The 150th Sermon, which is the second upon the twenty-seventh Chapter

The 150th Sermon,

which is the second upon the twenty-seventh Chapter.

11 In that day Moses commanded the people, saying:

12 These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people when you pass over Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, & Judah, &

Issachar, & Joseph, & Benjamin.

13 And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

14 And the Levites shall speak & say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice:

15 Cursed be the man that shall make any carved or molten Image, which is an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, & puts it in a secret place: and all the people shall answer and say: so be it.

WE saw yesterday how God meant that the favor which he showed unto the people of Israel should be recognized first by solemn sacrifice, & secondly by a monument set up, to the end that it might be known, that this land was not purchased by man's hand or by any power of man, but that it was given of God unto that people for an inheritance. But now we have another commandment whereby God meant to bind the people unto him after another manner. Indeed he had done it already; but because men are so hard to be rooted, and that they cannot be bound with too many bands & cords to hold them under obedience; it is not without cause that God would add further that which is set down here, to keep them the better under obedience. We have already treated that when God gave his law, it was a mutual covenant; and like as he bound himself unto the children of Israel to be their God, so also the people of Israel bound themselves to be his people. But here is yet another confirmation added, to ratify that first bond the better; which is, that God ordained that when they were passed over Jordan, the people should part themselves in twain, and that six tribes should keep themselves upon the mount of Gerizim, and the other six tribes should stand upon the hill of Ebal right against them, so as the Ark of the covenant and the priests should stand in the midst, and that they which were on the part of Gerizim should

bless & those which were on the side of Ebal should curse. Now this cursing & blessing is referred unto that which we shall see hereafter, which shall be anon touched in this chapter. For God, to encourage his people the better, did not only declare unto them his will, & say, You shall walk thus; but also added by and by, you shall not serve me in vain, your pains shall not be lost: for I will cause you to prosper, it is for your own welfare that I would have you to be subject unto me, I seek after no profit or advantage thereby, but it is for your own benefit & commodity, that you should cleave unto me, in keeping of my commandments. Lo what blessings God gave, to the intent the people should serve him with a willing mind & not through force or constraint. Again, because men are so stiff-necked, that they stoop not but with much ado, and because on the other side their lusts carry them so headlong away, that they quickly forget what it is to serve God, & play the wild horses which are broken loose; here are threatenings added: Take heed how you offend me, for vengeance is ready for them that despise my law. Thus see you what the cursings are which we shall see more fully in the 28th chap. but Moses touches them here as it were by way of example. Now it were enough if God had but pronounced & said, Whosoever serves me in keeping my law, he shall be blessed, & I will make his whole life prosperous unto him. Seeing God has once promised to recompense them which serve him, it ought well to suffice us. What need men to speak in their own behalf? Likewise seeing God pronounces sentence of condemnation upon them that transgress his law, forasmuch as that Judge himself has spoken; no man ought to reply. What need is there then that we should ratify that which God has said, as if his word were not of sufficient strength & authority in itself? True it is that God deserves well to be hearkened unto, & that thing which he says is as an unchangeable decree: but yet he will have men by outward witnessing to allow that which he wills us to follow, he will have us to acknowledge the favor which is offered unto us, & to declare that we are assured by faith, that he will not deceive us in promising us prosperity when we endeavor to live according to his word. God therefore will have us so agree with him, that we also confess in humbleness & fear, that there is great reason why he should punish all those that despise & overthrow his righteousness, & commandments. And when he threatens them, we may not think that it is in vain, but that in the end they shall feel the execution of that sentence. God therefore in this respect will have us to say Amen, both to the promises which he makes unto them that keep his law, & unto the threatenings which he denounces against all them that are rebels & despisers of him. So then we have now made a good entrance unto the understanding of this place. As touching the blessings and cursings, we shall more fully treat of them in the chapter following: and we shall do better to keep them to be handled there, because the place is more fit for them. It suffices to know in a word, that when God offers his favor unto those that obey him, it is to the end they should serve him, not through constraint, but of a free good will: knowing that it is for their own commodity, & welfare, and again that on the other side such as are of their own nature given over to their lustful desires, & take to themselves a lawless liberty of living ill, must be withheld by fear since they see that they shall not escape the hand of God, but that in the end they must come to their account. Thus you see what we have to bear in mind in a word until we come to handle the matter more at large.

Moreover, let us note well that which we have said, namely that God thinks it not enough to have spoken himself; but he will have us also to agree as it were in one melody with him. And that is to show the faith which we have in his word, which consists in these two points: namely, that we embrace his promises & hang wholly upon them: and secondly that we tremble, as often as he gives us any sign of his wrath, so that we be not blockish, nor drowsy, nor so hardened that he must be fain to strike upon us with main blows, before we can feel his anger: but that we prevent it by endeavoring to obey him, & eschew his vengeance as much as we can. Now then blessings in this place are conditional, to wit, blessed is he who observes the law of God, who maintains his service purely, who is not given to superstitions nor idolatries, who abuses not his holy name, who observes the day of rest, & all the other ceremonies, who honors his father & mother. This blessing (I say) is matched with condition, so that if we serve God, he will show himself liberal unto us, & we shall not lose our time: but yet do all these blessings depend hereupon, that God of his free goodness had chosen this people: so that they might not rest on this point, to say, Blessed is he who serves God. And who is that? For none discharges himself of this duty (as we have already declared) & shall see further in the end of this chap. Seeing then that we are all sinners, yea even the faithful, inasmuch that when they endeavor to walk uprightly they make many false steps; what shall become of us then? It is certain we should all be deprived of the hope of salvation, if we had nothing else to lean unto than our own righteousness. But (as I told you) the promises which import a condition depend hereupon, that God has received us for his people, & will have us to take him for our father. Now this thing is grounded on nothing else but upon his mercy. So then we must be thoroughly persuaded, that God will take pity on us, though we be wretched sinners, & deserve not to be pitied: he will receive us for righteous & accept of us, although we deserve to be rejected of him. And although we can hope for nothing but utter confusion, yet notwithstanding we shall be assured of the inheritance of salvation because we are his children. We must be thoroughly persuaded as touching this point. And secondly it remains that seeing God has chosen us out, & set us apart for his service, we may not take liberty to all manner of wickedness, but endeavor to obey him. For this cause we must be quickened up and pricked forward by his promises to serve him. Thus you see how the conditional promises shall not be in vain in respect of us: namely, when they are referred unto the freely bestowed goodness of God, whereby he receives us although we be not worthy to be received: and secondly he imputes not our vices unto us: but although there be many stains and corruptions in us, yet he hides them and will not call them to account. And so we see now in what sort God encouraged the people of Israel to be of good comfort. For if he had begun thus with them and said: Serve me & you shall be well recompensed for your labor, if God should speak this simple word unto us, alas what should we do? For when we would think to serve him, we should be very far from the perfectness which he commands us: they which should run best would be but in the midway, when they ought to have come to their ways end. We should therefore all be discouraged rather than have any good heart. But we must join both these things together, to wit, that he will not deceive us in any thing, & secondly that he binds us to serve him, & declares that he will bear with us in our infirmities, & not deal severely with us to pay us as we have deserved, but use a fatherly goodness. Now hereupon we may be of good comfort to serve him, when we may say, Surely it is true Lord, that I discharge not myself of the hundredth part of my duty towards thee, but howsoever the world goes, yet thou wilt not fail to accept me because thou respectest not what I do, but takest a pleasure in me as in thine own child. Ye see then how God pardons us, and regards not our faults & imperfections which are in the service that we yield unto him. So we serve him not hypocritically, but of an unfained good will, he likes of all that we do, and rewards us for it. Since we hear this, let us bestow our pains, let us receive the bridle into our mouths (as they say) and let us go on; & although we be hindered by the vices of our flesh, yet let us enforce ourselves to go on further. And why? For we shall not lose our labor. Thus ye see what the meaning of God is; whereby we perceive his inestimable goodness, in that of his own good will he offers his promises so unto us, whereas he is nothing bound unto us, as we have seen heretofore: but his will is to win us unto himself by all the means that he may. Now he repeats this point again, and that is done because of our sloth and negligence. For that cause he adds this aid, and all for our profit, for what is he advantaged thereby? Shall he gain anything by our service? Let us defy him to the utmost, what shall that hurt him? but he will possess us for our own welfare.

And herewithal he shows us also, what mind is requisite for the observing of his law in such sort as is required, to wit, if we come willingly and yield ourselves unto him, and place our whole felicity & joy in the serving of him, and put this sentence in ure, that where our treasure is, there will our heart be also. You see what we have to note as touching the first point of the blessings. What is it then in effect, that we have to do? Although nowadays we have not the Ceremony whereof mention is made in this place, yet must the substance thereof be in force among us, which is that in seeking to serve God, we must have an eye always unto his promises. Behold, our God calls & allures us unto him. And how? He might command us in one word, and say: You owe all unto me, see therefore that ye discharge yourselves: but he bears with us, & utters a fatherly goodness towards us, in saying, My children, I will not have your service unrecompensed. Indeed I owe you nothing, but yet nevertheless I will be so bountiful above what I need, that if you serve me, your life shall be happy, you shall prosper in all things. And besides that, there is a sovereign blessing for us as touching the life everlasting.

For all that we can desire or look for in this world, is nothing in comparison of that salvation which we hope for through faith; and all the blessings which God promises us, & offers unto us as touching the life to come. Therefore all this ought to make us the readier & better disposed to submit ourselves unto God. For what? Seeing our Lord seeks nothing but our welfare in our obeying of him, & offers us a reward for our so doing; are we not too wretched if we enforce not ourselves to serve our God. You see then how we ought with our good consent to ratify all the promises which are contained in the holy scripture; that whereas others think it were but lost time to do well, we may always have this imprinted in our heart, that there is nothing better than to cleave unto God. The heathenish sort do think themselves very happy in following of their own lusts. When lecherous and covetous persons have scraped together on all sides, they think all is well gained, and they triumph in their doings. If the fornicators who are brutish in their fleshly lusts, can enjoy their pleasures, they welter in them, they are drunken with them, they are wholly bewitched by them. If a vain-glorious man be in any dignity, and be advanced to any authority among men; he thinks there is no other joy nor happiness, but to be in high estate. At the same point are all the despisers of God. And in the meantime the poor faithful ones are mocked: they are poor persons, they are set at naught, they hang their wings, they do nothing but drop and pine away in this world. These wretched souls (say some) are not well advised to take so much pains they know not why; for what profit have they for all their travail? It seems therefore that they who seek to serve God are greatly beguiled, and that the wicked bear the whole sway. But we must on the contrary side be thoroughly resolved herein as it is said in the prophet Isaiah, Say ye; Yet there is fruit for the just men, for they shall eat the fruits of their labors. The prophet Isaiah would have us to fight against this temptation. Inasmuch that although the world laugh the Godly to scorn, & the wicked triumph over them: yet for all that the faithful should not be astonished; but conclude with themselves, and say: No no: the righteous man shall not lose his labor; he shall not be deceived of his expectation when he depends wholly upon the promises of God. The thing then which we have to gather upon this place is, that as often as we read the promises in the scripture where it is said: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, they who shall walk in the obedience of his word shall be blessed; blessed is he who walks uprightly, and soundly with his neighbors: but especially they who renounce the world because they have a better inheritance in heaven: as often (I say) as we read these things, we must be confirmed in our faith, and answer with a good courage Amen, Lord, it is so: we reply not against that which thou hast said, we embrace thy promises in this place, and trust assuredly unto them. Thus you see how every man ought to enforce himself to serve GOD, even because he bears so gently with us, & commands us not so precisely as he might, having all authority over us, but applies himself to our rawness to win us, and to enjoy us. And above all let us be mindful of this general promise, when God calls us unto himself as his children, when he spares us and bears with us, and enters not into any extremity of rigor with us, but although there be many faults in our works, yet they hinder not him to accept of them, so as if we offend we always find pardon at his hand, and when we swerve aside, he brings us into the way, and none of all these things is imputed unto us. You see then what we have to bear in mind as touching the first point.

Now as touching the second, let us also note that the threatenings of God are very necessary for us. For we see how great pride & rebelliousness is in all us: insomuch that although we be not rebellious of set purpose to set our God at naught, and to cast off his yoke: yet we are so bleary-eyed, that we think not on him, the enticements of the world seduce us in such wise, that we pass not for the receiving of any warning that God gives us. If he call us by gentleness he can get nothing at our hands: and therefore he is fain to use threatenings. Hereby we see how he lets pass nothing that is meet to hold us in awe under his obedience. On the one side he uses mild and loving manner of speech unto us, (as I have told you) & says, Come ye unto me my children: Indeed I owe you nothing, but yet I will bind myself unto you: I promise you that if you serve me, it shall be for your profit. Thus our Lord speaks unto us, as a father that flatters his child to win him to be ruled by him & to employ himself in his service with a free-hearted affection. Howbeit, God perceiving that that is not enough to move us, uses threatenings, and says: Take heed, if you think to cast away my word, and yet to remain unpunished, you deceive yourselves. I must call you to account for it, I will not suffer my children so to mock me: I must be their Judge: & look not for any pardon, when you have abused my patience: I must double your punishment, and my vengeance must fall more horribly upon you. Therefore when God declares that our sins are unpardonable, and yet we continue in them, and make none account of submitting ourselves unto him, specially when he applies himself every way unto us, to the intent we should remain in his obedience, and not perish: Since we see he has such a care of our salvation; must it not needs be that we are too too stubborn, or rather very beasts if we be not moved to fare the better, by the fatherly care which he shows towards us? Yes: And therefore being stirred up by the goodness and gentleness of God, whereof I speak even now, let us also quicken up ourselves with his threatenings. When we see that our flesh is over wanton, and that it draws us unto evil, let us say, Alas: And shall we shake off his yoke like wild beasts? What has God pronounced? Let us tremble therefore when we hear the threatenings of our God. For if the anger of an earthly king be the messenger of death (as Solomon says,*) what ought we to think of the anger of God, when it is denounced against us? So then, let us learn to tame ourselves with fear. When the temptations of Satan might prevail against us, and that our sins might be as baits to deceive us: let it come into our mind to say, What? Shall I under the pretense of some pleasure which will soon vanish, go and provoke the anger of my GOD, and so perish forever? After that manner (I say) ought we to call God's threatenings to our remembrance; and then to answer thereto Amen, and say, yes Lord, it is even so, it is no children's game. When thou pronouncest condemnation upon the wicked; thou art ready to execute it: and when thou hast once pronounced the word with thy mouth, it is all one as if we saw the fire already kindled to consume us. After that manner (I say) ought we to receive all the threatenings which GOD denounces against us. For that is the best means to teach us to observe the Law, I mean so far as our weakness will suffer. For (as I have told you) it is not possible for us to come to perfectness indeed, as long as we are enclosed in this flesh of ours: but yet nevertheless we may well dedicate ourselves unto God, and be held in his fear, if on the one side his promises be in force with us, & again if on the other side we give ear unto his threatenings.

But now let us come unto the order which is observed in this place. Moses with the Priests of the Tribe of Levi, commanded the people saying, Six Tribes shall stand on the Hill of Ebal, and six shall stand on the Hill of Gerizim. And afterward he says, "Keep my Statutes and Commandments which I command you this day, for you are made a people unto your GOD." This has been already expounded: but it is good to bear that always in mind which has been said concerning it; to wit, that GOD speaks by the mouth of his Priests as if he were there visibly in his own person. And that is to the intent his words should be received with the greater reverence. For when we see but mortal men as we be: we are of opinion that whatever proceeds from them, may very well be rejected; and if there be no account made of it, we think the matter is not great. And thus we see how the word of God is often-times little esteemed. For when we see none speak but creatures like unto ourselves, we think that what they pronounce is nothing but a sound of words. But God will have the majesty of his word to be known: & although men bring it, and be the messengers thereof, yet will he not have the worthiness thereof to be diminished, so as men should not give audience unto it: but he will have every man to stoop to it and to receive the yoke which he puts upon them.

God therefore speaks in this place by Moses and by the Priests: but yet in such a language and kind of speech, that he will have people to lift up their minds more higher, and to know that although they be taught by the means and ministry of man, yet they ought to confess that God is the author of that word which men preach unto them, and that they ought to receive it as from God himself & so be silent to hear it, and make no reply or gainsaying against it: for such contempt is not done to a mortal creature, but God himself is despised by it. And therefore let us note well all the places whereby God authorizes his word, to the intent we may learn to hold ourselves unto it and to be ordered thereby: so as every of us do bow down his head, as often as men speak unto us in the name of God. And moreover we see also the order which God has appointed in his Church: he will have all the world to answer Amen: for we ought all to be partakers of the doctrine. It must not be kept in store only for great men, but the smallest also must be instructed by it, to the edifying and profiting of themselves. But however the case stands; there were always Priests to speak, who were ordained to teach the people according as it is said in the Prophet Malachi; "the law shall be in the Priests mouth, and he shall be the messenger of the living God, and they shall seek for knowledge at his lips." We see then that God in all times appointed some in the office of teaching the people, and of bearing abroad his word. And so nowadays we stand in need of such an order, and we know what Saint Paul says as touching this point, both in the 12th Chapter to the Romans, and in the 12th of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, and in the fourth to the Ephesians. And it is proved unto us also throughout all the holy scripture, that God will have certain laws established, and certain men appointed to bear abroad his word, and to be teachers in his Church, to instruct the people in his name. Hereby we gather, that when God has appointed such order; all those who cannot suffer themselves to be taught by this common order with the whole body of the Church, may well protest, that they be Christians: but they come to the Church as holy as horses, bearing themselves in hand, that it is enough for them to have granted in a word, that the Gospel is the word of God. But contrariwise we see here, that if we will be of the body of the Church, and have God to take us for his children, we must hear the word of God as it is ministered unto us, by the ministry of men. But because this point has been handled largely heretofore, I do now but as it were glance at it by the way.

Also, there is this point: Today thou art made the people of God, if thou keep his commandments. Therefore, like as our Lord receives us into his house, so must we also wholly give ourselves unto him, knowing that to this end he has schooled us out from the rest of the world, and will have us to be his own, and as it were his peculiar inheritance. It is time indeed that all men are bound to serve him: but yet notwithstanding, when he calls us unto him, and shows himself our father, does he not bind us unto him, with a double bond? Yes, verily. Are we not then without all sense and reason, and altogether bewitched, if we be not moved to yield ourselves over to his will, so as he may guide us and bear rule over all our whole life? Then let us weigh well these words: Today thou art made the people of the Lord thy God, and therefore keep his commandments. How are we made the people of God, but by being his Church, and by having the use of his sacraments, and that is all one as if he appeared among us? For we may not look that God should come down from heaven in his own person, or send his Angels unto us. But the true mark whereby he will be known to be among us is the preaching of his word purely unto us: for no doubt but then he bears rule in the midst of us. So then let this thing profit us, that we know that our Lord receives us unto himself and will have us to be of his own household. Seeing it is so, let us take pains to obey him in all our life, and to keep his commandments: let us not wander like brute beasts as the wretched unbelievers do, because they never knew what it was to be of the house of God.

But now let us come unto the rehearsal which Moses makes of the curses: he says first of all, Cursed be he who makes any Idol or any molten Image, or any carved Image: all this is abomination unto God: and cursed is he who puts it in any secret place. And all the people shall say Amen. Let us note that Moses does not specify in this place all the curses, every one by himself, but he sets down certain examples, to show that all they who swerve aside from the law of God seek nothing else but to run wilfully into utter ruin and destruction. The effect therefore of all this is, that if we will prosper, we must draw near unto God, seeing that he is the fountain of all happiness and prosperity. Whereas on the other side, all they who depart from him do go and cast themselves into utter destruction: but all they who cast off the yoke of God, that is to say, who yield not themselves to follow his law and his word, all they depart from him, and do as much as in them lies to banish themselves from his presence. And so it is all one as if they did cast themselves into the bottom of hell, and sought nothing else in this present life but to provoke the vengeance of God against them, and so to seek their own woe. Behold what we have to bear in mind. Now God begins with his own service: and not without cause: for (as we have declared afore,) the law is divided into two tables: to show us that men ought first of all so to behave themselves as God may be honoured: and this is the first and principal duty which we ought to perform, because we are his creatures, and because he has fashioned us unto his glory: let us tend unto that end, and let our life be referred thereto, seeing the first table shows us so briefly how we ought to behave ourselves towards our God. That is the cause why God says now in these curses; Cursed be he who makes any Idol. But I have told you that Moses rehearses only certain sorts, and that is to comprehend the whole in one part, as we have seen examples thereof. In effect, therefore, when it is said: Cursed be he who makes any Idol, it is all one as if Moses had in general pronounced a curse upon them who falsify and corrupt the service and worship of God, as if he should say: You know how and after what manner our God will be worshipped of us; whoever invents any manner of Idolatry, whoever devises any manner of superstition, he makes Idols. And that is not to serve the living God, but rather to follow their own fancies and imaginations: and therefore they are all accursed. You see then how we ought to expound this place. And Moses meant to set down unto us in this place such a particular, as wherein we might most evidently see an intolerable corrupting of the worship of God. For when God is so misshapen in any painting, or in any puppet, or in any other piece of wood or stone, that men will there represent his Image and say, It is a resemblance of him: it is too gross and outrageous dealing. Indeed, men think not so; as we see in popery, how they say, Lo yonder is God, and a remembrance of him. And are they not so brutish that they think there is no divine majesty in heaven, unless it be represented there in the shape of an Idol? But they who have any taste what GOD is, and have heard any syllable of his word, where it is said that God is an immortal and infinite spirit, the fountain of life: do know that he has too great injury done unto him, to be represented by a dead thing and by a corruptible creature, and to have his name given unto a puppet as if he were but a creature, and less than we. They, therefore, who have but a small taste of this doctrine, do abhor the setting up of an idol, and the imagination of serving God by going thereto, and that any should pray to a dead thing, or look for health from that, which can do nothing, neither good nor bad. Therefore if this were well marked, we should find that Moses meant in this place to make Idolatry more detestable, according to that rule which we have heretofore expounded. Yet notwithstanding we have two things to note in this place: the one is, that God cannot suffer his infinite majesty to be represented under stone, wood, painting, or in any other creature in the world. What must we do then when the case concerns the worship of GOD? We must lift up our minds above the world, and know that we may not stick fast here below, nor make any Idol or puppet unto him: for he cannot abide it. That is one point to be noted. Secondly, we have also to note that God will not be served nor worshipped after our own manner, but he will have us to walk according to his word, without putting anything thereunto, or taking anything from it, so as all the inventions which men have forged are all one as if they had set up as many Idols. Indeed, they make themselves believe that God will like well of that which they do: but it is but a bare guess of them, while they have not an eye unto that which he likes. Therefore they serve their own fancies, and not the living God, who has given them such a rule as he will have observed. And therefore at a word all the worshipings of God (as they term them) wherein men are so devout after their own fancies, and whereof they have no warrant of the word of God, to say. This he has commanded me: are nothing but Idols of their own forging. Let this be well noted.

Now let us consider how God says, "Cursed is he who forges Idols." It is true that the Papists, when they take pains to trudge from altar to altar, to mumble their prayers before their Images, to set them out with wax candles, and to do their other dotages: if a man tells them that God dislikes all their doings, it spites them to be told so, and they fall to railing against God himself. But yet for all that, whereas they think they win a score of heavens, every step which they set forth is a casting of themselves into the gulf of hell. And why? Make they never so fair replies; yet the Judge gives this sentence upon them; "Cursed are all they who make Idols." Let them go seek their wages at the devil's hand: our Lord has already pronounced the sentence which is here contained, to wit, cursed are all Idolaters. If anyone says it is no such great harm for a man to do a thing of good intent, and to say I think it is good, I believe it is well done: Yet notwithstanding God detests every whit of it, because it is a forging of a new God, when men turn themselves from the pure simplicity of the worship of God, to devise this or that. Although they think to do well, yet notwithstanding they are accursed. And why? For God dislikes and condemns what they do. And it is not for a mortal creature to promise this or that unto himself, but God must promise, and we must answer Amen. And likewise when he threatens, we must be confounded, and every mouth must be stopped before him: he must have audience, and we receive his threats and confirm them, as I have told you. And here is purposely mentioned a secret place to show that although a man be not convicted before the world, yet he ceases not to be guilty before God, and that the heavenly Judge will find him out well enough. Therefore let us not beguile ourselves, and think we shall escape and remain unpunished, when men reprove us not, nor convict us of the evil that we have done. For we may well seek starting holes, but yet will God find us out, seeing he says: "Cursed is he who makes an Idol, and puts it in a secret place." And again he says, "It is an abomination unto the Lord," to show that men must not beguile themselves, by standing upon their own opinion, or upon the judgment of the world: it is enough that God says, such a thing displeases me. Although the world like of us, yet gain we nothing thereby. So then let us take heed that we frame ourselves so unto the will of God, as that this world carries us not away, and that we serve not our own nor other men's lusts, but submit ourselves always unto our heavenly Judge. Thus you see what we have to bear in mind. For when God is to be served, we must not look whether there be any witnesses of our doings here below; for although we may deceive the whole world, yet God sees us, and we cannot escape his sight. What lurking places then soever we have, let us know that our condemnation is ready at hand. And thereupon let us order our life so as GOD be served and honored, not only with our feet, our hands, and our eyes, but also with the service of our hearts, that is to say, with all our affections, and with all our thoughts given over unto him. And (to conclude) we are taught that the service of God is not without cause called spiritual: whereby we may understand, that it is not enough for us to do him reverence before men, by kneeling down, and by using of such other Ceremonies, or by abstaining from serving of Idols in the sight of men; but also in secret when every man is withdrawn into his secret places: even then must we avow him for our God, and all our affections must be held under his obedience, and we must have the pureness which Saint Paul speaks of, namely the obedience of faith, by which every of us may dedicate and consecrate himself wholly unto God.

Now let us kneel down before the Majesty of our good God, with acknowledgment of our faults, praying him that we may be touched more and more with true repentance, to be displeased with ourselves, that in applying our whole study to minding both his promises and his threatenings, we may not be so forward as to cast off his yoke, but rather be held back always by such means as are fit and convenient for us: and that we may yield unto him a willing service, to the intent that as he of his free goodness has called us unto him, so he also will guide and govern us by his holy spirit, that we may give ourselves over unto him, and serve him in humbleness and fear, embracing his promises, and trembling at his threatenings: and that in the meantime he will make us feel that if we be so given to his service, he will make us to prosper, and we shall be most happy, and that especially because he has set before us the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, which he has purchased unto us in the person of his only son. That it may please him to grant this grace not only to us, but also to all people and nations of the earth, etc.

On Wednesday the fourth of March, 1556.