Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 150
On Fryday the xxviij. of Februarie, 1556. The CL. Sermon, which is the seconde vponupon the seuen and twentith Chapter.
11 In that day Moses commaunded the people, saying:
12 These shall stande vponupon mount Garizim to blesse the people when ye passe ouer Iordan: Simeon, and Leuy, & Iudath, & Issachar, & Ioseph, & Beniamin.
13 And these shall stand vponupon mount Eball to curse Ruben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulan, Dan, and Naphtaly.
14 And the Leuits shall speak & say vntounto all ye men of Israel with a loud voice:
15 Cursed be the man that shall make any carued or molten Image, which is an abominatiō vntounto the Lord, the worke of the hands of the craftesman, & putteth it in a secret place: and al the people shal aunswere and say: so be it.
WE saw yestarday how God mēt that the fauour which he shewed vntounto ye people of Israel shold be reknowledged first by solēn sacrifice, & secondly by a monument set vp, to the ende yt it might be knowen, yt this land was not purchased by mās hand or by any power of man, but that it was giuen of God vntounto yt people for an inheritance. But now we hauehave an other cōmandement whereby God ment to binde ye people vntounto him after an other maner. In deede he had done it already; but because men are so harde to be rooted, and yt they can not be bound with too many bandes & cordes to hold thē vnderunder obedience; it is not without cause yt God would ad further that which is set downe here, to keepe thē the better vnderunder obedience. Wee hauehave alreadie treated that when God gaue his lawe, it was a mutuall couenaunt; and like as he bounde himselfe vntounto the children of Israel to be their God, so also the people of Israell bound thēselues to be his people. But here is yet another confirmatiō added, to ratifie that first bonde the better; which is, that God ordained yt when they were passed ouer Iordan, ye people should part thēselues in twaine, and that sixe tribes should keepe thēselues vponupon the mount of Garizim, and the other sixe tribes shoulde stande vppon the hill of Heball right against them, so as the Arke of the couenant and the priests should stand in the middest, and that they which were on the part of Garizim should blesse & those which were on the side of Hebal should curse. Now this cursing & blessing is referred vntounto yt which we shall see hereafter, which shalbe anon touched in this chapter. For God to incourage his people the better, did not only declare vntounto thē his wil, & say, You shal walke thus; but also added by & by, you shall not serue me in vaine, your paines shall not be lost: for I wil cause you to prosper, it is for your owne welfare that I would hauehave you to be subiect vntounto me, I seeke after no profit or auantage therby, but it is for your owne benefit & cōmodity, yt you shold cleaue vntounto me, in keeping of my cōmādements. Lo what blessings God gaue, to ye intent the people should serue him wt a willing mind & not through force or constraint. Again, because men are so stifnecked, yt they stoop not but with much ado, and because on ye other side their lusts cary thē so headlong away, that they quickly forget what it is to serue God, & play the wild horses which are broken lose; here are threatnings added: Take heed how you offend mee, for vengeance is ready for them yt despise my lawe. Thus see you what the cursings are which we shall see more fully in the 28. chap. but Moses toucheth thē here as it were by way of example. Now it were ynough if God had but pronounced & said, Whosoeuer serueth me in keeping my law, he shalbe blessed, & I will make his whole life prosperous vntounto him. Seeing God hath once promised to recōpēce thē which serue him, it ought wel to suffice vsus. What neede men to speake in their owne behalfe? Likewise seeing God pronounceth sentence of cōdemnation vponupon them yt transgresse his law, forasmuch as yt Iudge himselfe hath spoken; no man ought to reply. What neede is there then yt we should ratifie yt which God hath said, as if his word were not of sufficient strength & authoritie in it selfe? True it is yt god deserueth wel to be harkned vntounto, & yt thing which he saith is as an vnchāgeable decree: but yet he wil hauehave men by outward witnessing to allow yt which he willeth vsus to followe, he will hauehave vsus to acknowledge the fauor which is offered vntounto vsus, & to declare yt we are assured by faith, yt he will not deceiue vsus in promising vsus prosperitie when we indeuour to liue according to his word. God therefore will hauehave vsus so agree with him, yt we also confesse in hūblenes & feare, yt there is great reason why hee should punish all those yt despise & ouerthrow his righteousnes, & cōmandements. And when he threatneth them, we may not thinke yt it is in vain, but yt in the end they shall feele the execution of yt sentence. God therfore in this respect wil hauehave vsus to say Amen, both to the promises which he maketh vntounto thē yt keepe his lawe, & vntounto the threatnings which he denounceth against all thē yt are rebels & despisers of him. So then we hauehave now made a good enterance vntounto the vnderstanding of this place. As touching the blessinges and cursings, we shall more fully treate of them in ye chapter folowing: and we shall do better to keep thē to be handled there, because the place is more fit for thē. It suffiseth to knowe in a worde, yt when God offereth his fauour vntounto those yt obey him, it is to the end they shoulde serue him, not through constraint, but of a free good will: knowing yt it is for their owne cōmoditie, & welfare, and againe yt on the other side such as are of their owne nature giuen ouer to their lustfull desires, & take to thēselues a lawles libertie of liuing il, must be withheld by feare sith they see yt they shall not escape ye hand of God, but yt in the end they must come to their account. Thus ye see what we hauehave to beare in minde in a worde vntill wee come to handle the matter more at large.
Moreouer let vsus note well yt which wee hauehave said, namely yt God thinks it not ynough to hauehave spoken himselfe; but he will hauehave vsus also to agree as it were in one melodie with him. And yt is to shew the faith which we hauehave in his word, which consisteth in these two points: namely, yt we imbrace his promises & hang wholy vponupon thē: and secondly yt we tremble, as oftē as he giueth vsus any ny sine of his wrath, so as we be not blockish, nor drousie, nor so hardened that he must be faine to strike vponupon vsus with maine blowes, before we can feele his anger: but yt we preuēt it by indeuoring to obey him, & eschew his vengeance as much as we can. Now then blessings in this place are conditional, to wit, blessed is hee which obserueth ye law of God, which maintaineth his seruice purely, which is not giuen to superstitions nor Idolatries, which abuseth not his holy name, which obserueth the day of rest, & al the other ceremonies, which honoreth his father & mother. This blessing (I say) is matched with condition, so yt if we serue God, he will shew himselfe liberall vntounto vsus, & we shall not loose our time: but yet doe all these blessinges depend hereupon, yt God of his free goodnes had chosen this people: so yt they might not rest on this point, to say, Blessed is he which serueth God. And who is yt? For none dischargeth himselfe of this duty (as we hauehave already declared) & shall see further in ye ende of this chap. Seeing then yt we are all sinners, yea euen the faithfull, insomuch yt when they indeuour to walk vprightly they make many false steps; what shall become of vsus then? It is certaine we should be all depriued of the hope of saluation, if we had nothing else to leane vntounto thā our owne righteousnes. But (as I tolde you) y• promises which import a condition depende hereupon, yt God hath receiued vsus for his people, & will hauehave vsus to take him for our father. Now this thing is grounded on nothing else but vponupon his merciemercy. So then we must be throughly perswaded, yt God will take pitie on vsus, though wee bee wretched sinners, & deserue not to be pitied: he will receiue vsus for righteous & accept of vsus, although we deserue to be reiected of him. And althogh we can hope for nothing but vtter cōfusion, yet notwtstanding we shalbe assured of the inheritance of saluation because we are his children. We must be throughly persuaded as touching this point. And secondly it remaineth yt seeing God hath choosen vsus out, & set vsus apart for his seruice, we may not take libertie to all maner of wickednes, but indeuor to obey him. For this cause we must be quickened vp and pricked forward by his promises to serue him. Thus yee see howe the conditional promises shall not be in vaine in respect of vsus: namely, when they are referred vntounto the freebestowed goodnesse of God, whereby he receiueth vsus although wee be not worthy to be receiued: and secondly he imputeth not our vices vntounto vsus: but although there be many staines and corruptions in vsus, yet he hydeth them and will not call them to account. And so we see now in what sort God incouraged the people of Israell to bee of good comfort. For if hee had begun thus with them and said: Serue me & you shal be well recompensed for your labour, if God should speak this simple worde vntounto vsus, alas what should wee do? For when we would thinke to serue him, we should be very farre frō the perfectnes which he cōmandeth vsus: they which should run best would be but in ye midway, when they ought to be come to their waies end. We should therfore al be discoraged rather than hauehave any good hart. But we must ioyne both these things together, to wit, yt he will not deceiue vsus in any thing, & secondly yt he bindeth vsus to serue him, & declareth yt he wil beare with vsus in our infirmities, & not deale seuerely with vsus to pay vsus as we hauehave deserued, but vse a fatherly goodnes. Now hereupon we may be of good cōfort to serue him, whē we may say, Surely it is true Lord, yt I discharge not my self of ye hundredth part of my dutie towardes thee, but howsoeuer ye world goeth, yet thou wilt not faile to accept me because thou respectest not what I doe, but takest a pleasure in me as in thine owne childe. Ye see then how God pardoneth vsus, and regardeth not our faults & imperfections which are in the seruice yt we yeelde vntounto him. So wee serue him not hypocritically, but of an vnfained good will, he liketh of all yt we do, and rewardeth vsus for it. Sith we heare this, let vsus bestowe our paines, let vsus receiue the bridle into our mouths (as they say) and let vsus go on; & although we be hindred by ye vices of our flesh, yet let vsus inforce ourselues to go on further. And why? For we shal not loose our labour. Thus ye see what the meaning of God is; whereby we perceiue his inestimable goodnes, in yt of his owne good wil he offereth his promises so vntounto vsus, whereas he is nothing bound vntounto vsus, as we hauehave seene heeretofore: but his will is to win vsus vntounto himselfe by all the meanes that he may. Now he repeateth this point againe, and yt is done because of our sloth and negligence. For yt cause he addeth this aide, and all for our profit, for what is he aduantaged therby? Shall he gaine any thing by our seruice? Let vsus defie him to the vtmost, what shall yt hurt him? but he wil possesse vsus for our owne welfare.
And herewithall hee sheweth vsus also, what minde is requisite for the obseruing of his law in such so…t as is required, to wit, if we come willingly and yeelde ourselues vntounto him, and place our whole felicitie & ioye in the seruing of him, and put this sentence in vre,Matt. 6.21. yt where our treasure is, there will our heart be also. Ye see what we hauehave to note as touching ye first point of the blessings. What is it thē in effect, yt we hauehave to do? Althogh nowadaies we hauehave not the Ceremony whereof mention is made in this place, yet must the substance thereof be in force among vsus, which is yt in seeking to serue God, we must hauehave an eye always vntounto his promises. Behold, our God calleth & allureth vsus vntounto him. And how? He might cō mande vsus in one word, and say: You owe al vntounto me, see therefore yt ye discharge yourselues: but he beareth with vsus, & vttereth a fatherly goodnes towards vsus, in saying. My children, I will not hauehave your seruice vnrecōpensed. In deede I owe you nothing, but yet neuerthelesse I will be so bountiful aboue yt I need, yt if you serue me, your life shalbe happy, you shal prosper in all thinges. And besides that, there is a souerain blessing for vsus as touching the life euerlasting. For all yt wee can desire or looke for in this worlde, is nothing in comparison of that saluation which wee hope for through faith; and all the blessinges which God promiseth vsus, & offereth vntounto vsus as touching the life to come. Therefore all this ought to make vsus the readier & better disposed to submit ourselues vntounto God. For what? Seeing our lord seketh nothing but our welfare in our obeying of him, & offereth vsus a reward for our so doing; are we not too too wretched if wee enforce not ourselues to serue our god. Ye see thē how we ought with our good consent to ratifie all the promises which are contained in the holy scripture; that whereas others thinke it were but lost time to do well, wee may alwayes hauehave this imprinted in our heart, that there is nothing better than to cleaue vntounto God. The heathenish sorte doe thinke themselues very happie in following of their owne lustes. When lecherous and couetous persons hauehave scraped together on all sides, they thinke all is well gained, and they triumphe in their dooinges. If the fornicatours who are brutish in their fleshly lustes, can enioy their pleasures, they welter in them, they are drunken with them, they are wholly bewitched by them. If a vaine glorious man be in any dignitie, and be aduaunced to any authoritie among men; he thinketh there is no other ioye nor happinesse, but to be in high estate. At the same point are all the despisers of God. And in the meane time the poore faithfull ones are mocked: they are poore persons, they are set at naught, they hang their winges, they doe nothing but droppe and pine away in this worlde. These wretched soules (say some) are not well aduised to take so much paines they knowe not why; for what profite hauehave they for all their trauaile? It seemeth therefore that they which seeke to serue God are greatly beguiled, and that the wicked beare the whole sway. But we must on the contrarie side be throughly resolued heerein as it is sayde in the prophet Esay,Esa. 3.… Say ye; Yet there is fruit for the iust men, for they shall eat the fruits of their labours. The prophet Esay would hauehave vsus to fight against this temptation. Insomuch yt although the worlde laugh the Godly to skorne, & the wicked triumph ouer them: yet for al that the faithfull should not be astonied; but cōclude with thēselues, and say: No no: the righteous mā shall not loose his labor; he shall not be deceiued of his expectatiō when he depēdeth wholy vpō the promises of God. The thing then which we hauehave to gather vponupon this place is, that as often as we reade the promises in the scripture where it is said: Blessed is the man which feareth ye lord, they which shall walke in the obedience of his word shal be blessed;… 19.29 blessed is he which walketh vprightlie, and soundlie with his neighboures: but specially they which renounce the worlde because they hauehave a better inheritance in heauē: as often (I say) as wee reade these thinges, wee must be confirmed in our faith, and aunswere with a good courage Amen, Lorde, it is so: wee replie not against that which thou hast saide, we imbrace thy promises in this place, and trust assuredly vntounto them. Thus ye see howe euerie man ought to enforce himselfe to serue GOD, euen because hee beareth so gently with vsus, & commaundeth vsus not so precisely as hee might, hauing all authoritie ouer vsus, but applyeth him selfe to our rawnesse to winne vsus, and to enioye vsus. And aboue all let vsus bee mindefull of this generall promise, when God calleth vsus vntounto himselfe as his children, when hee spareth vsus and beareth with vsus, and entreth not into any extremitie of rigour with vsus, but although there be many faultes in our workes, yet they hinder not him to accept of them, so as if wee offende we alwayes find pardon at his hande, and when we swarue aside, he bringeth vsus into ye way, and none of al these thinges is imputed vntounto vsus. Ye see then what we hauehave to beare in minde as …ouching the first point.
Nowe as touching the seconde, let vsus also note that the threatenings of God are verie necessarie for vsus. For wee see howe great pride & rebelliousnes is in al vsus: insomuch that although we bee not rebellious of set purpose to set our God at nought, and to cast off his yoke: yet wee are so bleare eyed, that we thinke not on him, ye intisementes of the worlde seduce vsus in such wise, that we passe not for the receiuing of any warning that God giueth vsus. If hee call vsus by gentlenesse hee can get nothing at our handes: and therefore hee is fayne to vse threatninges. Hereby we see how he letteth passe nothing that is meete to hold vsus in awe vnderunder his obedience. On the one side hee vseth mylde and louing maner of speach vntounto vsus, (as I hauehave told you) & saith, Come ye vntounto me my childrē: Indeed I owe you nothing, but yet I wil bind my self vntounto you: I promise you that if you serue me, it shall be for your profite. Thus our Lorde speaketh vntounto vsus, as a father that flattereth his childe to win him to be ruled by him & to employ himselfe in his seruice with a freeharted affectiō. Howbeit, God perceiuing that that is not enough to mooue vsus, vseth threateninges, and sayeth: Take heede, if yee thinke to cast away my worde, and yet to remaine vnpunished, yee deceiue your selues. I must cal you to accoūt for it, I wil not suffer my children so to mock mee: I must be their Iudge: & looke not for any pardon, when you hauehave abused my patience: I must double your punishment, and my vengeaunce must fall more horribly vponupon you. Therefore when God declareth that our sinnes are vnpardonable, and yet wee continue in them, and make none account of submitting our selues vntounto him, specially when hee applyeth himselfe euerie way vntounto vsus, to the intent wee shoulde remayne in his obedience, and not perish: Sith we see he hath such a care of our saluation; must it not needes bee that wee are too too stubborne, or rather verie beastes if wee be not mooued to fare the better, by the fatherly care which hee sheweth towardes vsus? Yes: And therefore being stirred vp by the goodnesse and gentlenesse of God, whereof I speake euen nowe, let vsus also quicken vp our selues with his threateninges. When we see that our fleshe is ouer wanton, and that it draweth vsus vntounto euill, let vsus say, Alas: And shall wee shake off his yoke like wilde beastes? What hath God pronounced? Let vsus tremble therefore when wee heare the threateninges of our God. For if the anger of an earthly king bee the messenger of death (as Salomon saith,Prou. 16.14.) what ought wee to thinke of the anger of God, when it is denounced against vsus? So then, let vsus learne to tame our selues with feare. When the tentations of Satan might preuayle agaynst vsus, and that our sinnes might bee as baytes to deceiue vsus: let it come into our minde to say, What? Shal I vnderunder the pretence of some pleasure which will soone vanishe, goe and prouoke the anger of my GOD, and so perishe for euer? After that manner (I say) ought wee to call Gods threateninges to our remembraunce; and then to aunswere thereunto Amen, and say, yea Lorde, it is euen so, it is no childrens game. When thou pronouncest condemnation vppon the wicked; thou arte readie to execute it: and when thou hast once pronounced the worde with thy mouth, it is all one as if wee sawe the fire alreadie kindled to consume vsus. After that manner (I say) ought we to receyue all the threateninges which GOD denounceth against vsus. For that is ye best meanes to teach vsus to obserue the Lawe, I meane so farre as our weakenesse will suffer. For (as I hauehave tolde you) it is not possible for vsus to come to perfectnesse indeede, as long as wee are inclosed in this fleshe of ours: but yet neuerthelesse wee may wel dedicate our selues vntounto God, and bee helde in his feare, if on the one side his promises bee in force with vsus, & againe if on ye otherside we giuegive eare vntounto his threatnings.
But nowe let vsus come vntounto the order which is obserued is this place. Moses with the Priestes of the Trybe of Leuie, commaunded the people saying, Sixe Trybes shall stande on the Hyll of Heball, and sixe shall stande on the Hill of Garizim. And afterwarde hee saith, Keepe my Statutes and Commaundementes which I commaunde you this daye, for yee a… made a people vntounto your GOD. This hath beene alreadie expounded: but it is good to beare that alwayes in minde which hath beene saide concerning it; to wit, that GOD speaketh by the mouth of his Priestes as if hee were there visibly in his own person. And that is to the intent his wordes shoulde bee receiued with the greater reuerence. For when wee see but mortall men as wee bee: wee are of opinion that what soeuer proceedeth from them, may verie well bee reiected; and if there bee no account made of it, wee thinke the matter is not great. And thus wee see howe the worde of God is oftentimes little esteemed. For when wee see none speake but creatures like vntounto our selues, wee thinke that yt which they pronounce is nothing but a sound of wordes. But God will hauehave the maiestie of his word to be knowen: & although men bring it, and be the messengers thereof, yet will hee not hauehave the worthines thereof to bee diminished, so as men should not giuegive audience vntounto it: but he will hauehave euerie man to stoope to it and to receiue the yoke which hee putteth vponupon them. God therefore speaketh in this place of Moses and by the Priestes: but yet in such a language and kinde of speach, that he will hauehave people to lift vp their mindes more higher, and to knowe that although they bee taught by the meane and ministerie of man, yet they ought to confesse that God is the authour of that worde which men preach vntounto them, and that they ought to receyue it as from God himselfe & so be silent to heare it, and make no replie or gaynsaying against it: for such contempt is not done to a mortal creature, but God himself is dispised by it. And therefore let vsus note well all the places whereby God authoriseth his worde, to the intent we may learne to holde our selues vntounto it and to bee ordered thereby: so as eueryevery of vsus do bowe downe his heade, as often as men speake vntounto vsus in the name of God. And moreouer we see also the order which God hath appointed in his Church: he will hauehave all the worlde to aunswere Amen: for wee ought al to be partakers of ye doctrine. It must not bee kept in store onelyonly for great men, but the smallest also must be instructed by it, to the edifying and profiting of them selues. But howsoeuer the case stande; there were alwayes Priestes to speake, who were ordeyned to teach the people according as it is saide in the Prophet Malachie;Mal. 2.7. the law shall bee in the Priests mouth, and he shall be the messenger of the liuing God, and they shall seeke for knowledge at his lips. We see then that God in all times appointed some in the office of teaching the people, and of bearing abroade his worde. And so noweadayes wee stand in neede of such an order, and wee knowe what Saynt Paul saith as touching this point,Rom. 12.6. 1. Cor. 12.28 Ephes. 4.11. both in the 12. Chapter to the Romanes, and in the 12. of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, and in the fourth to the Ephesians. And it is prooued vntounto vsus also throughout al the holy scripture, that God will hauehave certayne lawes established, and certaine men appointed to beare abroade his worde, and to bee teachers in his Church, to instruct the people in his name. Hereby wee gather, that when God hath appoynted such order; all those which can not suffer thē selues to bee taught by this common order with the whole bodie of the Church, may well protest, that they bee Christians: but they come to the Church as holy as horses, bearing themselues in hande, that it is enough for them to hauehave graunted in a woorde, that the Gospell is the worde of God. But contrariwise we see here, that if we wil be of the bodie of the Church, and hauehave God to take vsus for his children, we must heare the worde of God as it is ministred vntounto vsus, by the ministerie of men. But because this point hath beene handled largelie heretofore, I do nowe but as it were glaunce at it by the way.
Also there is this point: To day thou art made the people of God, if thou keepe his commaundementes. Therefore like as our Lorde receyueth vsus into his house, so must wee also wholy giuegive our selues vntounto him, knowing that to this ende hee hath shooled vsus out from the rest of the worlde, and will hauehave vsus to bee his owne, and as it were his peculiar inheritance. It is time indeede that all men are bounde to serue him: but yet notwithstanding, when hee calleth vsus vntounto him, & sheweth himselfe our father, doth he not binde vsus vntounto him, with a double bonde? Yes verily. Are we not then without all sense and reason, & altogether bewitched, if we be not mooued to yeelde our selues ouer to his will, so as hee may guide vsus and beare rule ouer all our whole life? Then let vsus wey well these woordes: To day thou art made the people of the Lorde thy God, and therefore keepe his commaundementes. Howe are wee made the people of God, but by beeing his Church, and by hauing the vse of his sacramentes, and that is all one as if hee appeared among vsus? For wee may not looke that GOD should come downe from heauen in his owne person, or sende his Angels vntounto vsus. But the true marke whereby he will bee knowen to bee among vsus, is the preaching of his worde purely vntounto vsus: for no doubt but then he beareth rule in the middest of vsus. So then let this thing profite vsus, that we knowe that our Lorde receyueth vsus vntounto himselfe & will hauehave vsus to be of his owne householde. Seeing it is so, let vsus take paines to obey him in all our life, and to keepe his commaundementes: let vsus not wander like brute beastes as the wretched vnbeleeuers doe, because they neuer knewe what it was to bee of the house of God.
But nowe let vsus come vntounto the rehearsall which Moses maketh of the curses: he saith first of all, Cursed bee hee which maketh anie Idoll or anie molten Image, or anie carued Image: all this is abhomination vntounto God: and cursed is hee which putteth it in anie secrete place. And all the people shall say Amen. Let vsus note that Moses doth not specifie in this place al the curses, eueryevery one by himselfe, but he setteth downe certain examples, to shewe that all they which swarue aside from the law of God, seeke nothing else but to runne wilfully into vtter ruine and destruction. The effect therefore of all this is, that if we will prosper, we must drawe neere vntounto God, seeing that hee is the fountaine of all happinesse, and prosperitie. Whereas on the other side all they which depart from him doe goe and cast themselues into vtter destruction: but al they which cast off the yoke of God, that is to say, which yeeld not themselues to followe his law and his word, all they departe from him, and doe as much as in them lyeth, to banishe themselues from his presence. And so it is all one as if they did cast themselues into the bottome of hel, and sought nothing else in this present life, but to prouoke the vengeance of God against them, & so to seek their owne woe. Behold what we hauehave to beare in minde. Now God beginneth with his owne seruice: and not without cause: for (as we hauehave declared afore,) the lawe is diuided into two tables:… to shewe vsus that men ought first of all so to behaue themselues as God may be honoured: & this is the first and principall dutie which wee ought to performe, because we are his creatures, & because he hath fashioned vsus vntounto his glorie: let vsus tend vntounto that end, and let our life bee referred thereunto, seeing the first table sheweth vsus so briefly howe wee ought to behaue our selues towardes our God. That is the cause why God saith now in these curses; Cursed be he which maketh any Idol. But I hauehave tolde you that Moses rehearseth only certaine sorts, and that is to cō prehend the whole in one part, as we hauehave seene examples thereof. In effect therefore when it is said: Cursed be he which maketh any Idol, it is al one as if Moses had ingenerall pronounced a curse vpō them, which falsifie and corrupt the seruice and worship of God, as if he he shoulde say: You knowe howe and after what manner our God will bee worshipped of vsus; whosoeuer inuenteth anie maner of Idolatrie, whosoeuer deuiseth any maner of superstition, he maketh Idols. And that is not to serue ye liuing God, but rather to follow their owne fancies and imaginations: and therefore they are all acoursed. Ye see then howe wee ought to expound this place. And Moses meant to set downe vntounto vsus in this place such a particular, as wherein we might most euidently see an intollerable corrupting of ye worship of God. For when God is so mishapen in any painting, or in any puppet, or in any other peece of wood or stone, that men wil there represent his Image & say, It is a resemblance of him: it is too grosse and outragious dealing. Indeede men think not so; as we see in poperie, how they say, Lo yonder is God, and a remembrance of him. And are they not so brutishe that they thinke there is no diuine maiestie in heauen, vnles it be represented there in the shape of an Idol? But they which hauehave any tast what GOD is, and hauehave hearde any syllable of his worde, where it is said yt God is an immortall and infinite spirit,… the fountaine of life: do know that hee hath too great iniurie done vntounto him, to be represēted by a dead thing and by a corruptible creature, and to hauehave his name giuen vntounto a puppet as if hee were but a creature, & lesse than we. They therefore which hauehave, but a small tast of this doctrine, do abhorre the setting vp of an idol, and the imagination of seruing God by going thereto, & that any should pray to a dead thing, or looke for health from yt, which can doe nothing, neither good nor bad. Therefore if this were well marked, wee shoulde finde that Moses meant in this place to make Idolatrie more detestable, according to that rule which we hauehave heretofore expounded. Yet notwithstanding we hauehave two things to note in this place: the one is, that God can not suffer his infinite maiestie to bee represented vnderunder stone, woode, painting or in any other creature in the worlde. What must we doe then when the case concerneth the worshippe of GOD? Wee must lifte vppe our mindes aboue the worlde, and knowe that wee may not sticke fast here belowe, nor make anie Idol or puppet vntounto him: for he can not abide it. That is one point to bee noted. Secondly we hauehave also to note, that God will not be serued nor worshipped after our own maner, but he will hauehave vsus to walke according to his word, without putting any thing thereunto, or taking any thing from it, so as all the inuentiōs which men hauehave forged, are al one as if they had set vp as many Idols. Indeede they make themselues beleeue that God wil like wel of that which they do: but it is but a bare gesse of them, while they hauehave not a eye vntounto yt which hee liketh. Therfore they serue their own fācies, & not the liuing God, who hath giuen them such a rule as he wil hauehave obserued. And therefore at a word all the worshippings of God (as they terme thē) wherein men are so deuout after their owne fancies, and whereof they hauehave no warrant of the worde of God, to say. This he hath commaunded me: are nothing but Idols of their owne forging. Let this be well noted.
Now let vsus consider howe God saith, Cursed is he which forgeth Idols. It is true that the Papistes when they take paynes to trudge from altar to altar, to mumble their prayers before their Images, to set them out with waxe candles, and to doe their other dotages: if a man tell them that God disliketh of all their dooings, it spiteth thē to bee tolde so, and they fall to rayling against God himselfe. But yet for all that, whereas they thinke they win a score of heauens, euerie steppe which they set foorth, is a casting of themselues into the gulfe of hell. And why? Make they neuer so faire replies; yet ye Iudge giueth this sentences vponupon them; Cursed are all they which make Idols. Let them goe seeke their wages at the diuils hande: our Lord hath already pronounced ye sentence which is here contayned, to wit, cursed are al Idolaters. If any say it is no such great harme for a man to do a thing of good intent, and to say I thinke it is good, I beleeue it is well done: Yet not withstanding God detesteth euerie whit of it, because it is a forging of a newe God, when men turne themselues from the pure simplicitie of the worship of God, to deuise this or that. Although they thinke to doe well, yet notwithstanding they are accursed. And why? For God disliketh and condemneth that which they doe. And it is not for a mortall creature to promise this or that vntounto himselfe, but God must promise, and we must answere Amen. And likewise when he threateneth, we must bee confounded, and eueryevery mouth must be stopped before him: he must hauehave audience, and wee receiue his threates and confirme them, as I hauehave told you. And here is purposely mention made of a secrete place to shewe that although a man be not conuicted before the worlde, yet hee ceaseth not to be guiltie before God, and that the heauenly Iudge will finde him out well enough. Therefore let vsus not beguile our selues, and thinke we shal escape and remaine vnpunished, when men reproue vsus not, ne conuict vsus of the euil that we hauehave done. For we may wel seek startingholes, but yet will God finde vsus out, seeing he saith: Cursed is hee which maketh an Idoll, and putteth it in a secrete place. And againe hee saieth, It is an abhomination vntounto the Lord, to shew, that mē must not beguile thēselues, by standing vpō their own opinion, or vponupon ye iudgement of the world: It is ynough that God saith, such a thing displeaseth me. Although the world like of vsus, yet gaine we nothing therby. So then let vsus take heed that we frame ourselues so vntounto the will of God, as yt this world carie vsus not away, and that wee serue not our owne nor other mens lustes, but submit ourselues always vntounto our heauenly Iudge. Thus ye see what we hauehave to beare in mind. For when God is to be serued, we must not looke whether there be any witnesses of our doings here below; for although we may deceiue the whole worlde, yet God seeth vsus, & wee cannot escape his sight. What lurking places then soeuer we hauehave, let vsus knowe that our condemnation is ready at hand. And thereupon let vsus order our life so as GOD be serued and honoured, not only with our feet, our hands, and our eyes, but also with the seruice of our hearts, that is to say, with all our affections, and with al our thoughtes giuen ouer vntounto him. And (to conclude) wee are taught that the seruice of God is not without cause called spirituall:Iohn. 4.24. whereby we may vnderstand, that it is not ynough for vsus to do him reuerence before men, by kneeling downe, and by vsing of such other Ceremonies, or by absteining from seruing of Idols in the sight of men; but also in secret when eueryevery man is withdrawen into his secret places: euen then must we auowe him for our God, and all our affections must be held vnderunder his obedience, and wee must hauehave the purenesse which Saint Paul speaketh of, namely the obedience of faith,Rom. 1.5 by the which eueryevery of vsus may dedicate and consecrate himselfe wholly vntounto God.
Now let vsus kneele downe before the Maiestie of our good God, with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him that wee may bee touched more and more with true repentaunce, to be displeased with ourselues, that in applying our whole studie in the minding both his promises and his threatenings, we may not bee so froward as to cast off his yoke, but rather bee helde backe alwayes by such meanes as are fitte and conuenient for vsus: and that we may yeelde vntounto him a willing seruice, to the intent that as hee of his free goodnesse hath called vsus vntounto him, so he also wil guide and gouerne vsus by his holy spirit, that we may giuegive ourselues ouer vntounto him, and serue him in humblenes and feare, embracing his promises, and trembling at his threatenings: and that in the meane time he wil make vsus feele that if we be so giuen to his seruice, he will make vsus to prosper, and wee shalbee most happy, and that especially, because he hath set before vsus the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen, which he hath purchased vntounto vsus in the person of his onelyonly sonne. That it may please him to graunt this grace not onelyonly to vsus, but also to al people and Nations of the earth, &c.