Sermons on Deuteronomy, Sermons · Sermon 99
On Thursday the vij. of Nouember. 1555. The XCix. Sermon, which is the third vponupon the sixteenth Chapter.
9 Thou shalt recken seuen weekes from the time that thou biginnest to put the sickle into thy haruest: thou shalt begin to recken seuen weekes:
10 Afterward thou shalt keepe the feast of weekes to the Lord thy God, with a freewill offering of thy handes, which thou shalt giuegive as the Lord thy God shall hauehave blessed thee.
11 And thou shalt reioyce before the face of the Lorde thy God, both thou and thy sonne, and thy daughter, thy Manseruaunt and thy Maid seruaunt, and the Leuite which is within thy gates, and the straunger, the fatherlesse, and the widowe which are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God will choose to set his name in.
12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondseruant in Egypt: and thou shalt keepe and do these ordinances.
MOses teacheth heere of the seconde great solemnitie which was kepte yearely among the Iewes: and that was to giuegive God thankes after the gathering of their haruest. And this day was named Pentecost, [that is to say fiftie dayes,] because there were seuen weekes betweene Easter and that, so as there were nine and fortie dayes betweene those feastes, whereunto one being added for the feastday it selfe, made fiftie. And the Greeke worde signifieth the same thing: but the Hebrewes called it the feast of weekes, and all commeth to one thing. Thus then we see now what this feast wherof Moses speaketh here, that is to wit a meane to put them in minde to honor God for sending his benefites to the sustenance of man. And this concerned all manner of fruites of the earth: Howebeit vnderunder one kinde, all the rest were cō prehended, as if God had exhorted his people to confesse that all good thinges come of him. The summe then is, that we must acknowledge not onelyonly that God hath set vsus in this worlde, but also that he sheweth himselfe continually to be a fosterfather, and that he mainteyneth vsus, and that he maketh the earth to yeelde fruite to finde vsus withall, and at a worde, that we liue by his meere liberalitie. True it is that this ought to be done at all times of our life; howbeit by reason of mens grossenesse, it was requisite that there shoulde bee yearely a feast kepte vppon some one certaine day of the yeare. Moreouer (as I hauehave tolde you alreadie) the feastes of the Iewes serued not only for the benefites that God had bestowed vppon them alreadie, but also for a seruice. And so, to be short, Gods wil was that the Iewes should giuegive him thankes one day in the yeare, yt therby they might be prouoked to acknowledge all their life after, that they were susteyned at his hande, so as they should neuer take anie repast, but that they shoulde thinke thus with themselues, wee hauehave offered sacrifice to God after haruest: whereby wee were put in minde that it is hee which hath sent vsus our sustenance. Therefore are we hypocrites, if we thinke not vppon his goodnesse dayly, or if wee turne not to him as often as we eate or drinke, to acknowledge him to bee the author of al welfare. So then, this solemne protestation made once a yere was not a discharge for men to forget God all the rest of the time: but rather a meane to make them thinke, Goe too, we hauehave kept here a solemne feast for one day, that it might be a schooling to vsus all the yeare after, that if wee hauehave any thing wherewith to susteyne our selues, it is Gods doeing who hath had pitie on vsus.
But nowe the ceremonie of this feast is no longer in vse, and yet the trueth thereof abideth with vsus still. And so wee receiue good and profitable instructiō by ye doctrine therof, by reason wherof it cannot be thought to be needlesse and yt it was written alonly for the Iewes. For it was Gods will that men shoulde bee taught by it euen to the worldes end, and that they should be put in minde not to swallowe vp Gods benefites into our paunches without thinking vppon him, but rather that wee shoulde bee ledde to giuegive him thankes, as oft as we either eate or drinke; so that whensoeuer we take any repast, we may consider howe it is hee that giueth it vsus, first opening the heauen to giuegive moysture and foyzon to the earth, and afterward giuing power to the earth to beare fruite, and finallie blesseth the Corne when it is sprung vp, that it may prosper to yeeld foode vntounto vsus. Seeing then that we perceiue al these things, let vsus hauehave regard to benefite our selues by them. True it is (as I hauehave touched afore) that we must not hauehave anie one day certaine in the yeare, as the Iewes had, neither ought wee also to bee as young children. If a man alleadge for his excuse, that if hee doe not his duetie, let him not vse his reward giuen him as a little childe hath: it will not serue to excuse him. Folke doe not vse to giuegive a young childe his breakefast till hee hauehave prayed vntounto God, because hee hath not the wit and discretion to doe it, vnlesse he bee compelled to it by some certaine order. Nowe then if an olde fellowe of the age of thirtie or fortie yeares eate his meate without praying to God, he deserueth not to bee beaten with a rodde, but to bee driuen away and to bee abhorred as a swine. And if hee alleadge, I hauehave no rule as is giuen to young children: what is that to the matter? Hast thou not discretion enough to do so much of thy selfe? Hast thou liued so long in the world and doest thou not yet know that thou oughtest to yeelde God thankes for the good which hee doeth vntounto thee?Col. 4.5. Therefore it is saide that the Iewes were young children in comparison of the Christians: for God had giuen them rules according to their infirmities. As now although those thinges bee past away in respect of vsus; yet are wee the more bounde to acknowledge Gods grace in his feeding & maintaining of vsus. And why? The perfecter yt the doctrine is which is imparted to vsus in the Gospel, the more plainly ought wee to acknowledge the benefites of our God towardes vsus. That is the thing which wee hauehave first to remember out of this text.
Nowe it is saide, That the people shall resorte to Ierusalem to offer freewill offerings. God pointeth out these thinges more particularly in the three and twentith of Leuiticus,Leui. 23.17 where he sheweth what offeringes were to bee made on the behalfe of the people. Howbeit, hee speaketh there but of euerie particular person, and hee saith, Yee shall bring offeringes according to your devotion. For although there was a lawe certaine; yet behooued it their offeringes to bee made with a free will, and not as by compulsion, accordingly as it is saide,2. Cor. ….7. that God loueth such as offer vntounto him willingly and not as of necessitie. Yee shall see manie that will be liberall to Godwarde; howebeit, it is but a thing of constraint, which kinde of dealing God vtterlie misliketh. A man may spoyle himselfe of all his goods, and yet doe God no such seruice as hee shall like well of, if it bee not matched with his freewill, as I saide afore. Besides this, GOD left it to euerie mans owne choyce to offer what hee thought best, but yet he addeth according as the Lord thy God shall hauehave blessed thee. To the intent that men should not withhold through nigardshippe, as they be commonly wont to doe: God putteth them here in minde of his blessing: as if hee had saide, be well aduised, true it is that in this case I lay the bridle on your neckes, offer what you your selues thinke good, I meane not to inforce you to any thing, I would hauehave the offeringes which you bring vntounto mee, to be of a free will. But yet for all that, ye must come to account for it. Who is hee that blesseth you▪ If yee hauehave had a good and plentiful haruest, to whome are you beholden for it? Ought yee not to consider howe it is I yt hauehave opened my hand wide, to the end that your hearts also shoulde open themselues wide on their parte? Know ye therefore that I hauehave allured you, by multiplying you; wherefore when yee hauehave a good croppe, looke that yee employe your selues so much the freelier in doing my seruice.
And hereby wee bee warned to looke neerely to our selues, that euerie of vsus may put forth the good thinges which God hath committed vntounto him. Here is mention made but onelyonly of Corne, Wine, and such other thinges. Then if God hauehave inriched a man, hee must see that hee suppresse not Gods blessing, by keeping it close. For wee see there are Cormorantes which hauehave no care of otherfolkes pouertie: they thinke they may scrape all that they can come by, and that no man ought to hauehave any parte of their goods. On the contrarie part it is declared here, that accordingly as euerie man hath receiued aboundance at Gods hande, so must hee impart vntounto his neighbours: for that is the ende which God ameth at. And if wee thinke not of it, we must come to account for it: and wee shall finde at length, that God will impute it to vsus for theft, when wee shall hauehave deuoured his goods after yt fashion, without hauing anie pitie vppon the needie to succour them. In like case is it with spirituall giftes. For according as euerie man is of abilitie and skill to succour his neighbours, so is hee bounde to discharge himselfe and to put himselfe forwarde. Otherwise GOD will shewe vsus to what purpose hee had bestowed his benefites vppon vsus, and that wee hauehave fayled in our duetie. That is the thing which wee hauehave to beare away in that Moses alleadgeth Gods blessing to stirre vp the Iewes to offer sacrifice ye more largely, after as God shall hauehave increased them, knowing that hee bindeth them thereby vntounto him.
And whereas he saith, That they shall reioyc… with their children, their menseruauntes, & their womenseruaunts, the fatherlesse, the widowes, and the strangers: thereby hee sheweth that his lawe was not ceremoniall onelyonly, but that it tended also to the doing of almesdeedes: as indeede our Lord hath at all times shewed,Hebr. 13.16. that those are the very sacrifices which he requireth. True it is that part of the thinges which were to be offered, were to be brought to the Altar, & there to be burned in sacrifice: but yet for all that, it was alwayes prouided that of the rest, the poore should be fedde and maintayned as well as the priestes & Leuites: and nowe doeth Moses speake thereof againe. Wherefore let vsus marke, that euen in the time of the Ceremonies and shadowes of the lawe, God neuer required sacrifice, but that he willed men therewithall to hauehave pitie vppon the needie to succour them, according to this saying of his by his Prophet Osee, I require mercy & not sacrifice.Osee. 6.7. True it is yt he had commanded both of them: but he sheweth yt such as think to discharge themselues by cōming to ye church, and by offering their giftes there, doe beguile themselues, and that all their doinges are but hypocrisie, if they bee not kindehearted in succouring the needie, & in doing of Almesdeeds. For I pray you, can wee aduance GOD anie whyt by offering of our goods vntounto him? Can we inrich him?Iob. 35.6. Psal. 16.2. Wanteth he any thing? True it is that hee requireth oblations: howebeit, that was to the end that men shoulde acknowledge euen by eysight, that they were bounde vntounto him. It was a kinde of puting of them in minde of it. Yet notwithstanding it stood them alwayes in hand to consider, that they could not otherwise discharge themselues, than by giuing part of their goods to such of their neighbours as had want. Thus ye see howe the meaning of Moses was, that when the Iewes offered their sacrifices after haruest, it was not enough for them to acknowledge with mouth and outward gestures, that they were bound vntounto God for his sending of them wherewith to liue, but that it behooued them also to shewe towardes men that they intended to be faithfull stewardes of the thinges which he had put into their hands, and desired nothing but to be well discharged of them.
And to moue thē more thereunto, he telleth them That they themselues had beene bondeslaues in the Land of Egypt, which warning peale hath bin set downe in other places heretofore. For wee know that when men liue at their owne ease and in pleasure, they bee not greatly touched with compassion though other men die for hunger: & euen so was it with the Iewes when they were come into the land of Chanaan after they began once to waxe ful. For the land it selfe was fat and specially because God had blessed it. Therefore doth he bring thē backe to the minding of their former state, and of the cruel bondage wherein they had beene. Consider (saith he) how ye hauehave beene bondslaues in the land of Egypt, and that as then ye would faine hauehave been gently intreated. When ye were too greeuously vexed ye cried out vntounto mee. Now therefore know ye that ye poore & needy which are among you, do craue likewise to be regarded at your handes, and that I for my part do make account of them. This is the effect of the matter conteined in that place.
Now to the end we may make our profit by it, let vsus cal to mind the saying of the prophet O see accordingly also as it is alledged by our Lord Iesus Christ, that is to wit, that God requireth the sacrifice of Almesdeeds.Matt. 9.23. & 12.7. As if he should say, that he is not contented that men shoulde vse some Ceremonies towards him, but will hauehave vsus to be kindharted in releeuing such as hauehave need of our helpe, if we hauehave abilitie wherewith to do it. And if men play the thankelesse churles with vsus in forgetting the good which we hauehave done them: it is enough for vsus that God alloweth our dealing, and putteth it into his booke of accountes. Also let vsus bethinke our selues howe glad wee woulde hauehave beene of releefe, if euer wee were in necessitie, that the same may mooue vsus to pitie, and that we be not blinded with our wealth. I say to such as hauehave abundance, let them not lie weltring in their pleasures, and withdrawe their hand from succoring the poore: but let them cō sider that if euer they themselues felt the want of these worldly goods, they woulde bee glad that euerie man shoulde reach out his hande to releeue them: and therefore let they themselues doe the like. Yea and although wee had neuer felt any want, yet let vsus consider that want may fall vponupon vsus hereafter. For what are we? No man can exempt himself from the stroke of God that he should not be driuen to begge his breade, yea though he had all the goods of the world. Hereof we see great store of examples. Seeing it is so, let no man be proude of his goods, but let vsus al consider that we be men, and let vsus not despise our owne fleshe,Es…. 52 …. as is saide in the Prophete Esay. And let vsus not say, what be the widowes? what be the fatherles children? what be ye strangers to vsus? But seeing that God offereth & commendeth them to vsus, let vsus assure ourselues that wee cannot hauehave any folkes more nighe vntounto vsus to whome to doe good. For when wee weene to bind men vntounto vsus, to hauehave recompence at their hande; wee shall be disappointed at all assayes, and good right it is that it shoulde be so. But as for the thing that is put into Gods hand, that cannot perishe nor bee lost. Let vsus marke then that Gods offering of the Straungers, the widowes, and the fatherles vntounto vsus, is as if hee shoulde say, he made them his baylifes to take vp his Rentes and Reuenewes.Mat. 6.4. And when wee bee to doe him homage for the benefites which wee hauehave receiued at his hande; let vsus assure our selues, that hee accepteth and auoweth al that euer is done to those whome hee speaketh off here by Moses.
Nowe we knowe what was done in the feast of Pentecost,Act. … namely that the holy Ghost was sent down vponupon Christs disciples, and that there was a kinde of renewing of the worlde, to exalte the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ: for there he vttered his power, yea more than hee did in his resurrection. For what had we bin the better for Christs rising againe in his own person, if he had not powred out the grace of his holy spirite vppon his Church, to shewe that hee was set at the right hande of God his father, to fill all thinges and to dwell in vsus, and that he hath such soueraigne dominion ouer all thinges, that wee be in safetie when we be in his protection? And if wee looke well vppon the matter, we shall find that the lawe was giuen the same time as after the Passeouer.Exod. 1….… For it is saide that the people came to Sinay the thirde monethmonth after their departure out of Egypte, the same day that they departed from Raphidin. Nowe that was the first day of the monethmonth, and the foureteenth day was the day of the Passeouer. And according as the moonethes were as then, which went by the course of the Moones, there was one whole mooneth added. And so in effect there were fiftie dayes from the Passeouer to Gods setting foorth of his lawe vppon Mount Sinay, so as the feast of Pentecoste or Witsontide was referred to that time. Now we know that the lawe coulde do men no good, if it were but onelyonly giuen them:2. Cor. ….6.7. Rom. 7.… for it is a deade letter. And againe, it killeth vsus, because it sheweth vsus our duetie, and wee be all transgressors of it, so as it condemneth and accurseth vsus. What are men the better then for the publishing of the Lawe? Nothing at all, but that it sheweth them howe they bee bereft of all hope of saluation, and that they be all damned before God. And that is the cause why Saint Paul saith,Rom. 8.15. that the Iewes at that time receiued the spirite of bondage, in terrour and feare saith he.Exod. 19.16 & 20.19. It is sufficiently shewed in the ninteenth of Exodus how the Lawe afrighteth those that receiued it. For they went backewarde and entreated that God would speake to them by the mouth of Moses, because they could not heare his voyce but they must needes die for it. Ye see then that the Lawe taught men the will of GOD. But what? Forasmuch as wee be cleane contrarie to his goodnesse and righteousnesse: the lawe of it selfe can yeeld nothing but death, accordingly also as Saint Paul speaking thereof in the seconde to the Corinthians,2 Cor. 3.6. saith, that it is a letter which killeth. Therefore it behooued the lawe to be renewed, and that God shoulde publishe it after an other fashion, not writing it in tables of stone, but in our heartes by chaunging them. For by nature our harts are as hard as stone, as it is said by the Prophet Ezechiel.2. Cor. 3.3. Ezec. 11.19. & 37.26. Therefore must God be faine to soften them, & to make thē plyable, yt they may be obedient to his lawe. Ye see then howe the lawe was published after an other fashion vppon Whitsonday, than it was in olde time by Moses. For it was not deliuered vsus in tables of stone, but God wrought so in vsus by his holy spirite, that wee were then renewed, and the same continueth still at this day.
And therefore let vsus marke, that besides the admonishment which the Iewes had to doe homage to God for their haruest and for their bodily sustenaunce which he gaue them: they had also a resemblaunce of the thinges which were fulfilled at the cōming of our Lord Iesus Christ, at which time GOD made another manner of Whitsontide than had beene in the time of the figures. For at that time he vttered the grace of the holy Ghost. Yet for all this, it is not meant yt we should keepe a feast of Pentecost: it is cleane contrarie. Seeing that the thinges which were figured vnderunder the law, were fulfilled in our Lord Iesus Christ, and that the figures themselues are ceased: if we bring them backe againe, wee doe wrong to him which hath brought the full accomplishment of all thinges. If the shadowes which were vnderunder the lawe,Col. 2.17. Col. 5.4. do come vp againe; Iesus Christ is to no purpose. So then let vsus mark that the holy Ghost was not sent vntounto vsus, to the ende that these figures should continue still: but to shewe that we differ from the people of olde time. True it is (as I saide afore) that there is no ill in it for the Christians to hauehave a certaine daie wherein this historie shoulde bee declared vntounto them: For we must not tie our selues to so streit a precisenesse, that it should not be lawfull for vsus to vse that helpe for our infirmitie. But to make a seruice of God thereof, and to take example at the Iewes, as though it behoued vsus to fashion our selues like vntounto them, or as though the feast of Whitsontide ought to be obserued at this day, by reason of the sending of the holy Ghost: that were too grosse a fondnesse. Let vsus vnderstand then, first that the Iewes had but a figure & shadowe of the trueth: and on our owne part wee may knowe in Iesus Christ, that God hath not figured anie thing in vaine,Col. 2.17. but that all the ceremonies of the Law tended to verie good purpose because the effect of them is shewed vsus in him. Therefore let vsus holde vsus contended therewith, and now let vsus learne to reioyce in the presence of our God, and to make otherfolks partakers of our mirth.
The Iewes were commanded to resort to Ierusalem as soone as haruest was done, & not only to reioyce there, but also to impart of their goods to their neighbors, so as there might be a common gladnes among them, and God might be glorified with one accord. And now that these things are at this day accomplished: what hauehave we to doe? We must not run trotting to Ierusalē to worship God there and to doe him homage there.1. Tim. 2.8. For we must lift vp our hands eueriwhere, howbeit so as they be cleane. And moreouer for asmuch as GOD hath not only sent vsus a haruest of corruptible fruits to nourish our bodies withal but also powred out ye infinite riches of his holy spirit and sent vsus the liuing waters as is saide in Ezechiel:Ezech. 47.9 let vsus vnderstand that it is to ye end we should hauehave the mirth whereof S. Paul speaketh in the fourteenth to the Romanes. Let vsus now reioyce then seeing our Lord hath shewed himselfe so bountifull towards vsus, that hee hath not withhelde any of the cheefe good thinges which he had, but hath powred vppon vsus all the benefites that concerne the endles life and heauenly glorie. Seeing then that we hauehave receiued the holy Ghost, let vsus also be ioyful in our harts. As how? By withdrawing ourselues from ye vanities of this world, & by holding our selues contē ted with the fauor of our God, praising him euen in the middes of our afflictions. Albeit that wee hauehave not all things at wil in this world: yet let vsus not cease to hold on still, assuring our selues that it ought to suffice vsus that our God is fauourable to vsus, & that he sheweth vsus his louelove. When wee be at that point once, then shall wee hauehave such peace and contentment in vsus,Phil. 4.7. as passeth all the ioyes of this world, yea and putteth away all the sorrowes that may trouble vsus. And when wee hauehave such gladnesse our selues, wee must to the vttermost of our power make them partakers of it, which hauehave need. For if the Iewes were commanded to cal the widowes, the fatherles, and the strangers to make merie with them, in spending of the goods which God had giuen them: much more reason is it, that seeing the spirituall giftes which God hath bestowed vppon vsus, belong to the common building vp of the Church as saith Saint Paul in the twelfth to the Romanes,Rom. 12.6, & 1. Cor. 12 7. and also in the twelfth of the first to ye Corinthians, we should take heed yt we defraude not our neighbours of the thing which GOD hath appointed for them.
Let vsus marke also that as nowe there is no more any stranger as in respect of vsus. For wheras God had separated the Iewes from the gentiles: nowe it is his will to bee knowen through the whole worlde; there is no more diuision of bodies; the wall is broken downe as saith Saint Paul in an other place.Eph. 2.14. Seeing then that God
fully: and thou must not tarie till there bee a solemne holy day to call thee to the Church, there to keepe the feast of Trumpets: but it must serue thee al thy life long for a spurre to make thee to return vntounto God. That is the thing (say I) which we hauehave to beare in mind. And as much also is to be noted concerning sorrowing: For it is not for one day onelyonly that wee must be sorie in our heartes and bethinke vsus of our sinnes. But forasmuch as we fal to them incessantly, & there passeth not any day wherein we offend not GOD: let vsus match it with sorinesse, and let vsus mourne for it, and not play the vnthriftes which make a skorne of all that euer a man can alleadge to them out of the worde of God: but let vsus bee afraide of his iudgementes and threats, and yet therewithall let vsus not doubt but he will giuegive vsus whereof to reioyce, and that although wee bee faine to passe through many sorrowes and hart-bitinges in this worlde, yet in the ende he will deliuer vsus from them, to make vsus partakers of the heauenly rest. After this maner (say I) must wee put this doctrine in vre, concerning the feastes which the Iewes had of old time in figure and whereof wee hauehave nowe the trueth & substaunce, as it is brought vntounto vsus by the sonne of God.
Now let vsus kneele downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes, praying him to make vsus feele them better than we hauehave done, so as wee may returne vntounto him, with true and vnfained repentaunce, and bee stirred more and more to amende our faultes, knowing that our good God is ready to receiue them all to merciemercy which come to him with lowlinesse. And that for asmuch as he hath graunted vsus the grace to hauehave nowe so full light of his Gospell, as may wel inlighten vsus throughly: it may please him not to suffer our eyes to be blindfolded, that wee should walke any more in darkenesse, but to graunt that wee keepe ye right way, and indeuer to bring others into the same, so as God may be glorified with one common accorde of all men. And that for the performance hereof it may please him to raise vp true and faithfull ministers of his word, &c.