Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 131
On Fryday the xvij. of Ianuarie, 1556. The Cxxxj. Sermon, which is the second vponupon the three and twentith Chapter.
3 The Ammonites &c.
4 Because they met you not with bread and water in the way when ye came out of Egypt: and because they hyred against you Balaam the sonne of Beor of Pethor in Mesopotamia, to curse you.
5 Howbeit that ye Lord thy God would not hearkē vntounto Balaā, but the Lord thy God turned his curse into a blessing vntounto thee: because ye Lord thy god loued thee.
6 Thou shalt not seeke their friendship nor their welfare at any time for euer.
WE saw yesterday howe that although God did not punish ye spitefulnesse and crueltie of the Ammonites and Moabites at the first; yet notwithstanding hee did beare it still in minde. Lykewise when as he winketh at faultes, it is not because he hath forgotten them, but that eueryevery thing shall be reckoned for in his due time. Whereupon I tolde you, that they which hauehave offended must not flatter themselues, if GOD beare with them and lay not his hand vppon them at the first: but that they must consider yt he allureth them vntounto repentance when he is so patient,Rom. 2.4. yea, and that he stayeth to see if men wil perceiue their owne wickednesse and be sory for it. We declared with all, why God commaunded the Israelites to execute his vengeance, and in what sorte they should doe it. It remaineth now that we see the reason which is contained here▪ which is that the Ammonites & Moabites (though they issued out of the stock of ye Iewes) did notwithstanding shewe themselues their mortal enimies by stopping of them from comming into the land of Canaan. It is true that this poynt hath bin cōsidered of as concerning those which rayse offences to turne Gods children frō comming vntounto the inheritance which is promised them, who are by good reason condemned in the person of the Moabites and Ammonites.
But now we must consider that which Moses toucheth concerning the curse. He sayth, That the Moabites hyred Balaam the son of Beor to curse the people.Numb. 22. Marke here the meane which the Moabites vsed to roote out thē whome God had chosed, and to sparre the doore against them, that they might not take possession of the land of Canaan which was promised them. The Moabites sawe full well that they could not be the better men if they came to handy strokes, and therefore they hired a false Prophet to curse them. And in what sorte? forsooth in the name of God. Now in the first place we see, that they which had no true & pure religion, had yet some seede thereof: yea and that they had this printed in their hart, that God gouerneth the world, yt all thinges are ordered according to his will, yt they whom he fauoreth do alwaies prosper, that they to whom he is contrary are vnhappy & vtterly confounded. That is ye cause why the Moabites hired Balaam in this sort to curse the Israelites in the name of God. For although all this which they did be disallowed, & that they falsly pretēded ye name of God like trecherous caitifes as they were, so as this deede of theirs was in thē a cursed defilement, yet notwithstanding al this proceeded frō a good grounde, namely: yt they yeelded vntounto God all power of ruling ye worlde, howbeit yt they abused it afterward. Now when we see this, if we think to cōpasse ye things which we take in hand, wtout calling on ye name of God, so as one putteth his trust in his owne paines taking, an other in his wisedome, a thirde in his strength: we are worse than these blinde wretches which neuer knew one word of the law: and there needes no other witnesses to condemne vsus before God. This therefore is a point wel worth the noting. Seeing God would yt such light shold remaine among ye vnbeleeuing, as yt they shoulde knowe yt he gouerneth the life of men heere belowe, and yt all thinges are in his hande: [much more] ought wee to yeelde yt honour vntounto him, vnlesse wee will be worse than those which were without all true religion.
But let vsus also take heede that when we hauehave some good seede, we corrupt it not. For ye matter consisteth not altogether in imagining this or yt of God: but we must hauehave a sound & pure knowlege of him. For there is nothing more easie thā to snarle ourselues, because wee are so enclined vntounto vanitie, & the deuill also forgeth vsus many deceits to intangle our mindes w̄tal, so as ye truth is by and by turned into a lie, except we stande heedefully vponupon our gard. And therefore let vsus learne to call vponupon God, to the intent yt if he opē himselfe vntounto vsus, we may not swarue neither to the right hand nor to ye left: and yt the knowledge which wee hauehave receiued, be not peruerted nor abused. For heere wee see what happened vntounto thē which hired Balaam. They tooke him as a Prophet: & in very deed Balac the king of Moab sayth vntounto him:Numb. 12▪ I know yt they whom thou cursest shalbe cursed, & those whom thou blessest shalbe blessed. What is ye cause why Balac speketh thus? He saw yt Balaā had receiued from God ye gift of prophecying, and of foretelling many things to come. He was therfore of opinion yt seeing God had made him such an excellent mā, he shold be heard. So his intent and purpose was, to bring to passe that God might bee fauorable vntounto him. & this was good (as I tolde you) that he thought thus: Beholde, if God be on our side all shall goe well with vsus, we shall remaine safe & sound: but if his hand be against vsus, we must needes perish. Ye see one good thing in Balac and in al the Moabites which were his subiects, for they acknowledged that if God were their aduersarie partie, they could not withstand him, & thereupon they humbled themselues before him, and desired to obtayn fauor at his hand. Who wil not highlie esteeme of this? yea, but in the meane while they went not the right way to worke. As I tolde you afore, it is not enough for men to hauehave some good meaning in generality, but they must come vntounto God in such sorte as he commaundeth, and they must not seek any by pathes. For this is not the way to come vntounto him; nay rather it keepeth vsus aloofe from him, & maketh vsus but to recoyle. Therefore albeit the Moabites knew that ye true happinesse of men is to be in the fauour of God, and that they sought to come thereunto: yet notwithstanding they cease not to offend him grieuously. And why so? For they take a cleane contrarie way, when they beare themselues in hand that they shall buy the fauour of God for mony. And in what maner delt they? Although ye people of Israell was chosen of God, and the land of Chanaan was promised vntounto them; yet the Moabites perswaded themselues that they might cō iure God in such wise as he woulde not accomplishe his promise, but shape and vnshape himselfe according vntounto their lustes and pleasure. Let vsus therefore note first of all, that to finde the fauour of God; we must not hardē our selues in our vices, but bee sory for them: and secondly hope for nothing against his promises. Here bee two speciall pointes. And it is all one as if it were sayd, that to please God, we must be truely repē tant. For vntil we know our faultes, and be ashamed of them▪ doubtlesse God will alwayes remaine our enemie. And therewithal let vsus groūd our selues vppon his promises. For it were a follie to thinke to obtaine any thing in such sort as God in the meane while should bee faine to eate his worde, and be chaunged according vntounto our fancie. Now the Moabites were of this minde. For they cōtinued spiteful stil. And how thought they to winne Gods fauour? They went about to buy it of Balaam for mony. Lykewise nowadayes among the Papists it is to be seene how they intangle themselues in their sinnes, and had leuer to rotte in their owne filth, than receiue the medicine which God offereth them. But in ye meane time they thinke to raunsome themselues by their Masses, and by other such meanes as they hauehave. But they shall gaine asmuch as the Moabites did. And what meane they by these raunsomes which they bring, but that they woulde faine make God partaker of their wickednesse? When a man shall hauehave pilled & robbed others, he will bring part of that bootie for an offering. A fornicatour thinkes to cleare himselfe by giuing of almes. Now this is all one as if they would set God in their owne aray, and make him also guiltie of the faultes as well as themselues: & therefore they doe but prouoke his vengeance farther vppon them, as the Moabites did. So thē (as I hauehave tolde you afore) if wee will hauehave accesse vntounto God, let vsus learne to feele his anger: and in feeling of it, condemne our selues for our sinnes, and so come and offer our selues purely vntounto his seruice, praying him to change vsus into new creatures, yt we may be acceptable vntounto him.
And herewithall let vsus come and seeke after that ransome by the which we are recōciled vntounto God, & redeemed frō all cursing: which is because our Lord Iesus Christ hath shed his pretious bloud for our saluation. And thus ye see how we ioyne the promises of God with repentance. For it is not enough for sinners to feele and acknowledge their faultes, & to be ashamed of thē: But faith must be ioyned therewithall. For what doe the Moabites in this place? They tel Balaam that those whome he blesseth shall bee blessed. What proofes hauehave they of this? Was God pinned on Balaams sleeue? Was he bound to him? Ye see then howe fondly Balac delt. But the despisers of God deserue well to be so blinded. For they perswade themselues that God will come downe from heauen, and transforme himself for their pleasure, yea after what maner soeuer they seeke him. For (as I hauehave told you) there is a rule and manner of seeking God which wil neuer deceiue vsus. And assoone as men turne there, from that, they doe but wander from him. Howsoeuer the case standeth then, if wee desire in deede to finde fauour at the hand of God, let vsus hauehave our eye fixed on his promises. Let vsus know how and by what meanes it commeth to passe, that he fauoreth vsus; and hying our selues thither, let vsus wholy stay our selues on that which he telleth vsus. To be short, let faith be our guide, & shewe vsus ye way. After that maner God wil accept of vsus, whē we come vntounto him; by that mean the gate shall be opened vntounto vsus. And so in the example of Balac and ye Moabites, we hauehave as it were a lookingglasse, wherein to behold al ye byscapes & all the vagaries which ye world maketh, when they pretend to seeke God and yet keepe aloofe from him. For whatsoeuer they pretend, there is no alteration of minde in them, neither hauehave they any beliefe in the promises of God. On the cōtrary side, we hauehave also to gather how God will become fauorable vntounto vsus. And that is if we imagine not to bind him vntounto vsus, as though he ought to allow of our vices, and would intermeddle him with our filthinesse: but seeke to bee clensed from it, and to yeelde our selues vntounto him, and to cleaue vntounto his righteousnesse. Secondly when we conceiue nothing in our braine after our owne lyking, to say that wee must serue God, but how? after this manner: we must winne his fauour in this sorte, after the manner of the lawlesse libertie which reigneth nowadayes among ye Papists. But if we would aske any thing at the mouth of God: alas, wee are not worthie to come neare him. And againe when wee thinke on his maiestie, wee must needes bee confounded for feare, because there is nothing in vsus but all manner of corruption, and wee must needes bee his enemies, euen of good right. Yea but wee hauehave those promises which cannot deceiue vsus, if so bee wee doubt nothing at all. Surely God so warranteth that which he hath spoken, yt if we set our mindes throughly vppon his promises and vnderprop our selues with them, we may goe on with a courage and not doubt but that he will receiue vsus.
Now moreouer whereas it is sayd that the Moabites hired Balaam, and meant that hee should serue their turne to curse the people: we hauehave hereby to note, that if we beare our selues in hand, that God wil helpe vsus with his fauour against those whom he loueth; the ishew will be such as we see the Moabites had thereof. And yet this is in common vse, that the wicked think yt God ought to be on their side, notwithstāding y• they persecute & destroy folk with neuer so euil conscience. Albeit yt they vse neuer so much spitefulnesse and crueltie, yet are they of opinion that God will helpe them. As for example nowadayes, when princes make warre vponupon couetousnesse and ambition: they proclayme many solemne processions. But what for that? Surely all that euer they do, is detestable before God. For what stirreth thē thereto, but that they are blinded with pride, couetousnesse and such lyke thinges? so that they spare no mans bloud, ne make any account of confounding heauen and earth together: & yet notwithstanding they call vponupon the name of God. I alledge onelyonly this one example, howbeit that eueryevery particular person is at the same point. EueryEvery of vsus in ye trade which he vseth, would faine hauehave God on his side. But yet for all that we continue stil our deceit & malicious wilinesse, our cruelties & extortions, our periuries and trecherous dealinges, & wee giuegive our selues vntounto all wickednesse: and is it possible that God should be matched with our filthie infections? Should he renounce himself & turne his glory into shame? yet are mē so blockish that they dally thus with God, yea & yt with such presumptuous bouldnes, as it is an horrible thing to behold. Sith we see that this sicknesse is ouer rife; let vsus learne (as I hauehave told you) that when we wil cal vponupon God to defend vsus & to be aduersary vntounto our enimies, we must take heede that we hauehave a good cause, & that we be warranted in conscience yt we attempt nothing but according to his will, that they which persecute vsus do it wrongfully, that we be desirous as farre as lieth in vsus to be at peace with our enemies, & that wee hauehave not prouoked them with any iniurie, nor giuen them any cause to molest vsus. Whē we can protest this in conscience before God; then we may wel call vponupon him; & feare we not but he wil be our defē der. But if our cause be euil & that they which persecute vsus may truely alledge yt we hauehave prouoked them so to do, & hauehave giuen thē the cause therof; let vsus not then looke for any fauour at Gods hand. For when we abuse his name so falsly, our payment shal not be long after. And how shal we be rewarded? Verily not onelyonly our labor shal be lost, but God wil also laugh vsus to skorne for taking part against his children. Therefore if wee wage battaile with good men, and vse extortiōs, & wrongings, & other wicked practises, and increace the same with this further, of committing such outrage against God as to intermeddle his name with our wickednes; questionlesse hee will wreke his wrath vponupon vsus for it. Wee see what is said in this place. For God pronouncing here ye sentence of condemnation vponupon the Moabites, saith yt they abused his name in hiring Balaā to curse his people. Let vsus therfore learn (as I hauehave tolde you) not to trouble thē which serue God, nor to maintaine any quarell against them, vnlesse we will hauehave God for our aduersarie. And in so dooing let vsus not think to gaine any thing by calling vponupon him, but rather perswade our selues that in so doing we shall kindle his vengeance so much the more against vsus.
Let vsus come now vntounto that which Moses addeth: God would not heare Balaā, but turned his curse into a blessing: because the Lord thy God loued thee. This historie is handled more largelie from the 22. Chap. of Num. vntounto the 24. But without making here the whole rehearsal thereof; it shal suffice to hauehave the effect of that which is touched here as by the way. It is said that God would not heare Balaam, but there was yet more than so, as Moses in that place rehearseth. For God hindered him, and declared vntounto him his will. Whē Balaam desired leaue to goe at ye request of Balac and of the Moabites: he made the messengers tarie a night, because he would repaire aside vntounto God. Thereupon it was told him: Thou shalt not goe. But yet for al that, he bargained, yea & the desire of gaine prouoked him to intreat God so long vntill he saith: Goe thy way; Howbeit wt displeasure; insomuch that God shewed him his rebellion & his own asse taught him, as who saw more clearer than he. He could not perceiue ye Angel of the Lord, and yet the brute beast perceiued him. Ye see then Balaā condemned; insomuch that God giueth more reason & discretion to ye Asse whereon he sate, than vntounto him who was a Prophet: yea contrary to all nature ye Asse speaketh. When we see all this, is it not asmuch as if God had expresly set himselfe on the cōtrarie side, to shew yt he garded ye people of Israel vnderunder his protectiō? And after this when Balaam is come, what saith he? He telleth Balac ye king thus. I can doe nothing. Truely I hauehave enforced my self to doe somewhat, but I see yt God withstandeth me: and I cannot open my mouth to speake, but he turneth my words clean cōtrary from my purpose. Hereupō they make many cōiuratiōs to hinder God, & make him beholden to thē: they reare vp seuē altars on one side, & seuē on another. And wherunto tēdeth al this, but to y• which I told you, yt the wicked woulde faine bring God to their part? But they goe not ye right way to seeke him. They fetch their vagaries and go by ye wayes. And they doe nothing but turne tayle to him. And if happilie they cast an eye towardes him, it is but to prouoke his anger and to kindle it so much ye more. Ye see then in what sort Balaam and Balac go forward. Now in the end whē God had opened Balaams mouth, hee prophecied of the good which should come vntounto the people of Israell vntounto the reigne of Dauid: Saying, That a starre should come out of Iacob, the brightnesse where of shoulde reche vntounto Israel, and Moab shoulde bee subiect vntounto them, and humble himselfe vnderunder their feete. And vndoutedly in the reigne of Dauid there was a figure of the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Yee see then how Balaam was constrayned to speake in this sort mauger his beard, and againe, when Balac reproued him saying, What meanest thou? Thou art come hither at my charges, and commest thou to deceiue mee? for thou doest cleane contrary to that which thou didst promise mee. And what can I do saith Balaam? Is God like vntounto men, that hee shoulde change his purpose? If he hauehave once decreed a thing, it must needs be done, it abideth for euer. For hee altereth not, ne changeth according to the lust of men. Beholde how the false prophet speaketh in as excellent a style and manner of speech as can be, of Gods vnchangeable truth.
Now because the Israelites should not think that Gods doing hereof, was either because thy had deserued something, or because they were better than the Moabites: Moses sayeth afterwards: That this was because God loued the Iewes. To the intent therefore that he might be magnified for his freebestowed goodnes, and that ye Iewes might humble them selues knowing that they had obtayned fauour at his hand by reason hee had chosen & elected them of his owne good will; he saith: Thy God hath now declared how he loued thee. Here we hauehave to note first of all that Balaam was such a false prophet, as notwithstanding had some particular gift of prophecying from God: and these be no contrary things that a man should hauehave the gift of prophecying, and yet for all that abuse the gift of the holy ghost, and turne it to a wicked purpose. Wee see that also which S. Paul sayth in his Epistle to the Corinthians;1. Cor. 14. namely, that they which had the gift of tongues, of interpreting, and such like things which were excellent in the Church; had notwithstanding no regarde of edifyng of the Church: and that many of them were not renewed in such sort by the spirit of God, yt they sought to serue him.Phil. 1.18. It may wel be therfore that men shal hauehave receiued excellent gifts to bee esteemed, & that they shall beare the markes of the spirit of God, & yet not hauehave the chiefe and principal thing of all, yt is to wit, the spirit of regeneration, nor be so confirmed, that they shall giuegive themselues ouer wholy vntounto the seruice of God, & endeuour to make that auailable vntounto them which they hauehave receiued, by applying it vntounto a good & lawful vse, wayting for the saluation which God setteth before them. This may wel be. And if this fall out in the Church, that is to say, to them which are of the housholde of faith: what shal we think of Balaam & the like? & so we see there is no inconuenience, yt Balaam had the gift of prophecie, & yet for all that had many corruptions therewithal, insomuch that he was an idolater, & vsed sorceries. But what is the cause that God gaue him the knowledge of foretelling things to come? for it might seeme yt by this meanes he setteth forth his name vntounto open reproche. It is true in deede that Balaam & such like, when they thus abuse the gifts of God, do vnhallow yt which is holy, & that which they hauehave receiued of God. Yet notwtstanding there was this respect, yt God ment to leaue some witnesse of himself euen among the Infidels, to the intent they might hauehave so much ye lesse excuse, & be so much the more conuicted, if they would make ignorance their buckler. As for example, the Moabites forasmuch as they had not ye law, therefore they had neuer knowen any thing of God, except their fathers had left thē some smal remnant therof. For Lot was not ignorant of it, but beeing brought vp in his vncle Abrahams house, he knew what religion meant. As for the Moabites, they were altogether estranged from it. Howbeit there remained some small print therof, yt they might be conuicted at the latter day: yt if they had sought after God, they might hauehave attained vntounto him, but because they were snarled in the multitude of superstitions which they themselues had deuised, & were growen cleane out of kinde, they can seeke after no starting holes: for they shal always be condemned for hauing a malicious wickednes in them, and for turning aside from God, so as they deserued to be blinded in yt fashion by ye deceits of Satan. And thus yee se what is to be noted in the first place touching Balaam.
Now in yt Balac beleeued, yt if Balaam once cursed ye people, al should passe on his side; wee see therby how men can neuer hold the mean, but euen do swarue aside to some extremitie or other.Gen. 2.7. It is true in deede yt when wee are blessed of ye prophets of God, the same is a warrant vntounto vsus of his blessing. But yet we must always hauehave an eye vntounto God. For if we teare him in pieces, what shal we win therby? But when men think to coniure God, it is al one as if they would dismember him. For they intend to seuer his iustice & vprightnes from his truth, & his gratious goodnes, from his mightie power. God saieth yt when we be blessed of his prophets, we ought to assure our selues that he ratifieth ye same in heauen. When Abraham blessed Isaac, when Isaac blessed Iacob, when Iacob blessed his children, it was no vaine blessing, because it had his certaine force & effect. And why? Because God had giuen vntounto them this office. And what is ye reason yt we are blessed at his hand, when mē blesse vsus with their mouth? His wil is that men should beare this reuerence vntounto his word, by ye which he declareth him self here below vntounto vsus, he cō meth not downe alwayes from heauen in visible maner, he sendeth not his angels at our plesure: but those whome he hath ordeined his messengers, are to declare his wil vntounto vsus. He wilbe serued by them as by instruments, to the intent he may make his blessings which he sendeth vntounto men to profit them. And therefore if we say that being blessed by the Prophets or by the priests, we are assured yt God ratifieth the same in heauen: we shal speake truly. Yea verily, if so be wee hauehave an eye vntounto God, & be conformable vntounto his wil. But if we dally with God, & wil hauehave him transforme himselfe at our beck; let vsus note yt he wil curse vsus, yea, yt he will curse vsus double when we vse him in that order. For when God ordeined that the priestes should blesse the people, it was to good effect & purpose. For it is expressely said in the sixth Chapter of Numbers: Ye shall blesse my people in my name, & they shalbee blessed. There is a promise made. The priestes then when they opened their mouth in ye name of God, had this trueth warranted from heauē, yt they might promise the fauor of God, and the people were certaine yt they should prosper whē they once had this warrant which was offered vntounto them. But yet for all that it behoued them to hauehave an eye vntounto God. For if ye wicked should come to seeke for a blessing at the priests hāds, & the priests on the one side should defie God & make their gaine of him; & they on the other side which come vntounto them, hauehave hyred them to blesse: what might be thought of it? It were a diuelish superstition, & a peruerting of ye order of God. And yet notwithstanding they do it daily in the popedom. For ye see what our Lord Iesus Christ said vntounto his disciples. If you forgiue sins vponupon earth,Matt. 16.19. Iohn. 20.21. they shalbe forgiuen in heauen: and whatsoeuer yee vnbinde vponupon earth, shalbe vnbound in heauen. Ye see then how our Lord Iesus Christs will is, yt his blessing should be vttered vntounto vsus in his name. But what do the papists? Their prelacie forsooth on ye one side vsurp the office of God, & by their charmes & sorceries they would so bleare ye eyes of the whole world, yt men should not seeke after God. It is ynough (say they) to hauehave a crosse on ye back, or a sprinkling of holy water, & I know not what. And the world on ye other side is soone entreated to receiue these dotages. For men fal asleep in their vices, & beare themselues in hande it is ynough for them to hauehave discharged al their sinnes once a yere into a priestes bosome, & then to hauehave a Masse or two sung, & other like solemnities vsed After this maner hauehave men purchaced blessings not at Gods, but at Balaams hand. What is then to be done? Because we see men swarue thus aside vntounto these sinful extremities; let vsus know, yt when Gods wil is yt his blessing be declared vntounto vsus by ye mouth of men, it is to the intent wee should look vp vntounto him, & receiue the blessing at his hand, yea, & yt in such sort as wee seuer it not from his trueth or righteousnes. On what condition is it yt he blesseth vsus? It is to the intent first yt we should know, yt there is in vsus nothing but cursednes, & secondly yt we should hauehave recourse vntounto his maiestie, & hold our selues in ye right way which hee hath shewed vntounto vsus, and therefore let vsus not disioyne yt which is ioyned togither by God least we become guiltie of this crueltie of tearing God as it were in peeces, as the Papists do nowadayes, & the Moabites did in time past. Now then we see wherin Balac offended, & how we are warned by his fault, which is, that he thought Balaam had this priuilege to blesse at his pleasure, & that God had layed the bridle on his neck, & that he had resigned ouer vntounto him his own office. Let vsus take heede of so vaine & foolish thoughts. And let vsus vnderstand yt when God sendeth vsus men to declare vntounto vsus his word, it is not because himselfe would bee at rest & sleepe in heauen, & in the mean time forsake his church here below, & suffer men to bestow at their pleasure ye treasure which he hath committed vntounto them; but it is to the intent yt we should be guyded vntounto him according vntounto our weaknes. If we hauehave men to speake vntounto vsus in his name; it is not to the end yt we shold stick vntounto them, but to the intent they might be our ayders & helpers. And yet notwithstanding if we wil come vntounto God, we must be blessed in his name; yea, & receiue wt faith & true repentance the good which he offereth vsus. And when we be so blessed, let vsus knowe yt that which men shall hauehave done, is no vaine or fruitles thing: because God warranteth & ratifieth it in heauen: but yet for al yt, he himself must gouerne vsus, he must always hauehave the chiefe preheminence, & we must not leane to creatures, but resort vntounto him and say: Lord it is of thee that I desire to be blessed. And how? not by forging such imaginations as shal seeme good vntounto vsus: but thou Lord hast appointed yt we should come vntounto thee, & sith wee hauehave thy word, it is ynough to assure vsus that our labor shal not be lost: but that the thing which thou hast pronounced & decreed by thy worde & by the doctrine of ye Gospel, shalbe fulfilled: & that although it be done on earth, yet notwithstanding ye effect therof shalbe shewed in heauē. Wherfore whensoeuer we heare the warrant of our saluation preached vntounto vsus; it is all one as if we had seene an angel from heauen, or as if god himself had taught vsus in his own person: and we must do God this honor to receiue his word reuerently without making any reply against it, at leastwise if we wilbe holden & accounted for his people. Now herewithal we are also warned, yt God by witholding the mouth of Balaam, declared therby the power of his promise which hee had made vntounto Abraham. Truely he might hauehave vsed other meanes: but his intent was to certifie the Iewes more fully of their adoption. Sometimes God giueth the bridle to the wicked to blaspheme with open & ful mouth, & to peruert al truth, whereupon they take so vnruly & lawlesse leaue, as none cā be greater, & do nothing else but pluck forward the vengeance of God vponupon their heads. To be short, all the world groweth out of kind by their abuses. God somtimes permitteth this. And why so? bicause mē are worthie somtimes of such scourges. Secondly, God meaneth to humble vsus. And thirdly, he will trye ye stedfastnes of our faith. But in Balaam he vsed another manner of order, yt is to wit, he bridled his tongue so as he could not do what he would, & what he purposed: for god withstood him. And why did hee so? Because ye people were ouer tender & nyceharted: they had neede of helpe, and therefore God meant to giuegive them this aduantage. So then let vsus note, yt he suffereth deceiuers sometimes to darken the trueth, yea, & to cast forth their lyes at ful, & in the meane while notwithstanding disappointeth them of their purpose: or if his wil be that they preuaile, it is because of mens vnthākfulnes: for (as S. Paul saith) they hauehave wel deserued that God should forsake them.2. Thess. 2.… But somtimes he wil bridle the toūgs of ye wicked, so as the enimies of the worde of God cannot speake that which full faine they would: & we see nowadayes many experiences hereof. In deede a man may see on the one side these hyreling villaines, these hypocrites & flatterers [I meane] which write nowadays as their knowledge serueth them, & as men grease them in ye hand like common strumpets of the stewes. It is nothing with them to speake euil of God, and to aduaunce themselues against his word. We may see many such Balaams nowadayes, which are at the Popes pay, & are of his stinking clergie, & be of the number of these horned beasts. But yet we see also how God bridleth them, & locketh them vp in such close ward, yt they speake sometimes cleane contrarie to that they purposed, so as they profit vsus more by that meanes, than if they had set themselues purposely to serue god: insomuch yt the throte of Popedom is cut by his own vnderlings, & by all these Balaams which endeuour to bring al to vtter destruction, & the things which are done by them, doe serue vsus to as good purpose, as if the seruaunts of God had spoken & written. Therefore when we see this, let vsus acknowledge the goodnes of God, and be confirmed more & more therin. And moreouer if he sometimes giuegive such great libertie vntounto ye wicked, yt they disguise al things, & falsifie the trueth by turning of it into a lie: Let vsus pray him to strengthen vsus against such temptations, and not suffer the weaklings to quayle altogither by that meanes. Now it is to be noted also yt God heard not Balaam, but held him backe, notwithstanding that he declared his wil vntounto him, & in the end did suffer him to goe. Hereby wee are taught not to come with hypocrisie as Balaam did when we desire leaue for any thing at Gods hand.… For wee see what leaue he had. The like was said vntounto king Achab. Yea thou shalt hauehave ye victorie. But God mocked him, because he wold needes hauehave leaue of him, whether he would or no. Wel, God gaue him leaue, but it was to doe him to vnderstand, yt he was prouoked thereby to farther displeasure▪ so hapned it vntounto Balaam. But how euer it be, let vsus thus conclude: that for asmuch as Balaā was so stubbornly bent; therefore his couetusnes so blinded him, as he sought onelyonly after gaine. For as a swyne when he hath once winded his meat, runnes on to swash himself in it, though he see men readie to stick him, because his lust carieth him on headlōg though it be to his death: so doe the wicked which despise God. And why? For their desires blind thē, & cary them away headlong, & yet will they needes hauehave Gods leaue with them.
But wee see what befell of it: namely yt God commādeth him to blesse his people, & to curse the Moabites. Forasmuch as wee see this, let vsus know yt sith God did put the warrant of his truth in the mouth of a false prophet, [we must assure our selues that] when he sheweth vsus so great fauour as to speak vntounto vsus by those whom he hath appointed sheepheards in his church, & by whō he wilbe serued; it is an infallible warrant of his gracious goodnes towards vsus. And seeing that a false prophet was constrayned to say yt God is not like vntounto mortal men, what ought we to do? Seeing yt a false prophet speaketh thus,Num. 23.19 we ought to be ashamed to call the trueth of God in question, specially when he declareth it vntounto vsus: by such as represent his person. And therfore let eueryevery man answere Amen in his heart. Sith wee heare eueryevery day yt God allureth vsus vntounto himself, that he reneweth the remembrance of ye adoption which he hath made vsus, yt he layeth before vsus the benefite of the death & passion of our Lord Iesus Christ, declaring vntounto vsus that we are cleansed by that meanes, & yt we are reconciled vntounto him: let these thinges cause vsus to aunswere Amen; & let vsus rightly seale vp the same, to shew yt when God speaketh we are content with that which he saith, nothing douting but that he will fulfil the same in his time.
Now let vsus kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults, praying him to make vsus feele them more & more, yea, & yt knowing how there is nothing in vsus but al maner of miserie & wretchednes, & yt vntil he accept of vsus through his merciemercy, wee must needes be his enemies; it may please him to grant vsus the grace to seeke him, not with fainednes & hypocrisie, but in plain truth, ridding vsus of all our wicked affections, & of whatsoeuer we hauehave besides which may hinder vsus from cō ming vntounto him purely & in such simplicitie as he requireth. Let vsus therfore go vntounto him with repentance & faith, submitting our selues wholy vntounto his word, & embracing his promises which he maketh vsus to feele with their power & effect. And that albeit we heare them not but of mortal men which speake vntounto vsus, yet wee may not fayle to sticke wholly vntounto ye doctrine which is of God, & to ye order which he hath appointed, knowing yt our Lord Iesus Christ wil shew howe it was not for nought yt he ordeined yt his church should be so ordered. That it may please him to grant this grace not only vntounto vsus, but also, &c.