Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 114
On Saturday the vij. of December. 1555. The Cxiiij. Sermon which is the third vponupon the nineteenth Chapter.
14 Thou shalt not remoue thy neighbours boundes which bounded thy predecessours in thine heritage that thou shalt possesse in the lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee to possesse.
15 Let not one witnesse alone rise vp against a man for any maner of trespasse or sinne, or for any fault that he offendeth in: but at the worde of two or three witnesses shall the matter be stablished.
FOr the better vnderstanding of that which is commaunded and forbidden heere concerning bounds or limits; we hauehave to marke first of all, that God in giuing the land of Chanaan to his people, had ordeined that partitions should bee made, and his intent was the same shoulde cōtinue for euer. For although sales were made; yet behooued it that in the yeare of Iubily,…. …5.28. all thinges should returne to their former state againe. And Eleazer the highpriest & Iosua were to make those partitions, which shoulde indure to the end. Nowe there was moreouer assigned to eueryevery house an inheritance. For the trybes hauing parted the lande after that manner, agreed afterward as touching the heads of their houses: but yet for al that, it behooued the former partition to continue still, and that ye others neuerthelesse should inioy their goods; and that if any sale were made, it should bee vnderunder such condition, as eueryevery man might afterwarde returne to his owne inheritance, at the time that God had appointed. Now let vsus come to that which is said here. Gods wil is that the boundes (which we in this countrey call limites) shoulde remaine fast, so as no man might alter any of them: and this serued as well for the vniuersall inheritance of the whole body of the nation, as for the peculiar possessions of eueryevery seueral person. And although there was a special reason for the people of Israel (as I hauehave touched heretofore:) yet did the heathen know well ynough, yt if the same thing were not obserued otherwhere also, there woulde bee no vprightnesse among men, but all would go to confusion. And therefore they held it for a crime, when any man altered the landmarks, & it was counted a kind of falshood euen among the Heathen. And to the intent it should be taken for a holy matter, they made a God of it, according to their cōmon maner, which was to mingle some superstition with their matters to hold folke in awe, when they intended to bridle them. Now it was a diuelish inuention to set vp an ydol for the maintenance of equitie between men. Yet notwithstāding, we see how nature hath alwayes taught vsus this principle, that if bounds & limits were not kept and maintayned, there would be a horrible confusion among men, and no lawes would be any longer kept. Therefore to benefite our selues by this text, we must marke two things. The one is not onelyonly that the children of Israel had the possession of the lande of Chanaan of Gods gifts; but also that
he should be conuicted of them by order of law. This is a sin that lyeth stil in couert. Now of all this while (as it is said in Genesis) the party may go forth where he wil,Gen. 4.7. & wander in his own affection; but his sin is stil at his doore, & watcheth him surely for going out. God then letteth men take their pleasure after that fashiō for a time; & afterward bewrayeth thē when it pleaseth him. And we see examples hereof as I saide afore. There are some other sinnes which come to knowledge at the first push, as though God had sifted them out. Therefore we must marke this rule, that we may brydle our selues, and not bee too hastie to iudge, but tarrie patiently for the conuenient time. Also we hauehave to follow ye rule which our Lord Iesus Christ giueth vsus;Mat. 18.15.16 namely that if any man hauehave done amisse towardes vsus, wee warne him secretely; & that if hee receiue not our warning wee take two or three witnesses to vsus, that in their mouth the thing may be the better stablished. Nowe it is certaine that in yt place our Lord speaketh of ye faults that are vnknowen: for if there be an open offence giuen, so as the partie may be openly conuicted: it is not meant that I should say to him secretely in his eare, Sir you hauehave done amisse. We see that our Lord Iesus Christs meaning was nothing so. As for those that alleage that text nowadays when they hauehave offended in the open face of ye world, and say, Why do ye not warne me of it secretely betweene you & me? [We answer them,] & why did not you hide your self to doe your naughtines out of sight? Thou cōmest hither to poyson a whole streete; & thou wouldest hauehave mee to draw thee aside into some corner to tell thee of thy fault. Wee see a number of these nyce persōs which know not one word of ye gospel more than this text; & yet they do falsifie that too. Our Lord speaketh there of ye sins that are vnknowē, & wherof they hauehave no witnesses. Therfore it behooueth vsus to follow the order which we heare in that behalf. When a man hath done amisse & there is none to beare witnesse of it, he must be admonished secretly, & hauehave his faulte layd afore him: & if hee bee wilfull, then must I take two or three witnesses with me, & proue it to his face: for otherwise it cannot be done. If we were so delt with, we should not be so lustie as we be, at leastwise as a number of vsus are: but wee would vnderstand yt it is our Lordes wil to keepe vsus in vre, & that wheras our faults come not to light at the first committing of them, but God seemeth willing to conceale them: the same is not without cause. And although it be a temptation that is hard for vsus to beare, yet doth God do it to our benefite, to the intent that we should inure our selues to patience, & striue against the euill, though wee cannot discouer it when wee would.
Moreouer let vsus marke also, that wheras our Lorde punisheth not a number of faultes in the sight of men, ne suffereth thē to come to knowledge: therby it is his wil to shew vsus, that we must walke before him, & that wee must content our selues with his record, although men knowe not what wee be. It is saide in the common prouerb, that a mans owne conscience is as good as a thousand witnesses: and they that hauehave saide so, knew neither why nor wherefore. Yet notwithstanding God wrested that saying out of their mouthes, as if a man should drawe an offender to execution. On our part we must vnderstande, yt the reason is, that inasmuchas God inlighteneth our consciences & is the Iudge of them; we hauehave mo than a thousand witnesses. For our sinnes must be layd open, not only before ye Angels of heauen, but also before al creatures. Seeing then that our consciences are inlightened by God, & must aunswere before him: let vsus not thinke it strange that it shoulde counteruaile a thousand witnesses. But now let vsus come to that which I spake of. It may bee that I liue honestly & vprightly, so as my desire is to serue God, and to discharge my selfe towardes my neighbours also, & al this shalbe ill taken, & no man wil cun me thanke for my labour. If it greeue mee that men perceiue not the soundnesse that is in me, & therupon do seeke the more to bee knowen; I receiue my reward in this worlde, as sayeth our Lord Iesus Christ. Neuerthelesse let vsus marke, that God to draw vsus to him,Matt, 6.5. will oftentimes not suffer vsus to be knowen of men, but will hauehave vsus to be taken for other than we be. And that is (as I said afore) to the end we should hold our selues contented with his only record, & that ye same should wey so much with vsus, as wee might defye the whole worlde, so God allowe of vsus. Marke that for one poynt. Againe, when men grudge against vsus, wee must hauehave the courage and constancie to appeale continually vntounto God, and to take him for our sufficient warrant. Thus ye see on the one side what we hauehave to beare in mind.
But in the meane whyle wee see howe the wicked doe mocke both God and the worlde, & harden themselues in their leaudnesse, because they bee not called foorth to Iustice for it, nor are punished for it. For sometimes they be born with, and somtimes also our Lord holdeth them at that stay to encrease their condemnation. Yet notwithstanding let not vsus bee tempted to resemble them, neither let vsus be grieued at their escaping so from the handes of men, and that they be not condemned out of hand by order of iustice. For what shall they gaine by it? So litle is their market mended by it, that it shall serue to increase their confusion before God, as hath beene saide alreadie. If our Lorde bring a mans sinne to knowledge, it will surely grieue him at the first, and when hee shalbe driuen to his shiftes, it will make him to looke about him and to think thus with himselfe: What though I am falne and hauehave committed this fault? Is it reason that men shoulde come and rebuke mee thus roughly at the first dash? I see such a one haunt these things more than I, and I see such a one offende more grossely than I, and yet they scape vnpunished. I in the meane whyle hauehave chaunced to make a scape, rather of ouersight than of any euill purpose; and must men bee so rough and fierce vppon mee? Such complaintes and murmurings shal a man heare; or if the partie that is greeued make not complaint after that manner before men, yet fayleth he not to repine in his heart. But we regard not the foresaid things as we ought to do. And therefore our Lord perceiuing vsus to bee in danger of falling asleepe, if our misdoings should be suffered and let slip at the first: putteth vsus into the handes of men to bee corrected by Iustice. And his so dooing is for our benefite. For wee must alwayes come backe to this saying, that God chastiseth those whome he loueth, shewing thereby that hee hath his eye vponupon them as vponupon his children, & that therefore hee holdeth them the neerer to him. That is the thing wherunto it would behoue vsus to hauehave an eye. Neuerthelesse if our Lord giuegive the wicked the brydle, so as they heape sin vponupon sin before it come to ye knowledge of men, & no countenance is made towards them of punishing them: it is an increasing of their condemnation, by rancling in their owne poyson, & the diuel wholly driueth them into a reprobate sense, vntill they bee come to their ful measure. Let vsus see what the inhabiters of the land of Chanaan fared ye better by Gods bearing with them by the space of foure hundred yeres.Gen. 15.16. They were alreadie malicious and froward, there was no faithfulnesse nor loyaltie among them, they were extremely cruel: moreouer, who…edome, extortion, & such other like things raigned among them: & for all that, God maketh as though he saw it not. But what came of it? It was tolde Abraham that their iniquities were not yet come to the full. That saying is set down to vsus for a general rule. And therfore whē our Lord forbeareth to condemne the wicked at the first push, let vsus assure our selues that their iniquitie is not yet ful rype. And how so? Is the sinne of Gods children come to ful rypenesse at the first day as soone as they hauehave done amisse? No: but our Lords intent is to chastice his children in such wise as amendment may insue of it, that his correcting of thē may serue for a salue to heale them: wheras his suffering of the wicked folks sinnes to come to full rypenesse, is for that he punisheth them not but deadly. Thus ye see what wee hauehave to beare in minde, where mention is made of two or three witnesses.
Furthermore, hereby we bee warned not to make delay till wee bee conuicted by witnesses before men. Let the remorse of our owne conscience be a sufficient rebuke vntounto vsus: for it is as much as if God cyted vsus before him, & made vsus to be indyted, & impanelled a quest vppon vsus, & condemned vsus. Doth our own conscience speak to vsus? It is as much as if God had made great Registers of our sinnes, & wee sawe witnesses brought in against vsus, not one or two, but a hundred. For (as I hauehave sayd alreadie) our own conscience is of more force than a hundred witnesses. Ye see how eueryevery man ought to looke neerly to himselfe, so as wee wrye not our mouthes when wee hauehave done amisse, vnderunder colour that no man hath perceiued vsus, & that there bee no witnesses that can shame vsus for it before men. Also let vsus marke, yt inasmuchas our Lord hath sent vsus his Prophets and Apostles, they be such sufficient witnesses as shalbe heard before all ye priuate persons that can bee brought foorth at this day against vsus.2. Cor. 13.1. S. Paul speaking to the Corinthians sayeth, that seeing hee had written to them alreadie, & told them of their faultes, and doth likewise againe the second time: if they amend not, it was all one as if they were conuicted by two or three witnesses. Yea & he vseth this selfesame text, ye know (sayth he) that God hath ordeyned that two or three witnesses shold be credited. Now, I come to you againe; & looke how many times I speake, so many recordes will it be against you before the heauenly Iudge. I summon you not here before men: neither will God forget the things that I doe towardes you: for his stirring of mee vp to giuegive you warning, is to hold you the more conuicted.
Now let vsus apply these thinges to our selues, & let vsus vnderstand (as I sayd afore) that seeing we hauehave Moses & the Prophets, wee hauehave witnesses ynow. True it is, that they speake not as now before men, they let vsus alone and trouble vsus not: but yet for all that let not vsus fal asleepe, for our flattering of our selues will stande vsus in no steede, but to plunge vsus the deeper in Gods curse. But forasmuch as our Lorde setteth vsus these witnesses before our faces: let eueryevery of vsus bethink himselfe; & seeing wee hauehave here our Lord Iesus Christ and his Apostles, let vsus be the more moued to make our own inditements and to preuent Gods iudgements. For if wee condemne our selues,1. Cor. 11.31. it wilbee a meane to obtaine fauour at his hand: and our faults shalbee forgiuen vsus, if we craue pardon wt vnfained misliking of them, desiring to depart quite & cleane from them. And not only ye Prophets & Apostles shal be our witnesses before God; but also all ye faithfull that euer hauehave beene in the worlde shall reproue our vnbeliefe & disobedience, if wee become not the better by the doctrine that hath been preached vntounto vsus. And for that cause doth the Apostle in the twelfth to the Hebrues say,Hebr. 12.1. yt we must hauehave a good eye to the great and thick clowd of witnesses. Hee vseth this similitude there, which at the first may seeme fond: neuerthelesse it is not without cause that hee saieth there is a great & thick clowd of witnesses, after he hath made mention of the Martyrs that had suffered. For we see that the faithful were constant to death, & held out to the vttermost when men went about to turne them away from the lawe of God, so as they could not bee made to swarue or step aside for any torments that were put vntounto them. All they (saith he) are witnesses: As if he should say, there needeth none other proces against vsus before god, for our negligence in these dayes: in so much that if wee faint for feare, & forsake God & his worde; our proces is sufficiently concluded, & information is already giuen against vsus saith he. And why so? For it is not a two or three witnesses onelyonly, but a great cloud of witnesses that stand vp against vsus, which are able euen to stop our eyes. Seeing then that the case standeth so with vsus: let vsus note that it behoueth vsus to set our eyes more aduisedly vpō God, & to better our selues in such wise by the thinges wherewith hee enlighteneth vsus in his worde, & by the doctrine which he will hauehave to bee confirmed vntounto vsus by such witnesses as hee raiseth vp, & daily bringeth foorth, as wee tary not til he shame vsus & confound vsus before men: but let eueryevery of vsus condemne himselfe. Thus ye see what we hauehave to marke in making comparisons betwixt the iudgementes of men and the iudgements of God. Namely that although mē do let vsus alone, we m… not think we hauehave sped the better, for our inditement is throughly framed afore the heauenly Iudge, though our faults were hidden & buried before men, so as neuer any mention or incling were made of them.
Now to make a conclusion of this text, wheras he saith that all cases shalbe stablished in the mouthes of two or three witnesses: it was our Lords will to speake here generally, doing vsus to vnderstand that if that were not, there woulde bee no more order among men. For if men will not be contented with two witnesses, offences must needes be fostered, & there wilbe eueryevery day greater disorder than other, whereby Gods wrath shalbee prouoked against the whole countrey, as hath bin said before. Therefore is it requisite that all matters shoulde bee stayed & concluded at the mouth of two or three witnesses. That is ye drift of Moses in speaking so. Howbeit, men wil allege thus: It is a dangerous matter; for false witnesses may be suborned, & if they be belieued, a mā may soone be oppressed, & he might be wronged in a rightful case. It is true yt such allegation may be made, & examples therof are to be seene. But yet doth it not follow yt there should not be some certeine rule for men to direct themselues by, & to hold themselues vntounto, whatsoeuer inconueniences may be alleaged. For we see that when mē be minded to do euil, they seeke the darke by all the meanes they can, they sounde no trumpet, they call no witnesses to their doings. If it bee a thing that is for their aduantage & profite, they can skill welynough to call witnesses: but when they do euil, they hyde themselues: & though they be spyed, yet they go about to bleare mens eyes. And what woulde come of it then, seeing there are so many shiftes vsed to conceale euill doings, if two witnesses might not bee admitted in a matter? Neuer could any thing be condemned, but all iustice must needs go to wreck, & we should liue together like brute beasts. Not without cause therfore doth our Lord tel vsus heere, yt two or three witnesses must be credited, yea euē in all cases: though it concerned a mans life an hundred times, yet ought it to stande for good. But wee see how the diuel hath practised continually to ouerthrow this order. And why? For he knoweth that hee coulde not deuise a better way to win vsus, than by couering our faultes, because that by that meanes Gods wrath is kindled daily more & more, & eueryevery man taketh ye greater & more excessiue libertie to do what he listeth: insomuch that the nonpunishing of his leawdnes, maketh him to think it lawful, & so he goeth on from one wickednes to another. Yea, it becommeth a cōmon infection like ye plague: if it be not remedied in time, it will poyson all. In like case is it with euil deedes. That is ye cause why the diuel hath alwayes practised that there might be no proofe of things, or else that there might be so many startingholes, as mens offences might not come to knowledge, to be cōdemned. And therfore our Lord saith expressely, that the matter must be tryed at the mouth of two or three witnesses. It is not Gods wil yt there shold be any exemption in that behalf. For they that be in high degree, ought to giuegive ye greater light: & if they offend, the fault is double, & deserueth to be the grieuouslyer punished. Therfore they must hold themselues to that, & there ought to be as great rigor at the least vsed towards them, as towards those yt may better be born withall. And so let vsus marke, yt seeing our Lord hath told vsus that two witnesses ought to be beleeued in all cases; it is an ouerthrowing of that good lawe, to alleage that inconueniences may insew of it, as some always do, casting this dout & that dout to bring al things to confusion. O say they, such a thing may come of it. A man may alleage that ye clouds wil fal out of the aire. And we hauehave seene examples therof. For without going any further, when one [was to be punished which] went about here to ouerthrow Gods order, & ye things that our Lord Iesus hath ordained by his word: O we will none of that, said some: And why? For such an inconuenience might insue of it. And was that incōuenience seene? No. But a man cannot tel what might come. And their meaning was, that Iesus Christ shoulde not reigne by his word. After that maner did they greeue God. And vnderunder what pretence? For sooth that some inconuenience might ensue of it. Lo here a diuelish wisedome. Nowe then if wee see necessitie pinch vsus & hold vsus short; whatsoeuer impediment or quarel doe set it selfe against vsus, let vsus learne neuerthelesse to follow Gods cōmandement without disobedience in word or deede. And that is a thing which we hauehave to gather vponupon this text, ouer & beside the things that hauehave beene declared.
Nowe let vsus cast our selues downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults, praying him to vouchsafe to hold vsus so within our bounds by his word, as that the great number of our vices & imperfections hinder vsus not from obeying his holy wil, & from abyding within he listes which hee hath set vsus, but that we may be quickened vp by ye witnesses which he giueth vsus; And seeing hee draweth vsus to him by so many means, we may not be so vnthankful as to drag backe when he calleth vsus, & to seeke starting holes to hyde our sinnes, & to bury them before men, but rather giuegive him glorie by confessing them, & conceiue not any other hope of saluation than through his meere merciemercy: & that eueryevery of vsus may so looke to himselfe, as we may be witnesses and Iudges to our selues, yt he may receiue vsus to merciemercy, when hee shall see that the euill dislyketh vsus, and that we hauehave not gone about to shrinke away from yeelding obedience vntounto him. That it may please him to graunt this grace not onelyonly to vsus, but also to all people and nations of the earth, &c.