Sermons on Deuteronomy (continued)
the covenant which he had sworn to your fathers, as appears this day.
19. But if you forget the Lord your God, and walk after strange Gods and serve them, and bow down before them: I protest to you this day that you shall surely perish.
20. As the Lord destroys the Nations before you: so shall you perish, because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God.
Here we must go forward still with the matter which Moses had touched before, and which I have partly expounded already: which is that he tells the people what favor had been showed them in Gods delivering o them from the bondage of Egypt, and in his leading of them through the wilderness, which things were not done but of Gods wonderful goodness. For when we have been in adversity, and God has delivered us from it, and done us good: his mercy has the greater beauty, and becomes the better known to us, if the adversity be set before us again, and that we be put in mind of it. That then is the meaning of Moses. To the intent that the people should not fall asleep in their pleasures, he says to them, consider in what plight and taking you were, when God reached you his hand to succor you.
Consider by what means he brought you into this land where he gives you rest at this time. Be mindful of those things, and you shall have cause to say that you have found so great mercy, as there is no excuse for you if you forget it. And he speaks purposely of the Manna, not to the same end that he spoke to it a while ago: but to do the people to understand, that they had been fed after such a strange fashion, as had not been commonly seen. Behold (says he) you have lived this forty years together without bread or vittles. God has fed you with Manna, which was a thing unknown: and he gave you a new kind of drink: for he made fresh water to come out of the dry and hard rock for you. Thus changed he the order of nature, that you might then better perceive the presence of his Majesty. True it is (as has been declared heretofore) that when the earth brings forth corn, it is through Gods blessing of it, an through his breathing of that power into it, albeit we perceive it not. For we despise the things that are common among us, and when we speak of the course of nature, we persuade ourselves that God should be excluded, and that he should bear no sway at all. Now because we be so dull: it was Gods will to alter the things that are ordinary among men, and to appoint his people to be fed with Manna, and to drink of the water which he had made to come out of the hard rock. Then that served to show his people his heavenly power the better, that they might be driven to think, we be not nourished after the manner of men. Behold, God utters himself in this behalf, and withdraw us from the world, as though we were going to him, or as though the heavens were set open to us, that we might the better behold his goodness and power, and perceive that it is he that has delivered us, and maintained us.
Finally Moses declares how it was Gods will to afflict and try his people, to the end they should not say, It is mine own power and mine own strength that has gotten me this abundance. And here we have to note, first the order which God keeps in teaching his people: which is, to begin with afflictions as Moses expresses here. And so must it be: or else we shall never be well taught, except our Lord have made us to feel hunger and thirst, and to endure poverty and adversity. We know what pride is in men b nature: they be wedded to themselves and stand in their own conceits, and until God have subdued them by force, they be besotted with vain self soothing.
Moreover when they be full fed, they fall to kicking against God and acknowledge him not for their master. Therefore to bring us to loveliness and obedience, God is fine to afflict us. Mark that for one point. And God makes this trial that Moses speaks of, not for that he needs to search us, as I have declared heretofore: (for mortal men are fine to make some trial, because they know not what is in folks hearts: but God has no need thereof: all things are known to him:) but he speaks after the manner of men when he lays things open, and discovers them whether there be any fining or hypocrisy in them, or whether their heart be right, so as they walk roundly and soundly.
When God discovers and betrays these things he is said to search, examine, and try men. Albeit his so doing is not for himself, but for us. Or we see how men stand in their own conceits bearing themselves on hand that there is nothing in them but perfect virtue and holiness: but if God nip them a little, by and by the bile bursts, and out comes the poison. Thus you see why it is said that God tries us.
And here we have to bear in mind, that if God afflict us oftentimes, we must not think it strange, considering the needfulness thereof.
For if he should let us alone in our delights, and handle every of us according to our own liking: what a thing were that? We would never submit ourselves under his yoke, we should not know what it is to fear him, we should not skill what it is to humble ourselves under his hand, we should not know what it is to call upon him, and to seek all our welfare in him. Seeing then that afflictions are so beneficial: let us learn to bear them patiently, and to submit ourselves to them willingly, though they go against our stomachs. Here is express mention made of humility and obedience. For first of all, if men continue in their loftiness: they cannot bow to obey God and to serve him, but they will needs have the bridle laid aloof upon their neck, and be let alone to follow their own wicked affections and lusts. You see then what stubbornness is rooted in us, until God correct it by main force.
And so there is no obedience, unless men be beat down with main strokes, neither is there any loveliness in them, till then. And why?
Because they soothe themselves, and take marvelously upon them, bearing themselves on hand that they want nothing, but that they be very able men, until God have proved the contrary upon them. And that is the thing which Moses expresses in this text when he says, It was Gods will so to afflict you. And to what end? To the end you should not say, it is mine own strength and mine own power that have gotten me this abundance. We see that when God suffers the order of nature to proceed, he that is rich thinks not that his wealth comes from heaven, or that God did set any hand to it: but he says that all came to him by inheritance, or by succession, or that he has gotten it by his own travel and policy. Thus do men ever advance themselves, until our Lord show them that they be nothing, nor nothing can do, and make them to feel it spite of their hearts.
Therefore were the people of Israel fed after a wonderful fashion by the space of forty years together in the wilderness, to the intent that when they were come into the land that had been promised them and did eat meat, they should think thus: True it is that as now God gives me meat, but it was not always so: the time has been that he fed me with Manna: therefore must I needs conclude that mine own power has not purchased me the things that I possess: I cannot say that I myself am the founder of them: I must do homage to my God for them, and hold them all of him: I must accept them as of his free gift, that he may let me enjoy them still: for I am worthy to be bereft of them, if I acknowledge not that they come off him. Now albeit that this instruction served for the people of old times: yet belongs it also to us, to the end that such as possess goods may understand, that they have none other interest in them, than because God has blessed them, and powered out his favor and bounty upon them. True it is that God respects not the worthiness or men in this case: for oftentimes he gives riches to the wicked, to the intent it should turn to their sorer condemnation. For as much as he has showed himself so liberal towards them: they must come to account and be punished double, if they benefit not themselves by the favor that was showed them. Yet notwithstanding we must take this for a general rule, that men attain not to riches by their own power, wisdom, or travel, but only by Gods blessing, whereof it has pleased him to give a continual president, which serves not only for the Jews but also for us, so as it behooves us to understand, that although some seem to be enriched by their great diligence, yet is it Gods blessing, which works with them after that fashion: and that whereas other some are rich before the be born, so as their ancestors have purchased them great possessions, yet do none of these things happen to them by chance, but Gods providence overrules all. We must (say I) refer all these things to that which is told us in the Psalm: namely that a man may well rise early and go late to bed, drink water and eat brown bread not half his fill: and yet shall he nothing avail by it, unless God reach out his hand and goodness. On that contrary part, sometimes he will cause goods to light upon his children as they lie asleep. And that shows us that men beguile themselves, if they think to enrich themselves by their own power: and that they be stark mad I they become proud, as though their goods came to them by their own means. For in so doing they blaspheme God, and rob him of his peculiar honor: and therefore is it good reason that they also should be bereft of the things that he has given them. As for example, if a Vassal should step up against his lord to whom he has promised fealty and homage, and refuse all the duties that he is bound to: his good should be ceased, and he be turned out of all that ever he has, and well worthy. Now behold here, God deals his benefits to us as to his Vassals reserving that royalties still to himself, so as he will be known to be chief Lord of that fee: and it is good reason that he should be so, specially seeing he does it not for his own benefit but for ours. Now if we be so malicious and forward as to defraud him, and to set him besides his right: should he not bereave us of the goods that he had given us and make us poor again, that he may drive us of force to sue to him? Yes: and so you see whence the changes come which we behold in the world, that whereas a house is rich and wealthy and never like to decay: a man shall be at his known ends to see it consume and ebb away. I speak not only of houses of mean Citizens: but also of the houses of great Lords, which have so many thousand pounds of yearly Rent: it is a wonder to see how they waste away, first to the half, then to a third part, and finally to nothing. And how may this come to pass? It should seem that God makes pastime, and takes pleasure in turning of wordily things upside down: albeit, that is because of our unthankfulness. For as much as men hold not the things with good conscience, which he has put into their hands: it is merely they should be dispatched of them.
Therefore it stands us so much the more on hand, to mark well this doctrine that is contained in these words, You God afflicted you, yes even of purpose that you should not now say, It is mine own hand that has gotten me this abundance. That if love and goodwill cannot persuade us to come so much reason, as to glorify God by acknowledging ourselves to hold all things of him: at least wise his scourging of us may make us to think it, and drive us by some means to be mindful of his grace, so as we may far the better by the examples that he has given us at all times, and not only have an eye to the things that we have seen in our own life, but also to the things which are reported to us in the Holy Scripture, to have been done long ago: I say let us call them to remembrance, because God will have them to serve for our instruction. Now if we be unthankful to our God in these small things: what will we be in the greater things?
[much more unthankful] as the world sees.
And if we have need to be tamed by afflictions, least we should be puffed up with pride for our meat and drink: surely we ought much more to be taught by such means, in spiritual matters. For Gods honor is more grievously impeached in these cases: and yet we see that men are most inclined that way. Truly it is too great and intolerable lewdness already, when mortal men surmise themselves to be fed and sustained by their own power and labor: their yielding of commendation to their own policy for their meat and drink, is already too shameful a presumption. But if they not only imagine themselves to be sustained by their own pains taking and travel, but also persuade themselves, that they get the kingdom of heaven, and become the children of God, and live in holiness, and all through their own free will: is not God thereby robbed of the praise that is due to him alone? Yes: for he is not only bereft of his right in these frightful and transitory things of the world: but also the chief part of his honor is taken from him, that is to know, that he corrects the naughtiness which is in us, that he quickens us through his goodness, that he calls us to salvation, and that all the goodness which we have, should be acknowledged to come off him. And yet notwithstanding, we see how freewill has been magnified, and even at this day one of the greatest controversies which we have with papists, is that they cannot be made to believe, that men are utterly corrupted and marred, and that they be not only weak, but also utterly unable to do any good. Indeed they will well enough grant that there is some feebleness and faulty infirmity in men: but yet to their seeming there is still some power in them, and hat if God do but help us and supply our weakness, it is enough. But when men overshoot themselves so far, and will needs challenge a divine power to themselves: is it not meat that they should be beaten back, and that God should subdue them by force, and make them to stoop, yes and beat down and break asunder the devilish pride that is in them? Yes. And indeed that is the very cause why he handles us in this transitory life, as he handled his people in the desert. For the life that we lead here beneath, is answerable to the journey which the people of Israel made those forty years in the wilderness. We be fed here with bread and wine: but yet nevertheless we crave our ordinary food at Gods hand as if he sent us Manna from heaven. And verily we be in this world, as in a wilderness: we see what dangers hem us in on all sides: God is fine to guide us, and to make us perceive his presence so many ways, as we may well think that the wilderness was a true figure of our state such as it is at this day. For as yet God lets us alone in our infirmities, we feel ourselves in pitiful plight, we be so weak as we need not anything to cast us down, the devil does draw us into his nets, we be destitute of all grace, we see what troubles do stop our eyes, and we know not what to say, neither on which side to turn us. And why does God handle us so? Why be we not here as in an earthly paradise? Because we have need to be nurtured after that fashion: for otherwise what would become of our pride? We would not think ourselves beholden to God for anything: but every of us would make an idol of himself, and worship himself in his own conceit. Therefore it is our Lord fain to afflict us, and to show us that we be, to the end to make us stoop, and thereby to teach us to glorify him. Thus you see what we have to mark upon this text of Moses: where he says, Your God afflicted you in the wilderness.
And so let us know that Gods chastising of us all our life long, is not only to subdue us to his will, to the intent we should be obedient: but also and chiefly to humble us, that we might not presume anything of ourselves, but utterly distrust our own strength and ability, and resort to him: and moreover that when he gives us prosperity, we should consider whence it comes, for it is not in our own power to compass it: and finally that we should not do as a number of hypocrisies, do, who will well enough confess themselves to be in rueful case, and that they be wretched creatures: but as soon as God has relieved them and delivered them from their bondage, they fall to scouting against him, and think no more upon the misery that is past. Now then it is not enough for us to condemn ourselves when we be pinched by Gods hand, and to say, indeed it is true that if God succored me not I should be destitute of all that might do me good: but also when God shall have given us all that we can wish, and we feel his blessing abundantly, even then must we beware than ever we were that we forget him not, and we must not compare the time present, with the time that we have over past, as thus: what had become of me, if God had not reached me his hand? I had been undone a hundred thousand times. And has not his manner of succoring me been wonderful? Should I now challenge anything to myself? Thus you see how that even in the time of our abundance, that is to say, even when God gives us our hearts desire, we must always be mindful of our former adversity, and that in such sort, as the honor may redound lonely to God, as meet is it should. That is the thing which we have to bear away in effect upon those words of Moses.
Now he adds, You shall remember the Lord you God, that it is he which has given you the ability to get all the goods which you has.
Here Moses intends to prevent all that ever men can allege on their own behalf. For they be but too much given continually to seek some color and show that their wealth comes of themselves. When men take pains for their living, they have an eye to their own policy, whether they be of sufficient ability and sill or not: that is the thing which they look at. It seems then, that when a man has travelled for his living, he had at least wise a good and forward wit, he was vigilant, he took good opportunities, he shunned the things that might do him displeasure, and therefore men should do him wrong to say he did nothing to it, and that it was the free gift of God: for experience is against it.
But Moses answers to all this, saying that although men take never so much pains, and strained themselves, and have never so good forecast to shift for themselves, and be never so well advised and discreet: yet must not God be bereft of his honor. For why? Who is that gives men discretion, aptness of body, strength to endure pains, furtherance, and helps? Is it not God that puts all things into their hands? And yet is not this all. For God must also bless all the benefits that he gives us: or else though a man be never so highly advanced, and God needs no more but to give him a tickle with his little finger, or to blow up on him, and by and by all is quite swept away: all is but as an herb that is green in the morning, which withers and dries away as soon as the sun shines upon it, as is said in the Psalm, Then let us mark well, that Moses adds not this saying without cause, namely that we must think ourselves beholden to God for all things, and acknowledge that it is he which gives us the power to get goods.
And under the word Power his intent is to comprehend all that ever we can attribute to ourselves, whether it be of natural ability and handsomeness to do things, or of helps and means that we have to further us withal. For unless God govern and guide us with his hand: surely all that we can do is to no purpose, but all shall go clean contrary to our intent. And indeed we see how that ablest men that are, do deceive themselves, and men need not teach them any deceits (as they say) in respect of the world. God laughs at their fondness in making their discourses and at their reckoning without their host, and in the end overthrows all. And so, by the word Power or Strength, Moses meant not only that health and disposition of body to travel, and the wit and discretion of mind which we ought to have: but also the having of things in our hands, and Gods blessing of then, that he make our labor come to good pass, so as it fall out to our benefit. If we bear this lesson well in mind, it will do us good all our life long, so as prosperity shall not blind us, neither shall we fall asleep to forget our God: but we shall understand that when he gives us wealth, we must think ourselves beholden to him for it, and by what means so ever it came to us, that glory thereof must not therefore renowned to us, but be reserved to him, as to the party that bestows his benefits upon us, distributing them as he himself things good, and giving to every man such portion of them as he lifts, not for any desert of ours, but to make us feel his goodness. Be we once thoroughly persuaded of this, we will thereby take warning not to abuse our abundance, as they do which overshoot themselves into all unruliness, which mount up into pride, and which are given to pomp and vanity to make a show of themselves. I say we shall be restrained from all these vices. For it not for any desert of ours that God gives us riches. Where is it then? To draw us to him, that we might have him to be our Savior, and find him beneficial and kind towards us.
Therefore we must use his benefits soberly and measurably: and besides that, we must not be given no lustiness and bravery in wanting ourselves to that world ward. Finally we must not think to have a state of perpetuity in our goods, as though they might not be taken from us: but we must always put them into Gods hand, so as if he give us abundance today, we in yielding him thanks for the same, should be ready to bear poverty with patience tomorrow. By that means you see that neither riches nor any other like thing shall dazzle our eyes to make us stand too much in our own conceit, and to glory in ourselves. For we will always think thus: what am I, but that it pleases my God to give me more goods than he does to my neighbors? He may take that away again whensoever it pleases him.
Then must I not imagine that I have deserved aught: but I am the more bound to my God, in that he has vouchsafed to make me thus to feel his favor. And I must not be proud of it: for that were a kicking against my master that feeds me. Therefore must I abate the farness which would provoke me to pride, and in the end make me to forget
God.
Again, when we be thus humbled as touching the transitory things of this world: let us repair to the principal point, which is, that when our Lord shall have strengthened us with his Holy Spirit, so as we shall have sought manfully against all the temptations of the world, and have served him in such wise as it may be said of us, that we have given good example to others: yet we be not carried away with foolish vainglory: but consider thus with ourselves, it is my God that has given me this power. Why am not I as bad as the worst naught pack in that world? Why am I not carried away with blind and beastly lusts to give myself to all lewdness, but because my God preserves me? I have had encounters that were hard to bear: and how happens it that I have gotten the upper hand of them? It is my God that gave it me. They therefore to whom God gives the power of his Holy Ghost must acknowledge themselves so much that more bound to him, and that they have not that power by natural inheritance, but by Gods gift, to that end that he only should be glorified with all humility, and that we should not play that lying hypocrites as they do which confess with their mouths that it is God which has granted them that grace, and yet cease not to persuade themselves that it comes of their own freewill. But let us utterly empty and quite rid ourselves of such over weaning: and let us confess truly that we know ourselves to have all things of God. And if this be to be acknowledged in bread and wine: what ought to be done concerning the heavenly life, and in the things that belong peculiarly to God, and are above the reach of men? It should seem that men are able even of nature to get themselves meat and drink: but when it comes to that making of themselves, Gods children, and companions of the Angels and that they should lead a holy life: in that case they have nothing of their own.
And therefore when we think upon the corruption wherein we be by the sin of Adam, and consider that God has cleansed us from it: let us assure ourselves it is Gods free gift, as well as is his continual maintaining of us, and his strengthening of us at our need.
After that Moses has spoken so: he adds, That if the people turn away from GOD and serve strange goods: God will be angry with them, and they shall perish as the people did whom he was above to cast down before them. You shall perish after the same manner says he.
Moses adding of this threat, is to waken them up the better, which cannot think upon God when they be too full fed with the good that he has done them. And it happens well near continually to all men, that if God warn them gently, and deal friendly with them, and let them sit at rest as it were in his lap: then it is no speaking to them: for they give him the deaf ear, and abuse his favor by tempting his patience, and the more that he spares them, the less do they seem to regard his love and favor. Therefore does it behoove men to be wakened and quickened up with threatening. It is true, that God endeavors as much as is possible to win us by gentleness and not by constraint. But when he sees us so hardhearted, that if he speak gently to us, we make but a mock of his doctrine, and vouchsafe not to think upon it: then does he add threatening. After the same manner deals Moses both here and I many other places, and it is the common order of speech of the Holy Ghost throughout all the Holy
Scripture. Then let us mark well, that God for his part is loath to speak otherwise than gently to us, and would fain so waken us as we should come to him willingly. But our naughtiness and lewdness betrays itself, in that instead of coming to him, we retire from him.
Seeing he allures us gently, speaking to us as a father, or rather as a mother to her little children: must it not needs be that we be too forward, when we turn our backs upon him, and despise him for showing himself so loving to us? Yes: and yet is it an ordinary vice among us. And therefore let us not think it strange, though we hear threatening oftentimes in that Holy Scripture, and that God sets his wrath before us: and that we be so rebuked when we come at Sermons. For why? Let every man look into himself: and if God should always set his promises before us and say, come my children, come: let us see that if that would suffice. Nor contrariwise we see how every man abuses such goodness. And therefore whensoever there is any sharpness or vehemence in the doctrine that is set forth to us in the name of God: let us understand that our naughtiness requires it, and that without it we should continue still in our filthiness and rot in our own doing, so as there would be no means to pluck us out of it, because every man delights in his own destruction.
And if we were not afraid of Gods judgment, never would any of us all play the judge towards himself, but we would think ourselves to be escaped out of Gods hand, and every of us would wink at his own faults. For although God cite us to his judgment seat, and endue us there to make us ashamed: yet cease we not to sleep still in our sins.
And what would we then do if we were not threatened? So then it is not without cause, that the Holy Ghost having used gentleness, falls to roughness. For it is meet that men should be so dealt withal, and that God should not only wring them by ears, but also strike them hard, to the intent to bow them, that they may yield themselves reachable and be disposed to come to him, which thing they would never do with their goodwill.
And now Moses says expressly, If you forget the Lord your God, and go after strange Gods: Whereby he does us to understand, that inasmuch as the Israelites had been trained in the sound doctrine, and in the right religion: they could not turn away to superstition and idolatry, but through unthankfulness in forgetting God. For why? If God have once taught us his truth, and manifested himself to us: it ought to suffice us, because it is so great a light as we cannot go amiss, but of willfulness. If a man that walks at noon days do run against a stone or tumble into a ditch, can he say I see it not? He sees plainly, and besides that, he has the Sun to guide him: and how can he then excuse himself? Even so is it with us: When God has enlightened us by giving us his word, we can no more walk in darkness, insomuch that if we rush against anything, it is through our own willfulness: and if we fall into the ditch, we ourselves are too blame for it. that is the thing which Moses meant in saying, If you go after strange Gods, you forget the Lord your God. The poor Paynims that were in those days, had more to excuse themselves with all than the Jews had, because God showed not himself to them. But forasmuch as the people of Israel had received Gods law, so as he had set them in the way of salvation: they could not say. We know him not, according to the solemn protestation which we shall see that Moses makes in the two and thirtieth Chapter. I call heaven and earth to witness this day (says he) that I have set you in the way of salvation, so s you cannot henceforth allege that you have not heard anything, or that if you had been taught, you would have done your endeavor to live according to Gods will. I have showed it you sufficiently, therefore follow it.
Now must we benefit ourselves by this doctrine, and apply it to our use nowadays. For the Papists, Turks, and Paynims live in ignorance, and no marvel at all. True it is that yet for all that they shall not fail to be condemned before God. But yet are we much more blameworthy than they, if we stick not to our God. And why? For he has sent us the pure doctrine of his Gospel, he has vouchsafed to give us the understanding of his truth, so as we may now discern between good and evil. Now if we turn again to our old superstitions, can we say we were deceived through ignorance? No: but God will always hold us at this bay, that we have forsaken him like backsliders, and broken our faith like pervert, disloyal caitiffs.
You see then that the thing which we have to mark upon this place, is that when God has manifested himself to us by his word, so as we know the way of salvation: it behooves us to be the more circumspect, and to hold ourselves the father to the pureness of his doctrine. For if we swerve from it, it is because we have forgotten our God, that is to say, we have willfully turned our back upon him, and forsaken him after our knowing of him. Indeed this is laid to the charge of all men in general, I mean even of the ignorance: for God manifests himself to all men, even by heaven and earth though he do no more. But here the case concerns Gods word, which is the familiar manner of showing himself to us. And had we this lesson well printed in our hearts so as we could bethink us to benefit ourselves by the things that are showed us nowadays in the Gospel: we would never forget our God, to step aside after superstitions.
Notwithstanding, let us mark by the way, that if other sins be intolerable before God: he abhors idolatry and the corruption of his service above all other crimes. Indeed if a man that knows the Gospel do give himself to deceit and extortion, and be full of pride, cruelty and malice, or cast himself into whoredom and other filthiness and infection: God will surely punish him: for it is too great a provoking of him, when we defile ourselves so, after he has sanctified us. But if we decline to idolatry: that is not a private offence, springing only of infirmity that carries us away: but it is an utter renouncing of God, it is a giving of him over, as though we intended to have no more to do with him. And we must mark moreover, that although an upright, honest, chaste and sober conversation be a part of Gods service: yet the chief serving of him, is to put our trust in him, to honor him, to call upon him, and to protest him to be our only God. But when we fall to making of Idols, and set them up in his place: is it not a robbing of him of his Godhead? Can we make any more open war against him? Is it not all one as if we would pluck him down from heaven, and put him from the government of the world? Yes. Seeing then that the corrupting of Gods service brings so horrible confusion: let us not think it strange that Moses should tell the Israelites here, that if they gave themselves lewdly to idolatry, God would consume them: Yes and that not by gentle and favorable means as in way of chastisement: but by rooting of them out quite and clean, as the people should be rooted out which had dwell before them in the land that he had promised them. The thing was not yet done: but yet Moses speaks of it as of a thing that was most certain to them.
And surely Gods promise ought to bear great sway with us, when he be highest us any good: and so ought his threatening to be taken to be as sure, when he cannot draw us to him by gentleness. And that is the cause why Moses says, I protest to you this day. Now by this saying we be warned that God takes as it were a solemn recognizance of us, when he sends us his word: and that the faithful preaching thereof is as an open proclamation to summon us and to cite us. Like as when a man refuses to do his duty, then to the intent he may answer to the law, he is cited, and his adversary commences suite against him: even so does God deal with us. For (as I said before) he desires no more but that we should come to him by gentleness and friendly dealing. But yet if we be slow and negligent, so as he cannot allure us to him: then does he enter his suite and make protestation against us after this manner: well then, I have done what I could to win you, and yet notwithstanding you have been stubborn still towards me, and therefore I protest against you. He sends his ministers as his proctors, yes and he sends them with solemn commission, as if some Notary whereby to make a public instrument, [as if he should say] I protest against you that it was not long of me that you were not rid out of the destruction wherein you are: if you perish, the fault is in yourselves. Wherefore let us mark this well, to the end hat when we come to a Sermon, or read the Holy Scriptures, if we find any soreness or vehemence that grieves us: we do not therefore forbear to receive the things that are told us in Gods name, assuring ourselves it is the greatest benefit that can be fall us, to suffer ourselves to be so rebuked by Gods word, forasmuch as it brings us to him by repentance. And therefore let us see that we be not bereft of such a benefit by our own lewdness.
Not let us kneel down in the presence of our good God with acknowledgment of our faults, praying him to make us feel them better than we have done, so as we may be brought to true repentance, to mortify all our wicked lusts, that we may be wholly subject to him, desiring nothing but to please him in all respects, and to lead our lives according to his holy commandments: and that although we be weak, yet we may not cease to go forward still towards our ways end through his power, assuring ourselves that he will have his hand continually stretched out over us to strenghte4n us, until he have given us full victory over all assaults, and finally taken us up into the glory which he has promised us in the kingdom of heaven. That it may please him to grant this grace, not only to us but also to all people and Nations of the earth, & c.