Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 119
On Fryday the xx. of December. 1555. The Cxix. Sermon, which is the fourth vponupon the twentith Chapter.
16.17.18 But of the Cities of &c.
19 When thou shalt hauehave beseeged a Citie a long time, in fighting against it to take it, thou shalt not marre the trees therof by putting an Axe vntounto them: for thou maist eate of them, and therefore cut them not downe: for the life of man is the tree of the feelde to come with thee to the seege.
20 OnelyOnly thou maist destroy and cut downe the trees which thou knowest to be no trees to eate of, and thereof thou maist make bulwarkes against the Citie which holdeth warre against thee, vntil thou hauehave wonne it.
YEsterday was shewed why God gaue so rigorous sentence against the Nations that had dwelte in the Lande of Chanaan: It was tolde you that hee had borne with them ere that time, and suffered them till such time as they were condemned: and thereupon that we must benefite our selues by such examples, partlie that wee abuse not Gods patience when hee spareth vsus and delayeth the execution of his iudgements; giuing vsus leasure in the meane while to returne to repentaunce: and [partly] that when wee see him execute so extreeme rigour vppon men,Rom. 2.4. we shoulde assure our selues it is because hee knoweth them to bee vtterly past grace, and hauehave heaped vp such condemnation vppon their heades a long time afore hande. Now remaineth to note that GOD appointed the Iewes to bee the executers of the saide sentence, so as the Chananites and such like were to bee rooted out by the hande of the Iewes. And why? It is saide expressely in the Text, As the Lorde thy God hath commaunded thee. Then was it not for the Iewes to enterprise it on their owne heade, except they had had Gods worde for their warrant: for it is not lawfull for vsus to attempt anie thing, vnlesse it bee our duetie, and that God hauehave commaunded it. And it is a generall rule for vsus to beare in minde and to obserue all our life long. For men may doe goodly and commendable thinges, which notwithstanding shall not bee reputed for vertues before God, when they passe their boundes, that is to say, when they holde not themselues within the listes of that which God hath vttered vntounto them. For if a man shoulde say, It were good to doe thus, and therefore I will applie my selfe thereto; and yet in the meane while God calleth him not to it, neither hath he anie word yt commands him to deale so: his vnaduised aduē turing vponupon things after that sort, shall alwayes be condemned at Gods hand. If we alledge that the deede is good and excellent of it selfe, that is not enough: for god wilbe obeied at our hands whatsoeuer come thereof. And therfore let eueryevery man hauehave an eye to himselfe & consider how farre his duety wil beare him. If a man that hath but a little household to gouerne should take vponupon him the office of a magistrate: what were to bee saide vntounto it? There would be verie great confusion in that. Likewise if he that is a seruant in a house should take more vppon him than belonges to him, yee see that all were out of order. Againe if the wife shoulde ouermaster her husband, and make him her vnderling; ye honestie of nature were quite goone. So then, it behooueth all men to holde themselues warely within their boundes, and to followe what way soeuer God calleth them. And when we hauehave Gods commā dement, we must not be helde back nor letted by men. If God bid vsus goe, we must goe, & though all the worlde should set themselues against vsus, yet must wee not turne head, but goe on still. As for example, in these dayes the Magistrates & ministers of Iustice hauehave the sworde in their hand,Rom. 13.4. and that not in vaine (as saith Saint Paul) for God wil hauehave them to punish offenders. Now if they do nothing therein, and yet in the meane season will needes alledge some excuse to God: they deceiue themselues. For in asmuch as our Lorde hath set them in office, he hath tolde thē also that hee will hauehave them to be stout and full of courage in maintaining their state. And so looke what commaundement was giuen to all the Iewes in olde time for the rooting out of the Pheresites, Amorrhites, Chananites, Iebusites, and their like, the same is giuen to all ministers of Iustice at this day: namely that they must rid the earth of all such as do nothing else but bring vp all maner of infection. As for vsus, it is not saide to vsus that wee shall roote out and put to death such as may put vsus to any plunge: and therefore let euerie of vsus looke to the rooting out of our owne vices, for we shall hauehave an incounter hard enough there.
And besides this, let vsus beware also that wee hauehave not to doe with such as may corrupte and marre vsus: for we be but too forward of our owne nature. For like as it was saide to the Iewes, you shall put the Chananites to death: so let vsus shun the companie of such as wil intice vsus to nothing but euill, nor can doe aught else than prouoke vsus to naughtinesse. For wee bee as frayle as is possible, and the least occasion in the world will thrust vsus out of the way, and make vsus to leaue God behinde vsus, as hath bin declared not long since afore. And moreouer, let vsus to the vttermost of our power indeuour to rid Gods Church of all such as could finde in their hearts to ouerthrowe the order of the Church and Gods seruice, and all honestie. As for example, when S. Paul saith,1. Cor. 5.13. rid away the euil from among you, he commaundeth not the Corinthians to vse the material sword for the punishing of such as hauehave committed anie crime: for they were not in estate of Magistrates: but he meaneth excommunication, so as if a man be found to be a whoremaster, a drunkerde, or a swearer, he should not be borne with all. For why? It were a corrupting of Gods church which ought to be his holy temple, & it is a making therof a swinestie. Shold filthines lie there? & what a dealing were that? Therefore wee must cut off all such folke as leade a wicked and lawelesse life. And that is the lesson which wee hauehave to gather vppon that Text. For wee hauehave not the sworde in our handes to kill the despisers of GOD and such as leade an vnrulie and disordered life. But yet must we cast them out from among vsus, and therewithall remember the warning that is giuen vsus in the Epistle to the Hebrewes. Take good heede (saith the Apostle) that there growe vp no roote of bitternesse among you,…ebr. 12.15 least it be a meane to infect all the rest. Experience sheweth that there needeth but a verie little corruption to marre all, by reason of the infirmitie that is in men. And therefore let vsus learne to remedie the matter, that wee bee not an occasion to feede vice still. The way then for vsus to bring to passe that the Church of God may be mainteyned in all purenesse of his seruice, is that stumblingblockes bee not nourished and mainteyned, and also that euerie of vsus indeuour to roote out vice in all men, sparing the persons themselues, and doing the best we can to drawe them to saluation. Whereas the Iewes were commanded to kill the Chananites: what ought wee to doe insteede thereof? I see a leawde man running into destruction; & yet notwithstanding he woulde bee borne withall, and flattered, and hauehave neuer a worde spoken to him. Against such a one I must vse rigor. And how so? To bring him to shame? No, not if it may otherwise bee. Truely if hee holde on, and continue stubborne against God, hee must needs become the more vnexcusable, and wee must procure his soule health euen by rebuking him sharpely, as it were by letting of him bloud, or by ministring some loothsome medicine vntounto him. Thus yee see howe wee must spare mens persons and yet kill their vices to ye vttermost of our power. And in that respect doth Saint Paul liken ye doctrine of the Gospell to a sworde wherewith wee bee sacrificed to God.Psal. 2.17. For the mortifying of our wicked affections is an offering of sacrifice vntounto God: and whereas wee were vnholy before, thenceforth we be dedicated vntounto him when we be so brought downe, that we liue no more after our owne lustes, but doe vtterly renounce ourselues. Yee see then that that is one kinde of death, which is not wrought vppon our persons, but vponupon al the vices that reigne in vsus. And after that maner ought we to deale for the rooting out of sinne.
Nowe if it bee demaunded heere, whether it bee not lawefull to bee conuersant with the wicked and frowarde to winne them: I aunswere, yes verilie, vntill a man finde them to bee past remedie. For to giuegive ouer a man at the first dash when hee hath doone amisse, or when hee is as it were in the high way to destruction: is a furthering of the destruction of the wretched soule that was redeemed by the bloudshed of our Lorde Iesus Christ. So then, a man may well labour to bring them backe agayne which are strayed out of the right way: but yet must wee not hazard ourselues. If I knowing my selfe to bee weake, doe ouerthrowe my selfe with him vnderunder pretence of winning my neighbour that is misaduised: what winne I by that? And yet wee see it fall out so continually. And therefore let vsus beware how we tempt God in that behalfe, and let eueryevery of vsus look narrowly to himselfe, and not deale after his owne imagination.
Notwithstanding let vsus herewithall put in vre the saying of the Psalme concerning the hating of all such as despise GOD,Psal. 139.2… yea and of hating them in such wise as we cannot by any meanes abide them, but that forasmuchas we see them despise God after that fashion, wee bee so sorie and greeued at it, that wee separate our selues from them, and vtterly shunne their companie, refusing euen in good earnest to hauehave anie conference with them: according whereunto it is saide in the next verse of the same Psalme,Psal. 139.22 that wee must beare a perfect hatred against all such as doe so make warre against God, so as we become their deadlie enemies to the vttermost of our power, not in respect of their persons, but in respect of their vnrecouerable wickednesse.
Besides this wee must also maintaine the order of the Church. For if anie one bee cast off as a rotten member, and wee goe and keepe him companie still: is it not a separating of our selues from the bodie of our Lorde Iesus Christ, and of all the faithfull? HaueHave wee not made a Rent (as much as in vsus lay) to shewe that wee list not to be members of the Church? When we bee so familiar with those that are so cast off, and wee fall to rubbing of our selues with them: is it not a skorning of all Gods children, and a letting of them goe, as though we had nothing to doe with them?2. Thess. 3.15 True it is that (as Paul saith in an other place) wee must not take euen those for enemies, which are cast off by the Church, but wee ought to warne them still as brethren. Yea verily. Notwithstanding, when men doe haunt their companies familiarly, and to enter so farre into friendshippe with them as to bee partakers of their naughtinesse: it is a token that they bee willing to intangle themselues with them, and they bee woorthie to receiue like condemnation with them. Thus ye see in effect howe wee ought to put this lesson in vre nowadayes▪ namely that the Magistrates ought to bee verie carefull to rid their Landes from all corruptions, and to vse the sword which is committed vntounto them, in the punishing of all crimes, euil deedes, and disorders: And moreouer, that eueryevery man in his owne behalfe doe looke to the keeping of the same order, and yet neuerthelesse that eueryevery of vsus doe learne to keepe this rule among vsus, that if there bee any stumblingblockes in the Church, they bee not borne with, but that such as serue to infect the rest of the flocke like scabbed sheepe, bee thrust out; and that although they bee not killed with the materiall swoorde, yet they bee cast out of the companie of the faithfull, so as they may bee ashamed of themselues, and other men may beware least they defile themselues with them, that they may bee made after such a sorte to knowe themselues to bee despisers of GOD, as that men can not away with them, nor abide their acquayntance, but that they be to be shunned as deadly plagues. That is the second point.
The third point is, that we must labor to root out the vices, and yet to saue the parties themselues▪
that hee was indomaged by vsus. And so yee see howe wee ought to applie this Lawe to our instruction. Againe, if it behooue vsus to spare the fruite trees, which notwithstanding are thinges without life: howe much more ought wee to spare mens persons? Truely this is not spoken in fauour of the trees themselues, but in respect of men which are fedde and sustained by them: and surely trees are not to bee priuiledged any thing at all in comparison of men. What a thing then is it, when men shalbe put all to the sworde without sparing? Is it not as good as a defying of God? That is a seconde point which we hauehave to beare in mind. Now let vsus proceede.
Whereas it is saide heere, that there must no wast bee made: it is to shewe, that men ought alwayes to maintaine the ordinance of GOD: specially sith wee knowe his goodnesse and fatherly louelove towardes men. Behold, God hath giuen the earth to men to dwell and rest vppon. Nowe when wee fall to making of hauocke, and thrust out the poore indwellers thereof, so as euen in the time of peace when euerie man may returne home againe to his owne house, yet they finde all thinges wasted and the land made barren, and whereas heere to fore it had beene well husbanded, it is nowe become as a wildernes, so as there is not one tree left to gather an apple of: is it not as good as a defeating of Gods goodnesse which hee had vttered towards mankinde? Must it not needes bee that wee be starke blind in our rage, when we fight so against Gods grace, yea and against such a grace as ought to soften our hearts though they were harder than stone? Ye see then how here is a general rule for vsus to marke well, namely that as oft as wee bee tempted to make any waste or spoyle, we ought to bethinke vsus thus: Goe to, our Lord hath placed vsus all in this worlde, and prouided vsus of the thinges which hee knewe to bee necessarie for this life: nowe if I will needes spoyle the ground of the thinges which God hath giuen it for the sustenance of man, I doe the best I can to defeate Gods goodnesse which he hath vttered to mankinde, that it might no more appeare. And am I worthie to bee sustained on the earth when I doe so abolish Gods gracious goodnesse which serued as well for my neighbours as for my selfe, not suffering it to hauehave his course and to reigne any longer? Am I not as a very monster? This is a thing (say I) which ought wel to restraine vsus. When wee bee caried with any malice, and are become so mischeeuously minded as to waste the trees, Houses, and such other thinges, let vsus bridle our selues with this consideration: yea, but who is it against whome wee make the warre? It is not the creatures, but the partie himselfe who euen there doeth shewe forth his goodnesse, and that not towards any one man alone, but towards all men, in the which number euen we our selues also are comprehended. Were this well considered, warres shoulde not be vndertaken so vnaduisedly nowadayes as we see they bee, neither shoulde countries be wasted eueryevery where without sparing. But nowadayes this kinde of crueltie is farre greater among them that beare the name of Christians, than it hath bene in times past euen among the Infidels. For nowe there is nothing but burning of Countries; and that is worse than the cutting of mens throates. For what shall the poore inhabiters doe, when their Countrie is burnt vp a tenne leagues round about? They must needs go die vnderunder the hedges and bushes, or lye pining away vponupon the plaine grounde: but it were a greater point of merciemercy to dispatch thē by death out of hand. And yet notwithstanding it is a lawfull thing nowadayes, because it is a custome so to doe. And whence commeth this custome, but that men hauehave not regarded Gods word, by reason wherof they hauehave vtterly alienated from him, and in the ende are become starke beastes? And so it is an horrible thing to see, that they which name themselues Christians, and Catholikes, and the vpholders of Christianitie, are nowadayes so farre out of order, y• barbarousnes reigneth most fully among them. Insomuch as they hold not themselues contented with the wasting of their enemies landes, but they doe also slea euen their owne subiectes without sparing. Nowadayes the lawe of the Turkes reigneth among the Christians: which is, to make no conscience of the wasting of their own countrie, so men may keepe the soueraigntie of the same. For if they doubt that the enemie is like to hauehave the forehande, they burne vp all before his comming. And what doe they burne? The poore subiectes whom the Prince himselfe hath vnderunder his protection. It is said, Thou shalt bee a couert in the storme accordingly as is spoken of the office of a good king in the person of Ezechias. The Prophet Esay saieth hee shalbe a place of harbrough and refuge for his subiectes.Esa. 25.…. When a storme commeth, so as all thinges seeme likely to goe to wrecke; the king shall hauehave his winges stretched out to couer his subiectes, and to defende them, insomuch that he ought euen to hazarde his life for them. After that manner ought a prince to maintaine his subiectes. Contrariwise yee shall see a prince so blinded, that hee commaundeth all to be burnt and wasted, that there may not so much as one graine of corne be lefte. Yea, but thereby the poore people are starued. There is no remedie, nothing must bee spared, but all thinges must be borne down, to the intent I may reigne like a conquerour. Needes must God bee forgotten, when men proceede so farre. Wee neede not to go seeke examples of threescore yeares hence, neither neede wee to heare our auncetors speake. For we hauehave seene as much within these last twentie yeares, and not farre hence. And the mischiefe not onelyonly continueth but also increaseth still. For why? they bee the fruits of the contempt of Gods worde. So a Prince doe shriue himselfe, and bee assoyled and make a Crosse vponupon his backe, it is ynough: Hee shall hauehave Ceremonies ynowe. When hee hath performed a sort of counterfaite seruices, hee is quite and cleane assoyled. But if a man shoulde come and shewe him his dutie by Gods worde: hee cannot abide to heare of it. To be tolde what he oweth first vntounto God and then vntounto men, hee can abide much lesse. To bee tolde after what manner he ought to take warres in hand, and howe hee should holde himselfe within his bounds and listes, without attempting any further than God giueth him leaue: he can no skil at all; it were a derogation to his maiestie; it is ynough for him to mocke GOD with a sort of pelting trifles, as though hee were to please a young babie. But let vsus on our side consider what is Lawfull for vsus, and not meddle with those which prouoke Gods wrath and curse vppon their heades after that fashion. And seeing that God hath ridde vsus from so great confusions, let vsus yeelde him thankes, and not followe them any more, least we prouoke his vēgeance to bee the more horrible against vsus.
Nowe, howsoeuer the worlde goe, although wee bee priuate persons yet must wee put this lesson in vre, of not making any waste, forsomuch as wee knowe that our Lorde hath appointed the earth to bee as our foster mother. And seeing shee openeth her bowels after that sort to sustaine vsus; wee must vnderstande that it is all one as if God shoulde reach vsus his hand and offer vsus the testimonies of his goodnesse. If wee bee of that minde; then will this doctrine auaile vsus, not onelyonly in time of warre, but also in time of peace. And would God that it were well regarded. But nowadayes men are set altogether vppon euill doing. Insomuch that although wee hauehave our eares beaten dayly with such matters, yet wee minde them not: whereof the examples are too euident. Yea and there are which had leuer that their corne shoulde bee marde in their Garners, and bee eaten with vermine, and rotte where it lyeth, rather than to sell it in time of neede. For they coulde finde in their heartes to hungerstarue the poore people. And is not that all one with cutting vp the fruite trees? Behold, the corne is gathered in, and our Lorde hath powred out his goodnesse and blessing to the ende that the poore folke shoulde bee susteyned. Nowe, it is hoorded vp in Garners, and it is kept fast vnderunder locke and kay, till it rise to so great a price that folke crie out for hunger, and are no longer able to abide it. And what becomes of the Corne in the meane whyle? It foysteth and rotteth. Indeede our Lord doth nowe and then mocke them that thought them selues to hauehave gained much, and shewe them that that is not the way to doe it. But yet for all that, they to the vtter most of their power doe burie Gods grace, as though they fought against the goodnesse and fatherly louelove which hee vttered towards all the people. And in so doing they peruert the whole order of nature, as if they went to cut downe and to destroy the fruitebearing trees. What is to bee done then? Seeing that our Lorde woulde hauehave a certaine humanitie to bee obserued euen among enemies: forasmuch as it behooueth vsus to liue fellowlike together in peace and brotherly louelove: let vsus looke that wee endeuour to liue in concorde and friendshippe as much as in vsus lyeth. And when God shall hauehave bestowed his spirituall giftes vppon vsus, (which are much preciouser than all the worldly thinges which wee can receiue) let vsus indeuour to make our neighbours parteners with vsus, and not through our malice disappoint them of the good which God doeth vntounto them. For if wee ought to behaue our selues with such discretion in the vse of temporall benefites: what ought wee to doe in the spirituall blessings, which concerne the saluation of our soules? Then let vsus learne not to stubbe vp the fruitetrees. But rather seeing that Gods worde is the seede of life; let vsus indeuour to spreade it abroade euerie where, that it may take good roote. And that when it hath taken roote, it may not bring foorth a barren tree, but a tree that beareth good fruite. Thus yee see what wee hauehave to gather of this text, if wee intende to profite our selues duly thereby, yea euen in such wise, that although wee be not in warres, yet notwithstanding forasmuch as GOD hath chosen vsus for his people, hee hath shewed vsus heere such a point of vprightnesse, as ought to continue with vsus all our life long.
Nowe let vsus kneele downe before the Maiestie of our good God, with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him to make vsus feele them more and more, so as we may be ye better setled in true repentaunce: and that therewithall wee may mourne and mislike of ourselues when wee see the infirmities that are in vsus, and pray our good GOD to vouchsafe to holde vsus in awe, that although wee see the worlde nowadayes to bee vtterly out of order, and our selues horriblie beset rounde about with al manner of stumblingblockes, yet wee may bee helde still vnderunder his banner, to followe him whithersoeuer hee listeth to call vsus, that by that meanes hee may bee glorified in vsus, and wee also rightly glory in him for that wee be his people, and hee hath shouled vsus out to doe him seruice. That it may please him to graunt this grace not onelyonly to vsus but also to all people and Nations of the earth, bringing backe all poore ignorant people from the superstitions and ydolatries wherein they are helde: that so hee may leade them to the knowledge of his trueth: And that for this purpose it would please him &c.