Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 71
On Thursday the xij of September. 1555. The Lxxj. Sermon, which is the third vponupon the tenth Chapter.
12 And nowe O Israell, what doth the Lord thy GOD require of thee, but that thou shouldest feare the Lord thy GOD, and walke in all his wayes, and that thou shouldest louelove him, and serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soule:
13 And that thou shouldest keepe the commaundementes of the Lorde, and his ordinaunces, which I commaunde thee this day, to the ende it may goe well with thee?
14 Beholde, the heauens, and the heauens of heauens are the Lord thy Gods, and likewise the earth and all that is therein.
HEre Moses proceedeth with the matter that we hauehave hard these dayes past, that is to witte, that God had vsed marueilous fauor towards his people, in forgiuing them so many and so greeuous offences. It was verie much that they were receiued to mercy, so as they were not dispossessed of ye heritage that God had promised them. Now Moses addeth here an other respect, which serueth to make Gods great and infinite goodnes yet better knowen, & to giuegive it the greater beauty: which is, that he not onelyonly forgaue the people the faults that they had done, but also receiued them againe with so gentle and friendly cō ditions, as might set al mē in a wonder to thinke vponupon it. If a Citie or a countrie hauehave rebelled against their prince, so as they hauehave broken their allegeance, although he list not to vse extreeme rigor by putting all to fire and sworde, but be cō tented to graunt them their liues: yet will he bereaue them of all their priuileges, he wil lay fines and exactions vponupon them, & he will perchance depriue them of their ancient liberties, so as the wretched soules shall grone vnderunder the burden, & hauehave cause to remember their offence a hundred yeres after. But Moses sheweth here, that God dealt not so with the Iewes. For when he had once pardoned their offence, he delt with them as if they had neuer done amisse, & their state was as pleasant & amiable, as if they had obeied him in all points as became them. And so ye see the intent of Moses in this place.
He had reported heretofore, how he had bin heard: & nowe he addeth here, What is it that the Lord requireth of thee? He chargeth thee not with any amerciaments, he layeth no punishment vppon thee, he layeth no burden vpō thee to beare thee down wt: his only desire is, yt thou shouldest louelove him, that thou shouldest honor him, yt thou shouldest keepe his commandements. And is this any profit to himselfe? No. Euerywhit of it redoundeth to thine own benefite. Was it not ynough to make this peoples heart to melt, though they had bin the wickeddest in ye world, when they might say, wheras we had forsaken ye Lord, & broken the couenant that he had made with vsus, & chosē an ydol in stead of him; he hath not only forgiuen yt so hainous cryme, & bin cō tented to take vsus stil for his children, & to leaue vsus the inheritance yt he had promised vsus: but also he gouerneth vsus after such a fashion, as it might seeme we had deserued al ye benefites in ye world. Could he deale more kindly with vsus, if wee had honored him & giuen our selues wholy to him? Such consideratiō then ought wel to hauehave meekened the harts of that people; & although they were hard & stubborne, yet ought they to hauehave bowed, seeing they knewe that God sought nothing but their benefite & welfare. Thus we see now the intent of Moses, & to what circumstances his sayings are to be referred. Which is, that the people should knowe that God had not only pardoned their fault aforepast, but also was minded to forget it vtterly for euer after: & that in the mean while they should think thus deutifully with thēselues, our God behaueth himselfe towards vsus, as if we had neuer offended him, our state is not a whit appaired, he vseth nothing but gentlenes towardes vsus. Marke that for one point.
But now hauehave we a general sentence to gather vponupon the thing yt Moses tolde vntounto ye people. For the doctrine yt is contained in ye Lawe, belongeth as well to vsus, as to thē. Now then o Israell, what requireth thy God of thee? After ye same maner doth God speake vntounto vsus at this day: he sheweth vsus his will as a rule to direct our liues by. And what meaneth he in so doing? Let vsus marke what he cōmandeth, & see what profit cā redound vntounto himselfe by it. Certaine it is yt God requireth no more at our handes, but that wee should louelove him; & is not that a condition which we shoulde rather chose, than all ye kingdoms of the worlde? Yes; for if our God should make vsus princes; surely the greatest honour yt hee should do vsus therin, were but that he should make vsus his seruants. We see that such as liue at ease, yea euen men of worshippe & of good reuenue, had leuer to trot to the Court, & to be in seruice with the prince, and to take much toyle, yea and to spende their goods to get estimation; than to play ye snudges at home in their own houses, & to liue at rest vppon their owne reuenewes. Behold our God entertaineth vsus & keepeth vsus in his house, & yt not in degree of slauerie, but as his children; insomuch yt he calleth vsus his inheritance. In deede, were there no further than this, that hee accepteth ye seruice of vsus, of vsus I say which are altogether vnprofitable, & hauehave nothing but al maner of corruption in vsus: wheras notwithstanding he… vouchsafeth to imploy vsus to good purpose, & to make vsus vessels of honor, so as we shine like perles in his church, whenas of our selues we be but dūg & myre: seeing our God dealeth so gently wt vsus, what an vnthankfulnes is it, yt wee come not to yeeld our selues to him with al obedience? And I pray you what profit shal he reape by vsus, when we shal hauehave serued him neuer so wel? Shal he be ye better at ease? Hath he need of our help in any thing? No, but al redoundeth to our welfare, & he intendeth nothing but to our profit. Wo worth vsus therefore, yea & dubble wo worth vsus, if such goodnes ouercome vsus not, & yt our harts be not inflamed wt a right affection of giuing our selues wholy to our God, to be gouerned by him, so as we suffer him to ouerrule vsus, & yt we be prest and readie to yeeld to his hand, & to turn eueryevery way as he wil hauehave vsus. That is ye thing which we hauehave to mark vpō this text. So then, whensoeuer the law seemeth ouer rough & sharpe vntounto vsus, & our wicked lusts tickle vsus to spurne against God, so as it is hard for vsus to do as he cōmandeth vsus: let vsus bethink our selues thus: Thou wretched wight, is ye law of thy god burdensom & grieuous to thee? what demandeth he of thee? wherat shoteth he? His demand is yt thou shouldest louelove him, honor him, & serue him: & wilt thou in this case becom an vnnatural monster? Shal ye life which thy god hath giuen thee, serue to make thee kick against him? wilt thou grieue thy maker who hath created thee & shaped thee, & doeth also maintaine thee? Were it not better yt heauen & earth were mingled togither, & yt al things were cōfounded; than yt it might be said that thou makest no reckening of thy god? nay rather, yt thou spitest him of set purpose, insomuch yt there is neither lawe nor scripture yt can bring thee to such obediēce, as to make thee yeeld glory to thy God? Is it not reason yt we should serue God, when he vttereth such goodnes towards vsus, as to tel vsus yt he wilbe our father, specially by planting ye beleefe of his Gospell in vsus? Now then, as the earth when it is lustie & in good plight doth alwayes bring forth some thing or other, to shewe that it hath heart in it, so, seeing yt God hath giuen vsus vnderstanding & reason aboue the brute beasts, it becommeth vsus to consider yt his doing thereof is to the ende that we should knowe him that made vsus, of purpose that we should serue & honour him, and stoop to him with al humility, assuring ourselues that he ought to hauehave soueraigne dominiō ouer all creatures. Therfore let vsus marke wel, yt when soeuer we be tempted to striue against God, and his lawe seemeth ouer heauie to vsus, and our affections fight against it, or go the cleane contrary way from it; then to ouermaister such frowardnesse of our nature, we must bethinke vsus as it is told vsus here, What is it that thy God requireth of thee? And then is it certain that we shalbe too too much ashamed of our selues. For what shal we answere before the Angels of heauen, when this saying shalbe laide afore vsus? For it shalbee well layd to the charge of all such as hauehave made none account of obeying God, & of all such as hauehave despised him and his worde. Yea and although the Angels were not to iudge of it, verily euen the Oxen, the Asses, the dogges & the very stones & trees might be our iudges: for all those creatures retaine a naturall inclination of obeying God. Therfore how shal we do, when we shal be vpbraided with this saying vttered by Gods own holy mouth, What hauehave I required at your hands? no more but that you should louelove mee & honor me. That is the very summe, & effect of al yt my law conteineth. I hauehave loued you, & my desire hath beene to be loued of you. Were you worthie to be receiued & loued of me, when ye… drew cleane contrarie to my wil? Lo here wherwith to hold vsus in awe, as oft as we cannot finde in our harts to yeld to the obeying of our God, & yt his commandements seeme hard & sharp vntounto vsus. What? Surely our God could not vse greater curtesie towardes vsus, than to allure vsus to him by louing of vsus, to the intent yt wee shoulde louelove him againe. His meaning is yt we should followe him the same way that he hath led vsus afore. But now it is certaine, yt although God require nothing of vsus but to hauehave the reuerence yt hee deserueth: yet can we not serue him & honour him, vntil he hauehave reformed our harts. And therby it appeareth what frowardnesse there is in all men by originall sinne. Behold, God commandeth vsus but to louelove him & to yeeld him honor: that is all yt is conteined in his lawe. And yet we come all of vsus so farre short of the perfect performāce of the thing yt is commanded, that we cannot so much as thinke a good thought, but we indeuer by all meanes possible to withstande whatsoeuer God commandeth. Therefore let vsus learne to be abashed & ashamed of the crabbednes of our nature, seeing we be so wayward as to striue against our God & his righteousnes, yea euen though ye things that he requireth be more than rightfull. And so ye see what we hauehave to marke, when wee feele such a law in our selues,Rom. 7.23. contrary to ye lawe yt God hath giuen vsus.
And hereby wee be warned that it is in vaine for men to make protestation, as a number doe, which go about to excuse themselues yt they can not giuegive themselues to God, because of ye weaknes & sinfulnes of their nature. Verily, as who would say, that the euil which is in vsus shold serue vsus for our defence. Were not that a mocking of God? Shal a man be acquit at his iudges hand, by confessing himself to be giltie? But here it is shewed vsus, that al ye hardnes that we hauehave in vsus to obey God, yea euen though it be impossible for vsus to moue forward to the performance of the least commandement of the lawe: will not serue to iustifie vsus. Why so? Let a man looke well to it, & he shal find that the fault is not in the lawe: for it requireth no more but that wee shoulde serue our God, & therewithal louelove him by yelding him his dew reuerence: and what is it to do that? let vsus knowe therfore, that the whole fault is in our selues yt we obey not our God; & that although we hauehave no power at all to performe our duetie, yet doth not that discharge vsus, seeing that God demādeth nothing but yt which is right & reasō.
By the way, we must call to minde what hath beene declared heretofore:Deut. 6.…. namely that as concerning this text, where Moses sheweth ye meane how to fulfill the law aright: it is not meant that we must but onelyonly hauehave our eyes, hands & feete well ruled; but that wee must begin at the reformation of our harts. Thou shalt louelove thy God (sayeth he) & serue him. And howe? With all thy soule, & with all thy heart. Then let vsus learne, yt if we do the things by compulsion which are cō manded vsus; it is nothing woorth: we may not thinke that it shall passe in account. And in deed there are diuers that beare countenance faire ynough afore men, so as they cannot be accused of theft, murther, or whoredome: but in ye meane while they be full of wicked lustes, so as they bee readie to burst with them, & it is a corsie to them to obey God, neither finde they any taste in his commandements. And therfore al is but hypocrisie, all is but a faire pretence & shewe to the worldward, & (to be short) all is but vanitie and leazing till the heart be wonne vntounto God, & vntill we be fully minded & bent to do as God cō mandeth vsus. That (say I) is the ende that wee must beginne at, if we will accomplish the lawe throughly. Wherefore let vsus not beguile our selues any more as the hypocrites do, with desire that men only should be contented. Let vsus vnderstand yt we hauehave to do wt the heauēly Iudge who admitteth no eyeseruice,Ier. 5.…. but looketh to the trueth of ye heart. Therfore let vsus giuegive our selues to God with hartie affection, & not content our selues so with ye outward workes, yt the intent of doing wel shold not also be groūded in our harts.
Besides this, Moses telleth vsus yt God will not only be serued & honored but also loued. And here are three words; the one is LoueLove, the other is Reuerence, & the third is Seruice. Now as touching Reuerence or Feare, (for he vseth the same term of feare;) it is not a slauish fearefulnes, but it is ye seruiceablenes & honor which we yeld vntounto god in submitting our selues vntounto him, because we be throughly persuaded that forasmuch as he hath all soueraintie ouer vsus, it is good reason that we should be subiect vntounto him. First & formost therfore let vsus consider, that although God had not spoken to vsus to persuade vsus to this reuerence; surely euen nature sheweth it vsus sufficiently, and it is welynough proued vntounto vsus in our selues. For although it were neuer told vsus that the lewdnes of men is such, as they seeke nothing else but to turne away from God, & to become beastlike by al meanes they can deuise, yea euen wittingly & wilfully: yet our heads & harts are stuffed so full of that lesson, as we cānot be ignorant of it. And therfore it standeth vsus greatly in hand to beare in mind what this word reuerēce or feare importeth, that is to wit, that God ought to be honored of all his creatures, & that seeing we be his, wee ought to offer our selues to be subiect to him.
Also it importeth, that when we thinke vponupon God, wee should hallowe his name, that is to say, not imagine any thing of him to the derogation of his glorie, but yeeld honor to his righteousnes, wisdome & power. This is the first point which Moses setteth downe here, cōcerning obedience and the right obseruing of the Lawe.
Now this reuerence requireth also louelove. For God wilbee honored with harty affection. If we reuerence his maiestie, & yet stand in feare of it, so as it is a terror to vsus: then would wee wish that there were no God at all, and wee coulde fynd in our heartes to plucke him out of his seate, if it were possible. As many as woorship God vppon no further grounde, but for that they are sure they cannot scape his hād, & because they know him to be their maker; those (say I) being not touched with any free louelove, wil shunne God; and when they heare any speaking of him, it grieueth them; insomuch that if it were in their choyce & power, they woulde plucke him out of his seat if they could, as I said afore. So then, it is not possible for vsus to feare God, (I meane to yeelde him right reuerence, so as we beare a hartie god will to him, & hauehave a feeling of his goodnes towards vsus, & yt he is the place where we must seeke al our welfare) vnlesse we louelove him. Therefore if wee hauehave not this louelove, there wilbe no reuerence at all. Wherfore let vsus learne, yt God requireth freewill offerings, that is to say, that our offering of our selues vntounto him should not be of force or cō straint, but with such deuotion as wee should bee desirous to serue him, & as we might protest with Dauid,Psal. 19.11. not onelyonly that wee set more store by his law than by gold & siluer; but also that it is more sweete & pleasant to vsus, than honie. Thus ye see what the second worde LoueLove importeth.
The third worde is Seruice. For if wee make pretence to worship God with ceremonies and gewgawes as they say, & in ye mean while do him no true seruice in deede: is it not a mocking of him? If men beare folkes in hande yt their intent is to honor God, & that they louelove him, & submit themselues to him; & in the meane season make but a flim flam of it when God setteth forth his commandements vntounto them: what a presumptuousnes were that? And [likewise what a matter were it,] if they should shewe no proofe wherby a man might perceiue, yt his louelove which he speaketh of here is rooted in their heart? Then let vsus learne, yt we must shewe by our deedes that wee louelove & feare God. And what are the doings that must beare witnesse therof? Euen our seruing of him, yt is to wit, when we play not the loose colts by taking leaue to do eueryevery man after his owne lust & liking; but suffer God to ouerrule vsus, so as our whole desire be that he should hold ye raines of the bridle, & we yeld eueryevery way vnderunder his hād to turne to & fro according to his good wil. And so we see yt the way whereby wee must shewe our selues to louelove God, is by our seruing of him.
Howbeit, forasmuch as men are giuen to deuise seruices of their own brain, & do make boast that they glorifie God when they hauehave followed their owne foolish inuentions: Moses rebuketh this ouerboldnesse of men, and this curiositie of theirs, telling them that the seruice of God cō sisteth in keeping the commandements & ordinances which he deliuereth to them in the name of God. Now then we see here, that our Lorde hath cut off all our fond inuentions, yt we should not imagine to serue him any more after our owne fancie. For why? He will hauehave obedience, & hee esteemeth more of that than of al the sacrifices in ye world.1. Sa. 15.22. Had this point beene wel obserued, there would not be such disputing as is seene nowadayes, among such as beare the name of Christians. For the Papists may good cheape say, that a mā may fulfil the law of God. And why? Because they neuer wist what end or what mark God aymed at. They think it ynough for a man to be able to discharge himself to ye worldward; & so they make God like a litle babe, by reason wherof they say it is a blasphemie to saye that wee cannot perfourme the law. For they neuer came to the trial of it. The despisers of God stepforth here & say, that the lawe is easie, when as notwithstanding they neuer put so much as their little finger towards the doing of it. But when we hauehave well weyed the things that are conteyned here; wee shal finde that it is not so easie a matter. Againe if we compare the law with our own frowardnes, we shal find that the law were easie ynough of it self, if we were as wel disposed as we ought to be. But we come farre short of being Angels; & wee had neede of an angelical nature to the obeying of Gods law. For it draweth vsus from the world, and leadeth vsus vp to heauen: and we go ye cleane contrarie way. Againe, when the seruing of god commeth in question, it wil not suffice vsus to play the hypocrites & to say, wel, this or that is to be done, & in the meane while to ouerhip ye chiefe point: but when it is said that wee must louelove our GOD with all our hearte; wee come to the wel head, and to the verie roote, which is that GOD requireth such a soundenesse, as not onelyonly wee should doe whatsoeuer hee cōmandeth vsus, but also hauehave a pleasure in it, so as our chiefe delight should be therin, and when we see an agreeablenes betwene God & our affections, we should be gladder therof than if wee had obtained all our fleshly desires & likings. Againe, men should not be doutfull of the meanes howe to serue God as wee see the worlde hath alwayes beene, by swaruing from the rule that is contained in Gods worde. What is it that is termed Gods seruice in the Popedome nowadayes, but fansies that men hauehave deuised without any reason? And no maruel. For (to their seeming) Gods law was of no great importance, neither did they busie their heads greatly about it. And therefore needs must they inuent a great number of other small trifles. But they that giuegive them selues to Gods lawe, doe see, there is cause for them to saye thus; Alas, although I take neuer so much paine, yet can I not compasse it, but alwayes I come short of my wayes ende. Nay (which more is) all my inforcing of my selfe is in vaine: in so much that if my God were not mercifull to mee, to giuegive me power & strength, I shoulde goe cleane backewarde, and contrarie to his will.
As for the Papists, they had no regard of this, but inuented a sorte of gewgawes to serue God withall; as setting vp of candles before puppets, gadding on pilgrimage, hearing of masses, taking of holy water, and all the rest of their pelting trash. But such as knowe what it is to keepe the lawe, do neuer set their myndes vppon such childish bawbles. But when men knowe not howe to serue God aright, then they rome wandring here and there. Therefore let vsus beare in mynde, that here our Lord hath declared which is the true seruice that hee liketh and alloweth of; namely the following of his commaundementes, so as men deale not after their owne fansie and liking, but holde themselues to his worde; and as it were bridling and keeping them selues captiue, do attēpt nothing but that which they knowe to bee the pleasure of their God. Thus you see in effect what wee hauehave to gather vppon this text.
Nowe for a conclusion, heere Moses setteth foorth commaundements for the welfare of the people. Whereas hee sayeth that he setteth them foorth, it is to take away all excuses of ignorance, and to quayle mennes foolish curiositie, that woulde stye aboue the cloudes to knowe Gods will. Yee see then howe GOD maketh vsus vnexcusable, when hee sendeth vsus his worde, and commaundeth it to be preached vntounto vsus. Could he make him selfe more familiar vntounto vsus, than by sending mortall men as his messengers vntounto vsus, to speake vntounto vsus in his name, and to giuegive vsus vnderstanding of his will by their meanes? Then if wee saye that wee knowe not Gods will, you see here is wherewith to disprooue vsus; for God hath giuen vsus his worde in writing, so as wee neede not to seeke for it: and therefore it ought to be sufficiently knowen vntounto vsus. Nowe then let vsus also learne to receiue it with reuerence & humilitie: and when we heare mortal men speaking vntounto vsus, let vsus assure our selues, that wee must not measure the maiestie of Gods worde by their persons. But wee must hauehave an eye to him from whome it commeth, and which is the author of it, that wee may submit our selues wholly vntounto it. Therefore let vsus not hauehave these diuelish fansies with vsus, as some dreamers hauehave, which say, O that God woulde speake to mee from heauen, I woulde faine hauehave some reuelation. Let it content vsus that God cōmeth down vntounto vsus, to make vsus priuie to his will: for that is it which Moses ment, in saying that hee did set foorth Gods commaundements: as if hee had saide, that men neede not to goe farre to seeke him. And in the ende hee sheweth, that all this tendeth to the welfare of the people, so as God seeketh not any benefite to himselfe,Iob 35.7. & Psal. 16.2. for he needeth not to borowe aught of vsus, neither can wee do him any pleasure: wee can doe him neither good nor harme, all thinges are his: according to the eyght Psalme,Psal. 8.7. & 50.10. and also the fiftith Psalme, where it is saide, that all the beastes in the feelde are in his possession, and that if hee be hungrie or want any thing he needeth not to seeke it at our handes. Why then requireth he to be serued of vsus? It is for our benefit, for that there can not be a greater good turne vntounto men, than to be the seruants of their maker. Then let vsus vnderstand, that whereas our Lord layeth not the bridle loose vponupon our necke, but gouerneth vsus himselfe, and holdeth vsus vnderunder his obedience, therby to moue vsus to serue him the more willingly: hee doeth it to our benefite and respecteth nothing but our welfare. Yet notwithstanding it is true that the lawe will finde vsus all giltie, & that when God hath shewed vsus all that is good and right:2. Cor. ….12. that doctrine doeth so litle benefite vsus, that it rather bringeth vsus death, and wee bee cursed by it. For it is a looking glasse wherein to see that wee bee Gods enemies: and it is a keye to open the gates of hell. And how then commeth it to passe that God shoulde procure our welfare, and yet notwithstanding wee shoulde receiue nothing but harme by it? That is not of it selfe; but it falleth out by another meane, that is to saye by our owne fault. Then let vsus vnderstande, that Gods lawe (if wee consider it in it selfe) is vntounto vsus a doctrine of welfare, whereby God commeth neere vntounto vsus to bee our father and to make vsus finde life in him, that by his ruling of our life, wee might sticke vntounto him, and thereby bee made partakers of his benefites, & in the ende attayne to the heritage of the heauenly life. But herewithal we be so froward and ful of corruption, that the law can serue vsus to no other purpose, but to curse vsus, & to make vsus perceiue how lothsome we be vntounto God, in as much as we be his deadly enemies, & so we hauehave double cause to be abashed & afraid, & ashamed of our selues, when we see yt the good is so turned to our harm: & it is more than if ye nature of ye sunne were changed by our infection. Woulde it not make vsus to loth our selues, if we should find such foule & vyle smokes in vsus, as shoulde darken and quench the light of the sunne? yes verily. Nowe we see that Gods law is the light of our life: and yet we not only dim it, but also turn it into ye darknes of death; & it is vnpossible yt it should stande vsus in any other steed, vntil our Lord Iesus Christ hauehave wrought in vsus,2. Cor. … & reformed vsus by his holy spirit, & by writing his lawe newe againe in our hearts. For asmuch then as we see yt men turne life into death, light into darknes, & benefit into bane: alas, ought we not to be exceedingly abashed? yes, but yet must not yt put vsus out of conceit of ye doctrin of ye law, so as we shuld not louelove it, howbeit yt we cānot performe it, vntil god hauehave chāged our harts to cause vsus to submit our selues vntounto him, and hauehave made vsus newe creatures in our lord Iesus christ. True it is yt the setting forth of ye law vntounto vsus, is not for nought: but yet must we needes perceiue by experience, yt vntill God hath brought vsus home again vntounto him, ye doctrin of his law wil serue for nothing but to cōdemne vsus. But when he hath once wrought in vsus by his holy spirit: then shal wee perceiue that in setting forth his law vntounto vsus, he procureth our benefite & welfare, according as is saide of it here by Moses. And so you heare what we hauehave to gather vpō this text. But Moses doth yet better confirme the matter that wee hauehave seene; which is, that God helde not his people downe like slaues, not handled them roughly to be reuenged of thē, & to make them feele the offence they had committed; but that he handled them after a gentle and louing fashion. Now then (saith he) hath the euerlasting thy God any neede of thee? Behold (saith he) the heauens, yea, and the heauens of heauens are Gods. As if he should say, you think that God would fain hauehave a people, as though he could not forbeare to be without them. Hath not hee the skyes at commandement? hath not he his heauenly host? hath he not whole millions of Angels? hath hee not peaceable dominion in heauen? Yes, and therefore ye must not imagine any more, that his choosing of you was to better his owne estate by you. If hee shoulde destroy you, and make quite riddance of you, should his raigne ceasse? No, no, and for proofe therof, he hath no neede of men. Againe, besides that, is not the earth and all thinges in it, in his possession? Yes: What is the cause then that hee hath not taken and chosen other nations to him as wel as you? Is it for that you are nobler, or mightier, or worthier in any respect, than the rest, as it is mentioned in the seuenth Chapter?Deut. 7.7. No. It is certaine that the Iewes were not better than the Gentiles: insomuch that if they should hauehave beene compared with them, they shoulde hauehave found themselues to hauehave bin neither nobler of linage, nor richer in substance, nor vertuouser in life, nor to hauehave excelled them in any thing. What is the cause then (saith Moses) that God hath vouchsafed to take you for his people, and that he hath let all others alone, & reached you his hand to gouern you? Sought he his own profite or aduantage? No. Seing then that you be so gretly boūd vntounto him; serue him wt the better wil.
Here we see in effect two things. The one is Moses his confirming of the Israelites still in the doctrine yt we hauehave heard; which is, yt all of them shoulde learne to glorifie God for their welfare, acknowledging themselues beholden to him for all good things, so as they hauehave not any worthines or deseruinges to vaunt themselues of, but must exalt their God & vtterly abase thēselues. Marke yt for the one point. And out of this proceedeth the other point; which is, that such as hauehave had such experience of Gods goodnes towards thēselues, & are taught aforehand to glorifie god, must take courage to serue him ye more frankly, & offer themselues to God with a more zelous will, to be quietly gouerned & ouerruled by him. Thus ye see ye two pointes that are to be gathered vponupon that text. Yea & let vsus mark well, how it is not without cause yt Moses standeth so much vponupon yt doctrine. For wee see how the vnthankfulnes of men is so great, yt they labor continually to deface Gods goodnes, by reason of ye cursed roote of pride & loftines which cannot be quite & cleane taken from vsus. Men then do alwayes beare themselues in hand, yt they be somwhat worth, & therupon they stand in their own conceits, yea euen as it were in despite of God. Although God lay on sure loade vponupon our heads with beetles; yet ceasse wee not set vp our bristles stil, & to grunt at him, & to think there is yet some vertue or power in vsus. For this cause Moses thinks it not ynough to hauehave said once or twice, you must father all your welfare vponupon the onelyonly fauour of God: but he returneth eftsoone to the confirming of the same doctrine, to the intent that mens cackling might be ye better stilled, and that such as deceiue themselues through their vaine imaginations, might learne to conclude in the end, yt it is not for vsus to looke for any valour or worthines in our selues, but that we must yeld God that which belongeth peculiarly vntounto him, namely, that his calling of vsus, his choosing of vsus, & his maintaining of vsus; & likewise our hauing of his word, & our reteining of some order in the Church, come altogither of him, so as we cannot say we hauehave gotten them by our owne skil, cunning or strength. Thus much concerning ye first point.
Nowe for our better confirmation herein, let vsus compare our selues with the Angels & with al the world besides, & let vsus think thus: what are we? Truely, if we go no further than to our owne selues, we may hauehave our eies dazeled, & we know yt naturaly men do so besot themselues, yt they be as good as bewitched with the fond imaginatiō of their own worthines. Therefore if we should looke no further than to our selues; it would seem to vsus yt we be something worth: but if wee looke further of, & fall to considering with our selues, What are other men? Do they not set as much or more by thēselues than we do? yes: & if there were a third partie to play ye iudge, would he not make more account of them than of vsus? Yes. For to outward showe there is much more greatnes, riches, worthines, & honor; there is much more discretion & wisedom in thē than in vsus. What is the cause then yt God hath chosen vsus, & let the others go? HaueHave we any thing wherof we may be proud? Alas, no, if we be not ouerfarre besotted in our own fond imaginations. But if we cannot yet be brought to this reason by cōparing ourselues with all the worlde beside: let vsus mount vp a litle higher & come to ye Angels of heauen. Could not God hauehave contented himselfe with his Angels, wtout cōming vntounto vsus. We be but poore wormes, there is nothing but rottennesse in vsus, & yet god vouchsafeth to seeke vsus. His wil is to hauehave vsus to be his chilren, not only to enioy his gifts & benefits here beneath, but also to aduance vsus vp to his heauenly kingdom. And for what deserts of ours? [None at al.] Wherefore seeing we cannot be so beaten down at one blow, as to come humble our selues vntounto God; let vsus wey well these words of Moses, & bethink vsus of the thing that is told vsus here; namely that the heauēs of heauens are the lords. For Moses thinkes it not ynough to say simply the heauēs: but he inlargeth his speech yet further, & saith, the heauens of heauens. It had been ynough to hauehave saide the heauens; for seeing that ye earth (how wide and houge so euer it be) is nothing in comparison of the vnmeasurable greatnes of the skyes: ye only word heauens ought wel to hauehave sufficed. But Moses intēded to expresse it yet more in saying the haeuens, yea euē the heauēs of heauēs. In respect wherof he repeteth thos… words three times: as if he should say, God can find a kingdō large & gret ynough, & of such widnes as he shal not need to com borow some litle corner in the world to lodge in: he needeth not to seeke in darke caues for any thing wherewith to set foorth his glorye. Men are but wormes; they be but like frogges in a puddle of myre; and shal God come downe here belowe, to make his glorie shine there? Hath he not his heauenly power, to shewe there aboue that he hath soueraine dominion ouer all creatures? Must he be faine to stande to our courtesie for the dooing of any thing? So then, we see that men must not onelyonly become drunken & beastlike, but also starke diuels through pride, if this declaration of Moses make them not to stoope, & to acknowledge it to be good reasō that God should be glorified eueryevery where, and that they ought not to reserue to themselues any whit of the praise of their owne saluation or welfare.
Now furthermore Moses addeth, that Gods affection towards that people, & his louing of them to choose their seede, proceeded onelyonly of his own good wil. Your God (saith he) hath dominion ouer heauen & earth; And yet notwtstanding he hath vouchsafed to be your Lord. What is the cause therof? Moses hath shewed it alreadie. But yet hee addeth (for greater confirmation) that God did cast an ernest free good wil towards this people. The first word which he vseth, signifieth sometime to cleaue vntounto, & sometime to take pleasure. But here the proper & natural meaning of it is, that God tooke pleasure in that people, so that he acquainted himself with them through a free louelove: for he addeth the worde LoueLove thereunto. Ye see then, that willing pleasure went afore, & afterward louelove ensued of it, and it serueth to shewe, that it is a fondnesse for men to imagine yt there is any cause why God should louelove one more thā another, saue onelyonly that it is his pleasure so to do. Moses could not hauehave expressed this more plainly, than by saying that it was Gods good pleasure. That is the verie fountaine; and out of that fountaine springeth afterward the louelove. Let vsus learne then, that God must first louelove vsus, and that we must feele the same by effect in vsus; and yet notwithstanding we must not stay stil at that louelove. But to the ende wee may the better feele yt it is a free louelove, we must proceede to Gods pleasure or will; that is to say, wee must knowe, that he respected neither one thing nor other, wherby to be persuaded and moued to that louelove, but that he sought the cause of it in him self; and because it liked him, therefore he listed it. That is the thing that Moses hath declared in this text. Howbeit for as much as we cannot as nowe proceede any farther, let vsus beare away but this lesson, that as oft as there is any speaking of our saluation, wee must not seeke ye cause of it any where else, than in God; & that being vtterly naked of all goodnes, we must confesse our selues to be vtterly accursed, but that God pitying vsus, and mynding to shewe vsus merciemercy, draweth vsus out of the cursednes wherein we were, in which respect, for as much as he calleth & allureth vsus to the saluation which he hath purchased so dearly for vsus, we must not dout but yt he wil bring vsus thither, at leastwise if we abide stedfast in his couenant, & yet neuerthelesse, that because wee cannot hauehave such stedfastnes of our selues, hee will hold vsus vp & strengthen vsus by his holy spirit, to the end that feeling his power in vsus, wee may be the more incouraged to serue him, and not bee vnthankfull for so great goodnesse as hee hath shewed vsus.
Nowe let vsus kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults, praying him to make vsus so to feele them, as we may continually mislike them more and more, and in so doing returne vntounto him, as to ye onelyonly partie that can remedie our diseases, and set vsus vp againe by pardoning our offences: so as we may feele the sweetenes that is in him, and the bitternesse of our afflictions may not make vsus to mislike of his seruice, but rather yt wee may be the more affectioned vntounto it, so as by yt means we may be framed vntounto his righteousnes, & vntounto ye obeying of him, vntil we be gathered into the company of his Angels. That it may please him to grant this grace, not onelyonly to vsus, but also to all people & nations of the earth, &c.