Sermons upon Deuteronomy

And whereas Moses declareth that the Jews were delivered out of Egypt: he meaneth to do us to wit, that God intended to should them out from all other nations, specially by assigning them the inheritance of the Land which he had promised to their fathers. Ye see then how they should have sanctified themselves to the service of God, and have held them selves in obedience to his law, because he suffered them not to be intermingled with the infidels, but made a several nation of them alone by them selves. And hereupon we have to note, that such as seek counsel at Gods law, do always find instruction, & our Lord procureth them aid & help to bring them to the knowledge of the truth. It is said, If thy son ask thee, what mean these statutes? He presupposeth that the children are not so brutish, as at leastwise not to be willing & desirous to know why they use such manner of serving God. And we see it is Gods ordinance, that the fathers should help their children. True it is that the fathers ought not to •ary for that, but if they see their children to be despisers of God, or unruly, and careless both of the salvation of their own souls and of all Christianity and faith: they ought to correct ⟨p. 298⟩such vices. But the matter which we treat of as now, is that if children be willing to learn and to profit, God here assigneth them their fathers to be their teachers and schoolmasters, to show them why the law was given. Herein then we see, that if we have any good will to know the trueth, our Lord will not suffer us to be disappointed, but will find the means that we shall know whatsoever he thinketh profitable for our salvation. And although he appoint §10not mortal creatures to teach us: yet will he work in such wise by his own power, as we shall not be destitute of knowledge. But our own slothfulness is the cause that GOD shutteth the gate against us, and that we abide still in darkness like blind wretches. For what is he that vouchsafeth, to seek after the will of his GOD? We be given to worldly things to our own pleasures, to our own vanities, and to all manner of worldly businesses: and in §20the mean while God is let alone, and his law is forgotten.

And whereas Moses declareth that the Iewes were deliuered out of Aegypt: hee meaneth to doe vs to witte, that God intended to shoule them out from all other nations, specially by assigning them the inheritaunce of the Lande which hee had promised to their fathers. Yee see then how they should haue sanctifyed themselues to the seruice of God, and haue held thē selues in obedience to his law, because he suffered them not to be intermingled with ye infidels, but made a seuerall nation of them alone by thē selues. And hereupon we haue to note, yt such as seeke counsell at Gods law, doe alwayes finde instruction, & our Lord procureth them ayde & help to bring thē to the knowledge of the truth. It is sayd, If thy sonne aske thee, what meane these statutes? He presupposeth that the children are not so brutish, as at leastwise not to be willing & desirous to knowe why they vse such maner of seruing God. And wee see it is Gods ordinance, that the fathers should helpe their children. True it is that the fathers ought not to ary for that, but if they see their children to be despisers of God, or vnruly, and carelesse both of the saluation of their owne soules and of all Christianitie and fayth: they ought to correct