Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 105
On Wednesday the xx. of Nouember. 1555. The Cv. Sermon which is the fourth vponupon the seuenteenth Chapter.
14 When thou art come into the Lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee, and enioyest it and dwellest therein, and sayest I will set a king ouer mee like as all the nations that are rounde about mee:
15 Then shalt thou make him king ouer thee whome the Lorde shall choose from among thy brethren: him shalt thou set ouer thee to be king, and thou maiest not set a straunger ouer thee which is not thy brother.
16 But he shall not multiply horses to himselfe, nor sende the people againe into Egypt to increase the number of horses, forasmuch as the Lorde hath sayd vntounto you, yee shall neuer hence foorth goe any more againe that way.
17 Neither shall he take him many wiues, least his heart turne away. Neither shall he gather him much golde and siluer.
18 And when he is set vponupon the Throne of his kingdom, he shall copy out this Lawe for himselfe in a booke, before the Priestes the Leuites.
Deut. 16.18.HEretofore Moses hath spoken of the Iudges that were ordeined in eueryevery citie to gouern the people, and specially of the cheefe Iudge to whom all thinges were referred. Nowe he addeth that if ye people be disposed to choose a king, he sheweth what manner a one he ought to be. And first he ordeineth that he must be taken of the linage of Abraham: and secondly he declareth his duetie to him, to the intent he should not go beyond it, nor play the Tyraunt in steede of playing the king. That is the meaning of Moses generally. But here we must consider what is the cause, why God setteth not vp a king by his owne authoritie, but rather leaueth it to the likeing of the people. For if he allowed the state of a king, or if it were a thing that he liked wel of; ought he not to hauehave shewed the way, that the people might hauehave obeyed whatsoeuer he had cōmaunded them? But he sayeth, When thou art come into the Lande which thy God giueth thee, and inioyest it, if thou wilt choose a king as other Natiōs hauehave. Hereby it should seeme that God was not willing there shoulde bee any kingdome in Iewrie▪ but that if the people were so desirous of a king that they could not be helde from it, then he granted it them by way of sufferance. Notwithstanding this, wee heare howe it is sayde in Genesis,Gen. … that the scepter should not be taken from the tribe of Iuda, nor the gouernour from betweene his legges, vntill the person that was to be sent were come & had appeared. This prophesie was not a cu…se that should come vponupon the people, nor a vengeance of God: but rather a singular and special fauour aboue all other. For in saying so, Iacob declareth that God would set vp an euerlasting king, by whom saluation should be sent throughout all the world. And vntill the time of the manifesting of our Lorde Iesus Christ it behooued the people so be mainteined still in hope of him: and God gaue vntounto him the kingdome of Iuda and that whole tribe. We see then in fewe wordes, that this kingdome was a figure of our Lorde Iesus Christ, and as a warrant which God gaue to that people, that he himselfe reigned ouer them, and the kinges of Iuda serued alwaies to holde the people vnderunder Gods protection, as it were in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ. For albeit that all the Princes of the worlde be called Gods children and his lieftenauntes:Psal. ….…. yet notwithstanding, the kingdome of Iuda had that title after a more speciall and holy manner. And therefore wee see it was Gods will there shoulde be a king among his people, euen because it was the full perfection of all felicity, that Iesus Christ should be the head of them.
True it is yt if disputatiō shold arise cōcerning ye gouernmēt of mē; it might be said yt a free state is much better thā to be vnderunder a Prince: but here is no cōtrouersie of any such mater. And in deed such disputatiōs are not very profitable. For they yt are vnderunder ye gouernment of a Prince, must not be fickleminded to make any alteration. And those to whō God hath giuen liberty & freedom, ought to vse it wt thanksgiuing, as a singular benefit & treasure yt cannot be prised sufficiently. And as for ye kingdom of Iuda, there was a speciall respect in yt, as I hauehave said afore: namely yt it was the image of the truth which was in our Lorde Iesus Christ, in gathering vsus to himselfe to make vsus Gods Church & his owne flocke. For yt is better than al ye gouernment in the whole world. If a mā shoulde cōpare a principality, or a free state of a Senate, or whatsoeuer els can be imagined for a cōmonweale, with y• grace which God giueth vsus in shewing himself to vsus in his own person, of purpose to reigne ouer vsus himself, & to take ye charge of our welfare, & in establishing his only son in ye office & dignity: I pray you is it not much better to be vnderunder ye obediēce of our Lord Iesus Christ, & to hauehave him to reigne ouer vsus as our souereine Lord & King; than to be Kings & Emperors eueryevery one of vsus? Yes verily. So then wee must conclude, yt seeing God ordeined Iudges frō ye beginning, hee sheweth therby yt it is a desirable thing for folk to be gouerned in cōmon & to hauehave laws to reigne among thē, yt there be no succession by inheritance, but y• euen those which are chosē [to beare office] be bound to yeelde account of their doings, & hauehave not absolute libertie to doe what they list or to say: I will hauehave this thing: It shalbe thus done. This did God shew, whē he gouerned his owne people by ye hand of Iudges. And for the same cause did he vpbrayd & blame ye Iewes for requiring a king to be their head & to reign ouer them.….7. It is not thou (sayth he to Samuell) to whō they hauehave done this wrong. True it is yt thou hast executed my authority in yt thou art of my setting vp: but their vnthankefulnes & disobedience toucheth me, in yt they can not abide yt I shoulde hauehave the gouerning of thē. And afterward he addeth, wel then let them hauehave a king. But it shalbe to their trouble: for he shall spoyle their houses, take away their sons & daughters, consume their substance, lay taxes & tallages vponupon them, & (to be short) vse them like wretched bondslaues. See what they hauehave wonne by requiring a king.
And in this text our Lorde sheweth, yt as in respect of worldly gouernmēt, he had chosen ye best state yt could be; namely yt the Law should reigne ouer the people, & therewithal yt there should be Iudges in eueryevery citie, & a chiefe gouernour ouer all, to the intent yt matters might be determined and concluded, as was declared yesterday: howbeit with this most noble condition, which God reserued to himselfe, namely that our Lorde Iesus Christ should reigne ouer them. For it behoued thē to be vnderunder one head, howbeit not simply of a mortall man, but of ye sonne of God. But forasmuch as ye time was not yet come that such grace shold be shewed: it behoued the hope therof to be fedde with some figure. And yt was the cause why it was promised by the mouth of Iacob,Gen. 49.10. that the scepter should not depart from the tribe of Iuda. God did purposely choose out one tribe, & when he ment to set vp the king, he sayd that the reigne of him shoulde be durable vntill the comming of his owne sonne, who was the true heire, and the very partie to whome the crowne belonged, namely our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus hauehave wee nowe a briefe declaration after what sorte God ment to stablishe a kingdome among his people, howebeit, that was in respect of our Lorde Iesus Christ. But as in respect of worldly gouernement, the best and most desirable state, was to hauehave Iudges, that is to say, to be in libertie, and yet notwithstanding to bee ouerruled by Lawes. Nowe thereby we be doone to vnderstande, that although all worldely gouernment deserue to be esteemed as a holy thing, & behoofefull for the maintenaunce of mans state, yet notwithstanding, when it pleaseth GOD to giuegive vsus a meane kinde of gouernement, voyde of tyranny, wherein the Magistrates doe rule after such a sort, that the Lawes hauehave their due course: the same is a speciall priuiledge, and wee ought then to perceiue thereby that God is neere at hand to vsus, & that he pitieth vsus as his housholdfolke, and as those that are of his flocke, & his owne heritage. Marke that then for one point. But therewithall we must marke also, that when we shall hauehave knowen Gods grace in his gouerning of vsus in this earthly and transitorie life; it is nothing in comparison of the spirituall kingdom of our Lorde Iesus Christ, & therefore yt we must highly exalt or praise this benefite yt God vouchsafeth to gouerne vsus by the hande of his onelyonly son, yea and we must esteeme it, not onelyonly more than all the libertie of the worlde, but also more than al the kingdomes and Empires of ye world. But anon this point shalbe touched new againe.
Furthermore let vsus marke, that God intending to set vp a king, did tarry neuerthelesse till the people required one. And yt was to put them in a desire, that they might not afterward rebell against the king that was to bee set vp. For the vnthankefulnesse and malice of the people bewrayed it selfe, in that they coulde not finde in their heartes to holde them to the state which God had stablished already. And what a thing had it been, if he had set vp a Monarchie among them at the first day? For it is a farre more tollerable thing for vsus to hauehave gouernours that goe by choyse and election, who in executing their office shall knowe themselues to bee subiect to the Lawe: than to hauehave a Prince whose worde must stande for reason, and whose childe must inherite, though he be neuer so very a babe, and consequently obeyed; though hee be the willfullest foole or the cruellest person in the worlde. Therefore it is a farre more tollerable state to hauehave Iudges and Gouernours. Nowe if the people of Israel could not away with this state, but wold needs through a wicked desire seek to hauehave a king: what would they hauehave done if God had at ye first day saide vntounto thē, I set this or yt house to reigne ouer you, & it behoueth you to obey the king? What murmuring would there hauehave beene? What practising would there hauehave bin? Therfore it was Gods wil to make ye people willing, to ye end there might be no occasion of rebelling, whē Dauid was to be made king. Verily we see what fell out. For soothly, their requiring of King Saul, was through a folish ambitiō & spyte,1 Sa. 1.5.20. which they bare to their neighbours. When they sawe how there were kings in Egypt, in Edō, in Ammon, in Syria, & in the other Coūtryes: they thought there was no such dignitie & statelines amōg thēselues because there was no royall seate among thē. And therfore they would hauehave one. But see their folly. When they had chosen Saul, although he vexed thē & put them to as much hardnes as could be: yet notwtstanding they were so wedded to him, yt they would needs keepe ye croun to his childrē, & not suffer Dauid to reigne. Albeit yt God had declared yt Dauid was the mā whō he had chosē, and yt they had not the authoritie to choose any other to be their king: yet ye people chose Saules son, as who would say, we will hauehave this house to continue for euer, yea euē as it were in dispite of God. And (as we see) was Dauid mainteyned in his kingdome, any otherwise than by Gods stretching out of his hand to preserue him? The people fel within a while after to rebelling against Dauid, & the example of Absolon sheweth yt the insurrection was so great,2. Sam. 15.4. yt Dauid was forsaken of the most part of his subiectes. So then it appeareth yt if ye people had not bin as good as daunted aforehand, ye kingdom which God had determined on in his own purpose, had neuer takē place, neither would they hauehave submitted thēselues vntounto it but by cōpulsion. But yet behooued it thē to obey it. And so by yt meane ye people were prepared therto by requiring a king of thēselues; & yet they found thēselues disappointed of their expectation. For it was not Gods wil to stablish the blessed kingdom at ye first, wherby ye whole world was to hauehave saluation: but hee chose a king of the tribe of Beniamin, & yet it was said yt the scepter should not depart frō the tribe of Iuda. Wherfore doth God turne away frō yt which he had spoken by ye mouth of Iacob? This was done not yt he is variable, not yt he repenteth him; not yt he intended not to fulfil yt prophesie: but for y• he was not minded to let his blessing appeare so soone, because of ye peoples seditiousnesse, in respect wherof, he did it, or at leastwise delayed it til they had acknowledged their fault, & repented thē therof. And this doth shew vsus sufficiētly wherfore god in this place reserueth not to himself ye chosing of ye king which should gouerne his people: but sayth thou shalt require one. It was to the end that his reigning should be of the more authoritie, & he bee ye better beloued of his people; so as eueryevery mā should submit himself to him, & therby know in very deed, yt there was no greater happines, than to be vnderunder yt house of Dauid, forasmuch as the same was a shadow & figure of the sonne of god, who was to bring saluation & full perfection of al good things. In effect we see here two things. The one is that our lord blameth the people for their importunitie, in yt they would needs be aforehand wt him in desiring a king: as if he should say, You wil not suffer me to make him: (true it is yt I wil neuer forget you, but I wil set such order among you, yt ye shal hauehave cause to thanke me & to reioyce of my goodnes.) But yet will you be so malitious & frowarde, yt when I shall hauehave giuen you a Iudge, you shall desire a king. And this frowardnes of yours shal cause me not to set vp the kingdom which I hauehave ordeined, & which I hauehave reserued to my selfe, that is to wit, of the tribe of Iuda. Yet notwtstanding our lord sheweth yt he wil set vp y• kingdom, but that shalbe after the people are made fit to obey, & hauehave acknowledged their sin, because they had couered a change against Gods wil, & before y• fit time was come. Thus are all these places easily made to agree. And hereupon we may gather a good lesson; which is that when God hath promised vsus any benefite or token of his mercy: we must hold our lustes in awe, and not runne a heade to chalendge him to do that which he hath sayd, when we list, but vse patience, and be quiet vntill God shewe vsus by effect that he ment not to disappoint vsus, in promising any thing yt belongeth to our saluation. Here then is a generall rule; which is, yt in all Gods promises we must be patiēt, & not be so hastie as to say, how goes this geere? why doeth God make delay? why performeth he not ye thing which we hoped for at his hand? Let vsus beware of such impatiencie, seeing the example of ye people is such as we see it is in this place. But let vsus be stil when God hath promised vsus any thing, vntil ye cōuenient time therof be come of itself. And yet shal not this hinder vsus but yt we may pray vntounto him for it. For wherfore doth he cal vsus to him & cōmand vsus to pray,Phil. … but to y• intent we shold discharge all our care & sorow vponupon him, & receiue cōfort of it? Therfore we may wel pray vntounto god whē we are stirred vp to impatiencie: but yet must we euer refer all things vntounto him: & good reason it is yt he shold dispose of thinges according as he himselfe hath determined in his owne purpose, & not after our fancie. Also let vsus beare in minde what I hauehave touched afore; to wit, yt seeing God hath giuen vsus a cōuenient state, & yt we be so gouerned by Iudges & magistrates, as yt the Lawes do reigne ouer vsus: we ought to giuegive God thanks for yt benefite, & to take good heed yt we prouoke not his wrath by our fonde ficklenes, in desiring this or y•, and in saying why is it not thus or thus? For whē we wil nedes alter things after ye fashion arour own pleasure, we make not war against mē, but we defie God, & thrust him far frō vsus to ye entent he should not reigne ouer vsus. Therfore to be short, seeing there is some forme of gouernment among vsus, let vsus learn to thank God, & to hold vsus vnderunder ye shadow of his wings, & not to craue this or yt through foolish ambition. For we see what happened to ye people of Israell. True it is yt God chose them a king: howbeit, yt was but to punish their wicked desire: & euen so will it fall out wt others. And in deede, we see how he giueth large scope to ye king which was set vp, namely to Saul, saying,2. Sam. … Thou shalt not reigne as a Prince, but he shal execute al maner of tyranny ouer you, and yee must bee faine to abide it, spyte of your teeth.
But howsoeuer wee fare, let vsus learne to referre all the benefites that GOD giueth vsus in this world, to the spiritual kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ: assuring ourselues that though we had all thinges else at will, and liued here in neuer so great pleasure and welth, and had such gouerners as demeaned themselues as gently towardes vsus as were possible: all this were nothing vnlesse our Lorde Iesus Christ reigned ouer vsus, and bare all the swaye. On the contrary parte, though we be tormented according to the flesh, (as we see a number of people extreemely vexed with tyranny) and that we hauehave not so much as bread to eate: Yet notwithstanding the blessednesse which God sendeth vsus in that our Lord Iesus Christ reigneth ouer vsus, ought to be preferred before all other thinges, and wee ought to take all afflictions patiently, so we may hauehave the comfort of his reigne ouer vsus. Nowe the scepter of our Lorde Iesus Christ is not a materiall scepter, after the manner of the royall scepters and crounes which Kinges and Princes hauehave had at all times: but it is the Gospell, which is the true token of his presence. And wee see howe he taketh vsus for his people,…2. … 2▪3. wherof we hauehave a sure warrant, in yt he will hauehave vsus to be gathered together into the vnitie of faith by the doctrine of his gospell, and by that meane be made the heritage of God.
Let vsus come now to that which Moses addeth concerning the office of the King. Hee sayeth first, That the king must be chosen from among the people. Thou shalt take one of thine owne brethren (saith he,) and thou shalt not goe seeke a stranger. And surely by the prophesie of Iacob, the king was to be chosen of the tribe of Iuda. Why then doeth God speake generally of the whole linage of Abraham, and not marke out the kingly house by name? For it should seeme that hee ment not to darken that prophesie. Let vsus marke what hath beene sayd already: to wit; that the time was not yet come, and that the fauour which God had behighted by the mouth of the Patriarke Iacob, was to be kept close as yet for a time, by reason of the peoples vnthankefulnesse. Behold, wheras God had spoken it so long time before: nowe at the ende of three hundered yeeres or thereaboutes, he sayth there shalbe a king among you. As how? Shall the prophesie vanish away and be of none effect, which had bin vttered three hundered yeeres before, and spoken by the mouth of Iacob? Ought it not to hauehave beene set forth much more cleerely at the publishing of the Law? Yes, but our Lorde doeth vsus to vnderstande, that the people had drawen as it were a veyle before it, by reason wherof, in steede of comming to light, it behoued his fauour to be as it were hidden away in the darke. That is the thing which God ment to shewe in this text in saying, Thou shalt choose a king from among thy brethren, without appointing out the house, as had beene doone afore. But howesoeuer the case stande, Gods holdingbacke of his fauour for a time, was no vtter abolishing thereof. Then did hee delay his promise of setting vppe a king of the tribe of Iuda: but yet hee did not vtterly bereaue his people of that hope. And so yee see, howe the people of themselues made an interruption: and yet that God for all his chastising of them, vseth gratious goodnesse and moderateth his rigor: insomuch that the thing which he had ordeined abideth still, sauing that the time thereof is prolonged.
Let vsus marke therefore, that God to correct the faultes of his people, doeth hide away his fauour for a time, so as it is not manifestly seene: but yet in the ende he wil cause it to come again. Thus ouercommeth hee our naughtinesse with his infinite goodnes, and we see it by experience. But yet sometimes wee feele it not though our Lorde shewe vsus it. Howesoeuer the case stande, let vsus learne by the example of the Iewes, that if our Lorde at any time withdrawe himselfe from vsus, and seeme not to performe his promise to vsus; our owne faults are the cause thereof, for that we be frowarde and hauehave pulled backe Gods hande when hee would hauehave reached it out to hauehave discharged his promise towardes vsus. For how many times a day prouoke we his wrath? And is not that a kinde of shutting of the doore against him, that hee might not come at vsus to make vsus partakers of his goodnesse? Therefore when we hauehave thrust backe his grace after that fashion, if it appeare not againe vntounto vsus out of hande, we hauehave to humble ourselues, acknowledging that we our selues are to blame. But yet for all that, we must not be discoraged, but we must pray God that although he hauehave deferred the performance of his promises for a time, yet wee may not be vtterly bereft of them, howsoeuer the world go, but that after we hauehave languished for a time and bin chastised for our offences, we returne again without faile, and inioy ye thing which he hath promised. Thus ye see in effect what wee hauehave to gather vponupon that text.
And whereas God forbiddeth his people to hauehave any straunger to be their king: there are two reasons which we ought to marke well. The one is yt that kingdome was a Sacrament of our Lord Iesus Christ, and therefore it was not meete that it should hauehave come to the hande of an vnbeleeuer or ydolater: for that had bin a defiling of holy thinges. If heathen kings reigned ouer their like, it was not to be wondred at. For although some vnbeleeuing kinges reigned ouer the people of Israell by Tyranny,2. Kin. 17.6. & 25.21. as was done by the Babylonians and afterward by the kinges of Assyria: yet doth it not followe but that there was alwayes this exemption, that God had still a peculiar kinde of reigning, whereby he shewed as in a lookingglasse, they yt people was gathered together as into his owne house. Therefore if a straunger had bin set vp in the seate of Dauid, it had beene trecherie against God, & the reproch had bin offered to God and to his onelyonly sonne. For when the kingdome was stablished in the line of Dauid, this promise was added; I will be his father,Psal. 2.7. & Hebr. 1.5. and hee shall be my sonne. And the Apostle declareth that it was so honorable a title that it belonged not euen to the Angelles. True it is that the Angelles are sometimes called the sonnes of God: howebeit, that is not without an addition; whereas Christ hath it, because he is preferred before all creatures. Now then, hadde they choosen an ydolater, and set him vp in the seate which God had reserued for his own onelyonly sonne, who was established in his infinite grace, who was the marke of his diuine maiestie, and who was aboue all the principalities of the world, yea and aboue heauen it selfe as in respect of the creatures;Col. 1.16.17 as ye Apostle speaketh of him, in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Colossians: what a thing had that beene? Had it not beene an vnnaturall confusion, and too shamefull a defiling of the grace of GOD? Then lette vsus marke that for the first reason why GOD woulde not hauehave a straunger to sit in the seate of Dauid.
And in so dooing, God ment also to shewe a dreadfull displeasure, and to make the people to knowe howe they were vtterly accursed, in that they were disappointed of that kingdom, & that Gods Lampe was after a sort put out. For, that similitude is often set downe vntounto vsus in the holy scripture,1. Kin. 11.36. to shewe that God maketh his light to shine vponupon his people, and that although there be not at all times great light, yet there shal euer be a Lampe howsoeuer the world goeth. And the seconde reason was, that if a straunger shoulde hauehave reigned, he would soone hauehave changed the religion, as wee knowe that the heathen will alwayes needes sette vp their owne superstitions. And why? For commonly they hauehave not the feare of God to keepe them in awe: but rather they thinke God to be bounde vntounto them if they giuegive men leaue to worshippe him and serue him after some sort, & yet for all that they wil needes turne all the seruice of God to their owne lustes and liking. If the Turke get the souereignetie in any countrey, although he be contented to abide the Christians (as they call themselues): Yet doeth he worke them all the spite and reproch that can be to discourage them. Where the Papistes beare swaye, they defile al the puritie of Christian doctrine, and they can not abide that the Gospell shoulde be preached, or that the Sacramentes shoulde be purely vsed: but they will needes put all to hauocke, and in any wise set vp their owne ydolatries. Thus yee see what would hauehave come of it, insomuch yt if a stranger should hauehave reigned ouer the people of Israell, it hadde bin the next way to hauehave ouerthrowen the whole Lawe. Not without cause therefore did God expressely prouide that they shoulde not choose any other king than of the lynage of Abraham, such a one as were comprised in the couenaunt,Col. 2.11.12 and bare the marke of the Church, that is to wit Circumcision, which was the like Sacrament to the Iewes, that we hauehave noweadayes of Baptisme.
But nowe must we apply this to our owne vse, and vnderstande first of all that the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ, must bee mainteined in such soundenesse, as that wee must beware of bringing any defilemēt into it. And what is ye kingdom of Christ? I hauehave told you already yt it consisteth not in any visible things, or in any things belonging to this present life: but it is the gathering of vsus together by his holy spirite, into the hope of the heauenly life: and the preaching of the Gospell vntounto vsus, that it may bee as a rule to holde vsus vnderunder the obedience of God. And although the Sacramentes bee visible of themselues: yet are they neuerthelesse spirituall, as in respect of their ende, as all other Ceremonies are. We come hither togither; well, it is a visible thing: we kneele downe to pray vntounto God; & that is visible also: but yet it aimeth at a higher ende, and hath a respect which is altogether spirituall. So then, let vsus learne that the kingdom of our Lord Iesus Christ ought to be mainteined in his full soundenesse; that is to wit; wee must beware that wee mingle not any corruption with the things that he hath commaunded in his Churche, ne thrust in such persons as may serue to ouerthrowe the common weale: For if we should choose false Sheepheards and men of wicked doctrine, or of leaude conuersation: were it not a dishonoring of Iesus Christes kingdome and a putting of all thinges to hauocke as much as in vsus lieth? Seeing then that the children of Israell were forbidden to set vp a straunge King in the seate that was a figure of our Lorde Iesus Christ: nowe that we hauehave the sonne of God to gouerne vsus, not in shadowe as in the time of the Lawe, but in full trueth; nowe that wee hauehave our Lorde Iesus Christ who is called the daysunne of righteousnesse as the prophete Malachie termeth him,M….….4. who telleth vsus that he is neere at hand to vsus, and ruleth in the middes of vsus: what a trecherie were it if we should deface his roial throne and not maintaine it in such purenesse, as that he might alwayes reigne by his worde, and euerie man doe him homage, and both greate and small knowe him,Psal. … and he hauehave alwayes his preheminence among vsus? Thus yee see howe the first point is that God commaundeth vsus heere to hauehave a speciall care of his Churche, so as there may be no defilement to hinder Christes reigning ouer vsus as he ought to doe.
Nowe as touching the second reason, let vsus marke also that if God hauehave giuen a people the grace to choose Kinges, Princes, Magistrates or Iudges, they ought to hauehave great regarde that the seate which God hath ordeined for the wellfare of mankinde, be not giuen to a man that is an vnbeleeuer. For the people that chooseth either king or Iudge, without discerning whether he be a man that fearth God or no: doe put the haulter about their owne neckes wilfully. And when they shall choose, and take Magistrates that are either deadly enemies of the Gospell, or Hypocrites, that seeke nothing else but to turne all thinges vpsidedowne, or worldelinges that coulde finde in their heartes to treade all religion vnderunder foote: is not the admitting of such men as an opening of the gate vntounto Sathan, that hee might hauehave place among vsus? Is it not a reiecting of Gods grace, to the ende that all abhominations might hauehave their full scope? So then, when soeuer wee choose Iudges, Magistrates, Gouernours and Officers of Iustice, let vsus take warning by this text, to looke for this marke in them, that they bee men which feare God, and are at leastwise desirous that Religion shoulde be mainteined in his purenesse: For otherwise it is all one as if wee woulde driue God from vsus, and seeke to banish him from among vsus; which is too cursed a trayterousnesse. And thus much concerning earthly gouernement. After wee hauehave indeuoured that the spirituall religion of ye church may bee maintayned: let vsus likewise be so minded towardes the state of the temporall sworde and ordinarie iustice, that such as sit in iudgement may bee all one with vsus in brotherly religion, and that the holy bande of faith may knit vsus togither in obedience to one selfesame God. And hereof there is a faire confirmation in the thinges that Moses addeth: for it deserueth to bee treated of immediatly, and we shall see it in place conuenient.
But he sayeth expressely, That the king which shall hauehave beene chosen, must cause the booke of the lawe to be copied out in the presence of the high priest and of the Leuites. Nowe let vsus see why God hath made this so strait ordinance, that there should bee a booke of authoritie for the kings vse. Is it meant that a man shoulde bee ignorant and vtterly vnacquainted with the doctrine of God, vntil hee came to the crowne? No. For Gods will is that his lawe should bee knowen both of greate and small, as wee shall see by his protestation hereafter.Deut. 32.46. The secrete thinges belong to your God himselfe: but yet it hath pleased him to set his worde here before you; & ye must not say any more that it is a hidden doctrine, either for your selues or for your children. Wee see then howe it was Gods will that his lawe shoulde bee common both to great and small. And shoulde he then that was brought vp in the house of the crowne, bee a beast? No. Ought he not to bee instructed in the Lawe? And if hee ought, was it not requisite that hee shoulde hauehave a booke of it? Yes for sooth. And what is ye cause why God woulde he shoulde hauehave a copie of the booke▪ at such time as hee were put in possession of the kingdome? It was to the ende hee shoulde perceiue himselfe to bee double bounde, & vnderstande that if priuate persones bee bounde to profite in Gods schoole, & to giuegive good heede to the doctrine that is preached or written; it is much more reason that the person which hath the charge of the whole bodie, which is set vp in the name of God, and hath God come neere vntounto him, shoulde bee diligent to profite in the same schoole. Therefore let vsus marke how it behooued a booke to bee appointed out specially for the king, and the same to bee written after a solemne fashion, and the Priestes and Leuites to bee witnesses thereof, and the same to bee deliuered vntounto him as by the hande of God. For it was all one as if God had sayd vntounto him; Go to, I hauehave giuen my lawe to all my people, & I will hauehave the remembrance thereof to bee renewed yerely.… 4.19. For the booke was brought foorth, & the bloud of the sacrifice was sprinkled first vppon the booke and then vppon all the people, to the ende they shoulde consider thus; wee be linked in vnseparable bonde with the lawe of God. But when this was done, there was a seconde booke brought and deliuered into the kings own hāds▪ as if it had beene saide vntounto him; God …yndeth thee much more than any priuate persons, to knowe thy duetie: namely that thou shouldest be better learned than all the rest, and shewe them examples, and behaue thy selfe in such wise as all the people may take thee for their guyde. That was the thing which our Lorde meant in this text.
And in deed, let vsus consider a little how hard the charge of princes is. Although a Iudge had not past one citie or one towne to gouerne; yet shoulde he finde himselfe much cumbered: and what shal he do then, hauing a whole realme? It standeth al Magistrates and Officers of iustice in hād, to apply this to thēselues, & to know yt their charge passeth all their abilitie, so as they shall neuer be able to go through with it, except God giuegive them his holy spirite. But yet for all that, he wil not hauehave them to be negligent in ye mean while. What is to be done then? All Magistrats and al such as hauehave publike charge, must vnderstande that if it behooue other men to bee diligent to read the holy scripture, to haunt Sermons, to bee confirmed more and more in the doctrine, and to be well edified thereby: they themselues hauehave twyce as much neede to be so. And forasmuch as God hath aduaunced them to preheminence; it behoueth them to hauehave recourse to him dayly, and to call vppon him, and not to be so vainglorious as to thinke; O, I am able ynough to guyde my selfe, and to gouerne others. No no: Let them rather consider them selues to bee vnable, vnlesse God giuegive them power and strength, with wisedome and discretion to guyde themselues: Therefore let them desire to be taught, that others may frame themselues after their example, and let all resort vntounto God, indeuouring to profit in such sort in his schoole, as the great men may hauehave wherewith to gouerne well, and the meaner sort may by that meanes bee allured to obey quietly; so as al mē may bee guyded vntounto God with one common accorde.
Nowe let vsus kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him to make vsus feele them in such sort, as wee may seeke his merciemercy with true repentance, and hee graunt vntounto vsus, not onelyonly to burie our faultes past, but also to refourme vsus, that our whole seeking may be to please him, & to frame our selues in all points to his will: and also that in the meane whyle hee beare with vsus in all our infirmities, vntill he hauehave rid vsus quite and cleane of them. And so let vsus all say; Almightie God heauenly father, &c.