Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 96
On Munday the iiij. of Nouember. 1555. The XCvj Sermon, which is the fourth vponupon the fifteenth Chapter.
16 And if hee happen to say to thee, I will not depart from thee because I louelove thee and thy house, by reason that he findeth himselfe well with thee:
17 Then shalt thou take an Aule, and bore him through the eare to the doore, and hee shalbee thy bondman for euer. And likewise shalt thou do to thy womanseruaunt.
18 Let it not grieue thee to let him go free from thee: for he hath serued thee sixe yeares as a hyreling of double wages. And the Lorde thy God will blesse thee in all thy dooings.
19 All the first borne males that breede of thy cattell and of thy flockes, thou shalt sanctifie to the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not labour with the first borne of thy kyne, nor shere the first borne of thy sheepe.
20 But thou shalt eate them, thou and thy houshold from yere to yere in the presence of the Lord thy God, in the place which the Lorde will choose.
21 But if there be any blemish in it, so as it be lame or blinde, or hauehave any euill fault in it: thou shalt not offer it to the Lorde thy God:
22 But shalt eate it within thy gates, as well the vncleane as the cleane, both alike, as the fallow deere and the Red deere.
23 Only thou shalt not eat the bloud of it, but shalt powre it vponupon the ground as water.
WEe hauehave seene already the lawe which God placed among the Iewes, whereby bondage was not to continue for euer, but yt the person which had bin solde should serue sixe yeres, and afterward be set at libertie. And I told you that although the like law be not among vsus nowadays; yet notwithstanding we may gather a very profitable lesson of that which is therin contained, yt is to wit, that he which hath any superioritie ouer others, ought to forbeare all tyranny, & to be kyndharted towardes those whom God hath put in subiection to him, so as he reigne not ouer them with crueltie, ne inforce them to all that euer he may, but deale gently with them as with his brethren. And although wee bee not nowadays all of one linage as the Iewes were: yet must it suffice vsus that wee hauehave all one father & one master in heauen,Eph. 6.9. & Col. 3.10. as is declared vntounto vsus. For by meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ, wee be so vnited togither, that there is such a brotherhood betwixt vsus, as cannot be broken without forsaking the adoption which God hath made of vsus. And therfore as many as intend to be taken for Gods children, must louingly beare with all those whō they may commaund. Againe, we must come to account, so as if wee will obtaine merciemercy at the hand of God, & be borne withall by his gracious fauour; wee must looke to doe the like to such as are in subiection to vsus.
But nowe Moses addeth an exception to the law, wherby he had commanded to set seruants at libertie after sixe yeres seruice; and he sayeth that if any seruant be so well contented with his state, that when his master is readie to sende him away & to giuegive him reward, he will say vntounto his master; Nay sir, I had leuer to tary still in thy house because I finde myselfe well at ease: then shall his master take an Aule, & boare through his seruants eare in token that hee is his for euer. Yet was not this done without consideration of the case, as is written in the xxi. of Exodus. For there it is sayde expressely that the master shall call to the Iudges,Exod. 21.6. that the matter may bee inquired of by them. For otherwise, eueryevery master might hauehave made the worlde beeleeue, that his seruaunt was desirous to bee his for euer. Therefore it behoued the thing to bee prooued; and then was his eare boared through at the doore, to the ende that the matter might bee done openly to the sight of all men. For in such cases there might hauehave beene much collusion, yea, and also compulsion, and a man might hauehave beene so vrged by constraint of much beating, that hee woulde hauehave consented to hauehave beene in perpetuall bondage. But when the thing was done in open sight, so as the Iudges were called to the matter: then was there no deceite, neither coulde they bee beguyled which did so yeelde themselues into bondage.
And as touching the marking of them, it was a common thing in the East countryes. And it is seene in other Coūtries also, that such as were marked, were of worse state and condition than other bondeseruauntes were: but in this place there is no meaning of any harder bondage than the rest. And because God had graunted that priuiledge among his people; he addeth that if any man woulde needes be a bondeslaue of his own wil, then he should beare some marke therof. But yet was this marke made without any wounding, as if the tip of a mans eare should bee boared with a pinne or with an awle that were sharpe, it coulde put him to no payne, and it was no more but to make the matter knowen. And whereas God sayth that he should be so for euer,Leui. 25.39. we must vnderstand that the yeere of Iubile was excepted, as we may see in other places. And in very deede, the compasse of fiftie yeeres was called a worlde, and the worde that Moses vseth is taken sometimes for the age of a man, His meaning then is, that he which consenteth to be a bondeslaue, shall abide in that state for euer, that is to say euen vntill the state of the countrie be renewed, as well concerning mens Landes as their persons: at which time eueryevery man entered againe into his owne heritage, that God might alwayes be knowen to be both souereigne Lord and as it were the onelyonly Lorde of the soile, & that the inhabiters were not owners and freeholders,Leui. 25.23. but onelyonly as tennauntes at will, or farmers, for those are the verie termes that our Lorde vseth. Therefore his will was that the parting of the Lande which was made by his commaundement shoulde bee kept: the meane whereof was that eueryevery man shoulde returne to his owne inheritaunce & possession at the fiftith yeere, at which time the whole state of the Realme was chaunged in all other thinges. Thus see we now what was the effect of this Lawe.
And heere wee hauehave an example that masters ought to behaue themselues gently, for page missing or if hee serue mee amisse, I can send him away, and that were more for my profite. And therefore it seemeth preiudiciall to my right to giuegive rewarde nowe to a slaue. A man might alleage after that fashion, as men are alwayes suttle in seeking of starting holes. If the case concerne eyther their profite or their losse; they can bee brought to no vprightnesse or reason. For this cause our Lorde saith here, Howe nowe? Thinke yee not that a slaue doeth, yea double the seruice of an hyred seruaunt? Yes: for if a man hyre a seruaunt for wages, if hee finde him not meate and drinke, hee must giuegive him so much the more money, that hee may finde himselfe after his owne liking. And againe, if a man find him, hee will looke for a large pittance; and yet he will grudge at it and say; this is no fare meete for a man that takes wages. The man then that is hyred for wages, must bee maintained after a more courteous and liberal fashion, than a slaue. Moreouer, when the hyred man hath done his dayes worke, hee is dispatched, and he goes his way to bed till the next morning that hee come againe to his worke. But the slaue is in a harder case. For the similitude which our Lord Iesus maketh in Saint Luke,Luk. 17.7.9. is taken of the cōmon fashion that reigned in those dayes. True it is that hee treateth of a farre greater matter, to shewe howe wee bee bounde vntounto God. But yet doeth hee alleage this similitude, saying: Behold, if one of you hauehave a bondseruaunt, whome you sende to labour in your vyneyarde or in your feelde, when this seruaunt commeth home at night starke wearie of his labouring to doe you seruice; I aske you whether his master will saye to him, Come sit thou downe thy turne, & take here my place, and I will serue thee. Nay, his master will say further to him, Sirrha, go fetch mee such a thing, and goe doe such a thing. And the seruaunt dares not bee so bolde as to replye, why so? I hauehave laboured in the feelde all day, and must I nowe take paynes stil when I am come home at night? Yee see then to what purpose it is sayde nowe that the rewarde of a slaue is double.
Againe, the seruaunt that is hyred by the day hath more ease and priuiledge: insomuch that if hee bee ill delt with, hee may goe his way. But the poore bondslaue is tyed, so as hee must bee faine to serue his master day and night, & there is no regarde had of giuing him any thing for his labour, but so hee be founde neuer so meanly it is welynough. To bee short it is shewed vsus heere, that wee ought alwaies to hauehave consideration of the profite that redoundeth to vsus by such as hauehave doone vsus seruice. And although there were no Lawe to compell vsus to the dischardging of our dueties, yet ought it to bee printed in our heartes, and eueryevery man ought to hauehave a conscience for the lawes sake, which telleth vsus that wee ought not to deale churlishly with our seruants. For if a man flatter himselfe, he is neuer the more discharged before God, but he must be faine to come to account. And those which as now do vaunt themselues because they hauehave gotten some superioritie aboue others, shal in the end finde that Gods will was there should hauehave bin some equalitie betwixt them,Eph. … as S. Paul speaketh therof.Col. 3.… For he vseth the selfsame term when he cōmandeth masters to beare with their seruants, & to spare them. Let there be an equalitie betwixt you saith he. As how? Is it ment that the seruant should be chekmate with his master? No, but S. Paul would there should be an answerable vprightnes, so that as the master can well skill to take the labour & trauell of his seruaunt vnderunder pretence that he may say, He is mine vnderling, I may command him what I list: so must he also consider the mutuall bonde that ought to be betweene one & another of vsus, that he on his own side do answere & acknowledge, Go to, I am his master, but not to vse tyrannye; I am his master, howbeit in such sort as I am also his brother; I am his master, but yet is there one cōmon master in heauen, which hath authoritie both ouer mee & ouer them that are vnderunder mee: & in that behalfe we be all but one housholde. And seeing that God hath called vsus all into his house, it behoueth both great & small to acknowledge one another for their brethren, for as much as God hath done vsus ye honor to adopt vsus to be his children; let not the great ones which hauehave superioritie vse any lordlines in reigning after their own will, but let them gouerne their subiectes as their houshold with all gentlenes & curtesie, in such sort as God who is the father of all, may hauehave highest preheminence, & bee honored as he deserueth. Thus ye see in effect, yt the thing which we hauehave to marke in this sentence, is that eueryevery of vsus should look to himself, & yeeld them right which are not able to demaund it, but are after such a sort in our subiection, as they cannot open their mouthes to complaine of vsus. Let vsus not …arie til their complaint & crye mount vp to heauen; but let vsus preuent that, & let vsus of our selues be inclyned to pitie & gentlenes. That is ye thing which our Lord aimed at in this sentence.
Now he addeth a promise vntounto it, to the ende we shoulde bee the better prouoked to doe that which hee biddeth vsus. For although wee feele our slackenesse in doing our duetie to bee such, as our owne conscience findeth fault with it: yet doeth selfe profite so blinde vsus and besot vsus, that wee cannot bee wunne to open our purses, and to giuegive liberally of the things which seeme to belong vntounto vsus. Now then, God perceiuing vsus to be so wedded to our owne profit, that a man can not wring any thing from vsus, but by maine force: addeth here, that if wee vse liberalitie towardes those yt are vnderunder vsus, he on his side wil blesse vsus, & increase vsus the more for it. Surely, if there were any faith or rightbeleefe in ye world, shoulde not this promise inflame vsus, & moue vsus to pitie and compassion towardes those that are in distresse, to succour them and to helpe them? And although that mention bee made here peculiarly of bondseruauntes; and that God commaund some rewarde to bee giuen vntounto them: Yet is it a generall lawe of courteous liberalitie. Seeing it is so, let vsus marke, that if wee straine our selues to doe good to such as are in neede, wee ought to hope for Gods blessing, and that the more liberall men bee in succouring their neighbours, the more will God shewe himselfe liberall towardes them againe. And so farre off are they from diminishing thēselues by their giuing to the needy; that it is as the opening of a windowe for Gods grace to raine in at, to the greater increase of their wealth. That is the cause why I sayd, that if there were but one drop of fayth among vsus, wee would be inflamed after another fashion to do good. But wee be locked vp, and eueryevery man withholdeth that which hee hath, insomuch yt when we should giuegive, we think the earth must needes faile vsus. Wherby we shew ourselues to hauehave no trust in God. So then, let vsus marke well this text, wherein our Lord to soften our hard hearts and to induce vsus to compassion, sayth that according to our pitying of the poore and needie, by releeuing their necessities: he also on his side will hauehave regarde thereof, & multiply vsus a hundered folde more by his blessing, than euer we could hauehave increased ourselues by our owne couetousnes & nigardship. Insomuch yt we shall set open a windowe (as I sayd afore) for Gods grace yt is offered vsus, if we succour those yt hauehave neede of our helpe. That is ye thing which wee hauehave to consider as in respect of the promise which God addeth heere.
Nowe afterwarde followeth the Lawe of the first borne, wherein it is sayd, That all the firstborn Males shalbe offered vntounto God, and that they shalbe offered euerie yeere, in the place which the Lorde shall hauehave chosen, so they be not faulty, nor in any wise blemished. As for example, if a beast were goggle eied, or blinde, or lame, or had any other ilfauorednes or blemish in it: it might not be offered; but the beasts yt were sounde, were to be offered in ye temple, as God had cōmanded to bring them to the place yt he had chosen, according to that which hath bin tolde you heretofore. We know whereof this Lawe of offering vp the firstborne thinges sprang,Exod. 12.12 & 13.2. namely of Gods sleaing of al ye firstborne of the land of Egypt, as well of men as of beastes at such time as he was about to deliuer his people out of the bondage of Egypt, & of his sparing of the children of Israel; for the bloud of the pascall Lamb was dipped vpō their dores, & yt was done for their preseruation. Now our Lords will was yt the firstborne should be offered vp to him in acknowledgement of yt great benefite. For seeing ye so great a miracle had bin wrought for thē, it behoued them to honor God for it, & to be alwaies the more moued to magnifie his grace. But wee see how forgetfull we are in yt behalfe: insomuch that if God hauehave done vsus any good turn, in deed we can speake of it & tell it forth with voyce loud ynough for a litle while: but by & by it slippeth frō vsus, & we thinke no more of it. But gods powring out of his gratious goodnes towards vsus, is to the end yt we should mind it continually & beare it in remēbrāce euer after. Therfore is it requisite yt we should be warned & put in mind of ye things which we would else forget. Euen so stoode ye case as in respect of the offering of the firstborne. For Gods will was yt it shoulde be a memoriall of the sayd benefite, so as it might neuer bee forgotten. And heereby let vsus marke, that although wee hauehave not the like ceremonies among vsus: yet doth God still exhorte vsus to bee mindefull of the benefites that we hauehave receiued at his hande. And the excellenter that his gratious dooinges are, the more ought we to be moued by them to exalt them, yea and to deale in such wise that euen when wee be dead and gone; our children may continue in doing the like. Thus ye see what we hauehave to remēber concerning the order that was set downe for the offering vp of the first borne thinges.
It had bin ynough to hauehave spoken of it once: and why then doth God repeate it againe, but by reason of mens vnthankefulnes? And this concerneth not the Iewes onelyonly, but also vsus. Wherefore let vsus consider, that whereas God telleth vsus that we ought to be mindfull of ye benefits which we hauehave receiued at his hand, yet we cease not to turne our backes, and to shut our eyes yt we might not see; and if we be driuē to remēber them whether we will or no, yet are we too too lasie in doing it. Considering then the naughtinesse yt is in vsus, insomuch that God hath no sooner turned his hande, but that we hauehave by & by forgotten what he hath done for vsus; or at leastwise whereas hee woulde that the remembraunce of his benefites should be printed in our heartes, we thinke it ynough to hauehave borne them in minde a day or twayn: Let vsus accustome our selues to the mindfulnesse of them, and consider that wee must not only blame the Iewes for their vnthankfulnesse, but also remember that we ourselues are of nature like vntounto them.
Moreouer whereas it is sayde that the first borne thinges which are to be offered, must bee sounde and without blemish: hereby we see how men wold faine beguyle God with their by shifts. For they would hauehave picked the faultiest of their firstborne thinges to hauehave offered vntounto God, and they would hauehave thought with themselues, well, this shall be set out to doe seruice withall in the Temple; for it will doe mee no seruice: yonder beast doth but pine away, well, he must serue for sacrifice. This were a playne mocking of God: and yet was it a common thing among the Iewes. But let vsus come to our selues: there is none of vsus all but he findeth himselfe so ill minded, as to defraude God continually of somewhat that belongeth vntounto him. For, (to let passe the ceremonie of offering the firstborne thinges) God requireth that euerie of vsus should offer vppe our selues vntounto him; and it is good reason that wee shoulde doe so:Hebr. 2.14. for he hath redeemed vsus from the bondage of death. Wee were by nature the bondeslaues of Sathan, and beholde, GOD hath made vsus his owne children: therefore is it verie meete, that wee shoulde doe him homage with our persons. And as touching our soules, wee knowe that the sonne of GOD spared not himselfe for the redeeming of them. And as for our bodies wee hope that they shall bee raysed againe to his heauenly glorie. Is it not meete then that GOD shoulde hauehave the whole possession of vsus? But when it commeth to the offering vp of ourselues to him, the world seeth yt wee goe to it like cripples and purblinde folke Who is he that commeth freely vntounto God, and that suffereth himselfe to be vtterly cast down & to be stripped out of his sinful nature? Nay, if we goe towards God with the sight of one eye, with the sight of the other we are tied to the vanities of the worlde. If we lende him our eares a little while, by and by wee be listening to some other thing. If we hauehave any good thought tending towardes him, we be corrupted a thousande waies. Such are the sacrifices yt we offer vntounto God, that is to wit sinfull sacrifices & full of corruption. To be short, howsoeuer the world go, God can hauehave no right at our handes. Cal he neuersomuch vponupon vsus, & be he neuer so importunate with vsus, yet are we so hardharted, yt we will neuer yeeld him his due. Thus we see that although the ceremony of offering ye first borne as wel of cattell as of men, is taken away: yet this Law is not superfluous among Christians: but vnderunder the shadowes of Moseses lawe, God sheweth vsus after what sort we should come vntounto him nowadayes: that is to wit, not limping, nor as purblinde folke ranging here and there: but yt we should looke to the purging of the wicked affections that are in vsus, so as wee may come to him sounde both in bodie & soule. True it is that doe what we can, it is not possible for vsus to be without a great number of vices in vsus: but yet must not those vices be nourished, neither must we flatter our selues. If any of vsus feele anie imperfections in himselfe, he must mislike of it, and being sorie for it, wee must desire GOD to purge and clense vsus from our sinnes, that we may be ridde from all the corruptions that hinder vsus to become acceptable sacrifices vntounto him. When we go that way to worke, that is to say, when euerie of vsus fighteth against his owne sinnes by true repentance; although there be many things amisse in vsus, yet will our Lorde receiue vsus, and not shake vsus off.1. Ioh. …1.7. For we knowe that the bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ serueth to scoure out all our spottes. And that is the cause why it is sayd that our sacrifices are offered to God the father in his name.Hebr. 3.15. Seeing then that Iesus Christe is there aunswering for vsus, although there be spots in vsus, yet are they not imputed to vsus. But yet must we on our side endeuour to amende them, and by that meane acknowledge the thing that is sayde heere, that is to wit; wee must not offer faultie sacrifices vntounto God, nor resemble the hypocrites, which come to him for fashions sake, but in deede make none account of him: so as we should make a faire face of it to the worldewarde, and in the meane while foster some secret poyson within, but that we come right foorth to our God as he commaundeth vsus. Thus ye see in effect what we hauehave to remember vponupon this sentence of Moseses, where hee speaketh of the firstborne.
Besides this, our Lords meaning was that the first borne should be valued at a summe of mony as well of the cattell as of other things: so as the thing that was alwayes aimed at, was the mindefulnesse of Gods benefites. But as concerning these things we will not enter into them as now; for this text requireth it not, neither doth ye time serue for it. It sufficeth vsus in fewe words to know that our Lordes meaning heere, is that when we hauehave receiued any gratious good turne, or that he hath bestowed any benefit vponupon vsus, the remē brance thereof should continue with vsus, not for a day or two, but for euer: and that the fathers should tell their children the same, to the ende that he may be honored among vsus for euermore. Finally let vsus not offer beastes vntounto him in sacrifice, as they did vnderunder the Lawe as appeareth by this figure: but let vsus assure our selues that ye acceptable sacrifice which God requireth, is the offering of ourselues vntounto him both in bodie and soule,Rom. … 1. Cor. … so as our whole seeking may be to be guyded and gouerned altogether by his holy spirite, and that all that euer wee hauehave be dedicated to his seruice, and applyed to the vse which he hath shewed vsus, that he may be glorified in all points.
Nowe let vsus fall downe in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes, praying him to make vsus feele them better, and that seeing there is nothing in vsus but all manner of frowardnesse & leaudnes, we may seeke to be renued in such sort, that as long as we liue in this mortal life, our whole seking may be to be guided to the happie ende which we looke for in heauē; and yt in the meane time we may liue after such a sorte in this worlde, as he may be glorified in vsus, and that whē it shall please him to take vsus hence▪ wee may yeelde our selues obediently into his handes, assuring ourselues yt sith he sheweth him selfe so gratious and liberall towardes vsus, as to gouerne vsus in this transitorie life, & of his goodnes giueth vsus al things behoouefull & necessary, wee neede not to doubt but that he will make vsus to attaine to the perfection of the thinges which are nowe hidden, & which shall not bee opened vntounto vsus, vntill the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ. That it may please him to graunt this grace not onelyonly to vsus, but also to all people and nations of the earth, &c.