Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 57
On VVednesday the xiiij. of August. 1555. The Lvij. Sermon which is the seuenth vponupon the seuenth Chapter.
22.23.24 And the Lord &c.
25 Thou shalt burne the images of their Gods with fire. And neither couet n… take thou to thee the golde or siluer that is vponupon them, for feare least it turne to thy decay. For such things are abhomination to the Lord thy God.
26 Therefore thou shalt not bring anie abhomination into thine house, least thou thy selfe become accursed as well as it. But thou shalt abhorre it and loath it vtterly: for it is a cursed thing.
YEsterday I began to shew that we must be constant vntounto the end in trusting vntounto God, & in holding of our selues to his promises, though the thing that he speaketh be not performed out of hande, nor his determination put in execution by and by: for he hath alwayes good reason to make delay thereof. True it is that wee perceiue it not, and that is because our eyesight extendeth not farre. We see euen among men, that such as hauehave liued long time, and hauehave had most experience of thinges, hauehave most stay of themselues, and are not so hastie to doe and attempt things, as younger folkes are, which cast no perils but runne all on head. A yong man hauing a whot braine, wil needs dispatch al things out of hand in one day. But he that hath some stay of himselfe by reason of much experience, will looke about him how to dispose his matters, and to doe his things in good order. Now there is no comparison betweene God and men. It is not to be saide that he is an olde expert artificer (as men terme it): for all thinges are euer present vntounto him, and euer hauehave bin since the creation of the worlde: and againe, his will is the rule of all wisedome and right. Sith it is so, let vsus forbeare to be ouerhastie, and if it please him to let vsus linger for a time, let vsus beare it patiently. Moreouer wee hauehave to note the thing that was declared yesterday in a word or twaine: that is to wit, that if GOD deliuer vsus not from all troubles and vexations out of hande: it is thorough our fault. For as soone as one mischiefe is past, we procure another to come in the neck of it. This is not to be wited vponupon God, nor vppon the state of the life wherein wee bee. But we our selues are so fruitfull in bringing forth of euill, that although God purge vsus of neuer somuch, yet will the seede of it spring vp newe againe, and yeelde manifolde increase by and by after. That (say I) proceedeth of our sinfulnesse. And therefore let vsus marke well, that if God set vsus not in quiet at the first dashe, but suffer vsus to hauehave enemies to grieue vsus and vexe vsus: it is because it is not for our benefite nor for our saluation, that hee should maintaine vsus in too great ease. And for proofe thereof (as I saide) wee could well finde in our heartes to amend the euil in other folkes, but we thinke not vponupon it in our selues: and yet is that ye end which we ought to begin at. If we wil be good iudges to condēne other mens faultes: we must first looke to our owne:Psal. ….…. & we must not only bethinke vsus of those which are knowen to vsus: but wee must also passe yet further, to craue pardon of God for the faults that are better knowen to him than to our selues. And besides that, let vsus bee well aduised, that we proceede soberly in that behalfe. For it may come to passe, that he which shal hauehave shewed some good zeale in chastising the faulte of his neighbour, shall not onelyonly fall into the like fault himselfe: but also doe much worse. Seeing then that we be so inclined vntounto euill, let vsus vnderstand that it is good for vsus that God shoulde exercise vsus after the maner that Moses speakes of here. For the wilde beasts neede not to come to worke vsus displeasure, or to pick out our eyes wee hauehave anoyances and deceits ynowe in our selues. Why then is it that our Lord suffereth vsus to be so sore vexed & troubled outwardly by mē: but bicause we hauehave as it were an host within vsus, ranged in aray against God and his lawe? Therfore is hee saine to stoppe vsus and to keepe vsus occupyed by other men: and that is to our benefite.
Furthermore, God is faine to leaue vsus still in our infirmities, because that if he should giuegive vsus the full perfection, there is none of vsus all but he would aduaunce himselfe too much and be too proud. It is certain that we hauehave victorie alreadie against Satan,Col. … Heb. … as it was purchased for vsus in ye person of our Lord Iesus Christ: but yet must we bee faine to endure many encounters, and many rough assaultes, yea and to bee brought to so great perplexities, as we shal not wote which way to turne vsus, but wee shall hauehave ouer much adoe to withstand our owne vices, and the great number of imperfections that are in vsus. And why is that? Euen to humble vsus. In deede we hauehave a promise that God will vanguishe Satan, and thrust him downe as it were vnderunder our feete, as S. Paul speaketh of it in the sixteenth of the Romanes:… But yet shall not that be done at the first day: to the intente wee may hauehave cause to praise God, in that wee see our selues to fraile, and yet hee giueth vsus strength to holde on our way still continually. Yee see then that wee must keepe stil our way in walking through this worlde:… for it is a iourney as the Scripture termeth it. Nowe then, let vsus fully determine with our selues to suffer it patiently, if God delay to giuegive vsus full victorie of our enemies, yea euen of our ghostly enemies, assuring our selues that he doeth it not without iust cause. But yet must wee bee fully perswaded of another point also, namely that although we linger a long time, and things be out of order as in respect of the world, and God inlighten vsus not, but let vsus alone in great distresse: yet he wil giuegive vsus the vpper hand in the ende. Wee must be fully resolued of that: for without such certaintie wee could not hauehave any courage one minute of an houre, but wee should quaile out of hand, and it would seeme to vsus that the diuell should ouerwhelme vsus. And specially when wee were to fight against our own lustes, howe might wee get the vpper hand of them? And if wee finde our selues so combered to day: what shall wee finde to morrowe? The mischiefe will increase continually: and the great nomber of our owne experiences do shew vsus that wee neede none other thing to ouerthrowe vsus. Then coulde wee not holde out, vnlesse wee were fully and throughly out of doubt that the promise of God should bee wholly accōplished vntounto vsus, and yt in the end our enemies shal not be able to stand before our faces. Therfore let vsus fight boldly against Sathan, and againste all the lustes of our owne fleshe: and we shall ouercome them, so wee hauehave Iesus Christ for our Captaine. For we must be hopelesse as in respect of our selues, and not imagin that our owne strength can suffice: but wee must learne to call vppon him that is able to helpe vsus at our neede.Psal. 50.15. That is the thing which wee hauehave to beare in mind yea and euen in respecte of this present life. Let vsus not doubt but that although we be faine to passe through many miseries, yet notwithstanding all shall turne to our benefite and welfare in the end. Let vsus beare this saying well in mind, so as wee may fare the better by it, yea euen in such sorte as wee yeeld not to murmur against God, though hee graunt not our desires at the first. And in so doing we shall hauehave inuincible constancie to keepe on our way still, though it seeme neuer so hard vntounto vsus. And although we see neuer so many perils: yet shall we hauehave such constancie, as to hold on still till wee bee come to our wayes end.…. Thess. 3.3 For why? Gods promising of vsus to giuegive vsus full victorie, is not to disappoint vsus: he is faithfull in his sayings. Neuerthelesse, if it please him to make as though he regarded not thinges, wee must not take vponupon vsus to set him any terme, but let him dispose matters according to his owne infinite wisedome.
Yea and Moses sayeth that euen Kings shall be deliuered into the people of Israels handes. As if hee should say, that there is not any power or strēgth so great that ought to dismay vsus. And this saying is not added without cause. For eueryevery thing of nothing will dasle our eyes, and make vsus to forget the mightinesse of Gods promises. For if we perceiue any greatnesse in men and that our enemies are of abilitie to trouble vsus: wee beare our selues on hand that all is mard, and by and by we be halfe straught at it. True it is that our presumptuousnesse blindeth vsus ouermuch, so as we perceiue not the daungers when we bee once minded to followe our owne foolish rashnesse. But when wee should obey God, and doe our dewty: the whisking of a flie ouerthwart our faces will turne vsus away by and by. For this cause doth Moses say expresly, that wee must not bee dismayed for any greatnesse of the world. In so much that although our enemies shine as the Sunne, although they perke vp neuer so high, although they seeme to hauehave neuer so many meanes wherewith to ouerwhelme vsus at the first brunt: yet must wee not bee discouraged for all that. And why? Let vsus consider what Gods hand is, and then will all thinges vanish away which we feare as in respect of the world, so as we shall see that it is but vanitie.Rom. 9.19. For who is he that can withstand him that made all thinges and vpholdeth all thinges still by his power? Can not our Lord as well bring all thinges to naught, as hee made the world of nothing?Psal. 104.28 29. Yes: and whensoeuer he listeth to doe it, it is enough for him to speake the woord, that is to say to vtter his will. Now then, seeing that the creatures hauehave not any state or being furtherfoorth than God voutsafeth to maintaine them, can they stop the bringing to passe of his good purpose? No: and therefore let vsus learne to yeeld God so much honour, as to make none account of all worldly greatnesse, strength, and power, in comparison of him, and to knowe that hee can cast them all downe when hee thinketh good. Loe what wee hauehave to marke. And thereby we may see what a happinesse it is to be able to rest vponupon God. For whē men stay vponupon their own strength, although they vaunt themselues, flatter themselues, and besot themselues neuer so much in their owne presumption: yet is it a wonder to see how they be toppled downe in the turning of a hand: and God also laugheth their pride to scorne. But when we hauehave the ground of Gods promises to rest vppon, which assure vsus that wee can neuer quaile: then may we be bould to defie the world and all the creatures therein. And although we bee nothing of our selues: yet shall wee hauehave enough whereof to glory, and wee may well tryumph aforehand,Rom. 8.29. forasmuch God is on our side. But what? Wee see that men are so wedded to themselues, as they cannot by any meanes be rid of this diuelish ouerweening wherewith they be as it were bewitched, but that they will euer bee drawing of somewhat to themselues, insomuch that it is vnpossible to plucke them back vntounto God, and to make them to ground and settle themselues vppon him. But yet is not this doctrine written in vaine. And therefore let vsus vnderstand thereby, that if our Lorde doe send vsus vexations, and wee linger in a number of torments in this world: it is to exercise vsus withall. And why? To the ende that eueryevery of vsus shoulde examine himselfe to amend his faultes, and not sticke so much at other mens faultes [as to forget our own,] but to thinke vponupon our selues …irst, and consider that wee hauehave neede to bee handled roughly, so as wee shall no sooner hauehave escaped
such a cursed inclination of nature, that idolatrie is as it were rooted in vsus, so as eueryevery of vsus is able to keepe a schoole of it, and to bee Doctors of it without any further teaching: therefore doeth it stand vsus on handle to shun all furtherances thereof. Nowe then whereas some nowe adayes will needes rowe betweene two streames, and beare folke in hand that men may beare with the time, graunting that men may well cut off the things that are vtterly intollerable and manifestly against God, but yet [auowching] that the things may well bee borne with, which are eyther indifferent, or not vtterly euil. I say that they which speake after that fashion, doe shewe full well that they hauehave no right meaning in them, nor any desire that there should be any such reformation as were meete to be had. And yet notwithstanding, the worlde is full of such disguisers, which would faine hauehave a parti-coloured fashion of seruing God, & a religion yt were neither fish nor flesh (as mē say,) but half of one sute & half of another, as is said in ye prouerb. But for our part let vsus vnderstand, yt in as much as we be giuē to idolatrie, it standeth vsus on hand to flee the further from it, that wee meete not with any of the thinges that may leade vsus to it. For if there bee any thing that may drawe vsus that way, by and by wee be seduced, yea and we bee infected with it inwardly, like a man that hath a secrete disease within him which he perceiueth not, and yet is neuer the lesse but rather the more in daunger, bicause the mischiefe is vnespyed. Euen so is it with us: If wee retayne still the furtheraunces and occasions of idolatry and superstition, wee shalbe ouertaken vnwares by Sathans suttlery which we marked not. Thus ye see what wee hauehave to remember, considering the snares and trappes that draw vsus to destruction, as Moses speaketh of them heere.
Nowe let vsus come to the second threat which he addeth. Hee sayeth, It is an abhomination [or lothsomenesse] before God: and therefore that euerie man must beware of the bringing in of such abhomination for feare of being accursed. It should seeme heere that Gods rigour was too great, in forbidding the vse of gold and siluer. For are they not Gods good creatures, and such as may bee put to good vse? And although some men hauehave abused the thinges which God did put into their hands: doth it follow that they hauehave the power to defile his creatures, and to corrupt and marre them? No: For we heare how Sainct Paule saith, that all thinges are pure and cleane to such as hauehave cleane consciences before God:Tit. 1.15. and there is no vncleannesse, but that which proceedeth of our selues. How is it then that hee forbiddeth folke to couet that gold or siluer? Let vsus marke that this lawe is a parte of the auncient order whereto God ment to binde the Iewes: and I hauehave tould you already that the ten verses hauehave one euerlasting rule,Matt. 5.18. which God hath giuen to continue to the worldes end. If wee minde to hauehave a doctrine that shall please and like God, our life must be comformable to the law that is conteined in the ten commaundementes: howbeit, this present commaundement serued but for an order: like as when Christen magistrates make lawes nowadayes, are they against Gods woord? No: but they doe it in way of gouernment and ciuill order, that their people may be held the better in the feare of God and in the right religion. Now then this law whereby God forbad the coueting of golde and siluer, serued but for a time. For God trained vp that people like little babes. And Sainct Paule alleadgeth the same similitude, which may bee as a solution to the doubt that might be moued vppon this present place.… When little children are vnderunder Tutors and gouernours, they bee held in the straiter awe, and they inioy not their goods and lyberty at their own will, insomuch that their state seemeth to bee a bondage, and yet notwithstanding they be free, yea and heires too, but they be not of age to hauehave the guiding and gouerning of themselues. Euen so the people of olde time were in straiter subiection vnderunder the lawe, than we bee nowadayes [vnderunder the Gospell,] by reason whereof it is lawfull for vsus to vse the thinges which we may put to a good vse. For otherwise the Papistes might starue vsus. They would fall to making of their coniurings vponupon Corne and wine: now if we might not be so bolde as to eate of the Corne that were so charmed, or to drinke of the wine that weere so coniured: if we might not touch any thing which they had defiled with their pelting trash: wee should be faine to starue for hunger. But they hauehave not any power ouer the creatures of God, in so much that they continue pure of themselues, spyte of all their abhominations. Neuerthelesse it was Gods will to hold the people of old time in awe, after the maner of yong children as I said afore. But he hath giuen vsus greater libertie at this day. And what maner of libertie? Not a licentious libertie do what wee list:… for S. Paule addeth the exception, that although we hauehave greater libertie nowe adayes than the Iewes had, yet must wee not therefore lay the bridle in our neckes: but wee must hauehave a speciall care to behaue our selues honestly, and to be constant in seruing GOD purely. For as I said, wee shall alwayes be weake, and may easily swarue aside to idolatrie: and therefore wee must cut off all occasions thereof. And yet notwithstanding, wee may vse ye things that are good of themselues: yea, so wee doe it without giuing any cause of offence, and beware that wee wipe away all that may induce vsus to euill and to the corrupting of Gods seruice. That is the thing which wee hauehave to remember vponupon this place. For it behoueth vsus to mark well the resemblance that is betweene vsus and the Iewes, and the diuersitie that is betweene [the libertie of] the Lawe, and the libertie that God giueth vsus now a dayes. But yet must wee moderate this libertie in such sort, as it turne not into loosenes to giuegive ouer our selues to euil, knowing that we bee but too much inclined thereunto, and wee should be yet much more prouoked vntounto it, if we would needes hauehave furtherances and seeke occasions thereof. And in this respect was Achan stoned to death for stealing of the baggage that was about the puppets [of the Chananites].… Surely his intent was not to builde any altar with them: but hee was led to it by his couetousness, [which made him beleeue] that if he could filche and conuey them away cleanly, hee should saue so much by it. But all the people were faine to be accursed for it, vntill it was bewrayed. Lottes were cast: and when Iosua had made him to hold vp his hand to put him to his othe▪ saying, My sonne giuegive glory vntounto God: immediatly vponupon his confessing of the crime wherof he was accused, hee was stoned to death, onelyonly for stealing of certeine of the thinges that had bin forbidden. Yet had hee not robbed any person: hee might well hauehave sayd, who can complayne of me? But hee had done against Gods commaundement. Therefore let vsus marke well, that wheras GOD dealeth more freely with vsus nowadayes, so as we may vse the thinges yt were earst defiled by ye vnbeleuers, & which hauehave bin applyed aforetimes to superstition: we neuerthelesse must cast away all that euer may drawe vsus vntounto euill. For if wee should keepe stil images & such other lyke thinges: it were the next way to pull to vsus still some euill inconuenience, so as mē might conceiue some hope of returning againe to the superstitions of the time past. And therefore let vsus beware of all such thinges.
Now whereas it is sayd, Beware thou bring not cursednese into thy house: herby we be put in minde yt in stead of going foreward and of profiting our selues we not onelyonly go backe, but also worke our owne ouerthrow, when we vse vnlawfull meanes & such as displease God. And yt is a very notable rule. Trueth it is that the matter which Moses speaketh of here, is idolatrie, & he sayth yt whosoeuer they be which take to thēselues the golde & the siluer yt hath serued to that purpose: they shal defile their howses & prouoke Gods wrath, and in stead of gathering treasure to their profit, they shall but rake vp a fire to consume all yt they hauehave in the end. That is Moseses meaning. But we both may and ought to gather a generaller doctrine vppon this matter: namely that whereas it is sayd, that it is a bringing in of cursednesse into our howses: it serueth to shewe vsus yt when men imagine to benefite themselues by it, they doe but prouoke Gods wrath against themselues & throw themselues headlong into destruction. As how? They that heape vp goods by hooke & by crooke, they that pill & poll, they yt eate vp & deuoure, they that filch al yt come in their way, they yt vse craft and subtiltie to rake other mens goods vntounto them: doe beare thēselues in hand yt they worke wonders, & that they shall builde them houses, and make immortall monuments not onelyonly of wood & stone, but also of euerlasting renowne, so as their children shall hauehave whereof to triumph after their decease. But yet for all their gathering & heaping vp of goods, what do they? they doe but pile vp a stacke of wood and coale, whereunder lyeth Gods wrath as a fire hidden within it. In deede it shall not kindle at the first day: but in the end the flame will burst out, so as all shall be consumed anon after. Now if wee did marke this well, surely wee would not bring Gods curse into our houses as we doe, and as most men doe. What is to be done then?
First and formost let vsus marke, that all such as defile themselues with Churchtheft, cannot scape the punishment which Moses denounceth in this place. I say that all they bee Churchrobbers, which hauehave taken to them the goods of the Church, of which sort are the priestes, the Monkes, and the rest of the stinking rable of the popish cleargie, who hauehave deuowred and still doe deuowre all that was dedicated vntounto God, Now then, if we also doe the like: shall it not be ye next way to bring Gods curse into our howses? Yes surely. Therefore let not vsus offend in the same thinges which we hauehave condemned in thē yt liued amisse: but let vsus keepe our selues from them. And if we intend to prosper: let vsus assure our selues there is none other meanes thereof than the blessing of God.Psal. 128.2. But we know that God hath not promised his blessing to any other, thā such as trauell faithfully for their liuing, & earne their bread with rightfull labor: which offer no man wrong, but content themselues with their meane state, so as if they be rich, they couet not more and more, or if they be poore, they be contented with their estate. To such folke hath God promised his blessing. Now if I doe otherwise, so as I beguile my neighbor, so as I deale crookedly, so as I labor to inrich my selfe by violence and robberie: what doe I then? should I looke for the blessing that God hath promised? Wee must not thinke to binde him, when wee fall to spiting of him so wilfully: nor to hauehave his blessing light vponupon vsus, when we fall to straying out of the right way, shaking off his yoke & bridle frō our necke: but we must cōtrarywise looke yt he should curse vsus, & that his wrath shold light vpō vsus, & not only vpō our selues, but also vponupon our childrē. And so we see what instructiō we ought to gather vpō this place. Namely yt eueryevery of vsus ought to look to himself, & yt if we purpose to hauehave God to keepe vsus through his fauor & goodnesse: our howses must not be defiled with robberie & deceit, neither must our hands be imbrued with stealing & filching: but to be short, we must be cleane from all spottes. Yea & we must beware that we keepe ye order which our Lord hath commaunded vsus:Matt. 6.33. which is, yt he which is desirous to bee blessed in his owne person & in his houshold, must looke wel to it yt god be serued & honored in his house, that there be no filthinesse lurking any where, yt there be no whordom, no swearing, nor no other disorder, yt there be not any thing against God, nor any euil bolstered or borne out. If we doe so, then shall wee prosper better than wee doe: and although things fal not out as we would wishe to the worldward: yet will God graunt vsus the grace to bee contented with his only blessing, which wil satisfy vsus more than if we had all ye heapes of golde & siluer that were possible to be imagined. But on ye contrary part, if a man hauehave not a care to keepe his house pure and cleane as a tēple of God: ye thing yt Moses speaketh here must needs be performed, yt is to wit, Gods curse must come into it, accordingly as it is sayd in ye prophet Zacharie,Zach. 5.3.4. that this same curse possessed al ye houses of that time, because iniquitie reigned in thē and departed not from them. Will wee then hauehave God to shed out his blessing vppon vsus? Let vsus be sure that we clense both our selues & our houses from all filthinesse: and then will the curse depart from thence out of hand. But if wee cease not to prouoke Gods wrath by abusing his patience too long: hee will kindle a fire that shall neuer be quenched: and if wee fall still asleepe, hee will wake vsus to our cost: and when we think our selues to be escaped, then shall wee be new to begin. And therefore let vsus be circumspect to preuent the mischiefe, specially sith wee be warned, yea & warned by our God himself. Wherein hee sheweth vsus what a care he hath, both of our worldly welfare, and of our saluation.
Now let vsus kneele downe in the presence of our good God wt acknowledgement of our faults, praying him to voutsafe to make vsus feele thē better than wee hauehave done, so as it may make vsus to resort vntounto him, & to be sorie for our sinnes, and to condemne them, & that we be not so froward as to spite him, & to harden our selues, but that we may hauehave a meeke & plyable heart, to receiue al his warninges & correctiōs in such wise, as we may hauehave the skill to fare ye better by them. And so let vsus say, Almighty God heauenly father, &c.