Sermons upon Deuteronomy

although your nature be inclined thereto, yet must you not bury your sins, but ye must bear them still in mind, and set them before your eyes, and then shall ye have cause enough to humble yourselves. Thus are we warned here, to bethink us oftentimes of the faults that we have committed, and to beware that we seek not vain colours, ne think not that we have sped well, when we have found some trifling shift to justify our selves with all: but to learn to cast our ⟨p. 382⟩selves utterly down, and to mislike of ourselves, and to be as men condemned, so as there remain none other shift for us, than to flee for refuge to the infinite mercy of our GOD. That is the greatest benefit that we can devise to work to our selves, all our life long. But how shall we be brought to it? By the knowing of our faults. Now then, in stead of shunning it as a matter of grief, and whereas we be loth to think upon the offences that §10have provoked Gods wrath: let every of us bethink himself of them early and late, and let us enter into the examination of our selves, to say, Alas, how have I lived in this world? Again, let us not think upon other folks faults, to make a buckler of them as we be wont to do: but let us call all our own life to mind, now one sin, and now an other, and let us cast forth our sighs and sobs before GOD as witnesses that we be not willing §20to besot our selves, nor to bury our selves in our own dung by weltering in it: but rather that we would fain attain to his righteousness, as whose endeavour is to hate and abhor our sins, and to magnify Gods grace towards us. Which thing can not be done, unless our sins mislike us, and we think thus with our selves: Well then, needs must GOD have used great goodness towards me, seeing he hath called me at such time as I was forlorn.§30 Again, since his calling of me, how oft have I deserved to be shaken off, and to be quite cut off from his Church? And yet for all that, he beareth with me unto this hour, and continueth his goodness towards me still. Thus ye see how we must bethink us of our sins, to the end that Gods goodness may be known, and that we may not only taste of it, but also be fully satisfied with it.

although your nature be inclined thereto, yet must you not burie your sinnes, but yee must beare them still in minde, and sette them before your eyes, and then shall yee haue cause ynough to humble yourselues. Thus are we warned here, to bethinke vs oftentimes of the faultes that wee haue committed, and to beware that wee seeke not vaine colours, ne thinke not that wee haue spedde well, when wee haue founde some trifling shifte to iustifie our selues with all: but to learne to cast our