Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 70
On Wednesday the xi. of September. 1555. The Lxx. Sermon which is the seconde vponupon the tenth Chapter.
8 The same time the Lord &c.
9 Therefore Leuie had no portion nor inheritaunce with his brethren: but the Lord is his inheritaunce, as the Lord thy God sayd vntounto him.
10 And I taried on the mountaine as I had doone afore, fortie dayes and fortie nightes. And the Lord heard mee that time also, so as the Lord would not destroy thee.
11 But the Lord sayde vntounto mee, vp, get thee hence, and goe before the people, that they may goe and possesse the Land which I sware to their fathers to giuegive them.
WE sawe yesterday, how Moses in this text did magnifie Gods merciemercy, as well towardes the Leuites, as towardes the whole people. For in sheweing that Aaron was punished for his fault, it appeareth plainly that all his whole linage deserued to hauehave ben disgraded. Yet notwithstanding, God of his goodnes vouchsafed yt there should bee a certaine number of men appointed to his seruice: and them he chose, not for any worthines that was in them, but only for his owne mercies sake. For if wee be not worthie of so much, as that God should crowde vsus into a litle corner of his house: how should he aduaunce vsus to farre higher degree? That then is the meaning of Moses. Neuerthelesse wee must marke herewithall the three charges which he setteth downe here, & which he reporteth to hauehave been assigned to the Leuites. The first is, To beare the Arke of Gods couenant, & the vessels of the sanctuary: The seconde is, To be at hand to serue God: & the third is, To blesse in the name of God. These are the three things that were incident to the priesthod of old time. For as concerning the Sanctuarie with al the appurtenances therof, it was but a figure, which we must referre to the spiritual temple, that is to wit to Gods church,Hebr. 8.5. Rom. 12 1. & to the sacrifices which are offered vntounto him by the faithful, when they dedicate themselues to him both in bodie & soule, by yelding vp their ownselues, yt he may be glorified in them. Marke that for one point. The second is the seruice wherof he speaketh: which consisteth likewise in figure: but the trueth therof is performed toward vsus, when such as nowadayes are called to the gouerning of Gods church, do their dutie in offering vp mens soules in sacrifice vntounto God,Rom. 15.6. by preaching ye gospell, & in maintaining the order & state of the church, in such wise as God be glorified, and the church be cleansed from all stumbling blockes. The third is to blesse in Gods name: & that is to yeeld a testimonie of Gods goodnes and grace to his people.
Now must we applie these things to ye trueth of them, yt we may be edified by them. Let vsus (say I) hauehave a regarde to apply these three things to their trueth & substance,Col. 2.1…. which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath brought vsus by his comming. It is said here, that the Leui…es must beare the vessels of God. And this belongeth, not only to the ministers of the worde, or to such as beare publike office in the church: but also to all the faithful in general. And that is the cause why it is said by ye prophet Malachie,Mal. 3.3. yt the Leuits were made priests, which thing I say was accomplished at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ, at which time the church was aduanced to greater perfection than it was vnderunder ye law. Likewise Esay telleth vsus that all men shalbe Leuites vntounto ye Lord.Esa. 6… Al the children of Israel (saith he) shal execute the office of priesthod vntounto God. And in the same respect doth S. Peter say,1. Pe…. … yt we be a royal priesthod. S. Peter speaks not there of any peculiar sort of people after ye maner of ye Pope, who hath villanously corrupted ye said sentence of his, in attributing it to his owne clergie as he termeth them, yt is to wit to ye stinking rable of his powlshorn greaslings: but he attributeth yt honorable title to all the faithfull, & to as many as are of the church of God. Moses could wel say euen in his time,Exod. … Yee be a priestly kingdome, yt is to say a nation holy aboue all others. But S. Peter turning the same words, saith, yt now we be become a royal priesthod, inasmuch as our Lord Iesus Christ hauing shewed himself to the world, is ordeined priest after the order of Melchizedech,Heb…. … to communicate the same grace to ye whole church. Therfore let vsus marke wel, yt this gift of becōming Priestes & Leuites, is not a priuilege or prerogatiue grāted to three or four: but inasmuch as al ye things which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath receiued of God his father, ar cō mon to vsus all, & we be made partakers of thē by his meanes: we be of ye order & number of ye Leuites, that is to say, of them that are dedicated vntounto god. Not as ye people [of Israel] were, which held themselues aloofe in ye body of the temple, & worshipped God afarre of:Heb…. … & 1… but we hauehave a mean to prease neere him, wee hauehave familiar accesse, we hauehave his own sonne entred afore vsus into the Sanctuarie which is not made with mans hand, to bring vsus in thither, in whose name al the faithfull hauehave libertie to come thither. Thus ye see that the thing which wee hauehave to marke in the first place, is that God shooled out one tribe of the children of Israell to serue him in the Sanctuarie: but nowe adayes he hath shedde out the same grace vponupon all beleeuers, and there is no exception, but wee be all made holie to offer sacrifice to God, and not onelyonly to beare the vesselles of the temple, but also to be the verie vesselles themselues.…. Cor. 6.19. For although our bodies bee but wretched carcasses: yet fayle they not to be the temples of the holy Ghost, and Gods will is to be worshipped in them. Hadde there beene sayde no more, but that our soules are the temples of God: it had beene a verie excellent honour. But seeing it is sayde of our earthly and corruptible bodies, we see what goodnes God vttereth towardes vsus. And therefore let vsus learne that this doctrine belonges to vsus, and that this figure which was vnderunder the lawe concerneth vsus at this day, to the end that we should aduauntage our selues thereby. And after what manner?
The first is that we should magnifie the goodnesse of our God, in that hee hath shewed himselfe so gratious vntounto vsus, as to chose vsus to be his seruauntes, not onelyonly to beare the vesselles of his temple, but also to be the verie temples thē selues and the altars whereat hee will be worshipped, both in our bodies and our soules, to the intent we should yeelde him, not onelyonly the bodily seruice which consisteth in shadowes and figures, but also the true spirituall seruice by dedicating our selues all wholly vntounto him. Yee see then howe the ende whereat we must beginne, is to knowe how greatly we by bounde vntounto God for vsing such gratious goodnes towardes vsus.2. Cor. 6.17 Moreouer according (as Saint Paul sheweth vsus in the second to the Corinthians,) we must take warning to separate our selues from all vncleanesse, as the prophet cryeth out vntounto vsus, saying: Separate your selues from all vncleannesse,Isa. 52.11. you that carrie the Lordes vessels. And Saint Paul alleadging the same text of Esay, sayth that according to the same promise, it is good reason that wee shoulde giuegive our selues to cleannesse both of bodie and soule. For in very deede, the prophet Esaie, in saying: Be ye cleane you that beare the Lordes vesselles, hath not an eye to the time of the figures: but extendeth his doctrine to the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ. Nowe then this text must needes be performed in vsus. But there are not nowe a dayes any moe materiall vesselles as there were in the time of the Lawe: and therefore it followeth that the doctrine thereof must bee performed in higher matters: that is to say, that in asmuch as God hath called vsus to be members of his sonne, and by that meane to come so neere him as he may dwell in vsus & we be his temples: the same should prouoke vsus to giuegive our selues to all cleannesse, which thing wee can not doe but by separating of our selues from the corruptions of the world. For wee dwell here among such filthinesse, as it is not possible for vsus to scape vninfected, vnlesse we labour to withdrawe our selues from it. Yea and there needes no euill to come vponupon vsus from elsewhere, for euerie of vsus shall finde ynough in himselfe. Wherefore lette vsus beware that wee turne away from all wicked lustes, and that we cut off whatsoeuer is defiled in vsus, and generally all that euer is of the world, so as we may prease vntounto our God, and hauing giuen ouer the world we may be so vnited vntounto him, as he may auowe vsus to be his priestes. For if we doe otherwise, we shalbe dubble accursed, and we shall not be able to excuse our selues but that God hath aduaunced vsus high ynough. But what excuse will there be for vsus nowe when our Lorde hath brought vsus so neere vntounto him, and vouchsafed to make vsus priestes to offer vppe our owne selues vntounto him▪ and to make vsus his temples, so as we should hauehave a spirituall altar erected vntounto him in our selues? Seeing that God hath brought vsus to that point, is it not a horrible treacherie (say I) if wee fall to vnhallowe his temple? Nowe then, lette vsus vnderstande, that whensoeuer this worlde turneth vsus away vntounto euill, wee offer God greate wrong, in making his temple a swynes stie, and in vnhallowing the thing that he had hallowed, by causing all the corruptions of Sathan and of this worlde to come into his temple. Surely it ought to holde vsus in awe and to make vsus walke in all soundenesse, so as we giuegive not ouer our bodies and soules to anie dishonestie, seeing that God hath sanctified them to himselfe. This is the thing which we hauehave to beare away vponupon the first part of this text.
Neuerthelesse lette vsus marke that although God hauehave extended the sayde grace of making vsus all Leuites or Priestes, to all the members of his Church: yet hath hee not vtterly abolished the order of his Church, but his will is to hauehave some certaine men appointed to the preaching of his worde. And that is the thing which is ment here in the seconde place, where he saith, that they shall stande before the Lorde to serue him, and finally that they shall blesse in the Lordes name. The same must bee put in vre at this day by the ministers of the worde. For although God hauehave called vsus all in common, to bee serued and honoured at our handes: yet doeth he require a speciall seruice at their handes whom he setteth ouer his Church to be the shepheardes thereof, that is to witte, that they should shewe the way, and alwayes be in a readinesse to serue God. And this seruice importeth that the Leuites shoulde maintaine the religion pure and vncorrupted among the people, and shewe the Iewes that they ought not to deale with the superstitions of the heathē, and what God it was which had deliuered them, and to be short, that they shoulde alwayes holde the people in obedience to the true faith. And for the same cause GOD allotted them not any one certaine countrie or shire to dwell in, but dispersed thē throughout the whole lande. We knowe there was not anie one tribe which had not Leuites among them. And why was that? For God could well ynough hauehave gathered thē together, so as they might hauehave bin all together in Ierusalem where the temple was, and in the places neere aboutes, and hauehave had some portion assigned them as well as the rest of the tribes had. But hee did not so: but his will was that in euerie countrie, citie, shire, and region, there should alwaies be some Leuites, that the people might eueriewhere bee taught, and the seede of faith be eueriewhere spred abroad. For had there beene anie certain countrie assigned to the Leuites: it had beene ynough to hauehave abolished the remembrance of God, and to hauehave layde all teaching vnderunder foote. But forasmuch as God had appointed ye tribe of Leuie to preach his worde, and to beare abroade the message of saluation: he gaue them no certaine portion to dwell in, but his will was to hauehave them dispersed abroade euerywhere. And for proofe thereof, we knowe howe the prophete sayth that GOD made his couenant with the tribe of Leuie.Mal. 2.4.5. And what manner of one was it? Euen the couenant of peace, insomuch as he sayde that the priestes are Gods Angels & messengers: men shall seeke the vnderstanding of the lawe at their mouth, & they shal teach them knowledge. We see then yt the seruice that is spoken of heere, comprehendeth instruction: insomuch that they whome God had so chosen, had charge to preache the Lawe, and to expound it to the people, that religion might continue vnappaired. And the same is to be obserued nowe adayes among vsus. For although all of vsus from the most to the least bee priestes: yet notwithstanding it is the duetie of the ministers of the worde, to teach and to shew men the way to GOD, and to bring backe the wretched soules that were in the way to destruction. And that is the cause why Saint Paul sayeth that he is a priest, not after the auncient maner that had beene vnderunder the Lawe, but to slea men with the sworde of the Gospell, as sacrifices ought to be slayne: after the which maner Saint Paul sayeth also,Rom. 15.16. that he had the spirituall sword wherewith to offer vp mens soules vntounto GOD. Thus ye see what we hauehave to remember. And therefore let such as are called to the charge of the preaching of Gods worde, vnderstande that they must streine themselues to the vttermoste, that God may be serued and honoured. And the manner is shewed vsus in the text which I alleadged out of the fifteenth to the Romanes: namely that wee must indeuour to sanctifie all that euer is corrupted in this worlde, and that men must become teachable and meeke, that God may renewe them & accept them for his children. And if we doe so, then is Gods seruice accomplished in vsus, after the same manner as it was commaunded to the Leuites in olde time.
Nowe let vsus come to the thirde point that is set downe here. It is sayde, That the Leuites must blesse the people in the name of God. True it is that in the Hebrewe tongue, the worde Blesse betokeneth to prayse and magnifie God. Howebeit forasmuch as the matter here, concerneth those whom God did specially ordaine to blesse in his name: we must fetch the meaning of this text, out of the sixth Chapter of the booke of Numbers, notwithstanding that this maner of speech be verie rife in Moses.Numb. 6.24 But in that place there is more expressed: and for that cause hauehave I coted the text. It is sayde there, that the priestes of the house of Leuie shall blesse in the name of God and say: The Lorde blesse you and keepe you: the Lorde make his countenaunce to shine vponupon you, and graunt you his merciemercy. The Lord turne his fauourable face towardes you, & blesse you. Nowe hereby wee perceiue, that it behoued the Leuites not onelyonly to prayse GOD, as their duetie was to doe: but also to blesse the people in his name: For they were two diuerse thinges. So that To blesse the name of God, is as it were a doing of homage vntounto him for all the benefites which hee bestoweth vponupon vsus, by protesting our selues to holde all thinges of his onelyonly meere goodnesse, and that hee is the author of them, so as without him wee be miserable, and hauehave not one drop of goodnesse in vsus, furtherforth than he alone maketh vsus partakers of it. And so ye see that to blesse God and to magnifie his name, is to acknowledge him to be the fountaine of all goodnesse, and that all that euer wee hauehave commeth of him, and of his onelyonly meere free goodnesse. Nowe this belonged to the Leuites, as wee see it was their office to sing,1. Chro. 1… and although that all the people were present there & the prayse of God ought to sounde in al their mouthes: yet notwithstanding the Leuites were to beginne the quire, and to leade the melodie. Neuerthelesse, they did also blesse in the name of God. And how was that? They witnessed Gods grace vntounto the people: and the same thing taketh place still at this day, in such as are ordeyned ministers of the worde. For to what ende serueth our dayly preaching of the Gospell, but to blesse the thinges in Gods name, which were accursed before?Ephe. … For by nature we are all of vsus accursed and reprobate. And therefore it standeth vsus in hande to be deliuered out of the wretchednesse wherein we be: which to doe, there is none other meane but onelyonly that God shewe himselfe louing and fauorable towardes vsus, and that is the blessing which is spoken of here. For when the scripture sayth that God blesseth men, it is asmuch to say, as that hee sheweth them by effect that he loueth them, and maketh them to feele the fruite & operation of his grace and fatherly adoption. Now therefore when we come to heare the Gospel, let vsus consider to what ende it is: that is to wit, to certifie vsus that God looketh vponupon vsus with pittie, euen vponupon vsus wretched creatures, and that hee setteth vsus free from the cursednesse that is in vsus, insomuch that although we deserue to be cast off at his hand, yet neuerthelesse hee sheweth himselfe gratious vntounto vsus, and that whereas he might with good right bee our enemie, he sheweth himselfe as a father towards vsus. Let vsus (say I) be well aduised that we make our profit of this doctrine, when it is preached vntounto vsus.Col. 1.… For whereas we be assured by the scriptures, that God sheweth himselfe fauorable to vsus, in laying aside all enmitie that was betwixt him and vsus by reason of our sinnes: if the same were well printed in our heartes, we would hauehave an other manner of desire than wee hauehave, to set forth his prayse. What a treasure is it, that our Lord sheweth himselfe so to vsus, as though we sawe him in his owne person? & that he openeth the heauens to assure vsus that he loueth vsus, euen vsus which make warre against him, insomuch that wheras he should vtterly mislike of vsus, he vouchsafeth neuerthelesse to take vsus into his fauor, & maketh vsus to feele it in very dede. But what? We welter in our own dung euen till we do as it were stinke in it, without any care or regard at all. And that is the cause of such contēpt of the gospel, & of such vnthankefulnes as is seene almost eueryevery where. Yet notwithstanding, it behoueth ye faithfull to consider of how great value it is,2. Cor. 5.20. yt God receiueth them to mercy, & sheweth himselfe to be a father to them, & that such as are appointed to preach his word, are as witnesses to certifie vsus yt God beareth vsus such fatherly louelove. Trueth it is yt this was accōplished by our Lord Iesus Christ, for he was the only priest: and yt that which wee do, is not to take his office vponupon vsus, but onelyonly to approue & ratifie the thing yt he did.Hebr. 5.6. And therefore let vsus marke well, that it belongeth onelyonly to our Lord Iesus Christ to assure vsus of the louelove of God his father: but yet doth he also witnes it vntounto vsus, by ye mouthes of such as preach the Gospel in his name. It hath bin told vsus herewithall, that the things which were figured vnderunder ye Law,Col. 2.17. hauehave bin performed in his person. For the high priests (when they blessed the people) had a solemn ceremony of lifting vp of their handes, as though they made an offering vp of all the people vntounto God. Likewise whē Iesus Christ wēt vp into heauen, he vsed ye same fashiō, by lifting vp his hands to blesse his disciples,Luke. 24.50.51. in whose persons hee pronounced a general blessing vponupon ye whole body of his Church. We see then yt the figures of ye Lawe belōg to vsus at this day, howbeit, not as touching the outward vse of them, but as in respect of the substance & truth of thē. Wherby we be warned to get vsus to our Lord Iesus Christ, who bringeth vsus ye full accomplishment of all thinges. And we must vnderstand, yt although he be not now conuersant in ye world to blesse vsus: yet will he hauehave vsus to bee made partakers of the same blessing by meanes of ye gospel, when it is preached among vsus. This is the effect of the thinges which we hauehave to gather vponupon that place.
Now Moses addeth, That God hath giuen the Leuites no portion among their brethren, but that he himselfe would be their portion and heritage. Yea, but yet for all that, he appointed them ye tenthes & firstfruits, as is shewed in the fourth booke of Moses.Num. 18.21. Now then, Gods assigning of a portion vntounto thē was in such sort as they possessed not any Lande or inheritance, more thā their townes & suburbs for their cattell. But yet tooke they the tenthes, firstfruits, & all other such things of all ye people. Herein God had a cōsideration, yt such as he mēt to dedicate to ye seruing of himselfe, should be wt drawen frō all worldly affaires, yt they might intend to ye seruing of God. Gods intent then was, yt the Leuits & their children shold not giuegive thē selues to husbādry & such other things. And why For they had ynough to do to discharg thēselues of their dutie otherwise: yt is to wit, in calling vpō the people to folow Gods cōmandementes, & to keepe his couenant, so as religion might continue vnapaired, & faith might hauehave his full force, & so consequently yt God might be honored. Also they had the Sacrifices, which serued them in steed of Sacraments, & at yt time they were many in nūber, because the people could not otherwise be held in order: they would easily hauehave bin mard, if they had not bin restreined wt many bridles. That therfore was ynough to keep ye Leuits occupied. And for the same cause God gaue thē a portion beside the tithes that they might hauehave wherwith to finde & mainteine thēselues, while they were a doing of their duties.
But this hath bin corrupted & falsified by the papistes. For they hauehave borne men in hand, that tithes belong to thē by Gods Law. And why? because (as they say) they belonged to ye Leuits. But they consider not, yt the Leuites were inheriters of the land of Chanaan, as well as those yt were of the tribes of Iuda, Beniamin, Ephraim, Manasses and all ye residue. In respect whereof it was meete they shold hauehave had their portiō with their brethren, & they ought not to hauehave bin excluded or banished frō it: for ye inheritance of the land was cōmon to them all: therfore was it meete yt they should hauehave had their part of it. Yea, but God recompensed them after an other fashion. It were meete then yt the Pope & al his rable, shold shew how ye inheritances of all landes belong to thē, & then might they therepon demand their tithes. Thus ye see how this text hath bin miswrested. But yet for all this, let vsus beare in minde howe S. Paul saith,1. Cor. 9.13. yt euen at this day it is Gods wil yt they which preach ye gospel should be nourished and mainteined, as well as the Priestes had their liuinges appointed thē in old time.2. Cor. 3.6. S. Paul demā deth in way of cōparison, whether ye spiritual seruice yt is yelded to God nowadaies, ought not at the least to be asmuch esteemed, as the seruice yt was vnderunder the figures of ye law? Now it was Gods will, yt such as serued at the altar, should be mainteined by the altar, therefore it is good reason, yt such as at this day doe serue Gods Church in bringing thē his word, should also be nourished and mainteined. Thus ye see yt the way to vnderunder stād this text a right, is to take S. Paul for our expounder thereof. But to conclude peremptorily yt tithes belong to the preachers of ye gospel, is to grosse an abuse & fondnes. Neuertheles we must mark also, yt it is not our Lords meaning, yt ydols or idle bellies, & much lesse yt such as peruert al order & turne vsus away from ye seruing & obeying of God, should be nourished in his Church. Now then if the Shepherdes will needes claime to be found at ye common charges of the Church: they must looke that they occupie themselues in the seruice of God. As how? It is no title of idlenes, it is no fantasticall dignitie, to be called the Shepherde of a Church: but it is a kinde of bondage, howbeit yt it be honorable. And therfore ye party yt is appointed to be a shepherd or minister must looke yt he obey God and serue his people. For we can not serue him yt hath put vsus in office, but by seruing of his Church. Yee see then how the Pope & al his hangers on, are disappointed of the things which they pretend to pertain to them of right. And if they deuour ye goods yt were apoīted to such as serue Gods Church: they must be fain to yeelde an account of them in the ende. For the world sees they be but idle bellies and idols, and not onelyonly that, but also deadly enemies to Gods honor, laboring to ouerthrow it to the vttermost of their power. Now then, all this geere must be cut off: for ye nourishing & mainteining of thē, is all one as if men were minded to marre all the good seede that is in Gods Church. True it is that where they vsurpe such tyrannie, men may well hope that they shall yeeld a reckening for it before God, and such as are held down in yt bondage may well sigh & grone: And although they knowe it to be an intollerable trecherie and extortion, yt such exactions should be layde vponupon them: yet neuerthelesse they must bee faine to beare with thē. But whensoeuer ye Church shall happen to bee well reformed and well ordered, doutlesse those Cormorantes shall no longer deuour the substance of Gods people after that fashion, but the things yt hauehave bin misused, shalbe brought home to their good & holy vse again, so as they shall serue to the nourishing & mainteining of such as hauehave ye charge of the preaching of Gods word, & also to the releiuing and mainteining of the poore, after ye maner of the priestes in the old law, who (as we know) were bound ther vntounto, insomuch that their hauing of such portiō as I hauehave told you of before, was for ye releeuing of the poore, & of such as were in penury. And so ye see how we may profit ourselues by this text.
But by the way, let vsus come backe againe to ye things yt I hauehave alledged as wel out of ye prophet Esay, as out of Zachary, yt is to wit, yt we in these daies are succeeded in the roome of the Leuites. And sith it is so, let vsus marke yt although wee possesse inheritances of lands, medowes, and vineyardes in this world, yet we must make light account of thē, without being tied to them, & must put the thing in vre which Saint Paul speaketh of in the seuenth Chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians,1. Cor. 7.30 yt is to wit, that he which is rich be as if he possessed nothing. And why? For if wee hauehave not God for our heritage & portion, wo be to vsus. And how may yt be, but onelyonly by being discharged of all earthly affections and cares? Although God giuegive a man riches, yet must he be as a sheepe, meeke & lowely to offer himselfe vntounto God, so as nothing may let or hinder him from following his vocation, or from going on still towardes the heauenly life whereunto he is called. Ye see then yt the thing which we hauehave to confider generally in our knowing yt God will hauehave ye ministers of his word and the shepherdes of his Church to be nourished and mainteined: is yt we must likewise know, yt all of vsus are a royall priesthood, in respect whereof he wil not hauehave vsus to be so intangled with ye goods of this world, that wee should not look vp to him, but yt we should run apace through the world, assuring our selues yt wee cannot be children of the kingdome of heauen, vnlesse we be strangers here beneath.2. Cor. 5.6. & Hebr. 11.16.
Now after yt Moses hath told the sayd things, he addeth yet one word more, which is Euē vntounto this day. Wherby he meaneth yt Gods will was to hauehave those things obserued. True it is that these things had not at yt time indured aboue fourtie yeares: but yet doth Moses put ye people in mind of thē, telling them yt that order must not be broken, but continued still euen till the cōming of ye redeemer. In deede the priestes thēselues were greatly out of order & had marred all, so as they had well deserued yt God should vndoe his couenant with thē, & bereaue them of ye prerogatiue that he had giuen vntounto their father Leuie, according to this text of the prophet Malachie, which saith yt God made his couenant with Leuie,Mal. 2.… but yet forasmuch as the Leuits had shrunk away, & not regarded the promise yt they had made vntounto God, they deserued to be cut off, and God would curse all their blessings, as if he should say, whē ye thinke ye hauehave made a great hand, thē will God but blow vponupon you, & by & by it wil appeare yt all was but shame. Yet notwithstanding ye priesthod was to cōtinue still, euen to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ, & so it did. Likwise let vsus mark well nowadaies, yt when things be out of frame in the Church, so as all goes to hauocke, ye mischief is in deed to be corrected, but yet must not gods ordināce be therfore disanulled, so as we should let it alone, & not put it in execution, vpō misliking of the vices & offences that hauehave set all in a broile: but we must alwaies resort backe to Gods pure rule. We see there hauehave bin no such deuils incarnate, as those yt hauehave bosted thēselues to be Prelats, Bishops, & shepherdes. Now if vponupon misliking of such corruptions, a mā would abolish all order in ye Church, so as there should be no ministers, nor any mo folke appointed to teach ye people: what else were it thā a horrible cōfusion, and a setting open of hell, yt all things in the worlde might goe to hauocke? But let vsus keepe still this principle, yt mens vices must bee corrected, and gods cōmandemēt therwithal obserued. Thus ye see what Moses ment, in saying yt Gods choosing of ye Leuits was not for a day or twain, but to cō tinue still, that by that meane the Church might be mainteined.
On the otherside, we know yt the death of our Lorde Iesus Christ shoulde not come vntounto vsus in these daies, without ye preaching of the Gospell. Therfore if we intend to feele ye redemption and soul health yt hath bin purchased for vsus, the same order must be mainteined still. And howe gre…t store of vices soeuer ther be, let Gods Church be clensed of thē, let all stūbling blocks be remoued out of it, & let not men for all that, cease to hauehave preachers of Gods worde, & ministers of his sacraments stil: for otherwise it were the next way to cut ye Churches throte, & to bring all to vtter desolation. For we know how S. Paul sayth yt Iesus Christ was giuen to be our peace, and yt at his comming he preached it to them yt were neere hande▪ and to them that were farre off.Eph. … Saint Paul sheweth there, how our Lord Iesus maketh the vertue of his death & passiō auailable: namely by cōmanding the Gospel to be preached vntounto vsus, wherby we be don to vnderstand, yt God hauing once offered himselfe vntounto vsus in the person of his son, will continually still hold on to take and accept vsus for his children, and confirme the adoption which he hath made of vsus, euen vntil we come to the present inioying of the heritage which he hath promised vsus.
Moses hauing spoken so, addeth for a finall conclusion, that God had heard him, and sayde vntounto him, Goe thy way and leade this people into the Lande that I promised to their fathers, yea euen with an othe: let them goe into it and take possession of it. Here againe Moses sheweth the people that when they be come into the Lande of promise, they must vnderstande yt that befalleth not to thē for their owne deseruings, but through Gods great mercy, yea and such mercy as ought to rauishe their wittes to wonder at it: for they had refused all ye promises that had beene made vntounto them. So then it stoode this people in hand, to be new reared & set vp againe in their former state, through a singular grace. That is the intent of Moses, whereof I hauehave treated more fully already, and therfore it is ynough as now to touch it. But yet let vsus not forget to apply it to our vse, which is, yt it behoueth vsus to vnderstande, yt although God hauehave called vsus to the beleefe of his Gospell, yet so yt in respect of this present life, we cease not to shrink away frō him, wherby we were worthy to hauehave ye dore shut against vsus, & to be taken as folk vtterly reiected, vnlesse he receiue vsus to merciemercy, and yt not for once only, but also in that he must double & treble his mercy vponupon vsus, in so many sins as we cōmit against him. Now thē, before we can come to the inheritance of the kingdom of heauen, God must bee faine to shewe vsus many a time and often, that we hauehave it not for any worthinesse of our owne, nor for any purchase that we can make of it by our seruice, to say that wee hauehave earned it: but yt his making of vsus to be his heires, is of his own meere and freebestowed liberalitie, for none other cause, but that he hath vouchsafed to choose vsus, and to beare with vsus, and to pardon the infinite offences, whereby we cease not to prouoke him in suchwise, as he shold needes roote vsus out, if hee ment to vse rigor towards vsus. Thus ye see how we should apply this lesson of Moses to our behoofe.
Moreouer it ought also to serue vsus for a comfort, that we be not discoraged when we hauehave offended our God, euen after we hauehave knowen him and are fallen in traine of walking according to his worde. For though we step a side for a time: yet must not our so dooing make vsus to despaire, but wee must come backe againe, assuring ourselues that if God herd Moses in the time of the figures of the Lawe, he wil certainely heare him that maketh intercession for vsus nowe, that is to wit, his owne onelyonly sonne. For our Lorde Iesus Christ was a priest, not only to die once to purchase saluation for vsus, but also to inioy the same office euerlastingly, as in respect of appearing in the sight of God his father,…. 9.24. to obtaine forgiuenesse for the sinnes which we commit daily. Let vsus marke (I say) that if this grace was granted to the fathers vnderunder the Lawe, surely wee shall not be disappointed of it as now. Yet notwithstanding it is not ment hereby, yt that should make vsus the readier or bolder to offend: but we must vnderstande, that when we come before God, wee must acknowledge the faultes yt we hauehave cōmitted, we must be sorie for our misdeeds, & we must beseeche God to bring vsus home againe to him. For as for those that hate not their sins, they be so far of from obteining of fauour at Gods hand, yt they do the more prouoke his wrath. Contrariwise, when we hate our sins, God looketh no more vponupon them, but burieth them out of sight. And this warneth vsus, yt when God cōtinueth his merciemercy towardes vsus, & reneweth the same daily, and taketh vsus into fauour againe after wee hauehave offended him: his so doing is not to make vsus the bolder to do euil, as who wold say we hauehave made a good market at his hand: let vsus beware of such blasphemy: but it must be applied wholly to the faultes yt are past. Therefore when there is speaking of Gods mercy & of ye forgiuenes of our sins in the holy scripture, we must vnderstand yt God sendeth vsus backe to the sinnes yt are past: & therwithall putteth vsus in minde to beware afterward of the danger that we were in afore: warning vsus to pray him to gouerne vsus with his holy spirit, so as he suffer vsus not to be led out of the way, nor to fal to wilfull breaking of ye couenāt, which ought to be kept vnuiolated, as well on our part by our faithful obedience, as it is on his part, yea & that with such constancie, yt although we offend him daily, yet he ceaseth not to continue stedfast still in his purpose. And to be ye better assured of this doctrine, let vsus alwais hauehave recourse to this saying, yt the Lande of Chanaan was as an earnest penny of the euerlasting inheritance to the fathers yt liued vnderunder the Law.Heb. 11.13.14.16. 1. Cor. 10.11 And so the thinges that are set downe in the holy scripture, must be to vsus as a lookingglasse or picture, wherein to beholde the maner of Gods guiding of vsus, til we be come to the euerlasting life. The people of Israell was chosē before they were born, God shewed his fauour to them by the law, & moreouer he chastised them, insomuch yt he listed not to put thē in possession of their promised heritage out of hande, as in deede they were not wortie of it, but yet for all yt they came into it at the last. And so we perceiue, that our Lord hath not delayed his receiuing of vsus till we come vntounto him: but yt he hath preuented vsus, with his infinite goodnes, insomuch yt he hath chosen vsus before ye making of the world, & hath offered vsus his grace & confirmed it by the preaching of the Gospel,Eph. 1.4. as well as the Law was published by the hand of Moses. For our Lord Iesus Christ hath vouchsafed to be a faithful witnes of God his father, & of the louelove yt he bringeth vsus. And because he is not abiding any more here below with vsus in his own person, he hath appointed his ministers to whō he hath giuen authoritie to preach in his name,Luke. 10.1… & 24.27. & therewithall hath giuen commaundement to all people to receiue them, saying, he that heareth you, heareth me. And he hath giuen them expresse charge to preach the forgiuenes of sins, as if they should drawe the wretched captiue soules out of the bondage of hell. Ye see then how our Lorde Iesus Christ hath vttered the grace that was vnknowen vntounto vsus before: but wee take small profite by it. For although wee were baptised from our infancie, yet when wee come to yeares of discretion, whereby begin we to shew our selues to hauehave some witte, but by choosing the euill, as though wee ment to spite God wittingly? And againe beside this, when our Lord teacheth vsus, and reformeth vsus by his worde, so as he ceaseth not to shewe vsus our faultes, to the intent to tame vsus and to daunt vsus, and to drawe vsus to repentaunce: howe dull are we vppon the spurre? After what fashion deale we? Are wee not so spytefull and stubborne, as a man can not by any meanes win vsus? yes, and therefore he is faine to sende vsus many chastisements & to make this present life to be as a wildernes to vsus to wander vp and downe in, with ye feeling of his wrath. For all the miseries wherewith wee be hemmed in, are remembrancers to make vsus hang downe our heades, and to make vsus perceiue that we be wretched sinners, & that we be worthy, not onelyonly of temporall correction, but also to be sunke downe into hell. Yet notwithstanding, this serueth not to driue vsus to dispaire, for we may well assure our selues yt God will receiue vsus to mercy so we flee to our Lord Iesus Christ. For if Moses were heard who was a wretched sinner:Rom. 5.17. & Col. 1.20. what shall he be, who hath all righteousnesse perfectly in him? and to whō authoritie is giuen to make full attonement betweene God and man? Nowe thē seeing that our Lord Iesus Christ is appointed to be our mediator: let vsus not doubt but that although God holde vsus in this worlde as poore banished wretches, and withdrawe himselfe from vsus, and shrinke aside to outwarde appearaunce: yet we be not bereft of the inheritaunce which he hath promised vsus, and purchased for vsus by our Lorde Iesus Christ. But howsoeuer wee fare, let vsus not tempt him, nor abuse his patiēce▪ but let vsus wey wel this speech, where Moses saith that he was hearde for that time also. For it serueth to holde vsus in awe, that wee flatter not our selues when God beareth with vsus, but that we shoulde looke about vsus to amende our faults, and to bridle our wicked lustes, that we giuegive not ourselues ouer vntounto euill, but hate it and abhorre it, so as God may goe on with the thing that hee hath begunne in vsus, vntill he hauehave ridde vsus quite and cleane of all worldly lettes, and put vsus in possession of the euerlasting life. If wee doe so, wee may boldely protest that we hauehave praysed God and that we hauehave giuen him such glorie as hee deserueth, and wee hauehave cause to reioyce in that we were able to ouercome all the temptations and distrustes that coulde happen vntounto vsus: and therefore wee shall not neede to doubt, but that our good God is and will be mercifull to vsus, though we be not worthy of it.
Nowe let vsus kneele downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him to vouchsafe to make vsus so to feele them, as it may serue to mortifie vsus daily more & more, that when we perceiue his displeasure, we may flee to his goodnesse and mercy, to obtaine fauour at his hande, that beeing rid quite and cleane of our vices and spo…es, we may bee so gouerned by the power of his holy spirite, as we may become true sacrifices vntounto him, by dedicating our selues wholly to his glory through newnesse of life. And so let vsus all say, Almightie God heauenly father, &c.