Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 188
On Wednesday the xvij. of Iune, 1556. The CLXXXVIII. Sermon, which is the eleuenth vponupon the two and thirtith Chapter.
39 See nowe howe it is I, euen I that am God, and there is no God with mee. It is I that kill and make aliue againe, I wounde and heale, and there is none that can deliuer out of my hand.
40 For I lift vp my hande to heauen: and as for mee, I liue for euer.
41 If I whet the edge of my sworde, and my hande lay holde of Iudgement: I will execute vengeaunce vponupon mine aduersaries, and pay them their hyre which hate mee.
42 I will make mine arrowes drunken with bloude, and my sworde shall deuoure the bloudie flesh of the slaine, and of the prisoners at the beginning of the vengeance of the enemies.
43 Yee nations prayse you his people: for hee will auenge the bloude of his seruauntes, and yeeld vengeance to his aduersaries: but he will be fauorable to his owne lande, and to his owne people.
WE sawe yesterday howe it is not enough to knowe, that there is nothing but vanitie and leasing in Idols, and in al ye superstitions yt men hauehave deuised of their owne heades: but that the cheefe point is to knowe God to do him homage, to walke in his feare, and to consider howe dreadfull his maiestie is. Nowe heerewithall wee must marke also, that when we once knowe God to be too great a Lorde to bee dalied withall, if he chastice vsus for offending him, we must taste of his merciemercy to returne freely vntounto him, beeing throughlie perswaded and resolued, that wee shall finde merciemercy at his hande, though wee be vnworthie of it. And that is the cause why he saith, That it is hee which killeth and quickeneth, and that it is hee that woundeth and healeth againe. Nowe wee hauehave alwayes these two thinges to marke: The one is that wee shall bee helde in awe by considering (as I saide afore) howe dreadfull Gods maiestie is▪ according to the Apostles treating thereof in the fore alleadged tenth chapter to the Hebrewes.Hebr. 10.31 That is the thing which maketh vsus to liue in awe. For we be not so bolde to offende God, neither take wee such libertie as they doe which fling out at all aduenture: but yet, when wee hauehave done amisse and God warneth vsus of our faults, then hauehave we neede to resort to his infinite goodnesse, and to assure ourselues that howsoeuer the case stand, we shall obtayne pardon of our offences. Truely these two thinges, namely, That God killeth and quickeneth againe; and that hee maketh a wounde and afterwarde healeth againe: seeme at the first blush to bee contraries: For God seemeth not to play the Physicion towardes vsus when wee bee as it were deade and layde in our graues. Neither seemeth this to bee agreeable to his nature: to put vsus to death, and to afflict vsus: but (as I saide afore) hee must be faine to doe both the one and the other: and wee on our side also must bee faine to feele it. For as long as men take leaue to doe euill, it is meete that God shoulde hold them in awe, and shewe them that hee is their Iudge. And on the other side that wretched sinners should humble themselues, and with griefe of minde turne againe vntounto him to obteyne forgiuenesse at his hande; and then will he bee forwarde and readie to forget all their offences, and shewe them nothing but all maner of gentlenes & friendship. To be short the two thinges which Moses noteth here, are to be considered well: namely that God vseth rigor towards such as take too much libertie to do euil, and also that his goodnes is ready to vtter it selfe towardes those which returne to him with repentaunce. And so ye see howe we hauehave to marke also howe good and pitifull God is: and againe on the contrarie part, wee hauehave to consider his rigour and seueritie. To be short, as oft as wee be prouoked to euill, and the wicked lustes of our flesh do tickle vsus and intice vsus to sin; let Gods iudgement come before our eyes, that we may be mooued with feare, and thereby bee restrayned from the euill whereunto we bee tempted. On the other side, when we fall through infirmitie, let vsus not be afraide to turne againe to our God, neither let vsus thinke that hee hath quite cast vsus off. Although his hande be sore vppon vsus, and he smite vsus as though he meant to vse wrath and vengeance against vsus: yet let that not make vsus to shrinke from him, but rather let vsus vnderstande, yt as he hath made the wound, so he is at hand to heale it, so we seeke the remedy. Now the mean howe to seeke it, hath beene declared heretofore. And so ye see after what maner we ought to put this lesson in vre, where Moses saith that god hauing put to death, doth make aliue again. And herewithall let vsus also beare in minde, that God playeth not with men as the heathen hauehave imagined, as who would say he tossed and turned them like a bal: but ye reason is manifest why God doth first kill and lay in graue, before he restore to life againe: namelie because we cannot find in our harts to submit our selues willingly vntounto him vntil he hauehave subdued vsus by force: Nay the feruent heate of our boyling lustes doth so carie vsus away, and we be so blinded with them, that wee cannot conceiue howe terrible Gods iustice is, vntil he hauehave made vsus to feele it by experience. Therfore it is needful for vsus yt our Lord shold put vsus as it were to death, to ye intēt to make vsus to tast ye life which he giueth to those yt return vntounto him.
And for the same cause he addeth, That no mā can deliuer out of his hand. For we know how men doe alwaies beare themselues in hand: that they shall scape Gods hande: insomuch that hee beginneth no sooner to strike them, but by and by they seeke startingholes, and they will needes hauehave some pretie shift or other, and thereupon they fal asleepe, and yt is a kinde of contempt to God ward. To the end then that wee may goe directlie vntounto him, whether wee hauehave offended him, or whether we hauehave beene tempted to euil: we must alwayes vnderstande that there is no deliueraunce, there is no shift but we must make our accout to him, vntill he of his owne infinite goodnesse hauehave receiued vsus, and bee come to attonement with vsus. The thing therefore that will perswade vsus to come vntounto God, is that we be fully determined and setled in our selues, that we shall gayne nothing by our running to and fro and by our seeking heere and there for startingholes, but that all is meere deceyte to beguile our selues withall. When we once knowe this well: then shall wee bee prouoked to submit our selues to God. Also it will hold vsus in awe of him, and make vsus to seeke forgiuenesse of our sinnes at his hand, when wee hauehave so giuen ouer ourselues to him.
Againe we ought to wey well the wordes of Moses, It is I (sayth he) it is I my selfe that am the euerlasting, and there is not any other God. For hereby wee see howe harde it is to holde men to the knowledge of the true God, because they be euer swaruing aside to their owne foolishe imaginations. For wee be naturally inclined to the forging of Idols, and to corrupt our selues with superstitions, so as fashood doth alwayes beare sway in vsus rather than trueth. A man woulde woonder how so many errours should be in the worlde. But let him consider what a workehouse our owne brayne is, and what thinges it forgeth and yeeldeth foorth; and surelie hee shall finde that we neuer cease forging of lies and deceites to corrupt ourselues withall, and to turne vsus away from Gods pure trueth. And so, because men are so wholy bent, yea and giuen ouer to …easinges: therefore doeth God confirme this matter the more by saying, It is I, and there is not …nie other: It is hee on whome wee must wholie …est. Nowe seeing it is so, it behooueth all of vsus to knowe that euerie of vsus had neede to holde himselfe as it were by force in the pure singlenesse of Gods worde, or else wee shall bee ouercome by Satans illusions, and he will hauehave caried vsus away here and there out of hande. And by the way, if wee see the worlde intangled in neuer so manie disorders, and all men possessed with false and wicked opinions: let vsus not be too much troubled at such a stumblingblocke. For why? Wee see there is nothing harder than to holde men in the pure knowledge of God.
Nowe hee addeth consequentlie, Surelie I will lift vp my hande to heauen and say, I am the liuing; and that I hauing sharpened the edge of my sworde, & hauing taken Iustice in my hande, will execute such vengeaunce that bloude shall run downe in streames euerie where, so as all mine enemies shall be made to come to their aunswere, and I will spare nothing from one side to an other. Now here God confirmeth yet better that which hee had declared heretofore, and he confirmeth it with an othe: For this speech, to lift vp the hand to heauen is as much to say, as to Sweare; not that God can lift vp his hande after the manner of men: for besides that hee hath no hande, there is nothing higher than his maiestie: but it is a figure taken of the custome among men, and wee knowe it is verie common in the holie scripture. Because we comprehende not God as he is in deede, but finde him to be a thing farre passing our reach: therefore is hee fayne to applie himself to our rudenesse. Euen so in this text he saith that he will lift vp his hande, that is to say that hee will sweare. Now, there is no need, that God shoulde sweare: For the cause why we hauehave othes among vsus, is our owne naughtines. There is so much craft and suttletie among men as is pitifull to beholde. They bee fleeting, they bee full of lightnes and vnconstancie, and it is harde to bring them to vpright dealing. In these respectes, and for that wee be so giuen to deceitfulnes, othes are faine to bee ministred to vsus: But Gods swearing is for our infirmities sake. And truely wee bee greatly to blame in this behalfe, in that we compell God to sweare. For nothing is more peculiar to him than trueth, and if hee had not that, hee were not God. Seeing then, that hee is the infallible trueth it selfe, if when hee hath once spoken, wee stand doubting still, and examine whether it bee so or no: can there bee a more horrible blasphemie, than to call Gods trueth in question after that fashion? Is it not all one as if wee woulde bereaue him of his verie beeing? And yet for all that, wee see howe men stande as in a mammering when God speaketh to them. For if hee threaten vsus, wee make no account of it: If we were throughlie perswaded that all that euer proceedeth out Gods mouth is of such certaintie as there ought to bee no replying against it, truely wee woulde tremble and quake out of hande for feare, as soone as hee threateneth vsus: but wee know how hardhearted wee be in that behalfe. On the other side, if our Lorde promise to bee mercifull to vsus when wee hauehave done amisse, and intreate vsus as his children, and call vsus to the hope of euerlasting saluation: wee bee so tangled in this worlde, that euerie thing of nothing holdes vsus backe and we despise the inestimable benefites which God offereth vsus. Wee see then that men do not the honour to God to count him faithful. For then woulde they holde themselues wholie to his worde, they woulde bee touched to the quicke, yea they woulde quake at his threates, and they woulde set all their ioy and delight in his promises. That is the cause why GOD warranteth, and confirmeth his worde with an othe. Nowe in this case (as I saide afore) wee our selues are much too blame; seeing that God is faine to yeelde to such condition as to abace himselfe as though hee were a mortall creature, to the entent hee may winne vsus, and that wee may no more wander away, but bee fully perswaded in our selues that this speaking to vsus is in good earnest. Seeing then that our Lorde is faine to frame himselfe vntounto vsus after that fashion, thereby wee see our owne malice and frowardnesse: and yet doth God beare with vsus in yt case. But when he sweareth, it is as much as if we sawe heauen and earth shaken, nature changed, the Sunne darkened, and all the starres bereft of their light. And therefore if wee bee not touched with ye othes which God maketh after yt maner: it is certaine yt the diuel hath as it were bewitched vsus, and that wee bee become starke blockes, or rather that wee be horrible and vglie monsters. Therefore let vsus benefite ourselues by the othes which wee reade in the holy scripture. And when God sweareth that he will bee auenged at his enemies; let it abashe vsus, as though we sawe his vengeance and wrath take effect out of hande, and as though we sawe him readie and in a forwardnes to execute the thing which hee hath vttered with his mouth. And when he sweareth that hee will be friendly to vsus and take vsus for his children, confirming with an othe the heauenlie heritage which hee hath promised vsus: ought not the doing of those things to assure vsus to withstande all temptations? Although Satan and the flesh tempt vsus to distrust, yet notwithstanding let vsus set this for a shielde against them, and say, No, seeing that God hath sworne, shall we doe him such wrong and dishonour, as to cal the truth of his word in question? Let that bee far from vsus. That is the thing which wee hauehave to note in this text where God saith that he will lift vp his hande to heauen and say, I liue.
And he sweareth by himselfe, accordingly as the Apostle toucheth it in the sixt to ye Hebrewes. When we sweare, we call God to witnes as our Iudge if we lie.Hebr. 6.13. But it is not so with God; he cannot finde a greater than himselfe to sweare by. He saith therefore, I am aliue, as if he should say, Nay, whosoeuer he be that holdeth not himselfe to the sentence which I doe nowe pronounce, he derogateth my glorie as much as if he meant to abolish me quite and cleane, and to declare that I am no more God. But if I be God, it must needs be perceiued in the execution of the thinges which I doe nowe speake. I am contented that men shall hencefoorth take mee but for an idol or a deade thing, if they finde not my sayinges true in deede. When God speakes after that fashion, ought it not to make the haire to stande vp vppon o…r heades, if wee esteeme not his worde to be verie certaine? Yes. And so we see my former saying yet better confirmed, namelie that it is not for vsus to replie any more when God hath once spoken, but wee must take the matter to bee out of all crie, as though wee sawe the thing alreadie done before our eyes. But let vsus see nowe whereat God amed: for it is certaine that hee sweareth not but for our welfare. It is not for his owne sake, hee taketh neither good nor harme by it, but hee hath regarde of vsus. And in token thereof hee saith, That hee will whet the edge of his sworde, that it shall bee as a flaming sworde, and that hee will take Iudgement in his hand, that is to say, that he will hold his assises to shewe himselfe to bee the Iudge of the worlde, and that as then all his enemies must bee confounded, and all aduersaries bee brought to nought. And whereas God speaketh here of the edge of the sworde, we must not imagine that hee vseth any material sword, for that cannot agree to him: but wee knowe hee hath all sortes of punishmentes to chastice men withall as seemeth good to himselfe. For in verie deede, all the swordes in the world do serue to execute Gods ordinaunce. When warre is to bee had, well may princes assemble great armies: but it is God that must beare the stroke. Then if there be fiftie thousand men in armes on the one side, and forty thousand on the other: wee must not thinke that God is that whyle asleepe in heauen: for all they are of his waging. And although the two armies bee set one against an other: yet shall not one stroke be stricken but by the disposition of Gods hand. The like is to bee sayde of pestilences, famines, & such other like thinges. To be short, all the scourges of this worlde are Gods swordes. And in that respect is it saide that God will sharpen the edge of his sworde, that is to say, hee will execute the chastisementes which hee hath in his hande. But if hee winke at things for a time and list to vse patience: hee seemeth to hauehave no regarde of the faultes that are committed here belowe. Yet doeth it not followe that all those things are not inregistred before him; neither is it to bee saide that hee hath forgotten his charge, or that his power is idle: for hee hath all kindes of punishmentes, which he can well shewe foorth whensoeuer it shall bee expedient to execute vengeaunce. And so yee see after what manner God is sayde to drawe his sworde.
Nowe the applying of this doctrine will giuegive vsus yet a more easie vnderstanding thereof. Let vsus consider to what ende it is saide: namely because it seemeth to vsus, that when God punisheth not the wicked out of hande, hee letteth thinges goe at all aduenture, and that is ye thing which troubleth vsus sore. When we be wrongfully afflicted on the behalfe of men, and wee see the Church of God to suffer manie slaunders and molestations: what say wee? Whereon doeth God thinke nowe? Hath hee not pitie vppon his children? Wee bee tormented with extremitie, and yet hee maketh as though hee sawe it not. Shall the crueltie of men hauehave such scope for euer? Shoulde hee giuegive heade to the wicked after such sort that wee shoulde alwayes bee made a pray to them? Such complaintes do men make, when God doeth not out of hande punish the outrages that are doone to his seruauntes. And therefore it is saide, That hee will sharpen his sworde, and take Iudgement in his hande, as though that to holde vsus in patience, he should say, My friendes, trouble not your selues, let not your lustes be ouer hastie and inordinate. For I doe not this as vnmindfull of you. Although I suffer the wicked to doe manie thinges outragiously: it is not for that I hauehave no regarde of you, or for that I watch not for the welfare of my Church, or for that I pitie not those which suffer aduersitie, and are so molested: but because I hauehave my conuenient times, which I dispose at my pleasure; and therefore tarie you my leasure. For the wicked shall bee vtterlie amased at the whetting of my sworde to make warre against them. Be not afraide: for although yee see it not at the first day: yet will I not faile to shewe my selfe your protector and the defendour of your life. Nowe then wee see in effect, that all this is applyed to our infirmitie, euen therafter as we be tossed with temptations: so that when it seemeth to vsus that God thinketh not any more vppon vsus, but that hee hath turned his back and is asleepe in heauen: we should notwithstanding that all this fall out, take it, as though hee had sayd: Cease not you to be patient and quiet, yea, hold your selues stil til I draw my sworde, for I will surely doe it.
And for the same cause he addeth, that he wil take iudgement in his hand. Wee knowe that Gods maiestie and his iustice are thinges vnseparable. Sith it is so, let vsus hardily conclude that hee is the Iudge of the world, yea & although the same bee hidden from vsus, so as wee perceiue not any signe or lykelyhoode thereof, yet let vsus not forbeare to say continually, What? Is it possible for God to renounce himselfe, who is vnchangeable? Then must wee take him for our Iudge, assuring our selues that although hee hide himselfe away, yet notwithstanding hee will shewe that hee sawe all, that all thinges lay open before him, and that he neuer chaunged his mind. Thus yee see howe wee ought to practise this lesson, yea euen at such time as our Lorde suffereth vsus to bee as it were trodden vnderunder foote by the wicked, and all the whole Church is cruelly dealt with, and all thinges are out of order here beneath. For euē then we must not cease to hope & to put ourselues into ye protection of our God, because he hath sworne, and not only affirmed but also ratified with a solemne othe, that he will do iustice vponupon his enemies, and that the execution thereof shal be so terrible, as yt there shalbe an vtter discomfiture of them, and all shall bee filled with bloud. And it is not to bee doubted but that in this place Moses meant to confirme the faithfull still in the hope which they ought to hauehave of Gods goodnes, although they seeme to bee as it were sunken. And hee proceedeth in the matter which he had dealt with before: which is, that in the end God will bethinke him of his seruauntes. Howbeit that hee beginne at this poynt, namely that while the wicked doe make great cheere, and liue in pleasure, & make their triumphes: God dooth say that hee will iudge his people, and that those which are his children and houshold seruantes, must be faine to indure hardnes, because hee reformeth them when they hauehave done amisse. Nowe it would seeme that their state is much woorse than the state of such as are vtter straungers to God and hauehave no acquaintance with him. And therefore dooth Moses adde, No, in the ende God will mitigate his rigour towards you, and therefore let it not greeue you to see the worldliges spared, or to see them weltering in their pleasures, as though all things were lawfull which they listed. If your God afflict you in the meane season, let it not seeme straunge vntounto you. For hee must needes hauehave a speciall care of his owne children & chastice them seing he hath adopted thē. And as for your enemies, assure your selues that their turne will come about: and thereof your GOD assureth you here, in that hee dooth not simply affirme it, but also sweare it. Therefore you may trust vntounto it. So then euen in the middest of our afflictions▪ let vsus bee vpheld with this lesson. For it will bee a good stud for vsus to leane vntounto, when wee make it auaileable as it deserueth, and as God himselfe intendeth it. Now wee see the state of the faithfull to be too too miserable both generally and particularly: for many of them indure such miseries and reproches in this world, that to all seeming they bee vtter castawayes, and that God disdayneth them no lesse than the world despiseth them. Behold they which walk purely & simply before God, which louelove righteousnesse and vpright dealing, which will neither deceiue nor hurt any man; euen they neuerthelesse are faine to abide hunger and thirst, and are greeued with many temptations and troubles, so as they wote not which way to turne thē. Now they might bee brought to despaire, if God withheld them not, by dooing them to vnderstand that they hauehave neede to be chasticed, and put in minde of their sinnes. On the other side they see the wicked and the despisers of God sporting themselues in all manner of disorder, and in the meane while they bee neither chasticed nor corrected, but seeme rather to be exempted and priuiledged from all harme,Psal. 73.5. as it is sayd in the threescore and thirteenth psalme. Loe here a very sore temptation. We see generally that Gods Church is as a sheep in the midst of a great sorte of Woolues. For the power of our enemies is such, as they might swallowe vsus vp out of hand, and we see there is no meane of resistance in vsus, we be all scattered abroad. Seeing then that wee see such thinges, were it possible for vsus to holde out one minute of an houre, if wee had not our refuge to this doctrine, that God scourgeth his owne, and that he beginneth at them, because he must needes hauehave a care of his owne houshold? But the wicked shall fare neuer the better for his bearing with them as now, neither is it to be sayd that their state is therefore better than ours. Therefore we must tary his leasure with patience, vntil he take the sword in hand, and keepe his Assises. Let vsus referre all vntounto him, and in the meane whyle keep silence, without grudging against him. Let not the corrections which wee suffer set vsus in such a chafe as to make vsus play the desperate persons. Thus ye see how profitable this doctrine is to vsus, if we can apply it to our instruction.
Now it is sayd consequently, that God will requite his enemies with the lyke, and pay them their hyre which hate him, hee wil make his arrowes dronke with bloud, and make such a slaughter of them that they shall all bee discomfited. His speaking after that maner is to make his Iustice the more terrible to vsus, because we be slow and dulheadded as I hauehave sayd afore, insomuch that wordes moue vsus not a whit. Therefore doth our Lorde set downe a vehement kinde of speech here, to the ende to waken vsus, and to make vsus yeeld due honor to his Iustice, and that (as I hauehave sayd afore) it might be to vsus as though wee sawe both heauen and earth shaken. For after the same maner speaketh hee by his Prophet Aggeus; & the Apostle shewing vsus the maiestie of the Gospell,Agge. 2.7. & Heb. 12.26. alledgeth the same text, that as oft as wee heare the voyce thereof sound, it behoueth vsus to call to minde, that God will bee heard and knowen both aboue and beneath. Now it is certaine yt the holy Ghost would not hauehave vsed such speach but for our blockishnes sake. Seeing then that our Lord setteth downe here so many figures and so many comparisons, let vsus accuse our selues, and consider that hee doth it for the brutishnes of our nature, by reason whereof hee is faine to chawe thinges to vsus aforehand, to the end we may finde some tast in them and be touched with them. But yet must we alwayes hauehave an eye to the end, and to the intent where at this doctrine ameth. And our Lord sayth that it is for the slaines sakes, and for the prisoners sake…. Whereby he dooth vsus to vnderstand that the vengeance which hee speaketh of is for the welfare of his Church; howbeit not for all that hauehave borne ye name of faithfull, for wee know there are many which make false bragges of Gods name, & that is to their double condemnation. We know that the chaffe is mingled with the good corne, and the wicked are intermedled with the godly. But yet they which falsely abuse Gods name after that fashion, must not looke that their hypocrisie shall any whit boote them: nay rather they shall pay full deere for it. They then which pretend to bee faithfull and are not, shall not be allowed before GOD for euer: but hee will mark them out for falsifyers of his trueth. But our Lorde here comforteth such as are not altogether past grace, but which notwithstanding that they hauehave offended, doe neuerthelesse turne againe vntounto him, and beeing sory for their sinnes doe humble themselues to him and seeke to bee reformed by his hand and by his holy spirit. Those therefore which are so ouermastred, hauehave neede to be comforted at Gods hand, accordingly also as we see howe our Lord Iesus Christ speaketh to that sorte of men, saying;Matt. 11.28.29. Come vntounto me al ye that are wearie and ouerloden, and I will refresh you, and yee shall finde rest vntounto your soules. So then, in this text our Lord hath an eye to such as might be drowned in dispaire, if he should not giuegive them some taste of his goodnesse to stay them vp withall. And therefore he saith that although hee hauehave shewed himselfe rigorous to his Church for a time: yet notwithstanding he hath not disanulled the couenant which hee had made with his seruaunt Abraham, but he wil shew that the people whom hee had chosen and adopted are his own, and that seeing he is their protector, he will performe this faying of his;Gen. 12.3. Ezo. 23.22. I will be a friend to thy friendes, and an enemie to thine enemies. That is the thing in effect, which Moses had respect vntounto.
Sith it is so, let vsus learne to arme our selues with this lesson, and whensoeuer our enemies behaue themselues lyke wood beastes, yea and are as furious as flaming fire: let vsus on our side vnderstand that our God hath power enough to maintaine vsus, and that if he do it not at the first, it is to try our patience, and to make vsus to ouercome all temptations. Wherefore let vsus learn to proceede on still, yea euen though he shoulde leade vsus vntounto death, assuring our selues that hee dooth it to giuegive vsus a better lyfe, and therefore let vsus alwayes goe on still, whither soeuer it shal please him to lead vsus. But yet howsoeuer we fare, let vsus not beare any spite to our aduersaries. Although as now they execute their rage against vsus: yet let vsus be throughly perswaded▪ that in the end they must come to account, and that as thē God will shewe how deere our welfare was vntounto him, & that although he seemed to hauehave forgotten vsus and to hauehave cast vsus quite and cleane vp: yet notwithstanding hee did still esteeme vsus as his flocke. God then will shew that he had vsus alwayes in his protection. Therefore let vsus in the meane time abide quiet, and let vsus not be so cast downe with temptations that wee should be out of hope of our saluation, and giuegive ouer the promises thereof that hauehave bin made vntounto vsus. Thus doe we now see the meaning of Moses, and also in how great stead his doctrine may stand vsus, if we can hauehave the skill to apply it well to our vse.
Now it is said for a conclusion, Ye people (or nations) prayse ye the people of God. Here Moses directeth his speech to all infidels and heathen folk, to the intent that the exhortatiō which he hath set downe heretofore, may hauehave the more force. Hitherto he had spoken to the belieuers, and to such as hauehave eares to heare God withall, and to such as he calleth to his schoole. Howbeit forasmuch as there is so much troublesomnesse and scrupulousnesse in vsus as is pitifull to see; Moses meant to giuegive vsus yet one meane more for our better confirmation: in respect wherof he sayth, Consider my friends & see how your God comforteth you in the middest of the chastisements which he sendeth you. Although ye hauehave offended him, & deserue to hauehave extreme rigor vsed towardes you, without any abatement of his corrections: yet notwithstanding, to shewe that hee would not hauehave you to perish, nor yt you shoulde feele him but as a Iudge onelyonly; he sheweth again that he will hauehave pitie vponupon you, and repent him of his smiting of you after that fashion, and that he will withdrawe his hand. And if you beleeue not this; yet neuerthelesse, ye infidels must needs beleeue it. Although they be destitute of reason, although there be not one sparke of light in thē, although they be as brutish as beastes that neuer heard speaking of the liuing God: yet shall they perceiue this, and their experience shal be such,Psal. 32.12. that they shall be driuen to say, Blessed is the people whose father & sauiour God sheweth himselfe to be: Euen they (I say) shal blesse you. Now, when the dumme are able to speake, the blinde to see, & the deafe to heare; shoulde not they that hauehave bin inlightned by Gods word, & to whom he hath giuen tongues to magnifie his name; should not they see nor perceiue a whit? What excuse then shall there be for them? Now then, wee see why Moses hauing exhorted the faithfull to repentance, & hauing shewed them that God will hauehave pitie & merciemercy vppon them after he hath corrected them for their faultes & offences: turneth his talke to such as were blind, & had not any knowledge or tast of the trueth, namely to the heathen, of purpose to make vsus to perceiue the better, after what sorte God causeth vsus to feele his goodnes, euen by experience, sealing it vp in our harts by his holy spirit, which is named the …arnest penny and the seale of the hope of our saluation,…. 1.12. & the causer of vsus to take hold of all the good thinges which we receiue at Gods hand. Now then if we know nothing therof, & that the infidels by beholding Gods wonderfull working after a manner vnaccustomed among men, be inforced to say, O what a thing is it to be of the number of Gods people ought not we to hauehave a more liuely knowledge thereof, & such as may comfort vsus in our afflictions, so as we may not cease to call vponupon our God to hold vsus continually vnderunder his obedience, and to hauehave alwayes wherwith to asswage the bitternes of our sorrowes? Truely the thing that Moses rehearseth here is shewed vsus in the example of Balaam. For he was a false Prophet, hee was an enemie of God, hee was such a one as had his tongue to sale and his heart vppon his powch, seeking to turne the trueth into falshood, and yet for all this, as though God had held him vppon the rack, he was inforced to vtter this speech; Let my soule dye the death of the righteous.…. 13.10 He speaketh there of the people of God, saying: Who art thou Israell? Who is hee that can doe any thing against thee, seeing thou standest in the fauor of thy God? Was a deceiuer and an vnderling of Satan faine to say so? Yea verely. For it is Gods will that his will which hee hath witnessed already to his people by his lawe and by his word, should be knowen, and further confirmed euen by the mouth of his open enemie. Balaam was faine to say that the death of the Iewes was more to be desired, than the life of all other men, because God held them for his people. So then, let vsus marke well, that whereas Moses sayth, Ye Nations or ye Gentiles prayse yee the people of God: it is as much to say, as declare ye that God hath wrought after such a fashion, as it is not for men to doubt any more, but that for his adoption sake, in that he hath voutsafed to choose the linage of Abraham, he will hauehave it knowen that therein he hath layd forth the infinite treasures of his goodnes.
And forthwith he addeth, that hee will reuenge the bloud of his seruauntes, and requite vengeance to his enemies, but bee mercifull to his land, and to his people. Here are three thinges in effect, which I wil touch in few words, and it wil be enough to conclude this song withall. The first is that God sayth, He will reuenge the bloud of his seruantes. Now vnderunder this saying hee sheweth vsus that wee may well be afflicted for a time, so far forth that euen our very bloud shall not be spared, whether it be that God punish vsus for the faults which we hauehave committed against him, or that his will be to try our patience. The thing then whereof wee bee warned, is that if God thinke good to hauehave our bloud shed, we must not thinke it straunge nor shrinke from the promises which he hath made vsus, in auowing himselfe to bee our God, and the defender of our lyfe. Neither must we think that those promises are disanulled, though our God suffer vsus to be handled so cruelly. But let vsus tary the time till he reuenge our bloud: for hee will then shewe how deare and precious our lyfe is vntounto him. Thus much cōcerning the first point.
As touching the second, he sayth that God will requite his enemies with the lyke, to the ende wee should knowe that all the felicitie of the wicked and of the despisers of God shall be accursed,Psal. 37.…. & therefore that we must not repine at them therfore. Now then, if wee see Gods enemies to bee rich, to hauehave their ease in this world, and to welter in all pleasure: let vsus let them alone, and not be drawen do spire them, or to intermeddle our selues with thē. For why▪ Gods vengeance which is yet vnseene, must come before our eyes, & be considered by faith, & we must also remēber how it is said,Luke. 6.25. Cursed be you yt laugh, for ye shal weepe. Forasmuch then as the laughter of ye despiser… of God must be turned into mourning, weeping, and gnashing of teeth: let vsus choose to weepe & waile as now, that God may dry vp our teares, & wipe them away when the time shall bee come. That is the second point.
The third is, that wee must learne and take hart to rest vponupon the promise that God will neuer forsake vsus howsoeuer the world goe. Insomuch that although we hauehave offended God neuer so many wayes; yet he will euer be mercifull to vsus. And why is that? Because we be his people. The very foundation whereupon▪ we must build, is that being adopted of God into the number of his children, according to his purchasing of vsus by our Lord Iesus Christ, into whose body hee hath graffed vsus, and wee knowe that his pardoning of our sinnes is for that he hath washed and skoured vsus in the bloud of his onelyonly sonne: wee alwayes hauehave recourse to this promise, that our God will be fauorable to vsus. True it is that now and then we shall be so at our wittes end, that we shall not knowe what to say; but yet must wee hope beyond hope, that although God shew vsus many tokens of his wrath, and we bee assaulted on all sides, so as we see no way to get out, but we seeme rather to be shut vp in the very bottom of ye dungeons: yet notwithstāding we hauehave this stay to leane vntounto, that God will be fauorable to his people and to his land. And therefore let vsus goe on stoutely still, vntill God hauehave shewed vsus by the deed it selfe, the thing that he had promised in word, as he declareth it here.
Now let vsus cast our selues downe before the maiestie of our good God, with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him to voutsafe to make vsus feele them better, so as we may bethink vsus of them and indeuour to forsake ourselues, that he may so raigne ouer vsus, as it may appeare that it is very he which gouerneth vsus by his holy spirit, and we may suffer our selues to bee so ruled by his hand, as we neuer bee disquieted and put out of patience for all the afflictions and miseries of this world, but that we may be more desirous to yeelde obedience vntounto him, than to inioy all the prosperitie, ease and pleasure that the vnbeleeuers can hauehave, which can serue them to no purpose but to their endlesse ouerthrowe and confusion. And so let vsus all fay, Almightie God heauenly father, &c.