Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 46
On Saturday the xx. of Iuly. 1555. The xlvj Sermon which is the second vponupon the sixth Chapter.
4 Hearken O Israel &c.
5 Therefore thou shalt louelove the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soule, and with all thy strength.
6 And these woordes which I commaund thee this day, shall be in thy heart.
7 Thou shalt rehearse them to thy children, and talke of them when thou art at home in thy house, and as thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest vp.
8 And thou shalt binde them as a signe vponupon thy handes, and they shall bee as frontlets written betweene thine eyes.
7 Also thou shalt write them vppon the entries of thy house, and vppon thy gates.
I Beganne yesterday to tell you wherefore Moses auoweth that There is but onelyonly one God: that is to wit, bicause mē can neuer giuegive themselues to the seruing of the true God, vnlesse they discerne him from all things imagined by the world, For euerie man forgeth gods at his owne pleasure, and the verie fountaine and welspring of all superstition and idolatrie, is that men cannot bee contented with the liuing God, but giuegive heade to their owne fansies, and thereuppon builde a great sort of fables to beguile themselues. Therfore it is requisit before all other things, to know which is the true God, that wee may holde our selues wholly vntounto him, and worship him simply without adding any thing at all to his word. For as soone as any thing is mingled thereunto, by and by it is corrupted. And here is expresse mē tion made of the God of Israel, bicause God must needes hauehave manifested himselfe, or else wee could neuer hauehave knowen him. For where are the wings wherewith we should flie to so infinite a height, as to comprehēd the Maiestie of God? But when it pleaseth him to reueale himselfe to vsus by his word: it is as though he came downe to acquaint himselfe with vsus: and then doe wee knowe him. And this certaintie of being fully resolued that we worship not a new forged god, or a god that is brought in by men, but the same God to whom all praise is due: is the verie foundation of all Religion. Herewithall let vsus beare in minde, that he will bee worshipped all alone, not onelyonly by reseruing to himselfe the name of God: but also by hauing all that is his, that is to wit, all that belongeth to his Maiestie, and as ye woulde say to his office. I speake after this maner, to expresse the better, that God hath not respect alonely to his being. His will is not that men should onelyonly call him the euerlasting, or confesse him to be the maker of the world: but that they should also knowe him to bee almightie, and that it is he to whom the gouernment of vsus belongeth, it is he in whom is all vertue, wisedome, goodnesse, and righteousnesse, it is he to whom wee must runne for succour, it is hee in whom we must put all our trust, it is he to whom wee owe all glorie. Yee see then how Moses, in shewing that there is but onelyonly one God, meaneth that men should commit themselues vntounto him, knowing that they be in his hand, that they bee maintained by his onelyonly power, that it is he at whose hand they must looke for saluation and all welfare, and finally that it is he in whom they hauehave their lyfe, moouing and being: and therefore that it is he whom wee must honour,Act. 17.28. Psal. 50.14.15. as well with prayer and supplications, as also by praise and thansgiuing.
And nowe to shewe his meaning the better, Moses addeth, Thou shalt louelove the Lorde thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soule, and with all thy strength. In these wordes wee see the thing that hath bin touched alreadie: that is to wit, that Gods intent is to hold vsus wholly to himselfe, and to possesse vsus in such sort, as wee serue him not by halues, ne wander in the meane while to and fro. Then like as God of his gratious goodnesse giueth himselfe to vsus: so doeth it behooue vsus to bee altogether his possession and inheritaunce. That is the summe of the thinges contained in these wordes of Moses, where he speaketh of the louing of GOD with all our heart, with all our soule, and with all our strength. As if he shoulde say, There is no meane way in this case, deceiue not your selues by imagining to serue God by parcelmeale, and by making any restraint from him: for he will keepe his owne right throughout in all points. What is to be done then? You must giuegive your hearts wholly vntounto him, so as ye reserue not any peece of it to idoles. For that were a corrupting and a bastarding of his seruice: eyther he must hauehave all whole, or else he will hauehave none at all, accordingly as we see how he renounceth the people in Ezechiel, for mingling of superstitions with his Lawe.… Goe your wayes (saieth he) and serue your owne idoles: I will no more of you. He giueth them leaue and casteth them vp to Satan, telling them that hee liketh not any of all the things which they doe… for he will not bee matched with idoles. What an outrage and blasphemie is that? Thus then we see now the meaning of Moses.
Now as concerning these words, Soule, Minde, and Strength: the Iewes did misunderstād them. Their saying is, that Thou shalt louelove God with all thy soule, is as much to say as thou shalt not spare thy life for the louelove of thy God, but thou shalt set so much store by his glorie, that in comparison thereof thou shalt not esteeme thine owne lyfe, so as if neede require that thou shouldest die to shewe the louelove which thou bearest vntounto God: thou shouldest doe it. Againe Thou shalt louelove thy God with all thy minde or Heart, betokeneth with them but as it were a comparison, so as a man shoulde preferre GOD aboue all other things. And finally, Thou shalt louelove God with all thy strength, importeth among them, that thou must louelove him with all thy substance and with all thy goods, so as if the case required that thou shouldest bee impouerished, thou shouldest rather giuegive ouer thy worldely goods, than forsake thy God. But this exposition is too straite laced, and attaineth not to the verie meaning of Moses. For proofe whereof there needeth nowe no long discourse. For what better expounder of the Lawe is there to bee found, than our Lorde Iesus Christ, by whose spirit it was giuen? For it was at his hand and by his authoritie, that Moses receiued the Lawe which wee holde of him. So then, we must fetch the exposition thereof at his mouth, and we must receiue it without gainsaying. And for the same cause doe the three Euangelists S. Matthew,… & … 30.… 10.… in the 22. S. Mark in ye 12. and S. Luke in the 10. set downe this louing of God to be the whole summe of the well keeping of the lawe. True it is that he addeth, Thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe. Howbeit, in answering he saieth, thou shalt louelove thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soule, with all thy minde, and with all thy strength. Our Lord Iesus Christ addeth there one woorde more: not to make a new sense, but to assure vsus the better of the same thing that Moses meant by the wordes Soule and Heart. So then he setteth downe Soule, Heart, and Minde, as if he should say, The man that intendeth to keepe Gods Lawe well, must yeeld himselfe wholly and throughly to the obeying and louing of God. Nowe wee see that in our soules, first there is the power of thinking, when wee conceiue thinges to iudge and discerne of them. That is the first power of the soule: namely that vponupon the insight of things, we enter into deliberation and iudgement, and conclude one way or other. Gods will then is to restraine all these thoughtes to himselfe. Againe there is the soule, which is not onelyonly the life, but also the meane betwixt the thoughtes and the heart. For the Heart betokeneth the affections, desires, & will. It is one thing to think a thing, & another thing to desire it, and to set a hartie affection vponupon it. Ye see then that the heart is matched with the thoughtes, to shewe that we must louelove our God with all our mind. And there is the Soule, which is as it were betweene both: as if it were sayd, that whether wee debate and take counsell of our owne affaires we must alwayes begin at the louelove of God, and referre all thinges thereunto: or whether wee couet one thing or other in seeking our own profite, Gods louelove must alwais gouerne vsus, so as al our desires be as it were restreined and bridled vnderunder it. Yee see then that the whole soule with all the powers thereof ought to bee throughly possessed with the louelove towardes God. And the word strength serueth to shewe yet better, that God admitteth not any exception, neither may wee reply in this behalfe, and say, is my doing of this or that an impeaching of any part of my louelove towards God? No no, if thou doe neuer so little a thing, & that al thy thoughts tend not to the louing of God, so as the louelove of God doe guide thee: all is mard, and there is nothing but sinne in thee & in all thy whole soule. For hast thou any strēgth or power there, which is not giuen thee from aboue? No. Therefore must thou reknowledge it vntounto God of whome thou holdest it. Now then, seeing that our Lord Iesus Christ hath expounded vsus this text, wee neede not to make long discourse of it, as I sayde afore, but onelyonly to holde vsus to the authoritie of him which is the very Lawegiuer.
Now remaineth the practising of this doctrine, that is to say, to knowe how wee should put it in effect and execution. And let vsus marke first of all, how this onelyonly one text sheweth vsus sufficiently, that Gods law passeth al our abilities, so as it is not possible for vsus to fulfill it, & to discharge ourselues of it, or of the hundreth part of it, as long as wee liue here beneath. For why? doe we knowe God throughly as we ought to doe? No no, wee come farre short of it. Then is it impossible for vsus to louelove him with all our strength and with all our affections: for knowledge goeth before louelove. If our knowing of God bee but in part, so as wee be wrapped as yet in much darknesse: our louing of God must also be weake lykewise. Moreouer wee see what the fondnesse of our minde is: for in stead of seeking heauenly thinges, wee looke alwayes downeward. And if wee be desirous but so much as to lift vp our head: wee must be faine to striue and to goe to it by maine force, and yet wee returne still to our owne nature. How fickle are our desires? and how fight they one against another? So as men are tossed and turmoyled without ende or measure, and hauehave no rest at all, but are tormented with vnquietnesse, of ambition on the one side, and of couetousnesse on the other. Againe they would faine liue at ease and in pleasure, and they would faine be had in honor and estimation. Finally they be combered with fleshly lustes and such other lyke thinges. Hereby then it appeareth enough and too much, that wee come farre short of louing God with all our heart, and of giuing our selues wholy ouer vntounto him, as wee be commaunded here. And so let vsus marke, that the righteousnesse of the Lawe respecteth not what men can doe, but what they ought to doe. We be bound to louelove our GOD with all our heart, with all our minde, and with all our soule. Although we hauehave no such perfection in vsus as to come any thing neere it, yet notwithstanding wee bee bound vntounto it. If any man say, How so? why should God require more of vsus than we be able to performe? we must consider from whēce the mischief springeth: namely euen from our owne fault. The originall sin that is in vsus is the cause thereof, so as we take it by byrth. And is it meet yt because we be naughtie and frowarde, therefore God should bee bereft of his seruice and lose his right? No. If a man hauehave played the vnthrift and wasted away both his owne goods and other mens: shall his creditor bee bound to bring him his obligation and to say, take thee here thy bond, thou owest me nothing? The creditor will at leastwise keepe still his obligation, and although the vnthrift hauehave not wherewith to pay: yet ought he to doe homage to his creditor, and to stand bound vntounto him still, and not to deny him his dette. Now God deserueth well to bee much more priuiledged than mortall men. Wherefore let vsus consider that we owe him a hundred thowsand fold more than al the debts of gold and siluer in the world. So then, Gods righteousnesse is an inuiolable thing, so that the order of nature ought rather to bee abolished. Now then if men bee lewde and froward, doth it follow therefore, that they should pluck the sonne out of the skie, or make the earth to bee confounded? True it is that there happen many confusions by reason of our sinnes, insomuch that our Lorde sendeth both raine, and thunder, hayles, and tempestes, and such other like thinges: but yet for all that, the order of nature continueth vnappayred after such turmoyling. Therefore wee must vnderstande, that although wee bee lewde, and there is nothing but vnrighteousnesse and naughtinesse in vsus: Yet must. Gods iustice and righte continue perfecte and vnappayred as in respecte of the commaundementes: and we must needes stoope to them, and suffer our selues to bee condemned for not dischardging our dueties. Do we then heare this summe of the Law, Thou shalt louelove the Lord thy God with al thy hearte, with all thy soule, with all thy minde, and with all thy strength? Let it make vsus conclude that we be all damned and accursed before God, and that there is none other shifte for vsus, but to flee to his merciemercy: aad that we bee not condemned for any one sinne, or for two or three: but yt God findeth vsus guiltie in al pointes & al respects. And for proofe therof, let vsus examine wel ye best works that we can hauehave done in all our life: and there wil be stil some fancie or other to turn vsus away, so as we shal not goe on so freely towardes God, but yt there wil be some temptatiō mingled therwith, or som toy to pluck vsus back, & the diuel shal hauehave endeuered to coole vsus. And when it fareth so wt vsus, it is a plaine corruption to infect ye thing yt shold be good and commendable in our works. Ye see then that wee take not any deliberation, any counsel, or any desire in our whole life, but the curse of God is with vsus and vponupon our heads. Were this well printed in our heartes: all glorying to the worldeward should bee beaten downe in vsus, and there would be no more so much meriting, wherewith the Papists are so bewitched, that (to their owne seeming) they may enter into account before GOD. Alas, they shoulde then see that they be far off from their account. Howebeit forasmuch as the Diuell hath blinded them with such pride: let vsus on our side make our commoditie of this text.
And sith wee heare that God requireth that we should louelove him perfectly with all our heart, with all our minde, and with al our soule: let vsus be of opinion that hee condemneth vsus vtterly, vntil hee hauehave acquit vsus of his owne infinite goodnesse. But yet for all this, we must plucke vp our hearts and quicken vp our spirites, sith wee see that our Lorde prouoketh vsus after that fashion. For what maketh vsus so cold and negligent? It is our bearing of our selues in hande that wee bee discharged. The cause therefore why men doe flatter themselues, is for yt they take themselues to be perfect, when they hauehave brought some petie trifles vntounto God. When we bee at that point, let vsus bethinke vsus how it is said here, Thou shalt louelove God with all thy heart. If it happen that we be not very disordered in our life, but that wee hauehave praied vntounto God at our vprising in ye morning, wee hauehave done no man wrong all the day long, we hauehave not played the whoremasters, nor the drunkardes, wee hauehave not hurt any of our neighbors, we hauehave not conspyred any euil, we hauehave not blasphemed God, but wee hauehave occupied our selues about some good matters, insomuch as wee hauehave indeuoured to doe good to such as were in necessitie, and laboured to apply our selues to the things that God commandeth, and hauehave done them some seruice which had neede thereof: when night commeth, we thinke our selues to be litle Angels, and that God hath no more to demaund of vsus. That is the cause that cooleth vsus, and why we serue not GOD so earnestly as were requisite. For wee beare our selues in hand, that wee bee perfect, and we bee contented with our selues, and we need nothing else to content vsus withall, for we be too much inclined to like well of our selues. But behold here is wherwith to waken vsus frō such follie, namely, Thou shalt louelove ye Lord thy God. And after what manner? after our owne measure? No no: but wt al our heart, wt al our soule, & with al our strēgth. And therefore let vsus looke that wee searche well our thoughtes: and in examining of our liues, let vsus consider what a number of vaine and fonde fancies hauehave passed vsus. And if it be alleaged, yea but I yelded not to them: very well, diddest thou not conceiue any such thought? Will not thy God possesse thy whole soule? Shal ye diuel beare rule ouer thy thoughts, & God in ye meane while hauehave nothing to doe wt thē? And seeing he hath giuen thee those thoughtes, if thou fall to mingling of thē wt any corruptiō, whence procedeth y•, but frō ye affection of our mindes? Therefore if wee were well fraughted aforehand with the louelove of God, should not all the powers of our soules be brought vnderunder his obedience? Yes▪ So then, our forging of so many fond imaginations, our letting of our desires and delightes loose to followe this and that, and our forgetting of God in the meane while, or rather our excluding of him from bearing any sway at all in vsus, doth prooue sufficiently that the true louelove of God is not receiued into our soules. Alas, doth it not appeare that we be yet farre of from discharging the hundreth part of our duetie?
Besides this foresayd condēning of ourselues, wee must also quicken vp our selues, and say, what doest thou wretched creature? doest thou giuegive thy selfe to doe well sith god exhorteth thee so earnestly? In the meanwhile thou seest yt thou hast much adoe euen to begin. Thus ye see how wee ought to beare this text in minde, that it may inflame vsus with the louelove of God, seeing we be yet so farre off from the perfection which hee requireth and commaundeth. Againe let vsus marke well, that our Lordes vppening of all the abilities of our soule here, is to make vsus looke better to the good turnes that he hath done vsus, to yeelde him homage for the same, and to apply them to his honor. For what a thing is it that wee hauehave the gift of consulting, the choyce of discerning betweene good and euill, and the abilitie to cōceiue things so as we can say we wil doe this or that? Lo here an excellent gift wherwith wee be indued. Now then seeing wee hauehave will to choose, so as wee can say, go to, I finde this to bee good: and againe, seeing wee hauehave a soule which beareth Gods image printed in it, and seeing we hauehave so many goodly vertues, wherethrough wee excell all other creatures ought not the consideration thereof to prouoke vsus the more to serue God, and to honour him with those so precious giftes which hee hath put in vsus? Yes: and therefore let vsus learne, that whē our thoughtes are set vppon vaine and wicked thinges, and when our desires runne at rouers and rebell against God: we vnhallowe so holy a treasure, as wee deserue well to bee vtterly cast vp at Gods hand, because of our vnthākfulnesse. Now then whereas Moses speaketh here of the thoughts and the will: and our Lord Iesus Christ addeth one word more, that is to wit, minde, Soule, and will: let vsus vnderstand that hereby we be warned, that if we submit not our selues wholy vntounto God, it happeneth for want of considering the good thinges that hee hath bestowed vppon vsus. For if wee feele him liberall, as hee sheweth himselfe towardes vsus: surely it wil drawe vsus wholy vntounto him. So then let vsus consider, that Gods making of vsus so excellent as to hauehave his image printed in vsus, was not to any other end, thā yt we should do him homage for them, & by that meane be ye more moued to louelove him, & to keepe our selues well from defiling so precious gifts, as reason, will, discretion, & all ye rest of the powers of our soules which he hath giuē vsus. Thus ye se in effect what we hauehave to remēber vponupon this place.
But yet herewithall wee must marke also the thing that I hauehave tolde you heretofore: that is to wit, that God wil not be serued by constraint, but of free louelove. He could say, Thou shalt honour thy God,Deut. 13. thou shalt obey thy God, thou shalt feare thy GOD: and so hee doeth in other textes, and it is good reason that it should be so: but he speaketh expressely of louelove. And why? To shewe that if our seruing of him bee by constreint, so as wee goe to it against our wils: though wee honor him neuer so much, and doe all that is possible to glorify his name: yet if the same proceede not of louelove, so as our heart yeeld vntounto him freely and without gainesaying: hee vtterly disaloweth it, and such seruice is not acceptable vntounto him, for he loueth him that giueth with a free will and pure affection, as sayth Saint Paul treating of Almesdeedes.2. Cor. 9.7. Seeing then that God loueth him which giueth with a chearefull courage: thereby hee sheweth that if a man should spend all his goods, yet should it not boote him at al as to Godward, vnlesse hee hauehave a delight in well doing. And why? Because God hath commaunded it, and wee ought aboue all thinges to desire that hee be glorifyed, that his righteousnesse bee obeyed, that he bee exalted at our handes, that hee reigne ouer vsus, and that we be his people in very deede. Ye see then that the chiefe ioy which wee should hauehave to incline vsus to doe well, is a hartie and free affection. And that is the cause why the worde LoueLove was playnely set downe in this text.
Notwithstanding, God will not hauehave vsus to louelove him as our fellowe: but hee will hauehave vsus to louelove him, honor him, and serue him as our God. And therefore let vsus marke well, that if wee will obserue Gods lawe as we ought to doe: we must not consider him al only in the degree of a maister, thereby to yeelde him reuerence: but wee must also set before vsus the title of father, and assure our selues that Gods intent is to win vsus to him by gentlenesse, that our heart may bee as it were tyed vntounto him, according to this saying of his by his prophet, If I be your maister,Mal. 1.6. where is my feare? and if I be your father, where is my louelove? In deede he setteth downe honor in that place, to betoken that a seruant ought to feare his maister: but yet immediatly after hee setteth downe the worde LoueLove also, of purpose to shewe what honour the childe yeeldeth to his father.
And therefore let vsus remember, that the first point of seruing God aright, is to bee led vntounto him, yea and to be led thither vpō knowledge of this worde Sauiour, so as we couet aboue all things to be so knit vntounto him, as all our ioy, contentation and rest bee there, that by that meane we may no more be giuen to the thinges that are contrarie to his righteousnesse. And that is the cause why wee say, that we must first know Gods grace and goodnesse, before we can serue him. For as for such as serue God for feare of being damned, not knowing that hee will bee their sauiour: what doe they? They seeme to inforce themselues greatly foreward: but in deede they drawe cleane backe. Though they breake both their armes and their legges, yet are they neuer the forewarder. And for that cause is it sayde in the hundred and thirtith psalme,Psal. 130.7. Because the Lord hath bin mercifull, and men hauehave found him gentle and gratious: therefore is hee feared and dreaded. In deede the world thinketh to serue GOD well enough, without knowing him, and wee see that the Papistes doe this and that vponupon such opinion. But what for that? In the meane while they hauehave no trust in God, they neuer knewe his will nor his louing kindenesse: and therefore are they alwayes in terror and vnquietnesse.
True it is that they yeelde some outward seruice vntounto God: but all that euer they doe is not woorth a pin, insomuch that God reiectes euen their keeping of the Lawe: for wee must be led by louelove and by a franke and free goodwill, as I sayd afore. And how may that bee done? Euen by knowing God to be our father and Sauiour, as I alledged out of the text of malachie,Psal. 130.7. & 131.24. and as is yet better expressed in this verse of the psalme, that wee must first know Gods mercy, and rest thereupon, or else wee can neuer feare him, and come neere him to serue him. That is the true & plaine meaning of this text, and so must wee apply it.
Moses hauing spoken after that fashion, addeth now, that the Lawe must bee so deare vntounto vsus, as to take it for our chiefe treasure. And forasmuch as wee bee too much subiect to the seeking of the corruptible thinges of this world, and forget God out of hand, and withdrawe our selues too farre from him: hee sayth, that men must hauehave Gods lawe continually in their sight, and make as it were a Headroll thereof, as if a woman were attyred after the auncient maner, with borders on her head, bracelets on her armes: or as if a man should make borders of thē about his house, or ingrauers vppon the doores of his house, so as Gods glorie might be eueryevery where. And whereas hee speaketh heere of frontlets and bracelets, and of painting and ingrauing of Gods lawe vponupon doore postes: it is to shewe that whereas men giuegive themselues to vaine glory in decking and attyring of themselues, and the same turneth them away from God: they must make all their deckinges of Gods Lawe: that must bee their Iewels. Like as if a man or a woman hauehave a costly Iewell vponupon their finger, and take pleasure therein: in steade thereof they shoulde hauehave Gods Lawe continually before their eyes, so as a man should no sooner looke vponupon himselfe, no though it were but vponupon his nayles, but it shoulde come to his minde to thinke, Thou hast a maker who fashioned thee, and whose will it is that thou shouldest serue him by yeelding thy selfe wholly to his obedience. Although thou bee a sillie vnprofitable creature: yet will thy God bee glorified in thee. Thus yee see howe we must make all our deckinges of Gods Lawe. Againe, in stead of the beautifying of houses, with thinges of goodly shewe and furniture, to the ende it may bee saide, this is the house of some man of estimation: the Lawe of God must be written vponupon it. Now wee see what the meaning of Moses was.
But by the way we hauehave here to bewaile ye corruption of mankinde. For it is manifest, that euen of the holyest thinges in the world, men take occasion to mocke God, and to marre all, and to turne them to a contrary ende. As how? This saying, Hearken O Israell, the Lorde thy God is one onelyonly God, is a notable saying, and worthie to be had in remembrance aboue all others. For it serueth to magnify the liuing GOD, that hee might bee discerned from the idols that hauehave bin forged, to the ende that our religion might be certeine and infallible. Then is it as excellent a lesson, as a man shall reade any: and yet what hauehave the Iewes which were Gods people fared the better for it? They hauehave turned it into a charme and sorcerie, imagining yt the speaking of those words would make a coniuration, lyke to the Agnus Dei in poperie, and to such other geugawes as the papists hang about their necks, in the which Agnus Dei they write ye beginning of Saint Iohns Gospell and I wote not what els, wherewith they beare themselues in hand that they can coniure both God and the diuill. As much hauehave the Iewes done with this lesson: insomuch that they hauehave abused euen the very letters of it. There is one letter (say they) which importeth foure, betokening that God is Lorde of the fowre partes of the worlde. They hauehave taken othersome according to their numbers and ciphers, to signify thinges which they hauehave deuised of their owne brayne. And in the meane while they had no reuerence to God, but would that hee should hauehave no more power nor authoritie ouer them. And that doe they shewe full well, not onelyonly by their despising, shunning, & reiecting of Iesus Christ, who ought to hauehave reigned ouer them: but also by their crucifying of him in despite of God, and by their turning away from the saluation that had bin promised them. And euen as much hauehave they done with this text. For they hauehave turned to pride and ambition the thing that is sayd here, as wee see how our Lord Iesus Christ in the Gospell vpbraideth the Scribes and Pharisies with their large gardes,Matt. 32.5. insomuch that if the common people had any narrowe garde of wryting, wherein the commaundements were set downe, these great Rabbies (to the intent to become holyer than other men,) had gardes of an handbredth vppon their garments, wherein Gods lawe was written in great letters, that it might be seene a great way off. O, those were holy persons, for they had Gods lawe written in great letters, whereas the common people had it in small. They knew the lawe much better, and therefore was God much magnifyed in them. Nay, contrariwise, such vaine bragging was a flatte mocking of God: but yet it was the fashion of all men, as I hauehave declared already. And by this which befell the Iewes, let vsus take vnderstanding and instruction, that the same must serue vsus to behold that we bee so froward, that whereas God laboreth to drawe vsus familiarly vntounto him, we despise it, and in stead of profiting our selues by the doctrine that is set before vsus, wee turne it vntounto laughter, wee vnhalowe it lyke Churchrobbers, and we turne quite and cleane contrarie to his meaning, so as it had bin better for vsus neuer to hauehave heard one worde of his mouth. Thus yee see what wee hauehave to marke.
But now herewithall we must come to the meaning of Moses, which I hauehave touched shortly already. Remember these wordes sayth hee. And howe? By talking and conferring of them in thy house, and as thou goest abroad. Here wee see well how our Lordes meaning was not to be honored with gardes of garmentes and such other thinges, but to hauehave his lawe printed in his peoples heartes, and to hauehave it kept alwayes fresh in remembrance. Therefore let vsus consider, that whereas wee hauehave so much needelesse talke our Lord will hauehave his people exercised in talking and conferring vppon his lawe, whether it bee in resting, or in iourneying, or when they be at home in their howses. If wee minded this warning well, surely it would be a bridle to reine vsus backe and to withdrawe vsus from the vnprofitable talke whereunto wee bee so much giuen. For wee can spend, I say not some forenoone, but the whole day continually in light talke: but if wee speake but two or three wordes of God, by and by wee bee wearie and it greeueth vsus. Yet notwithstanding, this talking of him is not the chiefe poynt. For wee must come to this saying of the psalme,Psal. … I beleeue, and therfore will I speake. For oftentimes and most commonly, they that hauehave Gods lawe in their mouth and at their tongues end, hauehave it not at all in their heart and affection. Therefore wee must speake of Gods lawe, much more with our heartes than with our mouthes. But yet must we talke of it also, to edify our neighbors, that the father may teach his children and the maister his seruantes, to serue God. That is the cause why our Lord commaundeth men to talk of his Lawe: not to discharge themselues lightly of it, as though the whole matter lay in speaking of it: but to quicken vp and correct our vnlustinesse, so as eueryevery man help foreward his neighbor, and drawe him with him, and the fathers and maisters in the meane while be careful to teach their children and seruants, as I sayd afore. That is Moseses simple meaning when he speaketh here of talking either at home or abroad: namely that mens talke must alwayes be of Gods Lawe.
Afterward here insueth, thou shalt muse vponupon it in thy heart. Herein wee see how our Lord rebuketh vsus, and sheweth vsus how fickle headed we bee, insomuch that if wee be not helde fast by diuers meanes; wee forget God his lawe out of hand. For what is the cause that he setteth as it were frontlets here before our eyes? Wherefore is it that hee will hauehave vsus to weare as it were Tablets, Ringes, and Bracelets: but for that wheras we bee woont to gase chiefly at such thinges, and to make a shewing of them, he will hauehave his own law to be set in them? Now the excellentest part of man is his face and his eyes: and our Lorde wil hauehave his lawe to be there. Againe he will hauehave it vppon our handes: and we cannot doe any thing, but our handes must needs goe foremost still in it. Now our Lordes will is that wee should not be able to stirre one finger, but we should be put in minde of his law by it. Hereby he sheweth vsus (as I sayde afore) that if wee hauehave not good store of bridles, we shall play the loose coltes: and if the lawe be not brought to our minde, and the remembrance thereof refreshed by many meanes: we wil soone hauehave forgotten it. Wee neede no more but to close our eye, and the thinges that wee had learned and which had bin tolde vsus and retold vsus afore, are streightways out of our thought. Let vsus vnderstand therefore that our Lord blameth and condemneth vsus in this text, for being so customably carried too and fro, and that hee must bee fayne to quicken vsus vp, and to giuegive vsus so many helps, if hee will enioy vsus and hauehave vsus to obeye hym. That is one thing which wee hauehave to marke vponupon this text.
Besides this let vsus marke also, that our Lord could not better hauehave taūted the vanities wherunto men and women are giuen in all their pretie toyes and trifles, in attyring and decking themselues with gardes, imbroyderies, and borders and such other lyke thinges: God (I say) could not hauehave skorned such vanities better, thā by telling vsus that in the meane while wee forget the chiefest poynt of all, which is the minding of his lawe which wee forget easily, to occupy ourselues about vaine and vnprofitable thinges. And this is spoken chiefly to women, because they giuegive thēselues ouer curiously to these nice attires and deckings. For if they considered that they shoulde apply themselues to the minding of Gods lawe, they would not be so much occupied in decking or rather in disguising of themselues: but they would rather consider which is the true decking of faithfull women: that is to wit, to feare God, to liue honestly, mildely, chastely, and soberly, to gouerne well their housholdes, and to occupy themselues in bringing vp of their children. This is a beautifull attyre,1. Pet. 3.3.4 and such a one as is precious in Gods sight, as Saint Peter termeth it. So then let vsus marke, that whereas the worldlinges doe decke and disguise themselues, and make so many deuises to please and allure one another: we must beware that wee take the true decking which wil make vsus acceptable before God: that is to wit, that wee beare his Lawe in minde, and can glory that wee hauehave a God which guideth and gouerneth vsus accordingly as it hath pleased him to receiue vsus for his people, and to giuegive vsus his word to rule our liues by.
Now let vsus kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him to make vsus so to feele them, as we may learn to mislyke thē more and more, and to flee for refuge to his merciemercy, being vtterly voyde of all trust in any strength of our owne: And yet notwithstanding that wee may not leaue to inforce our selues, so as we may be the more giuen to his seruice, knowing that we bee not yet come to perfection by a great way, no nor yet to the midde way thereof: and therefore that these warnings which hee giueth vsus may inflame vsus more and more to yeelde him prayse al our life long, by acknowledging the benefites which hee hath bestowed vppon vsus, and the nobilitie and worthinesse which hee hath given vsus aboue all creatures, that we may learne thereby to withdrawe our selues from all the vaine and transitorie thinges of this world, and to seeke the spirituall and heauenly thinges, to the intent that being knit vntounto our God, wee may not onelyonly withstand all worldly temptations, but also drawe our neighbors from the same by our example. That it may please him to graūt this grace not only to vsus but also to al. &c.