Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

Here also is to be noted that certain punishments are appointed of ¹y• Lord as plagues for certain sins so that most commonly a man is plagued by the very same things, wherein he sinned against the Lord. David offended God with murder and adultery: & therefore is he punished with the shame of his own house, with whoredom, incest, & detestable murder of his own children, & lastly driven out and banished his kingdom. It was pride and arrogance wherein Nebuchadnezzar sinned, and therefore being distract of his wits and turned into a beastly madness, he led his life for a certain time with beasts of the field. But as Nebuchadnezzar was, when God thought good, restored to his kingdom: So David did in time convenient feel the merry of the Lord in settling him in his seat again. For this saying of the Lord is firmly ratified for ever, not only to David, but to every one that believeth, which is in these words set down in yt Scriptures: If his children forsake my law and keep not my commandments, I will visit their sins with rods, & their iniquities with scourges: yet will I not utterly take my goodness from him. I will not break my covenant, neither will I change the thing that is once gone out of my mouth. Therefore it is to our profit that the Lord afflicteth us, as he himself testifieth in the Revelation of Christ uttered by John the Apostle and Evangelist, saying: Them which I love, I rebuke and chasten. And Solomon ²long before that, did say: My son refuse ³not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art corrected of him. For whom the Lord loveth him he chasteneth, & yet delighteth in him as a father in his son.

Here also is to bee noted that certaine punishmentes are appointed of ¹y• Lord as plagues for certeine sinnes so that most commonly a man is plagued by the verie same things, wherin he sinned against the Lord. Dauid offended God with murder and adulterie: & therefore is he punished with the shame of his owne house, with whoredome, incest, & detestable murder of his owne children, & lastly driuen out and banished his kingdome. It was pride and arrogancie wherin Nabuchodonosor sinned, and therfore being distract of his witts and turned into a beastly madnesse, he led his life for a certaine time with beasts of the field. But as Nabuchodonosor was, when God thought good, restoared to his kingdome: So Dauid did in time conuenient féele the merrie of ye Lord in settling him in his seat againe. For this saying of the Lord is firmely ratified for euer, not only to Dauid, but to euerie one that beléeueth, which is in these words set downe in yt Scriptures: If his children forsake my law and kepe not my commaundements, I wil visit their sinnes with rodds, & their iniquities with scourges: yet will I not vtterly take my goodnes from him. I wil not breake my couenaunt, neither wil I change the thing that is once gone out of my mouth. Therfore it is to our profite that the Lord afflicteth vs, as he himselfe testifieth in ye Reuelation of Christ vttered by Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist, saying: Them which I loue, I rebuke and chasten. And Solomon