Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 132
On Wednesday the xxij. of Ianuarie, 1556. The Cxxxij. Sermon which is the third vponupon the three and twentith Chapter.
7 Thou shalt not abhorre an Edomite, because he is thy brother. Thou shalt not abhorre an Egyptian, because thou wast a stranger in his land.
8 The children which are borne to them in the third generation, shal enter into the congregation of the Lord.
9 VVhen thou goest out with an host against thine enemies, then keepe thy selfe from eueryevery wicked thing.
10 If any among you be vncleane by that which cōmeth vntounto him by night, he shall go out of the host & not come into the host againe.
11 But at euening he shall wash himselfe with water, and when the Sunne is downe, he shal come into the host againe.
WE hauehave already declared whereunto this which Moses treateth of here doth tend. Namely to this, that for asmuch as God had seuered the people of Israel from al other nations of the world, that priuilege might be obserued: and that was to the intent yt those whom he of his free fauour had so chosen, might the better vnderstand, how deepely they were bound vntounto his frebestowed goodnes. For as we hauehave before seene, he preferred them not in this maner before all the world, either for any worthines or nobilitie which was in their persons. Ye see then how the children of Abraham were then adopted, when God gathered them vntounto himself, to be taken for his children. And therefore they are exhorted not to mingle thēselues with the defilements of ye Infidels, but to continue in al holines, because God hath so dedicated them vntounto himselfe: knowing yt they ought not to match themselues with such as were remoued from God, for that had bin an infecting of themselues to peruert the grace of God. Likewise nowadays being assured yt God hath giuen vsus his word, it is to the end we should walke, not as blinde men in darkenes but as folke yt are enlightened & hauehave the sunne of righteousnes, our Lord Iesus Christ. Yee see then in effect what Moses treateth of in this place, to wit, that ye people of Israel being elected of God, should keepe possession of that grace which was granted vntounto them.
Now if a man had seene ye estate of ye children of Israel at yt time; he would hauehave scorned ye forbidding which is set down here. For alas poore men they had wandered alreadie in the wildernes fortie yeres; they had not one foote of land of their own; they were hunted out of al places, & yet for all y•, as if they had bin of some great nobilitie, & in some high dignitie, God saith vntounto them: make much of the benefit which I hauehave bestowed vponupon you, receiue not the Moabites, for they are your open enimies; but receiue the Egyptians & Edomits, in ye third generatiō. Yea, but what should ye Edomites hauehave gained by cō ming to such a wandring & vagabond people? & again, as for ye Edomites, they were in peaceable possession of their inheritance, no man troubled them, & therfore this might seeme superfluous. But let vsus note yt God valueth more the fauour which hee bestoweth on men when hee calleth them into his church, than if they had all ye riches & honors, & all ye delicate pleasures in the world. Ye see then ye reason why God forbiddeth ye Iewes to receiue them whom he had cursed & reiected. For ye question is not whether ye Moabites & Egyptians should aduantage thēselues the more as touching earthly commodities, by ioyning with yt people of God: that cōmeth not into account: but whether it would not benefite them to come vntounto ye inheritance of saluation if they were mēbers of the church of God, if they were partakers of yt adoption which God made in the person of Abraham. That was the thing which was to be considered. Therfore albeit we be now despised of the world, yea, & scorned also as we see how this heathnish kind of men are ful of pride, & make such triumphes to ye worldward yt they wil scarse vouchsafe to make vsus their foot stooles to tread vponupon: although (say I) that wee see our selues brought into such contempt: yet notwithstāding let vsus know ye … God hath bestowed so inestimable a benefite vppon vsus, as to looke mercifully vponupon vsus, & to draw vsus to him, & yt at this day we are of his …: Surely it surmounted al that euer men do customably esteeme of in ye world.Esa. 43.3. For yt which is said by Esay ye Prophet shal always hold: namely, that we are more esteemed before him, than are all ye great kingdoms of ye world. So then let vsus learn to cō tent our selues with the fauour which God hath bestowed vponupon vsus, in yt it hath pleased him to gather vsus into his house as his own children, and let vsus beare patiently ye want of all other things, & not be ouerpensiue or grieued, though ye world make no account of vsus. For it ought wel to content vsus yt our Lord sheweth himselfe our father, & yt he hauing adopted vsus, calleth vsus to our heauenly inheritance, although in this world we be most miserable, & (as it should seeme) none in worse estate & condition than we. Let vsus come now vntounto yt which is said of the Edomites. Gods wil is, That in the third generation they should be receiued, yea, euen to be accounted of the Church, if they offer themselues therunto. And he addeth, That they are brethren, that is to say kinsmen, of the children of Israel. For we know ye Esau from whome the Edomites came, was the eldest sonne of Isaac: so yt by nature he should hauehave bin preferred before Iacob, if God of his freebestowed goodnesse had not made a change therin. Now ye Moabites also were kinsmen of the children of Israel by reason of Lot. But we hauehave seene why God did cut them off, to wit, because they enforced themselues to ye vtmost of their power, to hinder the children of Israel from cōming to their inheritance. Those then which should hauehave bin neere by bloud, estranged themselues wholly f…om the people of God. For they troubled the gratious fauour which God had bestowed on his people, or at leastwise it was not long of them, that it was not troubled. For they hyred Balaam, & endeuoured to annihilate the blessing of God, & to abolish his promise. Yee see then in them an vpardonable offence. But as touching the Edomites, there was no such reason. And so, God remembred still, that hauing made the promise to his seruaunt Abraham, hee extended his fauour to his whole stocke. Yea, albeit that Esau was for a tyme depriued of it; yet notwithstanding he would not hauehave him so farre remoued from it, as other nations were. In deede if wee consider both these people, as they are, either in his estate, wee shal see that to be true which is saide by the Prophet Malachie:… ….2. for God vpbraideth the children of Israel with their vnthankfulnes in this behalf yt they considered not what a priuiledge he had giuen them. What (saith he) hauehave you forgotten ye louelove which I hauehave shewed you? And wherin? There he bringeth in the children of Israel as wicked folke & such as had cast vnderunder foote yt which they had receiued. I pray you (saith he) was not Esau Iacobs brother? and yet I loued Iacob your father and hated Esau. My will was he should bee shut vp as it were in the deserts & hilles, & I hauehave giuen you all this countrey in possession. Yee see thē how God magnifieth his goodnes towards ye stock of Iacob, in comparison of Esau. But heere Moses saith yt if the Edomites wold yeeld themselues into the church of God, they might bee receiued in the third generation, yea & bee incorporated thereinto altogither. For he which offered himselfe to be circumcised, was alwayes receiued; but he was not yet accounted of ye bodie of the people, vntil the third generation. Let vsus therfore diligently note, that here the children of Esau be not made equall vntounto the stock of Iacob. But it is said that if any of them would renounce his own kinred, he should be accounted in the number of this blessed stocke which God had shouled out to serue him, and be receiued in among them.
Now we are here to call to minde, that when God made his promise, it was vntounto the whole stock of Abraham; not that al were partakers of the promise of saluation, but that God had a certaine regard & bare a special fauour vntounto al that house, & vntounto them which were to issue from it, accordingly also as we see how he saith: As concerning Ismael,… 17.10. I hauehave heard thee. And in very deede, it was not for nought yt God cōmaunded yt Ismael should be circumcised. We know what circumcision importeth: it is a signe of the fauor of God. Now seeing it was giuen vntounto Ismael, it is great reason yt he should approch more neere vntounto God than the Paynims which were altogither defiled, & which had no signe that God loued them, I say no particular signe. For in as much as he maketh his sunne to shine vponupon the good & vppon the wicked,Mat. 5.45. & in that he nourisheth the whole world; therby he proueth himselfe a father towards all. But here the case is of hauing some warrant of adoption. Now Ismaell had it. But in the end it is saide that he shall not be the inheritour of the house.… 21.10. …. 4.30. Behold he is cut off. And S. Paul also alleageth the same similitude, to shew that there are many which are called in the church of God, which in the ende are driuen out againe & banished, as not worthy to enioy so great a benefit. And so was it with Esau: for he was the sonne Isaac, yea he and his brother Iacob were twinnes:… 15.24. by reason whereof it might seeme there should hauehave been two nations of like condition & estate altogither. Esau was the elder, & for that cause should hauehave been preferred before his brother, but he was bereued of his right: God chaunged the order of nature, to the intent we might hauehave a looking glasse (as the holy scripture sheweth it to bee) that it is of meere fauour, when we are elected of God: yt we must not seeke ye cause therof in our selues, as if we had preuented him, or as if we had deserued any thing, & yt he had found vsus more worthy thā others. There is none of al this. But if wee bee smal & contemptible, yea & as it were thinges borne out of time; God will magnifie his goodnes so much the more, by choosing vsus. Yee see how Esau is driuen out of his fathers house. And in what maner? Is it that he should be put beside all ye commodities of this world? No. For he was rich & wealthie. Yea, it seemed yt he was an hundred fold more happie than his brother Iacob. For whiles Iacob remained a stranger stil in the land, Esau was wel harbored, & his ofspring was settled in peace. Yea, he had then the lordship & gouernment in ye countrey of Edom, which countrie caried his name. And al this whyles poore Iacob is a fugitiue in a farre countrie. And when hee returneth hee falleth on his knees before him,Gen. 33.4. & desireth merciemercy, so as his life seemed to hang by a slender thread, & that Esau should deuour him, like as when a Wolfe holdeth a sillie sheepe in his chawes. Euen so stoode ye case with him. And in the end when Iacob was com home againe; wee see he did nothing but wander here & there, so as hee had scarce any corner to liue in, yea, & yt was at the curtesie of another: he had no water to drink but it cost him dearely; he was hardly entreated & many quarels were picked vntounto him for al the things yt he had; lastly hee was driuen from his owne home into Egypt by reason of famine, & there to dye. But as for the Edomites, they pyned not away after that maner. And so we see (as I told you) yt God meant in this behalf to shew the fauour which he bestoweth on men when he vouchsafeth to choose them unto himselfe. And herewithal we see how his goodnes was extended to al the stock of Abraham, although they which were children only after ye flesh, were not accounted nor aduowed to be of the church: yet neuertheles there alwayes remained some remnant of grace amōg them. Likewise at this day we be farre neerer neighbors vntounto the Papists, than vntounto ye Turkes or other Paynims. And the reason is, because yt albeit they are estranged from the grace of god, & hauehave corrupted al religion, & are so intāgled in their abuses & corruptions as it is horrible to behold; yet notwithstanding there remayneth among them some footstep of ye calling of God. For they hauehave baptisme which is a visible signe wherby we see yt God held thē of his house & of his fold. Ye see then how ye papists are as it were the Edomites. For they were first called, and shoulde hauehave beene partakers of the saluation which was preached vntounto vsus by the gospel; they beare yet the mark therof as touching baptisme. But because they hauehave peruerted the seruice of God, yea & as it were taken faith clean away, by the which they should hauehave bin called vntounto the merciemercy which hath bin brought vntounto vsus by our Lord Iesus Christ; it is great reason yt they shold be held for Edomites. But on the other side, we ought notwithstanding to call to mynd the brotherhood which they had with vsus. And therfore let vsus endeuor as much as is possible for vsus, to bring them back againe, that we may be knit togither againe. And how knit togither againe? I meane not, that we should turne aside from the pure trueth of God, to be at agreement with the Papists, but that they should enter, that is to say, that they should approch neare vntounto God, & so we be reconciled al of vsus, yeelding obediēce vntounto our heauenly father, so as we may hauehave al one head Iesus Christ who will defende vsus vnderunder his wings. When the Papistes come & order themselues thus, we are to receiue them with all gentlenes, by reasō of the brotherhood which God hath set betweene them & vsus. And we must not only do so; but also must seeke them as much as is possible for vsus to do.
As touching the Egyptians, it is saide yt they also shalbe receiued into the Church. And why? For thou wast a stranger (saith he) in the land of Egypt. Now in deede, true it is that the children of Israel were oppressed with cruel bondage by reson of the cruel tyrannie which the Egyptians exercised ouer them. But yet Gods will is that their benefits should be acknowledged. Albeit they so vniustly oppressed the childrē of Israel, yet because ye children of God had their refuge thither in the time of famine, & were there relieued: God wil not hauehave that benefit forgotten. And yt is the cause also why God by the Prophet Esay,Esa. 52.4. comparing the captiuitie of Egypt with ye captiuitie of Assyria, saith: In deede my people went to soiorne in Egypt, & necessitie constrained them therto: & wheras the Egyptians oppressed them, in so doing they did them wrong: but yet they had some colour thereof, in yt they might say, These men yeelded themselues vntounto vsus. But as for the Assyrians, they came & vexed them of their own accord, sayth he. Now then we see yt al though the children of Israel might iustly complaine of their euil intreatance in Egypt, & of ye manifold iniuries which they had in dured there; yet neuertheles God cōmandeth them to think yt they were bound vntounto the Egyptians for something. For ye were harboured in their countrie (saith he). Hereby we are warned to be mindeful of ye good which we shal hauehave receiued at any bodies hand: in so much that if we be afterward harmed or ouermuch oppressed by him in any thing; yet we must beare it patiently & alwayes beare in minde to say: wel, yet for all this, we be stil bound vntounto such a man. In deede I graunt we shall hauehave occasion to be grieued against such: but yet seeing yt God hath ayded & releeued vsus by their meane, yt must always preuaile with vsus & we must remaine their friends as farre as lieth vsus. And that is a good lesson for vsus to beare in mind vponupon this place.
But yet further let vsus thinke also of yt which I told you, namely, that when God gaue an entrance vntounto ye Egyptians, to be receiued into the congregation in the third generation: it was not to the intent yt the people of Israel should defile themselues with the abominations of Egypt, or meddle any whit at al with them: but rather that the Egyptians should not remaine in so desperate a case as they were in, but be brought to worship ye liuing God & to dedicate thēselues wholly vntounto him. For if our Lord had not opened the gate both vntounto the people of Egypt & of Edom, they would hauehave bin so much the farther off frō comming vntounto true religion. But if when ye gate is opened vntounto them, they accept not the benefit as God offereth, they are to be the more griuously condemned. And so wee see the intent & meaning of this law. It was not Gods meaning, yt his people should gratifie the Egyptians by making a mingled & corrupted religion, that eueryevery man might put to his patch & his peece: but yt if the Egyptians would forsake all their owne corruptiōs, they might be graffed as an imp is on a tree, they might (I say) be vnited vntounto ye church of God. And we see how in ye 45. Psalme mention is made of the wife of Salomon, & albeit she was a kinges daughter, it is saide vntounto her: Hearken O daughter, thou must forget thy fathers house & al thy people, & cleaue wholly vntounto thy husband, & then he wil louelove thee. Now we knowe yt the holy ghost in that place hath giuen vsus as it were a generall rule, that all they which before time hauehave bin strangers to the word of God, & hauehave not knowen what the doctrine of saluation meaneth, must vponupon their calling first of al forget their kinred & their birth, & al their former trade of liuing, & then submit themselues wholy vntounto him, which is made their head, & in whose name & person God marryeth vsus. For we knowe that our Lorde Iesus Christ maketh a spirituall marriage with vsus, to the intent we should be mē bers of his bodie. Let vsus therfore note, yt Gods opening of the gate into his Church, both to ye Edomits & the Egyptiās, was no… to hauehave them bring in their infections to peruert his seruice, or to make any medly, but rather yt ye Edomites & Egyptians should come & agree in al points vntounto his law, & yeeld their consent vntounto ye purenes of doctrine which is therein contained. And therfore nowadayes, seeing yt God hath shewed himself so gracious vntounto vsus, as to make vsus his church, let vsus learne so to keepe vsus vnderunder his wings, as we may not be drawen aside one way nor other: let vsus take heede (I say) yt we stray not at mens pleasures: but let vsus hold our selues vntounto ye pure doctrine which we hauehave receiued. Let vsus be readie to receiue them which wil be reclaimed therunto, yea let vsus hauehave our armes stretched out, not only to them which are the children of God, but also to such as are our kinsfolke afarre off, endeuoring for al yt to winne & to gain them, howbeit alwayes with this condition, that they remoue not vsus from God, but that they rather be knit againe vntounto him with vsus.
Now this fauour which God had graunted both to ye Edomites & the Egyptians, & this benefit which he had bestowed on them, was afterward againe taken from them by reason of their own wilful malice. And that is ye cause why it is said in the Psalm,Psal. 1 37. Lord remember the children of Edom. For they said in the day of Ierusalem, Sacke it, sacke it, rase it downe to the grounde. Ye see how the holy Ghost pronounceth a newe curse vponupon the Edomites. And yet notwithstanding they were brethren together with the children of Iacob: yea they came of the stocke of Abraham, who (as we know) was the father of the Church. Yea and we hauehave seene likewise, yt God had such a regarde of the Moabites, yt he woulde not hauehave the Israelites to make warre against thē, but rather to call to minde the auncient brotherhood or kinred which was betweene thē. Neuerthelater when the Moabites had altogether reiected the grace of God, & were so sore poysoned as to hire a false prophet, & to indeuor with al their might to annihilate the promise of God, and yt they conspired against ye people of God wt such deuilish rebellion; then was it behouefull yt they shold be dubly punished for their churlishnes. As much is to be sayd of the Edomites. For we see how God had a regard vntounto this promise which he had made vntounto Abraham (I wilbe thy God euen to a thousande generations) & which was continued towardes Isaac.… …5.7.… But when ye Edomites abused this goodnes of his, and not onelyonly made no account of it, but would also faine hauehave the people of God rooted out: see ye not how it was a kinde of bidding battaile vntounto God, & a defying of him opēly? For they ought to hauehave called to minde yt Esau was put backe, yt he had lost his birthright, and yt this came not to passe but by the decree & appointment of God, as was declared vntounto Rebecca when she was great with child.… …5. The Edomits shold hauehave cōsidered these things. But seing they were so enuenomed against God, wheras he notwithstanding with long pacience forbare them; it was needefull yt he should curse them againe (as we hauehave before alleadged.)
Asmuch is to be sayde of the Egyptians. For there are great threatninges vttered against thē in the holy scripture: they are holden for ye cursedst people of all natiōs in the world. And why? because they endeuoured with might and maine vtterly to abolish the seruice of God, they turned ye people frō it asmuch as lay in thē to do. Therefore they not only lost ye priuilege which was giuen vntounto thē: but also prouoked the vengeance of God vpō them: so yt they payed ful deerely for the fauour which he had offered vntounto them: And hereby we are warned, yt if God take pitie vponupon vsus, & draw neere any way vntounto vsus, we on our side must not behaue ourselues like deafe folkes, but receiue the fauour which he bestoweth on vsus, & learne in dewe time to fare the better by it. For if we be founde wilde and vntamed, so as we will not vouchsafe to come neere him, but rather fling with our heeles against him when he would keepe vsus vnderunder his yoke: his fauour must needs be turned into a curse against vsus. And therefore let vsus learne so to profit by the fauor of God, that assone as it is offered vntounto vsus, it may bring forth fruite in vsus, yt he may be glorified thereby, and yt we perceiuing how far wee are bound vntounto him, may studie to apply our selues wholely vntounto his seruice. Thus yee see in effect what we hauehave to beare in minde touching that which is sayde of the Egyptians in this place.
Nowe Moses addeth, That when the people goe out vntounto battaile, they must keepe themselues from eueryevery euill thing. And he addeth certaine examples, to shewe what is meant thereby. And heere wee must marke first of al, yt Moses speaketh purposely of warres: because yt men beare themselues in hand that then all thinges are lawfull. When we are in peace and eueryevery man keepeth his house, it may well seeme that then it is a more easie thing to keepe good order, & to maintaine ciuill gouernment: for then lawes are of force. But when warre is once begonne, there is much vnrulines which men can not remedy, and there is no longer any meanes to bridle folke: insomuch that although neuer so much extortiō & violence be vsed, a man may well lie downe & cry, but he can not let it. To be at a word, there is no longer any order among men. For this cause Moses sheweth, yt although men goe out to battaile, yet for all that they must take heede of al euill thinges, and not graunt thēselues a lawles leaue to be caried headlong into any wickednesse. Albeit men hauehave many allurements and many occasions offered, yet must they holde themselues in such subiection, that God may be serued & honored. And in very deed if men were in their right wits, they would walke in greater feare & carefulnesse in the time of warre, than of peace. For when we are at deathes doore, when wee are threatned with perils on all …des, ought we not to hauehave an eye so much the more vntounto God? Ought not this to humble vsus, & to make vsus to stoope? Ought we not to hauehave our whole recourse vntounto him, and to pray him to be our guide? Yes verily, if wee be not ouer blockish. And therefore when we are in warres, we should holde vsus to so much the straitter rule, and remaine most peaceablie vnderunder the obedience of our God, because of the necessitie which presseth vsus, & of the dangers also which threaten vsus on all partes. But what? As I tolde you afore, we see the cleane contrarie by experience: namely, that men graunt themselues pardon for all thinges, the drumme no sooner soū deth, but lawes must keepe silence, so as there may be no longer any rule of order, no longer any meane or measure, no longer any lessoning or warnings to be hearkened vntounto. Nowe because men be so ill disposed, heere God putteth them in minde of their dutie, and sayth: although this wicked custome raigne through out the worlde, that they which are souldiours are of opinion that all thinges are lawefull for them to doe: yet notwithstanding doe not you so: but rather absteine from all wicked thinges. When you come into the fielde, & stande there against your enemies, thinke not that yee shall be pardoned any more, than if ye were at home in your own houses. For the case standeth so, yt ye must fight vnderunder my banner, yea, and yee must take mee for your captaine. And therefore I must not bee so dishonored, as to be accused of hauing leaude ruffians & dissolute persons in my bande. For if it be so, how can my name be called vppon ouer them, and they named after my name? Now we see in effect what is contained heere.
And hereupon we hauehave to gather, first that cō mon abuses can not serue to iustifie vsus, but that when our account is to bee giuen vp to God it shalbe a vaine excuse to say: eueryevery man doth so: the thing is as cōmon as may be among men. If we say so, God wil reply readily ynough vponupon vsus. For is there any thing more customably vsed, than this lawles leaue which souldiours take and vse? It is growen in maner euen to a law, yt without controlment all may do so. But our Lord for all y•, will not be barred of his right. Therfore he saith, Let men take heede of euerie euill thing. Nowe thē albeit we see a bottomles sea as it were & an vniuersall flud of all vices in the world; so as eueryevery man is wilfully bent to do euill, & men hauehave taken such possessiō of sinning, yt a man dares not so much as mutter when he beholdeth such outragious things as none can be more out of order: let …s not beare our selues in hand for all yt, that we shalbe excused before God, but let vsus alwaies hauehave an eie vntounto his word. Mē do thus and thus: yea but God faileth not to be of a cōtrary iudgement. And this is the thing which we hauehave to beare in mind in the first place.
Moreouer if wee be forbidden to do euill although we be prouoked thereto by many occasions, notwtstanding to ye worldwarde it seemeth yt we may be suffered to do it: what shalbe thought if we offend when we hauehave no such temptations nor so great? Doutles we are in double fault. For if it be said yt in time of war when the doore seemeth to be set opē to all wickednes, yet notwithstanding euen then we must stande on our gard: what is to be thought if when we may folow the good rule of cōuersation, & things be not so far out of order, nor the deuill hath such meanes to drawe vsus into wickednes: yet notwtstanding eueryevery of vsus rusheth forth into all vnrulines, wtout remēbering our God any whit at all? I pray you doth not ye fault deserue greater punishment? So then let vsus note yt in all estates we must alwayes take occasion to serue God. Notwithstanding yt the world do alwayes seeke to turne aside, & to withdraw it selfe frō his seruice, insomuch that if men be in peace, they become so dronken with their pleasure & delites, yt they can not be helde frō wandring & from giuing thēselues ouer vntounto many corruptions; & if they be in war, they behaue themselues much wors. But we on our part, what ought we to do? when we are in griefe and trouble, let vsus know yt God by yt means calleth vsus vntounto himself, & wil hauehave vsus to be so much ye more carefull to serue him, forasmuch as wee want his succor and yt he must hide vsus vnderunder his winges. If we hauehave time of peace, let vsus know yt he giueth vsus leasure to bethink vsus what we hauehave to doe, & to call vponupon him in quietnes & to consider ye better of our duetie a great while aforehande, while we hauehave faire & calme wether. For if the wether become troubled wt stormes & clouds, we see not a stones cast (as they say) from vsus; but when ye sun shineth faire & cleare, then we can ken a far off. Euen so our Lord, when he granteth vsus peace & quietnes, would hauehave vsus vse it in such sort as eueryevery man shold dispose & order his life vntounto his obedience, yt he may enjoy vsus, & we be farre from confusion & disorder, & not drawe back when he …llureth vsus vntounto him by gentlenes, nor shake off his yoke as though we wold not suffer him to gouerne vsus any longer. Thus ye see in effect what we hauehave to gather vponupon this place.
As touching ye exāple which is set down here, whereas Moses would That he which is defiled in his body, should be seuered frō the company of others: Let vsus briefly for a conclusion note two things therin. The one is yt God by such ceremonies would hauehave his people to keepe themselues altogether pure both of body & soul. True it is yt before god the man which hath offended, shall not be absolued for his washing of himselfe in water. That auaileth nothing. For none of these corruptible elements pertaine any thing to ye saluation of our soules. Neuertheles because God ordaineth thē, therefore they stand vsus in steede. As ye water of baptism is not like other cōmon water, & the reasō is, because God hath hallowed it vntounto a special vse, to ye intent it shold be a warrāt vntounto vsus, yt we are washed by ye bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. Now when we hauehave this we must also make our profit of the aide which God hath giuen vntounto vsus because of our weaknes. The people of olde time had many mo, because they were holden like litle children as S. Paul sayth,Gal. 3.24. & in comparison of them we are come vntounto mens estate. Therefore when God ordained yt men shold wash thēselues with water for any bodily defilement; it was to the intent yt eueryevery man should know (as he him selfe declareth) yt to be dedicated vntounto God wee must walke in all purenes, & when there is any corruption amōg vsus, it must be purged. Ye see thē whereunto this law serueth vsus, & in what sort we must apply it vntounto our instructiō. I grant we hauehave not now ye old ceremonies of ye law, we are not precisely bound to wash ourselues when we are defiled or hauehave any spotte in our bodies; but yet wee must hold still ye truth & substance therof: which is, yt seeing God hath sanctified vsus, we must continue in his seruice, purging vsus from all corruptions both of body & of minde, as S. Paul also exhorteth vsus in the second of ye Corinthians,2. Cor. 6.17. where he sheweth yt euill must not be nourished among vsus. For when it is suffered to encrease & to infect the whole flocke,Matt. 17.…. what wil come of it in the end, but yt it will growe remediles when the infection hath taken hold throughout. And yt is the cause why excōmunication was ordained in ye church: if there were any which behaued themselues amisse, by leading an vnruly & leaud kinde of life, our Lord Iesus cōmanded to separate them for a time frō the church, to the intent to make them ashamed, yt they might humble thēselues, & therupon returne vntounto ye flocke, & liue better than they had done afore, and that others also might thereby be warned, so as wickednes shoulde not hauehave lawles libertie as though all thinges were lawfull & permitted. We see then that although nowadaies this figure be no longer in vse, yet not withstāding we may gather a good & profitable instruction from yt which was cōmanded to the antiēt people. First of al, we must be fuly resolued to offer ourselues vntounto God in such sort as our bodies & minds be kept vndefiled, knowing yt we hauehave ye like promises yt the auncient fathers had, yea & far larger: & therfore we ought to endeuor so much the more, to atttaine vntounto that purenes which I told you of. And therewtall if we see any which corrupt the flock with their infections, let them be remoued according vntounto ye order which our Lord Iesus hath cōmanded vsus, & let them be so remoued yt knowing their wickednes & repenting thēselues of it, in the end it may serue them for a medicine to purge them, so as y• infection growe no further▪ but y• the Church of God be alwaies maintained in such order as mē may know yt God hath not for nought drawen vsus out & remoued vsus from the rest of the world which is defiled, but to the end yt he might gouerne vsus by his holy spirit, and we be so wholy his, that we may be true sacrifices vntounto him both in life & in death
Now let vsus kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults, praying him to touch vsus with right repentance, yt being angry with ourselues for offending him & for being turned away from him, we may endeuor nothing more, than yt he may frame vsus wholy vntounto his will: and yt being rid of al corruptions and infirmities of our flesh, we may be clothed with his righteousnesse so as his glory may shine in our whole life. And because it can not otherwise be, but yt in this world there shalbe alwaies some thing wherefore hee may finde fault with vsus, let vsus pray him to vouchsafe to beare with vsus in our imperfections, vntill hee hauehave brought vsus vntounto himselfe into his heauenly kingdome. And so let vsus say almightie God heauenly father, &c.