Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 68
On Munday the ix. of September. 1555. The Lxviij. Sermon which is the seuenth vponupon the ninth Chapter.
25 Then humbled I my selfe before the Lord fortie dayes and fortie nightes, for I humbled my selfe because the Lord had said that he would destroy you.
26 And I prayed to the Lord & said: Lord God, destroy not thy people and thine heritage, which thou hast gotten by thy mightie power, and whom thou hast brought out of Egypt by strong hand.
27 Bethinke thee of thy seruants Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob. HaueHave not an eye to the stubbornnesse of this people, nor to their misbeleefe, nor to their sinne:
28 Least the inhabiters of the land from whence thou hast brought vsus, do say: bycause the Lorde could not bring them into the land wherof he had spoken to them, or because he hated them: therefore hath he brought them forth to kill them in the wildernesse.
29 Moreouer, they be thy people, and thine heritage, whom thou hast brought out with thy great power, and with thine arme stretched out.
MOses goeth foreward here with the matter that he had begunne afore: which was, to make the people vnderstand howe great the faulte was which they had committed. For wheras he boasteth of Gods hearing of him, he doeth not to the intent the people should thinke themselues so much the more beholden to him therefore: that is not the thing which he looketh at: but that the people should thenceforth liue in awe and humilitie, and beare in minde the faulte that they had committed, and consider howe they had well deserued to hauehave beene vtterly rooted out if God had not shewed them merciemercy. And he sayth that after he had lyen vponupon the ground fortie dayes and fortie nightes, he was heard: and this is to the end that by such circumstance, the people may the better learne, that if GOD had not hearkened to that vehement and earnest prayer of his, they had beene vtterly vndone. It is an extraordinarie thing, that a man should continue sighing and weeping before God, fortie dayes and fortie nightes together: and no doubt but this power was giuen to Moses by miracle, lyke as was his fasting of fortie dayes and fortie nightes before. And to what purpose? To the end that the Lawe might bee the better authorized thereby. For it might well seeme that the couenant which God had made with the people, was quite broken and vtterly disanulled: and therefore it was expedient that Moses should once againe be separated from the company of men fortie dayes and fortie nightes, that by that meanes, new authoritie might be purchased. But yet for all that, we must marke well, that whereas Moses forbare meate and drinke fortie dayes and fortie nights together, it was not done by humaine power, neither was it (to speake properly) a fast of sobrietie: (for hee was exempted from hunger and thirst:) but it was done to the end that the Lawe should be receiued with the greater reuerence, forasmuch as it came not of men, but Moses came downe from the mountaine as if an Angel had come downe from heauen. And his praying was for the sinnes of the people, that God would not looke vppon the idolatrie that had bin committed, but hold on still in his owne purpose. For although Moses had broken the tables, and that he had done it through the impulsion of Gods spirit: yet notwithstāding, (as hath bin said already,) he ceased not to hauehave compassion vppon the people which was worthie to hauehave bin rooted out. That is the effect of the matter which wee must looke vntounto here.
And thereby we be put in minde, that if God forgiue vsus any fall or offence, wee must not so forget it, but we must bethinke our selues to liue in the greater awe, and consider all our lyfe long how greatly we be bound vntounto God for vttering so great goodnesse vntounto vsus. There are a number to bee seene, which doe but wring their mouthes when they woulde hauehave their faultes forgiuen them, and they neuer passe to thinke any more vppon them, to yeelde God his deserued prayse. Contrariwise it is shewed vsus here by the example of the Iewes, that although God bee mercifull to vsus, and list not to call our faultes to account: yet must not wee therefore thrust them vnderunder foote, but rather cal them to minde eueryevery day, that it may first of all prouoke vsus to repentance, assuring our selues that wee may fall eftsoo ne, if God preserue vsus not: and secondly [make vsus to consider] that we stand not but through his free merciemercy: and finally incourage vsus to magnify his name for drawing vsus out of ye dungeon whereinto we were fallen. Seeing then that we be so much bound vntounto him, let vsus bee the willinger to serue and honor him. Thus yee see in effect what wee hauehave to remember vppon this place.
Besides this, let vsus marke well by the example of Moses, that it is not enough to pray vntounto God in two or three wordes and as it were in poste: but that wee must continue in praying without being weary. And that is a poynt right necessarie to bee marked. For whereas there are many faults in vsus, this is one of the greatest, that we cannot settle our selues vntounto prayer, but wee bee fleeting, so as our mouthes are no sooner opened, but our wittes are by and by wandering elsewhere. And besides that, if we hauehave prayed vntounto God once, wee thinke it enough and too much. Contrariwise wee see that Moses was fortie dayes together, in continuall mourning for the offence of the people. Therfore in our praying vntounto God, let vsus learne to hauehave the perseueraunce whereunto our Lorde Iesus exhorteth vsus,Luk. … saying that we must be importunate, and that it is not enough for vsus to hauehave vttered our griefe vntounto GOD lightly and once for all: but that we must resorte to him stil, vntill he hauehave heard our requestes. Now then, here is a second lesson which we hauehave to gather vppon this place: which is, that in praying vntounto God, we must hauehave a setlednesse of holding out to the end.
Also this praying of Moseses, sheweth vsus what their duetie is, which hauehave the charge of other folke: namely, to pray to God to pitie such as shall hauehave offended. For it is not enough for such as hauehave publique charge to discharge their duetie to the worldewarde: but they must also turne vntounto God. Wee see how the Apostles say that they must not onelyonly preach the Gospell,Act. … but also giuegive themselues to prayer and supplication. Now, this belongeth to all the faithfull. For to pray vntounto God is the chiefe duetie of our faith. And forasmuch as the Apostles had the chiefe charge of the Church: it behoued this calling vponupon God, to belong chiefly vntounto them.2. Cor. … And that is the cause why Saint Paul sayth, that hee humbleth himselfe for the Corinthians: as who should say hee ought to beare the chastisement of their sins in his owne person. For inasmuch as God had set him ouer that Church, it behooued him to beare the chiefe burden vppon his shoulders. Therefore such as hauehave the charge of preaching Gods word and of teaching in the Church, must not onelyonly imploy themselues that way, but also to prayer. And chiefly when they see things go amisse, and disorders among the people: then ought they most specially to resorte vntounto GOD, that he may prouide a remedie for it. This is the thing that is shewed vsus by the example of Moses, in that it is sayd that hee taryed not till the people resorted to God for merciemercy, but shewed them the way, as he whom God had appointed to beare the burthen of the people, and to procure their welfare.
Now let vsus come to the forme of the prayer that Moses maketh. Lord God (saith he) destroy not the people of thine heritage whō thou hast redeemed by thy mightie power & strong hand, out of the land of Egypt. Bethinke thy selfe of thy seruauntes Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob: and hauehave not an eye to the stubbornnesse of this people, nor to their wickednesse, nor to their offence. Here we see what it is that Moses alledgeth vntounto God: namely, his gracious fauour wherethrough he had chosen the ofspring of Abraham. And so we see here a good rule for vsus to keepe in praying vntounto God: which is, that if we intende to obtain our requests at his hand, we must not presume vppon any thing that is in our selues, but rather alledge his own goodnesse which hee hath made vsus to feele. As if wee should say, Lord, go forward with thy work, thou hast begunne to call vsus to thee, wee bee as much beholden to thy goodnesse as is possible: therefore holde thou on stil, finish the thing that thou hast begun, and let not thy worke stay vnperfected, as it is saide in the hundreth and eight and thirtith Psalme.Psal. 138.8. And it is such a doctrine as wee may gather, vppon all the prayers that are conteined in the holy scripture.
Nowe wheras Moses saith thy people, and thine inheritance: he meaneth not that the people had purchased that dignitie themselues. It was a great honour that any one people of all mankinde shoulde be called Gods inheritance. Deserued they to bee in that estimation? Moses addeth immediatly, that there was nothing but stubbornnesse, wickednesse, and sinne in them. It followeth then that all is to be referred to the free adoption, wherethrough God had chosen that people, as if hee shoulde say, I will hauehave the house of Abraham to reigne ouer it, there will I dwell, that shalbe my Church,Psal. 132.14. there wil I rest. God in so saying, had not respect whether the people were worthy of it or no: and it appeared by the effect, that they were a spitefull people: but whatsoeuer they were, God had made the said promise, which was not grounded vppon any deserts of man. The thing then that Moses setteth vsus downe here, is this: Lorde hauehave mercy vponupon thy people, and vponupon thine heritage. And so, when wee resort to God to craue forgiuenesse of our sinnes, let vsus learne to make none other enterance to finde fauour and to be hearde, than by alledging the benefites that we hauehave erst receiued at his hande. That (say I) is the gate that we must enter at in praying vntounto God. Albeit we hauehave offended him and be neuer so wretched sinners: yet notwithstanding inasmuch as hee hath chosen vsus for his flocke, and vouchsafed to vtter himselfe to vsus, and to giuegive vsus assurance that hee is our father and sauiour: wee may presse familiarly vntounto him, hauing so sure a pledge of his goodnesse. But yet let vsus beware of presumption, that wee seeke not any thing in our selues wherewith to binde God vntounto vsus, for we bee vtterly voide of any such thing: but let vsus be contēted to offer vntounto him ye things which we hold of him: and in doing him homage for his benefites, let vsus take corage to call vponupon him, assuring our selues that he will continue thē still, & that as he hath shewed himself liberall towards vsus heretofore, so he wil giuegive vsus assurance yt he wil not faile vsus hereafter. This in effect is the thing which we hauehave to remember in this saying of Moses, where he calleth the Iewes Gods people and heritage.
Now he addeth, that God had brought them out of the land of Egypt by his mightie power and with a strong hand, euē to make it knowen that they were his inheritance, by a vysible token, and by the apparant effect of it. True it is that the people shold hauehave grounded and themselues vponupon the promise: and Moses hath followed the same order here. For he saith not first, Lorde yu hast brought vsus out of Egypt, and afterward vpheld vsus by thy power when thou madest vsus to passe through ye wildernesse: but he saith expresly, we be thy people and thine inheritance. And wherupon rested he? VponUpon the promise, because God had spoken the word, saying, I will bee the Sauiour of thy lynage. But yet therewithall hee letteth not to alledge the saide deliuerance also,Gen. 17.7. to proue that God counted that people for his heritage. For when God deliuered the Iewes out of Egypt, & reached them his hand to bring them out: wher of came it? It was as a sealing of the couenant that had beene made by worde of mouth. God (say I) did shewe as then, that the former promising vntounto Abraham, that he would be the God of his linage was not in vaine. And for the same cause doth Moses set down both twaine of them here. He beginneth with the promise, and afterward addeth what insued thereof: that is to wit the deliuerance, which was a sure warrant that he ment not to beguile his seruaunt Abraham, when he tolde him as I h…ue tolde you before. Wherfore let vsus briefly beare in mind that if we intend to hauehave accesse vntounto god to rest vponupon his goodnes, we must beginne at his worde: and afterward we must also acknowledge the benefites that wee hauehave felt at his hande. And if we hauehave founde that hee hath not beguiled vsus by his promises, it is as a former warrant whereby hee intendeth to confirme and assure vsus the better. Loe heere a goodly matching namely that wee yeelde such honour vntounto Gods worde, as to trust assuredly thereunto: and therewithall that we be not thankelesse for the goodnesse which he hath shewed vsus indeede, but make the same to serue vsus as a president to ratifie our faith, to the ende that his worde hauehave the greater shewe and power in vsus, and wee bee the more prouoked to call vppon him, not doubting at all but that wee shall finde him the same that hee hath shewed himselfe to be, euen to the ende. Thus yee see howe it behoueth vsus to put the order in vre which Moses keepeth here, first in setting down Gods promise whereby he had adopted ye people of Israel, & afterward in adding yt he had deliuered them out of the lande of Egypt, thereby ratifying the thing that he had spoken to his seruaunt Abraham.
Now he addeth that God should not hauehave an eye to the peoples stubbornnesse, wickednesse, or offence. This is not added without cause. For when we come to pray God to performe his promise, and to bring the grace of his adoption to his ende: in the meane whyle our owne consciences vpbraid vsus, so as wee see well that we be guilty before him: it is ynough to foreclose ye way to our prayers. For when wee offende God, wee breake his couenant as much as in vsus lyes, and we stop him from performing of his promise. To be short, we deserue to be giuen ouer of the Lord, when wee keepe not faith and troth towardes him. For this cause doth Moses say here, Lorde hauehave not an eye to the stubbornnesse of this people. So then, it is not ynough for vsus to pray God to goe through with the thing that he shall hauehave begun in vsus, and to bring his grace to perfection: but wee must expresly pray him, that although hee finde faultes and offences in vsus, (as indeede the number of them is infinite): yet that he forbeare not to take vsus still for his people: and that although we deserue to be forsaken of him for our sinnes inasmuch as wee hauehave broken his couenant, yet notwithstanding he cease not to keepe promise with vsus still, and to make vsus feele ye fruit thereof, and to forgiue our sinnes in such wise, as we may neuer cease to continue in his adoption: & that although our straying away was ynough to bereaue vsus of the inheriting of our saluation, yet notwithstanding hee cease not to take vsus for his children still. To bee short, whensoeuer wee resort vntounto God, wee must acknowledge our sins with all humilitie. For it will be to no purpose for vsus to say, Lorde thou hast promised vsus, thou hast tolde vsus that thou of thy goodnesse wilt bee merciful to vsus, thou hast declared that thou wilt bee our father, wee hauehave thy promise: it will not boote vsus to say all these thinges: for all shall bee ouerthrowen with one worde, because wee hauehave done amisse, and hauehave not kept the course wherunto God called vsus, but hauehave drawen cleane backe. Therfore we be warned, that whensoeuer we pray vntounto God, wee must acknowledge our faultes, and confesse them freely, that God may not cease to hauehave pitie vppon vsus, specially when wee shall hauehave committed any grosse fault, as this people had done in committing abhominable ydolatrie. The greater then that our sinnes bee, the more let vsus cast downe and humble our selues, to craue pardon of our God by confessing wherin we hauehave offended him. After that manner must we deale. And it is certaine, that if euerie of vsus consider well his owne life without flatterie, he shall finde himself exceedingly indaungered vntounto God, and we shall always hauehave good cause to be ashamed of our selues. And therefore when we pray, let vsus beare these two things in rememberance: namely, that although we be neuer so wretched, yet notwithstanding forasmuch as God hath chosen vsus for his people, wee must come to him familiarly and without doubting, for he guideth vsus thither and openeth vsus ye gate by his promise, & that must be our grounde to stande vponupon. Againe, we must be thinke vsus of our sinnes, so as we may feele them & be deadly wounded by them, to the ende we may bee sorie for them before God, & beseech him (notwithstanding our vnworthines) to applie his promises to our saluation, when it shall hauehave pleased him to bury our sinnes & to receiue vsus to mercy. Yea & let vsus mark well ye wordes yt are set downe here, the stubbornnes of the people, their wickednes, and their sin. For Moses here maketh not a ceremonious confession as these shamelesse sort doe: that is to say, in manner the greater part, when they hauehave done amisse, do beare themselues in hand, that it is ynough to hauehave saide in one worde, I grant it is a fault: but ye must cōsider I am a mā, I am not as a timberlog. It is ynough for them (say I) that they excuse not thēselues altogether. But we must come after another fashion, as wee see by example here. For first of all Moses setteth downe Stubbornnes: shewing thereby that there was a horrible rebeliousnes in that people. Next he addeth wickednes: wherin he betokeneth yt the people were starke naught: for ye word that he vseth, importeth such a leawdnes, that they which are so termed are disordered in their whole life. And lastly he addeth Sinne, that is to say ye particular fault which they had committed, namely their offence in making themselues an ydol. And so we see that he acknowledgeth the peoples offences in good earnest, to condemne them.
Nowe like as Moses speaketh here of the people: so do we see that Daniel speaketh of himself,Da…. ….5. for in his report howe he confessed his own sins and the sinnes of the people, he saieth, Lord we hauehave sinned, wee hauehave offended thee, wee hauehave done wickedly, we bee transgressors, our sinnes are outragious, and our iniquities are exceeding great. Daniel goeth not to worke by halues, in confessing that himselfe and the rest of the people had done amisse and deserued to bee chastised at Gods hande: but he saith flatly, we be wicked and we hauehave behaued our selues leawdly, we hauehave beene disobedient and vntrue to our God, we hauehave prouoked his wrath too much, and wee be cursed and damned, vnlesse God powre out ye infinite treasures of his mercy vppon vsus. Yee see then how the true confession which God requireth at our handes, is not to come to him and to say in one worde, I hauehave done amisse: but to be so abashed as to acknowledge our selues blameworthy in all respects, and to be dismayed at the rememberance of our offences, like wretched offenders not looking to hauehave our inditements red vntounto vsus, not to hauehave articles alledged against vsus, but accusing our selues aforehand in such sort, as God may accept our submission when we shal hauehave examined our faults throughly, not onelyonly in generall but also in particular. And in verie deede, after that Moses had spoken of Stubbornnesse and wickednes: he addeth the Offence that ye people had committed. Whereby hee meaneth that it is not ynough to say, we were conceiued in sinne, it is horrible to see howe all thinges are out of order in our whole life: but when we hauehave offended God any maner of way, we must vtter it, as we see how Dauid cōfesseth generally yt ther was nothing in him but vtter corruptiō,Psal. … and yt he brought nothing wt him from his mothers womb but ye inheriting of death, & therwtall faileth not to confesse ye sin particularlie which he had committed, not wrapping it vp amōg ye other to make as though he wist not of it: but setting down both twaine of thē, as we see yt Moses doth in this text. Wherefore when we shall hauehave committed any offence, let vsus learne to feele it, & to confesse it freely before God. And let the same lead vsus yet further: that is to wit, to hauehave an eye to the offences of our whole life, and to acknowledge our selues altogether indangered vntounto God, except hee receiue vsus to merciemercy. And aboue all thinges, let vsus acknowledge the hardnesse of our heartes, in that wee cannot submit our selues to God because wee be stubborne against him, and all the affections of our flesh are at enmitie with him.Rom. 8.7. After that manner (say I) must we confesse our faults, if we minde to obtaine forgiuenesse of them. For as for them yt come to God ceremoniously, cōfessing thēselues to hauehave done amisse, and not being touched to the quicke with their leawdnesse, nor minding to acknowledge it in their hearts: they doe but play mockeholyday, and they shall feele with whom they hauehave to do, and that God is not an earthly iudge that can be deceiued when men craue pardon feynedly. And therefore when we pray vntounto God, let euerie of vsus quicken vp himselfe in acknowledging our faults better than we hauehave bin wont to do: & let the same so pull vsus downe, as wee may not wote what to say, but thus, Alas Lord what should become of vsus if it were not for thine inestimable merciemercy? For beholde, wee be euen as it were vtterly ouerwhelmed: and though we knewe but the hundreth part of the offences that wee hauehave committed, surely it were ynough to sinke vsus downe to the bottomlesse pit, vnlesse thou remedy it. And as for thee that iudgest after a farre other fashion: howe shoulde we be able to stand in thy presence, if thou wouldest vse thy rigour towards vsus? Loe here the right lowlinesse which God commaundeth: which is, that when wee be so ashamed of our sinnes as we wote not what to say, wee flee for refuge to Gods mercy hoping yt howsoeuer the case stand, he of his great goodnesse wil not refuse to take vsus to merciemercy.
Nowe to the ende that Moses may obtaine his request, hee beseecheth God expresly to bee mindfull of his seruaunts Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob: and that was by reason of the couenant that he had made with them,Gen. 17.7. for in the same couenant there was this article, I will be thy God and the God of thy seede after thee. Yee see here howe God took the children of Abraham before they were borne, adopting them to bee his Church, and to be inheriters not onelyonly of the Lande of Chanaan, but also of the kingdome of heauen. But how doe the children of Abraham behaue themselues? Leawdly. They falsifie their faith vntounto God and become backesliders, so as they deserue to be cut off from his house. Lorde (saith Moses) hauehave not an eye to their faultes and offences, but bee mindfull of thy couenant which thou madest with thy seruaunts Abraham Isaac, and Iacob. Nowe wee see to what purpose Moses alledgeth here the holy Patriarks. It is not to make them Aduocates and Patrons before God as the Papistes doe, who alledge these textes to proue their owne forgeries of hauing the saints to bee their intercessors. What, say they? Is it not written that God should bee mindfull of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and yet they were deade long afore? Seeing that the fathers vsed such spe…ch, why shoulde not the saincts alreadie deceased bee made patrons and aduocates, to make intercession for them that are aliue? Surely this commeth of too grosse beastlinesse. For they consider not in what manner Moses alledgeth these persons. I hauehave tolde you it afore: for God had promised them that hee woulde bee the sauiour of their linage, and had giuen them his promise as a pledge, not only on their owne behalfe, but also for all their successours. And that is ye cause why Iacob at his death or a little before, said, let my name be called vpō ouer Ephraim and Manasses, for his meaning was to make two tribes of them, notwithstanding that they had both but one heade, that is to wit Ioseph first of al, & he intended that he shold hauehave a double portion. Why so? Iacob was in Egypt, not onelyonly as a poore straunger like to hauehave starued for hunger if he had not come thither: but also as a man shaken off in scorne & disdain. It is manifest that the Egyptians shunned the Iewes, and accounted them as vncleane people. Neuerthelesse although Iacob had not any house of his owne, but was there as a slaue & banished thither as into an odde nooke of ye realm: yet notwithstanding hee assigneth a double portion to Ephraim and Manasses. But [in so doing] hee had an eye to the promise that God had made to him. That is the cause why hee saieth, Let my name bee called vppon ouer them, and let them bee taken and esteemed as two of mine owne children. According hereunto it is saide,Exo. 3.15.16 that God shoulde remember Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, as we see in Exodus, where God intending to acquaint himselfe with his people, alledgeth the same for a preface: as if he should say. I hauehave bounde my selfe in the hande of Abraham. And therby he sendeth them back to the promise as it was made and set downe in Genesis,Gen. 15.13.16.where God saide, that in the ende of fourehundred yeares, after they had beene oppressed with grieuous tyranny, he woulde deliuer them. Nowe then, it is not to be doubted, but that Moseses alledging of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, is to ye end that God should performe his couenant in deede, and not cease to be constant in his purpose and in discharging of his promise, notwithstanding the wickednes of mē. And so we see how the Papistes hauehave falsly abused the holy scripture, yea & shewed themselues so shamelesse and fond, that euen little children may perceiue their beastlinesse. Wherefore we ought so little to be moued with these texts: that they do rather make wholly against them. And so ye see why Moses alledgeth Abraham, Isaac, & Iacob. He groundeth himselfe vponupon Gods word.
Likewise when wee pray, before wee open our mouth wee must be taught of God, hee must direct vsus by his worde, for wee cannot call vponupon him rightly,Rom. 10.14. except hee hauehave first preuented vsus and called vsus to him, so as wee bee sure that hee will heare vsus. For as for the man that doubteth and floteth like the waues of the sea (saieth Sainct Iames),Iam. 1.6.7. let him not looke to obtaine any thing. So then our prayers boote vsus not at all, without certaintie of faith. Now let vsus see whence wee may gette such certaintie of faith. Surely euen by Gods worde, and that is it that Moses hath followed. Hee knewe the promise that had proceeded out of Gods mouth, wherupon he resteth, & therupon maketh mention of Abraham Isaac & Iacob. And why? For it was they yt had receiued the promise, as well in their owne behalfe, as in the behalf of their successors. But now do we see that we hauehave a Mediator to ratifie the new couenant that God hath made with vsus. Before Iesus Christ came into the worlde, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob were as mediators after a sort, because they receiued yt promise in the name of ye whole Church. But nowe God sendeth vsus backe to his only sonne, in whose person it is his will to ratifie all that euer he had promised. How then shall we hauehave any certainty, except we repaire to our Lord Iesus Christ, and pray to God his father to remember him, & not to looke at vsus, as in verie deede the auncient fathers hauehave shewed vsus the good way alreadie in the time of the shadows, although they had not the trueth so fully as wee hauehave it in the Gospel? For since the time that the kingdome was setled in the house of Dauid, and this promise made, He shalbe my son:Psal. 2.7. & 84.10. & 132.10. we see that ye fathers prayed after this manner: Lord looke vponupon the countenance of thy Christ or thine anointed. But they spake of Dauids successors. It is true: Howbeit forasmuch as that temporall kingdome was a figure of the kingdome that is prepared for vsus in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ: ye auncient fathers looked thereat as it were to behold Iesus Christ in a glasse. Now then seeing yt the sonne of God is come, & hath tolde vsus yt it is hee to whom we must repayre: what excuse wil there be for vsus, if we roue heere and there, and seeke other mediators to resort vntounto? Is it not a bereauing of Gods sonne of his office?Heb. 9.11.12 14. yes: for hee is not as was Abraham, or as was Dauid and al his linage: but hee is the true high priest which hath appeased Gods wrath towardes vsus. And hee hath not onelyonly receiued the couenaunt, so as he may say that God hath tolde him that hee will accept all such as submit themselues vntounto him: but he hath also ratified the same couenant with his owne bloud: that is the seale which he hath set vntounto it. Then if men will not bee contented with such confirmation of Gods promises as is made in the person of his sonne: is it not a treading of his bloude vnderunder foote to the vttermost of their power, and a striuing to make it of none effect? Yes: and so we see that this text is so little able to arme the Papists, that it doth rather condemne them of vnthankfulnesse before God, in that they hauehave (to the vttermost of their power) disabled the grace that was brought them by the sonne of God, and not considered that Gods adopting of vsus was in his hand and by his means, who hath accomplished Gods promises in such wise by his bloude as we may assure our selues of them without any doubting. Therefore let vsus mark wel that whensoeuer we seeke any patrons and aduocats, it is an abolishing of the death & passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ, and therwithall an vtter disanulling of all Gods promises, which ought to bee sprinkled with his bloud, according as wee see howe it was commaunded in the Lawe,Exod. ….… 8. that the booke should be besprinkled with the bloude of the solemne sacrifice that was to be offered.Hebr. ….1… 20. When a sacrifice was to be offred, the bloud of it was to be reserued, & sprinkled vppon the tabernacle, vppon the altar, and vponupon the booke of the Law: to doe vsus to wit, that there is none other meane to assure vsus of Gods promises, than by the besprinkling of them with the bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ. For as for such as runne gadding after their owne imaginations, saying wee must hauehave such a patrone and such an aduocate: they (as much as in them lyeth) so drayne and drie vp the bloude of Gods sonne, as it may giuegive no more force to the promises to assure vsus of our saluation.
Furthermore let vsus marke that the Papistes hauehave in all respects defaced ye office of our Lord Iesus Christ. For by their making of the saintes to be their patrons & aduocates, they hauehave also made thē as good as mediators, so as we should obtaine fauour at Gods hand by their meanes. They say not onelyonly Lorde heare the prayer of such a one or such a one: but also, for his prayers sake or for his deserts sake. But both these things belong peculiarly to our Lord Iesus Christ.1. Ioh. ….… For to seeke to the merits or desertes of men, is to stay vponupon a crased or broken reede, and that is the next way to make vsus tumble downe, yea and it is as the sliuers of a reede that will also wound vsus besides our falling. Wherefore let vsus vnderstand, that in so doing wee forsake the sonne of God and bereaue him of his office.
Againe, as touching prayer and supplication, it is true that we ought to pray one for another as long as wee liue vppon the earth:… and we hauehave seene the example thereof in Moses: yea and wee hauehave seene it in such wise, as sufficeth to shewe vsus that our prayers are not vaine nor vnprofitable, but that God maketh them auailable and heareth them, when wee pray one for another: Howbeit, that is but while we bee aliue. Moreouer, if wee fall to seeking of patrones and aduocates vppon our owne heades, without any warrant of holy scripture: it is too great a despising of God. For wee followe not the manner of praying which God hath ordeyned, and therefore it is a diuelish malapertnesse for men to presume to enter into the kingdome of heauen, there to appoint officers, as though God had made them Lord great masters there. Nowe then let vsus learne that wee must let our Lord Iesus Christ alone with the office of aduocate, that hee may be our spokesman for vsus, & giuegive vsus accesse & means to be accepted at Gods hand. Moreouer, we must not imagine any meriting or deseruing in any mortall creature, no not euen in the Angels of heauē, but we receiue ye meriting of Iesus Christ, which thing was not in ye holy Patriarks, nor in Dauid, nor in any of his successors, for God adopted them frely. But it was his will that in Iesus Christ our sinnes should bee wyped out, and our debts discharged, and yt by his obedience righteousnesse shoulde bee purchased vntounto vsus.Rom. … That therefore is the thing that wee must resorte vntounto. Wherefore let vsus learne, that if the fathers of olde time, when they minded to obtaine fauour at Gods hand, alledged Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and consequently Dauid in his order, because he was ordeined to be a figure of our Lord Iesus Christ: if this were vsed in the time that things were yet darke: wee ought to take good heede that wee swarue not to the right hand nor to the left, now that God hath reuealed himselfe fully vntounto vsus: but that we direct our faith to Iesus Christ, assuring our selues that for his sake God his father hath adopted vsus, and liketh well of vsus by his meanes, and graunteth vsus our requestes. Besides this, forasmuch as ye scripture saith that he is giuē vsus to be our aduocate,1. Iohn 2.1. that he maketh intercession for vsus, and that for his sake we may rest vponupon Gods merciemercy: Let vsus not doubt but he will shewe himselfe fauourable vntounto vsus. Seeing that the scripture fathereth these thinges vppon Iesus Christ, let vsus beware that wee rob him not of them, and that we play not the Papistes, who by their praying to their Hesaincts & Shesaints, doe well shewe that Iesus Christ sufficeth them not, and that because they pretende the name of God, they prouoke his vengeance more and more against them. We see also howe God hath blinded them & giuen them vp to a hellish rage▪ so as they thinke it not ynough to say, These are our patrons and aduocates: but also they make no difference betweene God, and a sainct that they hauehave forged of their owne braine. For they say, Our father which art in heauen, as wel kneeling before a puppet, as if they spake to GOD himselfe. But yet howe make they their prayers? I shall not neede to speake heere, neither of the Apostles nor of the Prophetes: for they hauehave saincts which neuer were in the world. And although they take the prophets and Apostles, yet they pray to them as to God, and with the same speech and stile. We see then that they are vtterly brutish, and that God hath giuen them vp to a reprobate sense. And it is good reason, because they hauehave robbed Christ of his dignitie wherein God his father had set him, and are not contented with him as with their only aduocate and intercessor, but are run astray here & there. Therfore it is meete that God should withdraw himselfe from them and forsake them, that they might fall into such extremitie as wee see they be falne into. Wherefore let vsus for our part beware that wee hold fast the simplicitie which the scripture sheweth vsus: that is to wit, that in calling vponupon God, we hauehave our eye vponupon our Lorde Iesus Christ: and againe that in asmuch as God hath stablished his couenāt for euer in his name, we doubt not but that we be heard as oft as wee come vntounto God by him, and that he is mercifull vntounto vsus.
Now let vsus kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sins, praying him to make vsus feele them ye betler, that we may acknowledge them rightly both with heart & mouth, and bee brought to true amendment, & be so humbled, yt by glorifying him as he is worthy, and by acknowledging what goodnes he vseth towards vsus, we may be prouoked to serue him with the better corage: and he beare with vsus in our infirmities as long as we be in this worlde, vntill we be come to him into his heauēly kingdom, & he hauehave made vsus partakers of his endlesse glorie. That it may please him to grant this grace, not only to vsus, &c.