the quicke the dead Rom. 14.9 Though there were none other respect than this were it not ynough Behold y e son of God which bought vs by his death and passion is risen againe immediatly is it not meete then y t we shold giue our selues to him to God his father and y t we should be wholly dedicated vnto him that we should both indeuor to serue him as long as we liue vpon y e earth and also y t our death should be as a sacrifice offering vnto him to shewe ourselues obedient to him in all points Yes therefore let vs marke well y t we must not doe it as it were in a pang as a number of folke do who are very whot in gods seruice for a two or three dayes and afterward their mind is altered their deuotion is quite gone they shew full well y t there was no zeale in theÌ„ But let vs alwayes beare in mind to serue God as long as we liue And therewithall let vs also bethinke vs of y t which is set downe he ere where Moses speaketh yet againe of the heritage that had bin promised to y e Iewes For seeing that our Lord doth daily put vs in mind of his grace it is good reason y t wee should plucke vp a good corage to honour him gather new strength to say forasmuch as I haue liued out this day in the world haue serued God this morning seeing y t I perceiue he coÌ„tinueth his goodnes stil towards me yea incre aseth it is it not reason that my zeale mine affection to serue him should be y e more kindled and y t my hope shold not be abated That is the thing which Moses ment in saying Ye shall possesse y e land as long as ye possesse it ye shal haue a faire mirrour before your eyes to shewe you how your God calleth you to him mainteineth you in the possession of the benefit which he hath once bestowed vpon you And therefore let vs marke y t we deserue well to be bereft of the grace y t God shal haue granted vs if we acknowledge it not toward him but for get it apply it to another end than he ment it It hath bin sayde heretofore y t the Iewes should possesse the land Deut. 11.21 as long as y e heauen hung ouer the earth And yet we see how they be put out of it insomuch y t at this day they possesse not any part of it but wander abroad in the world are hunted to fro And what is y e cause therof Surely God had mainteined them in the inheritance which he
for hee is knowen to haue beene present and yet if hee bee asked of it hee doeth but wring his groyne like a swyne and saye I heard him not Such folke are well worthie not only that God should plucke their eares from their head but also vtterly ouerwhelme them They bee monsters that can heare the name of their maker blasphemed and yet couer such filthines and suffer it to abyde vnpunished Is it not reason that God should shew how it is hee to whom they be to yeeld accompt for it And though he winke at it yet let not vs thinke that they which forsweare themselues so vntrustily shall scape scotfree but that in the ende GOD will shewe howe it is not without cause that hee hath pronounced that to fauour euill is worse than to doe euill For it may bee that hee that doeth the euill is carried to it by choler or by some other affection but as for him that cloketh it he is not onely a partaker of it but also a wilfull iustifier of it as it were in despite of GOD and that is an vtter peruerting of the order of nature And therefore lette vs learne by that which is tolde vs heere that euerie of vs must beare such zeale to the mainteinaunce of Gods honour as not to spare anie kinne or friende if they steppe vppe to sette themselues against him to whome wee belong and to whome wee owe all seruice going about to ouerthrowe his seate and to disappoint him that hee may no more reigne among vs. And therefore whensoeuer Gods honour is darkened or diminished among vs let euerie of vs in his state looke to it that we be so zealous as to redresse it to the vttermost of his power This is y e first point which we haue to marke heere And moreouer if any man shoulde goe about to alter the Religion so as GOD shoulde after a sorte bee driuen from among vs it were meete that our zeale shoulde in that case be kindled yet more For if wee bee nice in hauing our owne honour touched what ought wee to be when Gods kingdome is in daunger of vtter dispatch If there be some wicked practise in a Citie so as some treason insurrection or alteration of the state is a bruing and one hauing but some secret incling of it tolde him in his eare doe conceiue it shall hee not bee taken as accessarie and bee adiudged woorthie of punishment If it be proued against a man that some wicked treason was a practising and hee heard of the matter and yet discouered it not he shal be punished as a traytour and men will say hee was well worthie of such punishment And shall we bee helde excused of our silence when an insurrection is made against GOD and men goe about to ouerthrowe his holy temple that he might not dwell any more among vs so as they indeuour to deface his maiestie and furthermore to cast vp the saluation of mennes soules as a pray to Satan and wee say nothing to it Doeth not our dissimulation import both trecherie and periurie against GOD Yet notwithstanding there be some so farre past shame that they demaunde at euerie turne Who is he that findeth faulte with mee Whome haue I wronged Behoulde hee hath played the blasphemous and wicked wretche in flushing out some matter so vglye against GOD as hee ought to be rooted out for it and yet hee sayes Who complaines of mee If hee had stolne but fifteene pence he shoulde be whipped and for the seconde or thirde offence he should goe to the gallowes and like a Churchtraytour hee hath trampled Gods maiestie vnder foote wherin hee hath doone worse than the theefe that cuttes a trauellers throte in a wood and yet to his owne seeming he is iust still And whereof commeth this but of the foresaid lasinesse that no man bethinks himself of his dutie in that behalfe GOD doeth vs the honour to make vs mainteyners of his trueth as though he made vs a solemne commission of it And is not that such a preheminence as of duetie ought to make euerie of vs to streine himselfe yea euen beyonde his power to shew a constant and inuincible zeale in causing men to serue and honour GOD For if a prince imployed a man in his afaires and did put him in commission hee woulde strayne himselfe so farre as he woulde euen hazarde his life and hee woulde thinke that what paine so euer hee tooke though he did much more yet all were too litle seeing hee hadde so honourable a charge Beholde the liuing GOD taketh vs as if wee were his defenders and will haue euerie of vs to represent his owne person and yet for all that we despise all those thinges when Gods name is blasphemed wee make no reckening of it the partie himselfe that hath taken the othe to conceale no such thing shall playe the traytour first And therefore it is no woonder though wicked folke take such libertie and that when they bee conuicted they alleadge that no man complaines of them that they haue done no man any wrong For were wee the true children of GOD surely wee woulde tender the wronges that are doone to him more than the wronges that are doone to our selues and wee woulde take them much sorer to hearte For if wee our selues bee offended is it any great matter But when Gods holy name is lightly esteemed and reproched then wee ought to bee verie tender hearted And because wee thinke not of it when wee haue blasphemed God wee say wee haue done no man any wrong Furthermore let vs consider as I haue saide afore that if wee must endeuour by all the meanes wee can to haue swearing redressed much more reason is it that wee shoulde not suffer any man to step vp to trouble the Church and to make any rebellion but vtterly roote out such a pestilent fellowe out of hande But yet before all other thinges let vs looke that wee knowe Gods trueth aforehand that wee may be able to maintaine the same for without that wee shall goe lumpishly to worke and our zeale shal bee but as the rage of madfolkes as I haue alreadie shewed by the examples of the heathen men Iewes and Papistes The Papistes haue a faire colour in saying that if a man deface the maiestie of a Prince hee shall not scape vnpunished and therefore it is much more reason that men shoulde bee punished for setting themselues against God Yea but in the meane while they wote not what GOD they worship for they bee carried away with their owne wicked and diuelish superstitions Let vs marke then that wee must not take this lawe here at alauenture but that to begin well wee must lay this foundation that wee bee sure that the religion which wee holde is of God As for example wee haue the holy Scripture and there our Lorde hath shewed vs his will Hee protesteth by his Prophet Esay that hee hath not spoken vainly nor couertly
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 Ierusalē 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 contēted 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
set in authoritie preheminence let them vnderstand that their doings are an acceptable sacrifice to God because he beareth record therof in his law and y t the people also do conform thēselues so much the more willingly thereunto Wherefore wee must vnderstand y t the peruerting therof were a rebelling against God a despising of him Thus we see now how needful a doctrine it is for vs how greatly to our edifying y t our lord hath declared y t there should be one chiefe court of Iustice for men to rest vpon that they might not be in continual dout Neuerthelesse we must note y t our Lord would not admit appeales in all cases indifferently among his people For he saith If there happen any hard case wherof the iudgement is doutfull not easie to be determined because the Iudges namely y e inferior Iudges of euery citie be graueled in it Wherfore sets he down this Because it had bin too great a toyle for the people to haue bin driuen to repayre to Ierusalem for euery matter of sixpence or I wote not what such like Wee see as I haue sayde afore howe there are some vnsatiable men and such as could alwayes be contented to sindge themselues so they may scald others Nay ye shal see some so spitefull y t though they should eate their owne fingers yet they would go forewarde with their sutes in Law and whē they had wasted away their own substance they would euen hazard their liues also to procure trouble to their aduersaries Seeing then that it is manifest that such folk are caried away with rage or at leastwise with desire of reuenge it is good to bridle them And that is the cause why God woulde not haue all cases to come to Ierusalem For he had set a good order namely that there shoulde be iustice in euerie Citie yea and men of vnderstanding to giue iudgement of such matters as were to come to triall before them Prouided alwayes that the cause were not harde and doutfull So then let vs marke how it was Gods wil that the controuersies should bee ended with speede without troubling of the parties too much And seeing that his intent was such wee ought to frame our selues thereto as much as is possible for vs. And therefore if men intend to stablish a good order of gouernement and such as God alloweth let them followe this rule that quarels be not mainteyned betweene man and man but that if there be any controuersie they may soone be set at one againe so as the sute in Law be not prolonged nor men posted ouer from one to another but that things may bee so ordered as the parties may not be suffered to followe still their owne inordinate wils True it is that this vice cannot be so corrected but that some remnant of it will abide still Yet notwithstanding wee must goe as neere the marke as we possibly can seeing that our Lord directeth vs therunto Againe if a man intend to prouide for the pacifying of quarels among men so as might may not ouercome right yee see that ordinary Iustice cannot be forborne For inasmuchas God had chosen the people of Israel it is certain that he prouided the best meane that could be deuised for the mainteyning of them in peace and concord And in verie deede they were all of one linage descended of the race of Abraham and therefore inasmuch as there was such a brotherhoode among them it ought to haue beene the easier to haue continued them in quietnes On the other side they seeing themselues separated from the rest of the world and being there gathered together into one bodie in the name of God ought to haue born one w t another in reuerence of that holy bond Yet notwithstanding for their further preseruation God ordeyned this meane that there should be Iudges in euery Citie Then let vs conclude that as long as men liue here beneath they cannot forbeare Magistrates by reason of their infirmities Truth it is that euery man ought to carie the Lawe in his heart and euery man ought to doe al men right of their owne accord but we be blind and our affections cary vs away and besides that wee subdue not our vnderstanding neither do we holde our lusts captiues as we ought to doe Therefore we haue neede of a bridle for them And that is my meaning in saying y t wee ought to loue the state of ciuil gouernement and to reuerence it namely because it is a necessarie mean to maintain mankind in this world and w tout it al things would go to horrible confusion inso much y t wee should not only become as Dogs Cats but also be worse than wilde beasts Greately therefore ought we to bewaile our state seeing y t as I haue shewed afore wee which beare the Image of God cannot vse our freedome to behaue our selues according to reason and equitie Yet notwithstanding seeing we be so sore corrupted we must vnderstand y t Gods remedying of our diseases after that fashion is a point of his singular goodnes towards vs. But howsoeuer y e case stand if we wil eschewe y t men scratch not out one anothers eies ne eat not vp one another let vs follow y e rule which our lord sheweth vs here namely y t there be Iustice in euery Citie in euery other place and y t such as beare y e sword do watch so as no man oppresse another no man work any outrage or iniurie nor no man presume further than is lawfull Marke that for one point Now let vs come to that which is set downe here concerning Appeals If there rise any difficult doutful case betweene cause and cause wound and wounde or bloud and bloud As if he should say if there bee any cause either criminall or ciuile whereof there riseth doubt and men cannot decide it by giuing definitiue sentence on it let thē resort to the high courte We see then that Appeales are ordeined as wel for matters of life death as for matters of trespasse And now let vs see whither God woulde haue men to appeale To Ierusalem True it is that he doth not as yet name the place because it was not appointed out at y t time But he sayth Thou shalt go vp And Moseses speaking after that manner was after a sort in way of prophesie because the cituation of Ierusalem was higher than all the rest of Iurie But vntill the Ark was set there it behooued them to resort to the place where that was Againe here is no speaking of the king For the time was not yet come that God would set vp a kingdome among that people y t was to be stablished in the person of Dauid Yet notwithstanding there were alwaies Iudges accordingly as wee see how Iosua succeeded Moses and consequently the rest of the Iudges vnto Samuel at which time y e people would needes change their state Therefore vnto Samuels
warrant to shew that God accepted the petitiōs of his people That then was the cause why it is expresly said that those which abode in the Temple serued the name and Maiestie of God And heerewithal mention is made also of Gods presence as we haue seene before which is a ratifying of the thinges that hee had taught afore that the people should not bee disappointed in resorting to the temple to call vpon him there bicause the Leuites should alwayes be there ready to succour such as fled to him for succour Now this was in the time of the figures But wee must marke that if wee resorte to our God in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ in whome dwelleth the whole fulnes of the Godhead Col. 2.9 God will shew his face vnto vs that is to say we shall finde by the effect that he regardeth vs and that the dore is not shut against vs but that we may preace into his presence And besides that to the end we may be guided by our Lord Iesus Christ we must put the thing in vre which he hath told vs that is to wit wee must come together in his name to the intent that hee may bee among vs. Then if wee wil bee heard of God and that our seruice should be wel accepted of him wee must meete together without hypocrisie with a true pure heart and then will our Lord Iesus so beare sway amongst vs that God also wil therw tal reach out his hande to helpe succour vs. And when we haue so offered vp our prayers vnto him and euery of vs hath put himself into his hand let vs not doubt but y t he regardeth our doings As for example for as much as we knowe y t these our present doings in meeting together to heare his word and to seeke him are comaunded by him Let vs not doubt but we be before his eyes and he loketh vpon vs with pitie and will consider all our necessities to prouide for them and to succor vs in them And let vs on our part also so mount vp vnto him by faith as wee may bee out of all doubt that he sheweth vs his face that is to say that he maketh vs to feele his presence specially when we come to him by the way which he sheweth vs for thē wil he make vs to come in such sorte that he wil keepe vs still vnder his protection vntill he take vs vp into his kingdome Now let vs kneele down before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better yea that we may be so striken down in our selues as we may seeke him with true repentāce rest vpon his promises not doubting but y t he accepteth vs howe wretched so euer we bee bycause we come not to him vpon trust of our own deserts but vppon his meere goodnesse wherethrough he hath elected and chosen vs and that moreouer he suffer vs not to be defiled with any of the corruptions of our flesh but that seeing he hath called vs to his Priesthood hee will also graunt vs the grace to dedicate our selues to him by offering vp all our thoughts affections desires yea euen our whole bodies soules vnto him that he may bee honored more more by them that such as are yet farre off from him may be brought vnto him to the end wee may all together worship him in his only sonne And for the bringing thereof to passe it may please him to raise vp true and faithfull Ministers of his word c. On Wednesday the xxvij of Nouember 1555. The Cviij Sermon which is the second vpon the eighteenth Chapter 9 When thou art come into the Land which the Lorde thy God giueth thee thou shalt not learne to doe after the abhominations of those Nations 10 There shall not any bee found among you which maketh his sonne or his daughter to go through fire nor any witch that vseth Witchcraft nor any man that is a regarder of times or that regardeth the flying of foules 11 Or that is a Sorcerer or a charmer or that asketh Counsell at spirites that are called familiars or that is a soothsaier or which asketh Counsell at the dead 12 For all they that doe such things are an abhomination to the Lord and for such abhominations sakes the Lord thy God driueth them out before thy face 13 Be perfect therefore before the Lord thy God 14 For the Nations which thou shalt possesse giue eare to regarders of tymes and to witches but the Lord thy God hath not taught thee to doe so 15 The Lord thy God will rayse vp a prophet like vnto me from among thy brethren him shall you obey IT is in vaine for God to giue vs many lawes lessons if we determine not with our selues to obey him in all pointes For the first point wherat we must begin is to know Gods authority to learne to submit our selues to his word without any gainsaying If the Law in generall haue not this force to what purpose is it for God to speake of this thing or of that thing Therefore let vs beare well in mind that we must bee disposed to receiue whatsoeuer God inioyneth vs before we can benefite our selues by any one sentence of the holy Scripture As for example when a man commeth to a sermon though he heare the matter yet shal it not touch him to the quick vnlesse he know aforehand that Gods truth must be receiued and that it is not to be incountered with disputing And surely wee see many which are sufficiently conuicted that the things which are told them are true and that they be not able to reply against them and yet passe not to make a mocke of them And why is that Bicause they be not touched with y e maiesty of God and therfore they cannot thinke that wee ought to submit our selues to him that made vs fashioned vs to be obedient to him to his commaundement But on y e contrary part when we be vrged to receiue the things which we knowe to come of God his truth wil beare sway with vs. As soon as we heare that it is God which speaketh Esa. 66.5 we tremble at his speech as is said by the prophet Esay And so ye see now why God giueth this generall rule to his people that they must houlde themselues to his pure and simple wil. But for as much as men are naturally giuen to superstition seeme to seeke euen wilfully to be beguiled God here doth first withdraw vs from all errours and abuses afterward giueth vs a foundation wheron to stay to be builded that is to wit by herkning vnto him by sticking to y t which he saith Thus are there here two principall reasons The one is y ◠God correcteth the vanity that is in men in that they rather giue ouer themselues to cousinages lyings than to
the rightfull truth And thereupon he sheweth after what maner they may be directed giuing them a remedie against all the wiles of Satan For if a husbandman wil haue his seede to thriue he must first till his ground if there come vp any shrewd weedes he must pull them vp or cut them off After the same maner doth God deale with vs to the intent his worde may haue enterance into vs and be receiued without any let he riddeth vs from all y e euil vice that is in vs. For all our owne seeking is to giue our selues to follie the diuell is so wylie suttle y t hee findeth meanes to attaine to his purpose bicause he knoweth that our minds are so fickle that our whole seeking is to be beguiled Therefore let vs marke wel that Gods meaning in this place was to hold his people in obedience to his word y t was the mark he shot at And moreouer bicause we be forepossessed w t the said frowardnes so as none of vs can forbeare to hearken to leasings but our wits are so shettle that we be stil hearkening after this that delighting in fond curiosities speculations y t are nothing worth serue to no purpose but to trouble our mindes about vaine and vnprofitable things therefore here our Lorde turneth those y t are his from all things that may corrupt them and withdraw theÌ„ from his truth In respect whereof he saieth here in effect That if wee will bee his people wee must not bee intangled neither in Sorcerie nor in Soothsaying nor in Witchcrafte nor in coniurings of the dead nor in calling vp of familiar Spirites but all these things must be rid away from vs or else he will disclaime vs and vtterly forsake vs. Marke that for one point As touching these seueral sorts we wil treate of them another time for the time will not suffer to speake of theÌ„ al as now And therfore in y e meane season let it suffice vs to see whereunto God had an eye wherat he aimed Let this then be one point y t if we wil be the true disciples of our God and receiue benefit by his word to be taught as becommeth vs we must put away all wicked superstitions all abuses whereunto y e world is giuen wherewith we also should be bewitched if y e remedie thereof withdrew vs not therefro And bicause wee be too much giuen to custome in so much y t if a thing be once in vse we think it to be lawfull God telleth vs expresly y t wee must not set our mindes vpon such clokings for they will stand vs in no stead Therfore whereas we see the whole world imbrewed w t errors so as Satan hath his full scope to deceiue both great smal let vs not run after them For it wil not serue vs for excuse to shield our selues vnder y e greatnes of the multitude or to say Euery man beleeueth so I see the wisest folke doe so Well may we alleage such things but our Lord telleth vs that we must not yeeld our selues after such maner vnto men that he shoulde not alwayes be preferred before them and beare chiefe sway and be regarded of vs though we were intised away by all the examples of the world This thing is touched expressely by Moses in that he sayeth True it is that when ye bee come into the Lande which yee shall possesse yee shall finde it to be as a common Law and that men haue so done but yet must ye not think that God aloweth it euer the more or that he is contented with it For the world shall be condemned and though all men were steyned with some one kinde of cryme yet will not God forgo his office of Iudge nor be ouercom by any multitude be it neuer so great And therfore let vs remember first of all that if we wil offer our selues to God to be his scholers we must not intangle our selues in the vanities that raigne in this world but wee must yeeld our selues wholly vnto him with a simple and right meaning mind so as nothing may stop y e entring of his word into vs our receauing therof but y t it may haue full authoritie to the vttermost That is y e first point The second point is that wee must not passe what the world doth or how other men behaue themselues For God will haue vs for all that to frame our selues according to his woorde And although wee see nothing but rebellion heere beneath yet must wee doe him the honour to submit our selues to him For it is not ynough for vs to worship him Ceremonially the chiefe point is that his word do so raigne as it be a brydle to hould vs backe and that our life bee framed altogether thereafter And although this was so straitly commaunded yet we see how the cleane contrary came to passe Wherein we see a fayre mirrour of mans wickednesse and vnthankfulnesse For albeit that God doe shewe him the right way yet doth he go astray still Ye see how the Iewes had warning ynough that they should not corrupt themselues with the abhominations of the heathen God shewed them wherwith they ought to haue contented themselues and wheron to haue staied namely y t they ought to haue learned at his own mouth he gaue them his law and hee raised them vp prophetes and yet for all that they ceassed not to go fowly astray to haue itching eares and to be inquisitiue of this that And that was the cause why sorceries and inchauntments Coniurations of the dead and such other like things reigned among them insomuch that in the time of y e prophet Esay we see there were very fewe folke that followed the law of God Esa. â—â—â— Lo heere am I saith the prophet and those whome God hath giuen vnto me What had he any great company w t him No. But contrariwise he saith that they were hated and that they were pointed at w t mens fingers as if they had bin monsters against nature And those y t did so would needes be counted wiser than all other men like as y e Papists vpbraid vs nowadaies that we will needs make a new world require a reformatioÌ„ alone by our selues by reason whereof we be scismatikes euen so was it in y e time of y e prophet Esay as he declareth in his eight chapter Yet notw tstanding he forbeareth not to vtter this sentence to confirme y e same saying If any man go about to turne you away to familiars and to coniuring of y e dead hold you your selues to the things that your God hath deliuered you Ought not he to reigne both ouer the quick and dead and to be obeied of all Yes and therefore hold you to his law and to his testimonies And if the people speake against them it is bycause they haue no light But let y e blind go on
them also and yet they be certeine of none of both Now our Lord will not haue vs to stand in any such feare He will haue vs to be sure of his worde when his trueth is throughly proued vnto vs he will haue vs to defy the world all the diuels of hell Insomuch y t if the very Angels of heauen should set themselues against the Gospell Gal. 1.18 wee see how S. Paul sayth that we must hold them for accursed and excommunicate God then will haue his worde honored so highly that whē we once knowe it are sure of it we must not be any more afrayd It standeth vs in hand to put this lesson in vre nowadayes because the Popes thundring were able to make all the world to quake if men were not armed aforehand against him with y e thinges that are told vs here by Moses The Pope names himself Christes vicar y e head of the Church S. Peters successor the mainteiner of the Apostolike sea so as there is no Church of God but y e Church of Rome nor any Shepheard or Prelate if the Pope be not head of all nor any kingdome of Iesus Christ otherwise than in y e Popes person who hath the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Woulde not the alledging of all these thinges make the stoutest of all to shrinke if we were not armed against them Yes but when al these thinges are pretended wee must consider whether the reporter of thē do discharge his dutie faithfully For if he speake in Gods name and yet be found to be a false harlot hee is y e more to blame for abusing so honorable a title And the more he was esteemed before y e lesse is he to bee regarded afterward Let him thunder his belly full yet shall all his excōmunications passe into smoke and all his threatninges shall be but mere vanitie The effect therefore of y e thinges which our Lord ment to say in this text is y t being well assured of Gods word and hauing examined all doctrine howbeit with humilitie hauing vsed y e foresayd touchstone of the holy scripture we may wel defye all thē y e cloke thēselues vnder y e gay mantle of Gods name abusing their commission executing tyranny in stead of seruing the Church of God I say we may defy all y e rable of them cry out against y e Pope his abhominable wickednesse not be afraid of any thing y t he can doe vnto vs. For so lōg as we haue God on our side wee may boldly hold skorne of the whole Popedome how proude stately soeuer they be there That is the thing in effect which we haue to marke y t wee bee not fearefull where God will haue vs to be stout But y t when we haue his doctrine truth we must so profit our selues by thē that whatsoeuer y e diuell doe practise he may not turne vs aside from y e way of saluation but wee must hold on our course according to this saying which we shall see hereafter This is the way Deut. 30.19 Esa. 30.21 28.12 walke ye therein and also according to the Prophet Esayes account who saith This is the rest Therefore let vs continue therein and holde on to the marke whereunto God calleth vs and then can we not doe amisse Now let vs kneele downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better thā we haue done to strengthen vs more and more by his word y t his kingdome may be aduaunced among vs we indeuour so to serue honor him as we may be vnder his protection and he mainteine vs in such wise that we knowing him to be our good father Sauiour may take the more courage to giue our selues wholy to him all our lyfe long And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Thursday the v. of December 1555. The Cxij Sermon which is the first vppon the nineteenth Chapter WHen the Lord thy God shal haue rooted out the nations whose lande the Lorde thy God giueth thee so as thou arte owner of them and dwellest in their Cities and houses 2 Then shalt thou set thee out three Cities in the middest of the lande which the Lorde thy God wil giue thee to possesse 3 Thou shalt prepare a way to them and diuide the bounds of the land which the Lorde thy God will giue thee to inherite into three parts that whosoeuer hath committed manslaughter may flee thither 4 They shal serue for the mansleaer to flee thither that he may liue namely if he haue striken his neighbour ignorantly and haue not hated him aforetimes 5 As for example if a man goe with his neighbour to the wood to fel timber and he casteth backe his hande with the axe in hewing the wood and the head flieth off of the helue and hitteth his neighbour that he dieth he shall flee to one of those Cities and liue 6 To the intent that the next of his kinne followe not the mansleaer while his heart is chafed and ouertake him if the way be ouerlong and put him to death though he bee guiltlesse of the other mans death forasmuch as he hated him not before 7 Therefore commaund I thee to appoint out three Cities ALthough y e Lawe that is set down here serued for y e commō weale of Israel yet may we also fare the better for it at this day For therby god meant to declare what punishment ought to be executed vppon such as commit wilfull murder thorow malice and of set purpose Also it sheweth that we must not take y t for a crime which a man dooth not willingly but by chauncemedly as they terme it True it is that such thinges are not so casuall but that God gouerneth them frō aboue as is shewed in another place where it is sayd 〈◊〉 21.13 that if a man be lopping of a tree and a bough thereof doe hitte one vppon the head that he dye it is God that had determined it so And the holy scripture will not haue vs to attribute the falling out of thinges to fortune but that wee should knowe that God directeth all thinges to the intent that although we see not his hande yet wee should vnderstand by faith that he setteth such store by our lyfe 〈◊〉 12.7 that hee hath numbred all the hayres of our heades as is sayd in another text Moreouer to come againe to the matter it is shewed here that all faultes are willing that is to say that men doe them wittingly and of set purpose But let vs goe foreward with the text that is set downe here God commaundeth the people of Israell to choose out three Cities vntill he haue inlarged their boundes further For it behooued them to haue sixe in al as wee shall see in the next lecture Iosu. 20.2.7 and as is declared in the
looke that Og and Sehon shoulde haue shewed themselues enimies but rather that they woulde haue suffered the people to passe These then were newe enemies that prepared themselues on the soudeine whereat the people became abashed And in very deede they had deserued to bee quite destroyed for there was too shameful distrust to bee seene in them When worde was brought them that it behooued them to goe to battell beholde they were discomfited before they came at their enemies they considered not the power of this promise namely I will fight for you 〈◊〉 23.20 〈◊〉 14.9 you shall stande still and winne the victorie by my power Although that God had offered to bee their captayne and guyde in the warre and had giuen them so good proofe aforehande as they ought not to haue douted at all yet were they in such perplexitie that all was forlorne and past hope of recouerie with them Nowe we knowe that if men winne one battell their heartes bee commonly puft vp and they take better courage to goe forwarde and that contrariwise if they bee repulsed then their heartes quayle To the ende therefore that the Iewes shoulde not bee at that poynt it behooued God to prouide a remedie for it and in deede so did hee of his inestimable goodnesse Insomuch that Moses nowe vpbrayding them with it sayeth That ouer and besides that God had fedde them fourtie yeares in the wildernesse without bread or wine hee had also fought against their enimies and it was the handy woorke of God that they had vanquished the two kinges which came foorth against them and had conquered their countryes and settled there the two trybes of Ruben and Gad and the halfe Trybe of Manasses By meanes whereof one quarter of their people or thereaboutes were prouyded of a sufficient portion to dwell vppon Sith it is so ought they not to haue beene wakened though they had beene asleepe afore Ought not this victorie to haue giuen them both courage and skill howe to honour their God who had so shewed him selfe towardes them and to haue caused them to put their trust in him seeing his grace had beene so visible But seeing they continue still in their stubbornnesse doeth it not appeare that they bee vtterly past hope of recouerie Therefore as nowe wee see the meaning of Moses And heereuppon let vs learne that wee must acknowledge the goodnesse of God not onely in that hee doeth preserue and nourish vs but also in that he doeth set himselfe against our enemies and suffereth vs not to bee made a pray When wee be in this wise defended by God and that hee is our buckler and our fortresse wee ought to magnifie his mightie power in that behalfe and to acknowledge him to bee our God and father and to yeelde him the prayse that is due vnto him True it is that wee haue no such victories as Moses speaketh of howbeit if we did wel consider the hatred that a great many beare toward vs and how eager they be to deuoure vs and swallowe vs vp wee coulde not but confesse that they bee brydled by some secrete working of GOD seeing wee bee preserued all this whyle euen without the power of man and without any vanquishing of them with our owne handes This is a marueylous goodnesse which it woulde behooue vs to perceiue and which wee doe very slenderly acknowledge Nowe there are also ghostly enimies against whome wee bee defended For what shoulde become of vs if GOD shoulde not fight against Sathan and against all the powers of hell There needeth no greate fighting against vs as wee see too much by experience any one temptation bee it neuer so light maketh vs by and by to slip away And what woulde then become of vs when wee bee assayled on all sides and when the diuell inforceth him selfe to the vttermost to entrappe vs If GOD did not helpe vs then what woulde become of vs Now then let vs haue our wittes better wakened than wee haue had them heeretofore that wee may perfectly perceiue howe many wayes GOD sheweth him selfe to bee our protectour and that it bee not cast in our teethe that wee bee deafe and blynde and vtterly bereft of discretion and reason Nowe in the ende Moses addeth Therefore keepe the wordes of this couenant to doe them that thou maist prosper and that in all things which thou doest all may goe well with thee Here wee perceiue first that which was more largely spoken of yesterday to wit that whereas Moses had declared vnto the people that God had not giuen them eyes nor eares nor reason his so dooing was not to make them carelesse or to rocke them asleepe or to diminish the faulte whereof they were guiltie but rather to driue them to seeke remedie where it was to be found After that manner therefore must wee expound the doctrine that is contained in the holy scripture touching the fauour which God sheweth vs in that hee vouchsafeth to enlighten vs to refourme our heartes to the obeying of him that hee may drawe vs vnto him True it is that many scorners will profite but little by this doctrine and that they will rather take occasion by it to blaspheme God and to say Very well if I cannot doe aught that is auaylable let God blame himselfe For seeing that hee hath not giuen mee the grace to doe better what shal I doe If I inforce my selfe to no purpose to whome shoulde the fault bee imputed There bee very many dogges that doe thus barke against God There bee others that fall fast a sleepe in their rechelessenesse saying Seeing it is so I will keepe on my course still If God lift to amende mee let him doe it I can doe nothing it is but labour lost for mee to goe about it Thus doe the wicked falsely abuse the doctrine of God Moreouer there bee some that haue their eares so tickelish that they cannot abide that wee shoulde syncerely and plainly preache that thing which is manifestly declared in the Scriptures to wit that it is the peculiar office of God to inlighten vs to giue vs eyes and reason and to drawe vs vnto him and that otherwise wee bee so vntowarde that wee cannot applye our eares or eyes to any thing else than to euill but are holden in the bondage of Sathan so as wee bee not able to stirre one finger Ephes. 2.1 2. Cor. 3.5 nor to haue one good thought vnlesse it bee giuen vs from aboue When wee speake thus there bee some that are ouer dayntie which woulde fayne that this doctrine were buryed And wherefore is it that they profite so little thereby and that they doe thus kicke against the Spirit of God Is it not wisedome ynough for vs to declare that which wee must vnderstande by the holy Scripture We heare what speach God vseth namely that in man there is no goodnesse nor vnderstanding of the trueth that hee is so corrupted through sinne that all the light
we haue receyued of God we must not thinke that he will suffer them to be buried he will surely put vs throughly in minde of them euen to our vtter confusion according as we see how he speaketh here of the Iewes And nowe on the contrarie part he blameth them for that That they bee turned away after straunge gods which they haue not knowen and which had done them no good This is generally incident to all Idolaters For notwithstanding that there be a kinde of wilfull opinion in them yet are they at no certaintie Like as the Papistes which can not say that they bee assured of their religion all is grounded vpon a supposition True it is that they play the madde men for when they bee tolde of their foolishnesse they rage and storme and thinke that men do them the greatest wrong in the worlde when they make any gainesaying to that which they imagine to bee good and yet howsoeuer they fare they haue but a supposall For all their saying is Our fathers taught vs so it is the order of our holie mother the Church this hath nowe beene receyued of olde Verie well shall God bee outfaced with that Shall his trueth which wee ought to admitte to bee vnfallible bee made voyde vnlesse wee bee grounded vppon custome and authorities of men Nay without that there is nothing in men but vanities and lies Hereby then wee must learne not to thinke that straunge which the Scripture speaketh namelie that wee must fashion our selues after our fathers howbeit those fathers which haue followed the trueth of God and none other To bee short wee shall finde that there is no certeyntie in them that followe not the lawe that none but the children of God can talke of it vppon knowledge 1. Iob. 5 2â— according as Saint Iohn sayth in his Canonicall Epistle Soothly it is not for vs to bee taught by coniectures of men when the worde of God is laide before vs for it is good reason that God shoulde haue so greate authoritie ouer vs as that when hee saith the worde we shoulde wholy sticke to it and seeke no farther but yet is there alwayes a true knowledge in faith and not a wauering opinion Contrariwise all they that serue GOD after their owne deuotion doe but imagine and serue gods whome they know not The Papistes say that the Virgin Marie is their aduocate euerie one hath his patron such as hee hath deuised of his owne heade doe they vnderstande that GOD hath giuen them these offices Haue they any Testimonies thereof None but they thinke so When I goe on Pilgrimage or cause a masse to bee sung or founde such a yeares minde O that is goodly seruing of God What Haue you authoritie for all these thinges that they be pleasing to God and that hee alloweth them O no sir but our intent is good Yea but that is not enough to binde God for hee must bee serued according to his owne will and hee will none of all those things To bee short examine all that the Idolaters doe and yee shall finde that they be rauished and puffed vp with a wauering opinion Thereupon they sooth themselues exceedingly but yet are they neuer assured of their case Therefore it is not without cause that Moses reprooueth the Iewes for following the gods which they knew not And indeede howe shall a man knowe that which is not for there is no knowledge but the truth and there is nothing but lies in all that men doe deuise without the worde of God Againe hee saith yet further that the Idoles whome they serued had doone them no good Trulie the wretched misbeleeuers doe beare them selues in hande that the Idoles whome they serue haue doone them much good as we see the Papistes doe saying Lo wee finde it good to goe to sâ—ich a Saint for there is such a miracle as sheweth that this deuotion is not vnprofitable after which manner wee see the Idolaters to haue doone at all times When we serued the Queene of heaueÌ„ say they in Ieremie we had our fill of meate and drinke 〈…〉 .18 there was plentie of all manner of good thinges Lo howe Satan blindeth these wretches and God doeth suffer them to bee fedde with vaine flatteries and to please themselues with their owne superstitions to their condemnation Neuerthelesse that which is spoken by the Prophet Isay shall bee alwayes true namely that Idoles haue no power to doe either good nor euill 〈◊〉 â—49 for they bee nothing Therefore let vs learne first of all to sticke vnto the word whereby God teacheth vs and let vs followe our fathers that is to say those whome hee hath allowed and chosen and set foorth for our example to the intent that wee shoulde imitate them The verie point whereat wee must beginne for the hauing of a pure religion both certaine and infallible is the said doctrine and secondly that we be confirmed by the gratious giftes and benefits which God bestowed vpon the olde fathers yea and euen by those also whereof wee our selues haue had proofe in our own persons Let these things induce vs so much the more to giue our selues ouer vnto him and therewithall let vs stande in awe of his threateninges and likewise of his punishments which we see executed vpon all y e wicked that haue forsaken him That in effect is that which we haue to remember vppon this place Nowe for conclusion Moses addeth The secretes belong to the Lorde our God and the things reueiled befor vs and our children for euer to the end we shoulde doe the thinges that are written in this booke This text is taken diuerse wayes Some doe expounde it that the secretes of our God bee reueiled vnto vs and to our children and that is a verie profitable doctrine for it is saide that the lawe conteineth wonders that be incomprehensible to men vntill time that hee hath opened their eyes Therefore Dauid prayeth thus Lord lighten me that I may beholde the wonderfull wisedome 〈◊〉 119.18 which is in thy lawe And indeede we doe neuer by our naturall wit vnderstande that which is shewed by the worde of God it exceedeth all that is in man And that is the cause why this grace is so highlie magnified in holie Scripture that God dealt not with any nation as hee hath doone with the Iewes for that hee had not reueiled vnto them the secretes of his woorde Deut. 4.8 but left them to walke in brutishnesse and ignorance It is to a good purpose therefore to say That the secretes of our God be reueiled vnto vs at this day that folke might be the more mooued to be attentiue to the law knowing that God hath vsed a speciall goodnesse towarde them to whome he hath shewed himselfe so familiarlie as wee haue alreadie seene in the fourth Chapter But albeit y t the same doctrine be verie good profitable yet is it somewhat strained because of y e words for the text
sorte as wee may bee all wholy his and hee possesse vs and euermore vpholde vs as we haue neede vntill he hath throughly reformed vs and vtterly ridde vs not onely from the imperfection of our fleshe but also from this mortall body it selfe to bring vs into the glory of his kingdome That it may please him to bestowe this fauour not onely vppon vs but in lykewise vppon all the people and nations of the earth c. On Tewsday the xxj of April 1556. The CLXXI. Sermon which is the third vpon the thirtith Chapter 11 For the commaundement which I commaund thee this day is not hidden from thee nor farre off from thee 12 It is not in heauen that thou mightest say which of vs shal go vp into heauen and fetch it vs to make vs heare it that we may doe it 13 Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou mightest say which of vs shall goe ouer the sea and bring it vs that we may heare it and doe it 14 For this worde is very nigh thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart to doe it HEretofore in the last Chapter Moses had put a difference betwixt Gods secrets and the law saying that if wee bee learned in Gods worde we shal alwayes find such doctrine as is behouefull for our selues and for our children And in the same place hee protested that God speaketh not in such darke manner as men cannot vnderstand what hee meaneth but that he expresseth his wil faithfully to the end they should haue good and conuenient instruction to their saluation Nowe continuing his purpose he â—aith farther that the Lawe which he had declared is not a secret doctrine nor farre distant from the people so as they might reply saying Who is hee that shall passe ouer the sea or who is hee that shall mount vp aboue the clowdes No saith hee the worde is set downe before thine eyes thou hast it in thy mouth and in thy heart and so is there no place at all of excuse through ignorance wherefore turne that grace to your profite otherwise there is nought else to be looked for but dreadfull condemnation before God vpon all them that continue in their blindnesse for here is that true light which shoulde guide vs in all the course of our lyfe Wee see what Moses meant in this Text euen to exhort them to whom hee had deliuered the Lawe to be attentiue to the same Now for that purpose he promiseth them that in so doing they shoulde not spend their time in vaine but that if they would apply their studie to bee edified in the worde of God they shoulde finde sufficient for that purpose On the contrarie side he pronounceth a terrible threatning against all them that goe about to shielde theÌ„selues with ignorance For there remaineth no more excuse after that GOD hath spoken If this were said in the time of the Lawe howe much more conueniently may it bee sayd to vs of these dayes For wee are not ignorant that God hath shewed himselfe vnto vs more familiarly than to them to whom Moses spake they had onely that which remaineth vnto vs to this day But since that time God sent his Prophets which haue more largely expounded y e thinges that were briefely and darkly mentioned in the lawe After all this the Lorde Christ our sauiour is come into the worlde and hath accomplished that which was spoken by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrues Hebr. 1. â— that God had spoken after diuers manners vnto our fathers but nowe lastly he hath shewed himselfe by the mouth of his onely Sonne giuing vs a final conclusion of all Prophesies and euery maner of doctrine We heare also how our Lorde Iesus sayth that many kinges and Prophets had longed to see and to heare that which his disciples sawe and heard Luke 10.24 and that they found not that fauour This also is spoken vnto vs. So then let vs marke well that the reproofe which Moses layd to the Iewes whom hee taught shall turne to our dreadfull condemnation if we profit not in the schoole of God whiles he taketh the care and trauaile to teach vs. Nowe for one point wee haue to note what is sayd here namely That the word is not hidden nor farre from vs so as wee might say who is hee that shall passe ouer the Sea who is hee that shall mount vp aboue the Clowdes By these wordes God sheweth that when his word is published it is not in vaine as it is also sayd by his Prophet Esay Esa. 45.19 Wee conclude then that the doctrine of God is not of it selfe so incomprehensible that woe haue not abilitie to conceiue it but that it is a perfect light whereby wee may beholde the way of saluation as hereafter shall be shewed It is such an orderly kinde of teaching as no body but our selues is to bee blamed if we be not edifyed as we ought to bee and so farre forth as is necessarie for vs. See here then I pray you the Testimonie which God giueth vnto his worde namely how it is not a iarring that cannot bee vnderstoode but a playne speech to the end that men might be brought vnto him by knowing what is meete and expedient for them by discerning betwixt the good and the euill Nowe seeing that God speaketh thus of his worde wee must not doubt to finde that which hee saith For otherwise we shoulde make him a lyer but hee shall be found faithfull and our selues condemned of Blasphemie Let vs marke farther that the promise which God maketh vs is infallible to the end that wee should stand fast and not wauer with any doubt or scruple if wee suffer our selues to be taught by him Then let vs but yeelde our selues teachable and sure it is that God for his parte will not suffer vs to dwell in suspence nor our mindes to wander and to goe on groping like blinde folke There is full certainetie of knowledge if wee become good scholers to God and resist him not as robbers And here a man may see the froward vnthankfulnesse of the Papistes which would make men beleeue that they should not venture to reade the holy scripture nor once be so hardy as to looke into it because it is so high and so deep a thing y t men shal be forthwith caryed away into many errors and many fancies It is very true that men doe abuse the trueth of God and we our selues doe see howe they turne the trueth into lyes But yet to impute the same vnto Gods word it were a diuelish blasphemie And therefore let vs learn that we must settle our selues wholy vppon that which is shewed vnto vs here For God himselfe dooth assure vs that in his worde we shall finde the right vnderstanding of all thinges that are expedient for our saluation Thinke we that our good God will deceiue vs Let vs therefoee abhorre the excuse which the Papistes doe holde of purpose to
meaning of this place Euery yere yea at euery feast or solemnitie y e people cōming to the tēple were to be taught in deede The sacrifices were not to be done as a vaine pompe but in such sort as men might know the end vse of thē so as euery body might vnderstād what God he serued be put in mind of the couenant which he had made with their fathers But yet herewithall besides all this God did moreouer ad a larger confirmation thereof by renewing the remēbrance thereof at y e end of seuen yeres as it were by the solemne taking of a new oth to the end y t it shold not vanish away Let vs vnderstand then y t when men had exercised thēselues frō day to day and frō moneth to moneth had all their life long studied in the lawe of God bin taught his wil yet this ceremony was neuerthelesse obserued that they did reade all the contentes of the lawe that the people might consider thus w t thēselues This is not a treasure y t may at any time perishe from among vs God hath not giuē it for a time but it is for vs for our childrē for euermore as we haue seene in y e 29. chap. Seeing it is so let vs take heed y t we continue the possession therof amōg vs 〈◊〉 29.11 y t through our own rechelesnes we be not defeated of so inestimable a benefite which ought to be preferred aboue all y e riches delectable things of this world Now wheras he speaketh of y e feast it is said At such time as al Israel shal be assēbled togither in the presēce of his god We haue heretofore often times treated of this maner of speaking it is nowe needelesse to stande long vpon it It is ynough for vs alwayes to remēber y t God in commanding men to come worship him in his holy sanctuarie meant that the faithful should haue a certein testimonie pawne of his presence to the intent they should the willinglyer resort thither vnderstand that so to do was not an vnprofitable lost labour Yet notwithstanding God ment not to hold y e Iewes in any grosse imagination as if he had been enclosed in the Arke of the couenant or as if his essence had bin betwixt y e Cherubins but his comming down was of purpose to make y e faithful to mount vp to heauen through faith that is the common maner which hee hath alwayes holden in his church For in as much as wee are not able to approch vnto him nor to haue any accesse thither because of our infirmities hee vouchsafeth to stoope to our litlenesse howbeit not to make vs to nestle ourselues here beneath or to conceiue grosse opinions as though hee were tyed to the elements of this world but rather y t by such meanes hee might raise our faith vp on hye Thus were they taught in the time of the law And euen now also doth he vse the same maner of dealing with vs at this day We haue at this day the Sacraments In deede wee haue not so great a multitude as the fathers had for it were more than needed for vs because wee haue the substance of all the olde shadowes our Lord Iesus Christ. But yet for all that God doth stil at this day apply him selfe to our rudenes by his sacraments In y e water of baptisme we haue a testimony y t we be washed made cleane 〈◊〉 5.26 〈…〉 and that we be renued by his holy spirite Now then we must not muse vpon the water but when we see the visible signe we must rise aloft vnderstand y t God accomplisheth the thing in trueth which is signified vnto vs by the visible Sacrament Euen so also it is of the Supper Wee see there bread wine but we must through faith mount vp to our Lord Iesus Christ who is y e true foode of our soules that wee may be fed satisfied in him And the same is called the presence of God And why For it is no deceitfull matter neither doth God intend to beguyle vs when he declareth witnesseth vnto vs y t we be washed fed by the vertue of his onely sonne but hee would that we should be assured of it by feeling the verie effect therof Now when God vttereth such vertue do not we feele him present Let vs note then that God is present with vs when we come vnto him being called thither hauing the meanes which he hath ordeined and in like wise when wee be assembled togither there is a presence of our God Matt. 18.20 For our Lord Iesus Christ sitteth in the middest of vs because wee bee his We must not think that he is farre off but that he receiueth al our requests that we be hard do obtaine of God his father all that is conuenient for vs. Thus ought wee to take courage When we vse the Sacraments when wee come to heare y e word of God when we make commō prayers when wee obserue the whole order which God hath established in his church let vs be assured that he is with vs that hee assureth vs not in vaine that we make no windlasses as other men do greatly tormenting themselues in following their owne fansies No no but in so doing our God preuenteth vs seeketh altogether to haue vs ioyned vnto him that hee will shew the same openly make vs to vnderstand it by effect That is the thing in effect which we haue to remember concerning the manner of speach which Moses vseth here And by the way the people are warned by this meane to heare the law with y e more heede reuerence What is the cause that when the worde of God is preached vnto vs many in the meane while doe wander in the ayre or bee at home with their houshold or else fall on asleepe and to be short that although they doe both heare vnderstand yet they bee not moued awhit the law the Gospel bee vnto them as a matter of nothing whence commeth such contempt For it is against nature that our GOD should speake that the creatures which liue by his grace which ought to dedicate themselues wholy vnto him should yeeld him so litle honor authoritie We do easily vouchsafe to heare a man if we haue him in any estimation no worde that proceedeth from his mouth shal fall to the ground but we wil as it were suck vp whatsoeuer is spoken by so great a personage in so much that before his words be fully pronounced we conceiue what he meant to speake Behold God speaketh albeit y t it be by y e mouth of men yet is it his will that his word should be of like maiestie with vs as if hee himselfe were here in person But it preuaileth not that is because we thinke not on this presence wherof Moses speaketh in
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
be out of hope of our saluation and giue ouer the promises thereof that haue bin made vnto vs. Thus doe we now see the meaning of Moses and also in how great stead his doctrine may stand vs if we can haue the skill to apply it well to our vse Now it is said for a conclusion Ye people or nations prayse ye the people of God Here Moses directeth his speech to all infidels and heathen folk to the intent that the exhortatioÌ„ which he hath set downe heretofore may haue the more force Hitherto he had spoken to the belieuers and to such as haue eares to heare God withall and to such as he calleth to his schoole Howbeit forasmuch as there is so much troublesomnesse and scrupulousnesse in vs as is pitifull to see Moses meant to giue vs yet one meane more for our better confirmation in respect wherof he sayth Consider my friends see how your God comforteth you in the middest of the chastisements which he sendeth you Although ye haue offended him deserue to haue extreme rigor vsed towardes you without any abatement of his corrections yet notwithstanding to shewe that hee would not haue you to perish nor y t you shoulde feele him but as a Iudge onely he sheweth again that he will haue pitie vpon you and repent him of his smiting of you after that fashion and that he will withdrawe his hand And if you beleeue not this yet neuerthelesse y e infidels must needs beleeue it Although they be destitute of reason although there be not one sparke of light in theÌ„ although they be as brutish as beastes that neuer heard speaking of the liuing God yet shall they perceiue this and their experience shal be such Psal. 32.12 that they shall be driuen to say Blessed is the people whose father sauiour God sheweth himselfe to be Euen they I say shal blesse you Now when the dumme are able to speake the blinde to see the deafe to heare shoulde not they that haue bin inlightned by Gods word to whom he hath giuen tongues to magnifie his name should not they see nor perceiue a whit What excuse then shall there be for them Now then wee see why Moses hauing exhorted the faithfull to repentance hauing shewed them that God will haue pitie mercie vppon them after he hath corrected them for their faultes offences turneth his talke to such as were blind had not any knowledge or tast of the trueth namely to the heathen of purpose to make vs to perceiue the better after what sorte God causeth vs to feele his goodnes euen by experience sealing it vp in our harts by his holy spirit which is named the â—arnest penny and the seale of the hope of our saluation 〈◊〉 1.12 the causer of vs to take hold of all the good thinges which we receiue at Gods hand Now then if we know nothing therof that the infidels by beholding Gods wonderfull working after a manner vnaccustomed among men be inforced to say O what a thing is it to be of the number of Gods people ought not we to haue a more liuely knowledge thereof such as may comfort vs in our afflictions so as we may not cease to call vpon our God to hold vs continually vnder his obedience and to haue alwayes wherwith to asswage the bitternes of our sorrowes Truely the thing that Moses rehearseth here is shewed vs in the example of Balaam For he was a false Prophet hee was an enemie of God hee was such a one as had his tongue to sale and his heart vppon his powch seeking to turne the trueth into falshood and yet for all this as though God had held him vppon the rack he was inforced to vtter this speech Let my soule dye the death of the righteous 〈◊〉 13.10 He speaketh there of the people of God saying Who art thou Israell Who is hee that can doe any thing against thee seeing thou standest in the fauor of thy God Was a deceiuer and an vnderling of Satan faine to say so Yea verely For it is Gods will that his will which hee hath witnessed already to his people by his lawe and by his word should be knowen and further confirmed euen by the mouth of his open enemie Balaam was faine to say that the death of the Iewes was more to be desired than the life of all other men because God held them for his people So then let vs marke well that whereas Moses sayth Ye Nations or ye Gentiles prayse yee the people of God it is as much to say as declare ye that God hath wrought after such a fashion as it is not for men to doubt any more but that for his adoption sake in that he hath voutsafed to choose the linage of Abraham he will haue it knowen that therein he hath layd forth the infinite treasures of his goodnes And forthwith he addeth that hee will reuenge the bloud of his seruauntes and requite vengeance to his enemies but bee mercifull to his land and to his people Here are three thinges in effect which I wil touch in few words and it wil be enough to conclude this song withall The first is that God sayth He will reuenge the bloud of his seruantes Now vnder this saying hee sheweth vs that wee may well be afflicted for a time so far forth that euen our very bloud shall not be spared whether it be that God punish vs for the faults which we haue committed against him or that his will be to try our patience The thing then whereof wee bee warned is that if God thinke good to haue our bloud shed we must not thinke it straunge nor shrinke from the promises which he hath made vs in auowing himselfe to bee our God and the defender of our lyfe Neither must we think that those promises are disanulled though our God suffer vs to be handled so cruelly But let vs tary the time till he reuenge our bloud for hee will then shewe how deare and precious our lyfe is vnto him Thus much coÌ„cerning the first point As touching the second he sayth that God will requite his enemies with the lyke to the ende wee should knowe that all the felicitie of the wicked and of the despisers of God shall be accursed Psal. 37. â— therefore that we must not repine at them therfore Now then if wee see Gods enemies to bee rich to haue their ease in this world and to welter in all pleasure let vs let them alone and not be drawen do spire them or to intermeddle our selues with theÌ„ For why God 's vengeance which is yet vnseene must come before our eyes be considered by faith we must also remeÌ„ber how it is said Luke 6.25 Cursed be you y t laugh for ye shal weepe Forasmuch then as the laughter of y e despiserâ— of God must be turned into mourning weeping and gnashing of teeth let vs
When Satan hath illusions and the things which he faceth vs withall doe carry some likelihood then must wee say I fight the more manfully or otherwise wee shal bee carryed away by and by into manie dotages from whence it will bee vnpossible for vs to retyre Moreouer as touching the text which I alledged out of S. Iude let vs mark that in all ages it hath bin Satans policie to face men with the things y t might corrupt them or drawe them to ydolatry like as the Fowler or Birdcatcher hath his snares and nettes alwayes set so hath Satan his sleights to beguyle vs. And he knoweth that he hath wunne the goale of vs when he can once turne vs away from the purenesse of Gods seruice and trayne vs to some superstition for then runne wee headlong into wickednes and hee carryeth vs whither he listeth That is the cause why he taketh so much paines in this behalfe and wee see it as in respect of the bodie of Moses yea we see it by experience the which is vsed too much And herewithall let vs marke well howe S. Iude sayeth that Michael the Archangel withstoode him Yee see here howe there is a stryfe betweene the Angels of God and the diuels the Angels fighting to maintaine vs continually in the purenes which God requireth that is to say that we should worship him alone and not put our trust in any creatures That is the desire of the Angels On the other side the diuel being enemie to our saluation would faine that the maiestie of God were quite defaced And when he cannot do that he laboureth to darken it practising continually to cast fooles bables before our eyes that wee might haue toyes to occupy our heads withal here below neither go nor once looke vnto God And here we be put in mynd first what a care God hath of our saluation in that it is his will that the Angels shall fight to draw vs out of all the temptations of Satan Which thing ought to prouoke vs to bee of the better courage sith we see we haue such helpes Now then if we be weake as of our selues and cannot put from vs the temptations of Satan when we be assayled with them let vs trust that God wil not faile vs but that he wil imploy euen his Angels who be champions valiant ynough to resist all Satans attempts whatsoeuer else he can practise against vs. Here yee see vppon what trust wee ought to stande to our tackling when Satan assaileth vs laboureth to win vs. True it is y t we should euermore be ouerthrowē ouerwhelmed out of hand if God succoured vs not But seeing wee haue the Angels of heauen to reliue vs and God armeth them with his owne inuincible power to the intent we should neuer faile it ought to make vs take courage as I said afore Now moreouer we see also what pleasure the ydolaters do to the Angels Prophets Apostles Martyrs at a word to al the seruants of god when they will needes aduaunce them aboue their degrees The Papists thinke they doe well aduaunce the virgin Marie when they call her their aduocate when they terme her the life welfare of the worlde when they bid her commaund her sonne and when they cast foorth such other horrible blasphemies But if they had troden her vnder their feete when shee was in this world or if they had dragged her by y e haire of her head they should not haue done her so great outrage And why For wee knowe howe exceedingly God hateth al ydolatries A church that is infected with images is worse than a brothelhouse to Godward And shal men go abuse the name of the holy virgin And whereas the Apostles and holy Martyrs haue shed their bloud to keepe holy the name of God whereas say I they despised all the abhominations and ydolatries of the world and shed their bloud for the maintenance of Gods trueth and Gospel shal men now in steede thereof goe vnder their shadow to deface Gods honour to vnhallowe his seruice and to rend him in pieces and gobbets Let vs marke wel then that the Papistes haue not any worser or sorer enemies than the Saintes whome they thinke to honour because they do them so much wrong as to set them for contrarie parties against God And how see we that Iude. 9. Euen by S. Iudes reporting that the Angels of heauen with their captaine did striue for the bodie of Moses And let vs not thinke that the virgin Marie the Apostles and Martyrs are at variance with the Angels nay they bee all of one mynde And that shal be knowen when the bookes shal be layde open Dan. 7.10 Yee see then how that all the seruants of God doe sight to keepe the Church from beeing corrupted from turning away or slipping aside into any ydolatrie or superstition Seeing it is so let vs also on our side ioyne with them in fighting sticke to our tackeling that Gods seruice may continue vnappayred and that there may bee no mingling at all to alienate vs from God and let vs occupie our selues wholly therein seeing it is the peculiar office of Satan to set himselfe continually against our saluation so as he ceasseth not euen now to hinder the same but holdeth out stil. And his striuing was not then only for the only bodie of Moses but he hath striued euer since to set vp all the bodies of the holy Prophets When Ieremie serued for ydolatrie in Egypt where was his bodie To whome shall that bee imputed but to Satan which inuented a newe meane of ydolatrie to the holie Prophet Againe whence came all the illusions and false miracles that haue bin wrought in the Popedome but from the same shop Wee see then how Satan hath alwayes strayned him self to cast some obiect before our eyes to draw vs away from Gods seruice and to busie our heads about other things that being wrapped in superstition we might be vtterly marde Sith it is so let vs keepe the better watch and stande at our defence For seeing our enemies come neere vs and are alwayes watching to spye vs at some aduantage surely it will waken vs though wee bee neuer so loth But it is said that Satan neuer resteth and that he is euer practising what he can possibly to catch vs vnawares in ydolatrie Wee see it the thing bewrayeth it selfe Sith it is so should wee fall asleepe Nay rather let vs looke narrowly about vs as I sayde afore and let vs take good heede that wee bee not intrapped I sayde that wee see howe Satan practiseth all meanes to corrupt vs. For hee hath fought not onely for the bodies of men but also for al other things belonging to them euen such as a man would not think insomuch y t the very haire of their heads their kerchiefes their shirts their pantoples and diuerse other things haue bin worshipped To bee short they haue worshipped thinges so
Scripture 946. b all In what maiesticall manner the image of God is set foorth in the holy Scripture 199. a 40. Howe much of the Scripture wee know and vnderstande 249. a 10.20 What the holy Ghost teacheth vs touching the vse of the holy Scripture 650. a 50. Of the holie Scripture to whom the same is reuealed and to whom it is obscure 1046. all What a minglemangle the Papistes haue made of the Scripture and their fansies and why they haue doone it 120. b 50.60 How God sheweth himselfe like a nursse vnto vs in the holy Scripture 249. a 40.50.60 The holy Scripture liked and misliked after mens fansies 33. a 10.20.30.40 The small reuerence that the Scripture hath nowadayes among a great number 33. a 30. How God speaketh vnto vs in the holie Scripture 249. a 40.50.146 b 20. God wil haue men to bee ruled by the Scripture 33. a 10. Why the Papistes woulde not haue men venture to read the holy Scripture 1060. a 20. The cause why so few profite in the holy Scripture 1060. b 30.1061 a all The Scripture sheweth such secretes as euen the Angels do reuerence 249. a 10. Howe we must come to the reading of the holie Scripture 469. a 10 Against such as haue sought by their talke to abolish some peece of the holy Scripture 463. a 30.40.50 The Scripture is nothing else but an vttering and declaring of Gods will 412. a 60. But two points conteined in all the leaues of holy Scripture 412. b 10.20 Howe shamefully and vainelie the holy Scripture is abused nowadayes 446. b 10. What wee haue to note where it is said all Scripture is profitable 1173. b all Looke Truth of God Scriptures Manie graunt the holy Scriptures to be good but they say also to supplie the wants that are in it 110. b 60. 111. a 10 An admonition to heare the Scriptures preached and taught 4. a 20.30 Scoffers against the holie Scriptures what they deserue 545. b 20 Howe we must bee prepared when wee come to the reading or hearing of the holy Scriptures 404. b 10.20.30.40.525 a 30.40.116 a 20.30.183 b 20. How they of the Popedome to terrifie the people from reading the Scriptures 1082. b 20.30 A meditation to be vsed of vs when we reade the holy Scriptures 199. a 30 The common abuse of Scriptures among Christians noted 199. a 40.50.60 b 10. Looke Worde of God and Gospell Sea The Sea ought naturally to bee aboue the earth and howe it commeth to passe that it ouerfloweth not the same 1117. a 20.30 The red Sea called y e sea of bulrushes and the reason why 1012. a 50 Secret Of a wonderfull Secret of God and against such as barke against it 1044. b 30.40.50.60 Secrets Why we woulde be inquiring of Gods Secrets without end or measure 183. a 40 Gods Secrets belong to himselfe and y e contents of his law to vs. 1143. b 10 We must reuerence Gods Secrets being so taught of the Angels Cherubims 1108. a 10 Of Secrets which God hath to himself 1043. b 40.1044 a 20 Of the Secrets of God and howe they be reuealed vnto vs. 1043. a 50.60 b all 1145. b 60.1146 a 10 The behauiour of some which spue out their blasphemies when Gods Secrets seeme strange vnto them 131. a 10 Against such as say We ought to be too inquisitiue of Gods Secrets reade how 130. b 10 We must be renewed ere we can comprehend Gods Secrets perfectly 82. a 50 Gods word conteineth wonderfull Secrets which we may be able to conceiue if wee our selues be not in the fault 125. a 50 Securitie No worse thing in the world than Securitie 1142. b 10. Looke Carelesnes See Howe we See but in part and why not otherwise 182. b 60. 183. a 10 The vpshot of Moses condemnation that he was faine to See the temple of an idol continually before his eyes 108. a 60 How and in what maner Moses did See God 255. a 60. b 10.183 b 10 We See many corruptions verie ranke among vs and what they bee 108. b 50.60 109. a 10 What iudgement shall light vppon vs for so much as wee haue seene and would not See 124. a 40 It is not for naught that God causeth vs to See thinges that ought to offende vs and cast vs into heuinesse why 108. b 20.30.40.50 Seene The meaning of these words of Moses Thine eyes haue Seene it 125. a 30.40.50.60 Seedes Why God forbad the Iewes to sowe diuerse Seeds in one vineyard 779. a 30.40.50.60 778 a b 10. c. What doctrine wee haue to gather by these wordes Thou shalt not mingle Seedes together 779. all Seeke Where we must Seeke God and of such as seeke him not where he is to bee founde 157. b 30.497 a 30.40.50.60 b all 498. a all Of such as brag of their willingnesse to Seâ—ke God c. 158 b all Our vnbeleefe bewrayeth it selfe when we should Seeke God 156. b 60 How and after what sort we must Seeke God 155. b 10.20.157 b 30.803 b all 138. b 50.60 The vnthankfulnesse of y e world shewed by Moses for that they did Seeke strange Gods 138. b 60. 139. a 10 The Papistes Seeke newe Gods as appeareth by their idoll seruice reade page 138. all Sehon Why God ouerthrew Sehon king of the Amorrhites 86. a 50. His heart hardened reade how the doctrine is notable 80. a 60. b 10.64 a 20. God sendeth a message of peace to Sehon hauing determined aforehande it should not auaile him 76. a 30.40.50 The cause why God hardened him 82. a 10. 60. A mean wherby god ordeined his people to haue lawful war with him and all his subiects 75. a 50 Selfeweening God wil haue vs to be bereft of al Selfeweening 140. a 50 A lesson teaching vs to rid our selues of all Selfeweening 110. a 10 Sell. A lawe forbidding any man to steale an Israelite Sell him 846. a 50.60 c. Selling. Selling of soules and making marchandise of them 847. b all Lawes made for vprightnesse in buying and selling reade sermon 144. Senses That our Senses offende not of their owne proper moouing howe then 970. b 20.30 Sentence The end whereto the delaying of definitiue Sentence in sutes of lawe serueth 873. a 60. b 10 Separation A Separation of the goates from the lambs at the last day read the place 129. a 10 God maketh a Separation of his true seruaunts from such as falsely abuse his name 128. b 50 Of the Separation of Ioseph from his fathers house 1212. b 50.60.1213 a 10 20.30.40 Of the Separation of Israel from other nations 1232. a 50.60 Sepulchre Touching the Sepulchre of Moses which is vnknowen reade the 199. sermon and pages 1238.1239.1240 Looke Buriall and Graue Sericius The blasphemie of Pope Sericius 228. b 60. 229. a 10 Sermon We shall not haue heard that Sermon which God wil not lay to our charge at the latter day 1061. a 10
Esa. 45.19 nor meant to beguile men in bidding them to seeke him Then haue wee an open declaration of Gods trueth so wee obey his worde by faith and receiue it without gainsaying When wee bee at that poynt wee may well with good conscience and safetie punish such as seeke to turne vs away from the trueth But if wee be doubtfull and wauering and go to it but by weening what will come of it but that wee shall punish innocent persons as wee see the Papistes doe by persecuting our Lorde Iesus in his members It were better for them nowadayes that they killed one another without colour of iustice than to persecute the children of God after that fashion For the matter standeth not vppon the punishing of men by taking away their liues or by sheading of giltlesse bloud through wicked crueltie but vppon the making of warre against the liuing God and vpon the suffering againe of our lord Iesus Christ in his members And let vs marke that whensoeuer wee falsly pretende the name of God for a colour our fault is doubled in so abusing it and we become so much the more blame woorthie As for example when the Papistes nowadayes doe persecute the faithfull and vse such excessiue crueltie as they doe they can welynough say it is the zeale of God that driueth vs to doe it If a man haue slayne one or robbed one very well hee shal bee layde vppon the wheele And what shal bee done when Gods maiestie is defaced Shoulde the partie scape vnpunished So will they alleage Yea but first they shoulde inquire of the case For like as sometimes men punish giltlesse persons accused of false crymes so may it well bee and wee see it by experience that Martyres are persecuted in steede of heretikes Therefore were it meete to looke well to the matter But nowadayes if a man say that wee ought to call vppon none but onely God in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ and that wee shoulde not fetche any further compasses after the imaginations of men by praying to the virgine Marie or other Saintes deceassed to bee our patrones and aduocates but that wee ought to holde our selues contented with Iesus Christ to whome that office is giuen by God his Father By and by they crye out to the fire with him And howe so It is the pure doctrine of the holy Scripture Yea but the church of Rome admitteth it not If a man say wee must worship God after a spirituall manner without making any puppets to him and that the breaking of the rule which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath giuen vs is vtter abomination out vppon it that 's a foule heresie at leastwise by the iudgement of the popedome But yet for all that the Scripture beareth it If a man say wee haue no freewill to doe good but that wee bee vtterly corrupted and that if there bee any goodnesse in vs it proceedeth of Gods meere grace and mercie so that our going forwarde towardes the marke is because wee bee renewed by his holy Ghoste and yet neuerthelesse that wee bee weake and had neede to flee continually for refuge to the forgiuenesse which GOD promiseth vs and whereby wee bee reconciled vnto him whereunto wee attaine not by our owne desertes and satisfactions but must bee faine to bee purged by the bloudshed of our Lorde Iesus Christ and by that meanes wee obtaine saluation if these thinges say I bee alleaged by and by hee must bee haled to the stake And why Because all this is condemned by their Synagogues Yea but it were meete for them that they shoulde giue eare vnto God For did hee forgo his authoritie when hee sayde that we should neither ad too nor diminish from the thinges that hee hath spoken Deut. 12.32 as wee haue seene alreadie heretofore For thereby doeth he shewe at what ende it behooueth vs to beginne Then is it a hellish kinde of dealing when men stay not vppon the thinges that GOD commaundeth and that are conteyned in his worde and yet notwithstanding doe take vppon them to burthen other men with what lawes they list If a man say that wee must serue God according to his commaundementes and not depend vpon those that take vpon theÌ„ to enioyne lawes to mens soules and that all such inuentions are foolish What Shall the traditions of our mother holy Church bee so reiected That were a deadly and intolerable cryme If a man speake of the Sacraments say that baptisme ought to be ministred in a knowen tounge that men may vnderstande to what ende our Lorde Iesus ordeyned it what fruite it yeeldeth and how to vse it a right and moreouer that men may perceiue that baptisme sendeth vs to our Lorde Iesus Christ and hath no power of it selfe further than God worketh by his holy spirite which appeareth when wee haue an eye to him that is the verie substance of baptisme and that all the trifling toyes ought to bee put away wherewith men haue mocked God to the full namely the ceremonies of their owne inuenting which are but vtter corruptions of baptisme as their spittle their salt all their other may games which they play withall If a man talke so of their stuffe he must be put to death for it out of hand And why Fye vppon him hee is a ranke heretike he is not to bee borne with Yea but they shoulde see first whether it bee an heresie or no. For by that meanes they make God him selfe an heretike for want of due examination and what a dealing is that If a man say that our Lordes supper ought to bee receiued according to the rule which hee him selfe did giue vs that is to wit that wee shoulde communicate togither so as the bread might bee a warrant to vs that wee bee truely become partakers of his bodie and the wine a warrant that wee bee partakers of his bloud and consequently that the Masse is an abhomination of the diuels owne deuising for that therein the Christian are so farre off from communicating together that one man separates himselfe from all the rest of the company beholde then must excommunication serue as a sauce for all meates Againe if a man come at Easter to receiue the Lordes supper hee must haue but a morsel and hee must holde him contented with the one halfe of it and moreouer contrarie to Christ his institution which sayes take and eate they woulde beare God in hand that he shall receiue we giue it thee say they Besides this if a man intende to bee reconciled to GOD the Masse must serue as a new sacrifice and although they say it is the same that Iesus Christ himselfe offered yet doe they oftentimes reiterate it If a man open his mâ—uth against such abhominations O that is an vntolerable cryme The aire must ring of the great outcryes that shal be made against it How now say they What ado haue wee here Hee hath spoken against the decrees of the holy
false Prophets shall be condemned yea euen because of their proud presūptuous dealing and for their vntollerable rashnes And hereby as many as haue y e charge to beare abroad Gods word are warned to walke warely circumspectly to take heed y t in their preaching of y e word they intermingle nothing of their owne but y t they haue a speciall care y t all their sayinges be referred to the true pure expounding of y t which is written that they doe nothing else but apply Gods word to y e vse of the people As for exāple I stand not here to make newe Lawes nor to forge new articles of faith What then Our Lord hath vttered his whole will vnto vs in the holy scripture Deut. 12.32 it is not lawful to ad any thing there to What am I to do thē wherfore do we preach yea that continually day by day To the ende y ◠the scripture should be well vnderstood that it should be applyed to our vse that men might know how to benefit thēselues therby as how to imbrace Gods promises how to order their lyfe aright how to liue quietly euery man after his owne calling The shewing of these thinges is to minister force to y e holy scripture y t wee may vnderstand it and fare the better by it and bee edifyed therewith Such say I as haue y e charge of preaching Gods word ought to haue a special regard of these thinges Howbeit forasmuch as no creature no not euen y e Angels of heauen are able to execute so high noble a cōmission we must pray God to guide gouern vs bearing in minde therewithall as S. Paul sayth y t no man could say y t Iesus is y e Lord 1. Cor. 12.3 y t is to say no man can giue glory to y e sonne of God but by the holy Ghost to bee short y t he which is aduanced highest to teach others ought to abace himself lowest for feare least any thing may scape him which hee hath not receiued of God so as he may safely protest y t he hath not amed at any other end than the worshipping seruing of God euen according to y e doctrine which hee hath deliuered heretofore in his holy scripture Againe the people are to be exhorted to take heede y t Gods glory bee not defaced For y e Papistes think it an humilitie allowable before God a very good commēdable deuotion to be so brutish as to receiue all y t euer is put vnto thē O say they we must submit our selues to our mother holy Church yea but in so doing they be guiltie of y e defacing of God himself of y e bereauing robbing of him of his authoritie For why The Pope his cleargie are so full of stinking pride statelynesse that they make Lawes subdue mens consciences to thē at their pleasure Ye see thē y t that is an vsurping of tyrannie ouer Gods people They excommunicate all good doctrine to set forth their owne corruptions so they defile the pure simplicitie of Gods worde Well they be suffered in these thinges yea mainteined defended in their malitiousnesse And in the meane while God is halfe shaken off no account is made of him for men doe ouermaister him For as for all them that hearken to false prophets after that fashion doe they not set vp their diuelish pride to the intent to thrust downe God thereby Let vs mark well then y t whereas Moses speaketh here of y e pride or ouerheaddinesse of y e deceiuers it is not onely to make them to bee mislyked punished and cut off from among y e people but also to warne vs that if a man presume to mingle any of his inuentions with Gods word or goe about to alter any part of the order y t he hath set wee must bee no fauorers of such rashnesse For in so dooing wee diminishe Gods honor and become guiltie of the vtter defacing of him as much as in vs lyeth And therefore all of vs in general as well the preacher as the hearer are warned to consider what the plaine reuerence is which God requireth at our hand It consisteth not in ceremonies nor in vaine bablinges as men say but in this that he onely doe speake and all mens mouthes be kept shut Not y t there should be no Shepheardes to preach the doctrine vnto vs but that all should be fetched from him and he be held as chiefe Maister The way then to beare down all pride and rashnesse is that the holy scripture haue his full force so as men vnderstand that that is the standard vnder which we must gather our selues and that God will be obeyed by mens submitting of themselues therunto For without that there will be nothing but pride and ouerstatelynesse among vs. And so ye see that the deuotion of the Papistes is diuelish because they haue left God to submit themselues to creatures and suffer thēselues to be led lyke beastes without any discretion And in the same respect is it sayd in the end Thou shalt not be afraid of such a Prophet He saith not thou shalt not feare such a prophet but word for worde it is thou shalt not be afraid of such a Prophet For here God meant to arme his faithfull ones with constancie that they might not be put out of countenance by any faire disguisement but that when they are once instructed in the faith they should defy all such as vaunt thēselues and come to make gay shewes vnder the name of God as I haue tolde you afore that sometimes men are too fearefull In deed there are that mocke at God and haue no feeling of conscience at all but set as light by the trueth as they doe by leasings euen at this day there are that make as much account of the Gospell as of y e abuses of the Popedome Iesus Christ the Pope are all one to them What a sorte of mockers are to be seene which will needes bee coūted good Christians because they hold skorn of the popish superstitions and yet in the meane while are despisers of God and his word Surely they be but dogges and hogs without any feare of God or ciuil honestie And yet is the worlde too ful of such corruption and infection Againe there are othersome very tenderharted Not y t it is not a vertue to stand in some feare but because they be ouerfearefull when they be vexed with any scruple of conscience they wote not which way to turne them For if an error be put vnto them they dare not receiue it for feare againe on the other side if the trueth be put vnto them their agreeing to it if they doe agree is not with any certeintie Ye shall see a number y t are euer wauering lyke reedes shaken with the winde The Masse is holy with them the Gospell is holy with