Seven godly and learned sermons preachedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached

And therefore God so often warned his people of Israel,¹ that when they were once come into the land of Canaan, into that plentiful ⟨image 54⟩country which flowed with milk and honey, wherein should be no dearth nor scarceness: that then they should not forget the Lord their god, that then their hearts should not be deceived, that then they should not go aside, and serve other gods; and so his wrath and indignation wax hot upon them. And therefore when fair promises & loving kindness, cannot win us to God, then useth he another way, then doth he appoint another mean, then beginneth he to threaten and fear us, and that of his rigour and justice. And thus did he to our first father Adam: because he would not he should transgress his commandment, he threatened him,² and said; In quocunque die comederis ex hoc fructu, mortem morieris, In what-ever day thou shalt taste of this fruit, thou shalt dye the death. So likewise God to the whole multitude of his people of Israel said;³ Unless ye give ear to the voice of the Lord your God, to do all his commandments and ordinances, cursed shall you be in the town, and cursed in the field, cursed shall thy basket be and thy store, ⟨image 55⟩cursed shall be the fruit of thy body & the fruit of thy land, cursed shalt thou be in thy coming in, & in thy going out. You shall call, and I will not hear, you shall cry unto me, and I will not give eare.⁴ Dabo vobis caelum aeneum, & terram ferreum, The heaven shall be as brass, and the earth as Iron; the heavens shall give you no rain, the earth shall bring you forth no fruit, your travel and labour shall be lost, your land shall not give her increase. Thus almighty God threatened his elect & chosen people, and all to keep them in awe and fear of him. And so in another place he saith;⁵ I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies, and they that hate you shall have dominion over you, & ye shall fly when no man chaseth you. Thus you see, that it pleaseth almighty God oftentimes to use these and such like words of threatening, to use such rigour, to beat a terror into his people, when fair promises and sweet words can do nothing; and this doth he of his great justice. And therefore David in this place; God is indeed, (saith he)