Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Now for our better confirmation herein, let us compare our selves with the Angels & with all the world besides, & let us think thus: what are we? Truly, if we go no further than to our own selves, we may have our eyes dazzled, & we know that naturally men do so besot themselves, that they be as good as bewitched with the fond imagination of their own worthiness. Therefore if we should look no further than to our selves; it would seem to us that we be something worth: but if we look further of, & fall to considering with our selves, What are other men? Do they not set as much or more by themselves than we do? yes: & if there were a third party to play the judge, would he not make more account of them than of us? Yes. For to outward show there is much more greatness, riches, worthiness, & honour; there is much more discretion & wisdom in them than in us. What is the cause then that God hath chosen us, & let the others go? Have we any thing whereof we may be proud? Alas, no, if we be not overfar besotted in our own fond imaginations. But if we cannot yet be brought to this reason by comparing ourselves with all the world beside: let us mount up a little higher & come to the Angels of heaven. Could not God have contented himself with his Angels, without coming unto us. We be but poor worms, there is nothing but rottenness in us, & yet god vouchsafeth to seek us. His will is to have us to be his children, not only to enjoy his gifts & benefits here beneath, but also to advance us up to his heavenly kingdom. And for what deserts of ours? [None at all.] Wherefore seeing we cannot be so beaten down at one blow, as to come humble our selves unto God; let us weigh well these words of Moses, & bethink us of the thing that is told us here; namely that the heavens of heavens are the lords. For Moses thinks it not enough to say simply the heavens: but he enlargeth his speech yet further, & saith, the heavens of heavens. It had been enough to have said the heavens; for seeing that the earth (how wide and huge so ever it be) is nothing in comparison of the unmeasurable greatness of the skies: the only word heavens ought well to have sufficed. But Moses intended to express it yet more in saying the heavens, yea even the heavens of heavens. In respect whereof he repeateth those words three times:

Nowe for our better confirmation herein, let vs compare our selues with the Angels & with al the world besides, & let vs think thus: what are we? Truely, if we go no further than to our owne selues, we may haue our eies dazeled, & we know yt naturaly men do so besot themselues, yt they be as good as bewitched with the fond imaginatiō of their own worthines. Therefore if we should looke no further than to our selues; it would seem to vs yt we be something worth: but if wee looke further of, & fall to considering with our selues, What are other men? Do they not set as much or more by thēselues than we do? yes: & if there were a third partie to play ye iudge, would he not make more account of them than of vs? Yes. For to outward showe there is much more greatnes, riches, worthines, & honor; there is much more discretion & wisedom in thē than in vs. What is the cause then yt God hath chosen vs, & let the others go? Haue we any thing wherof we may be proud? Alas, no, if we be not ouerfarre besotted in our own fond imaginations. But if we cannot yet be brought to this reason by cōparing ourselues with all the worlde beside: let vs mount vp a litle higher & come to ye Angels of heauen. Could not God haue contented himselfe with his Angels, wtout cōming vnto vs. We be but poore wormes, there is nothing but rottennesse in vs, & yet god vouchsafeth to seeke vs. His wil is to haue vs to be his chilren, not only to enioy his gifts & benefits here beneath, but also to aduance vs vp to his heauenly kingdom. And for what deserts of ours? [None at al.] Wherefore seeing we cannot be so beaten down at one blow, as to come humble our selues vnto God; let vs wey well these words of Moses, & bethink vs of the thing that is told vs here; namely that the heauēs of heauens are the lords. For Moses thinkes it not ynough to say simply the heauēs: but he inlargeth his speech yet further, & saith, the heauens of heauens. It had been ynough to haue saide the heauens; for seeing that ye earth (how wide and houge so euer it be) is nothing in comparison of the vnmeasurable greatnes of the skyes: ye only word heauens ought wel to haue sufficed. But Moses intēded to expresse it yet more in saying the haeuens, yea euē the heauēs of heauēs. In respect wherof he repeteth thos words three times: