Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Needs now must this free promise of God be performed: for it dependeth not upon men: it is not said, conditionally that thine offspring behave themselves well: but Gods intent is to be unchangeable in his determination. And therefore whereas he saith here to Moses, Let me alone, I will make clean riddance of this people: it is as if he should say, This people hath deserved to be utterly destroyed: for seeing they be past amendment, what shall I do more? I have tried them a number of ways, I have experience of them, I have borne gently with them, I have chastised them, and yet will they not be reclaimed, neither by fair means nor by foul. Seeing then that they be past recovery, they must needs be utterly rooted out and perish. Yea, but yet is there this, Let me alone. His using of that speech includeth a condition: as if he should say, Here am I ready to do the office of a judge: what remaineth now to do, but to thunder down upon this people, and to make clean dispatch of them? Only make thou no intercession for them.

Needes nowe muste this free promise of God be performed: for it dependeth not vppon men: it is not saide, conditionally that thine ofspring behaue themselues well: but Gods intent is to bee vnchaungeable in his determination. And therefore whereas he saith here to Moses, Let me alone, I will make cleane riddaunce of this people: it is as if he shoulde say, This people hath deserued to be vtterly destroyed: for seeing they be past amendement, what shall I doe more? I haue tried them a number of wayes, I haue experience of them, I haue borne gentlie with them, I haue chastised them, and yet will they not bee reclaimed, neither by faire meanes nor by foule. Seeing then that they be past recouerie, they must needs be vtterly rooted out and perish. Yea, but yet is there this, Let mee alone. His vsing of that speech includeth a condition: as if he shoulde say, Here am I readie to doe the office of a iudge: what remaineth nowe to doe, but to thunder downe vppon this people, and to make cleane dispatche of them? Onely make thou no intercession for them.

Now we see yet better the thing which I touched afore: that is to wit, that God was so far off from cutting off of Moses, or from shutting him out that he should not pray: that he did rather sharpen him thereunto. As if he should say: But for thee this people should be destroyed. For if I should handle them according to their deserts: I should confound them. And forasmuch as they be so wilful that they be past amendment. It is time now or never to execute my sentence. It is too much: I will make no moe words: But I will grant thus much at thy request, that if thou make intercession to me, I will be restrained by it. Now then we see these two questions well resolved and the profit that redoundeth of this text. Namely first that the force of our prayers is showed us here, when we pray unto God faithfully.