Sermons upon Deuteronomy

He says not, only that he loveth them, or that he pitieth them; but that he will do them right. Now then, if we see that the Judges on earth do but mock poor folks when they come to them for succour, and that in stead of helping them they do but scorn them, let us understand that those Judges must come before the heavenly Judge, who will surely punish both those whom he had put in commission to defend poor folk, and also those that have abused the liberty which they had in this world, by doing the more evil because they saw they might scape unpunished. God therefore looketh upon them, and yet maketh as though he saw them not, for a time; so as if men mistreat poor folks, be they widows, fatherless, or strangers, in deed he setteth not himself against their doings at the first, but when he hath let them take their pleasure a while, then lays he his hand upon all such as have passed their bounds in doing outrage to the feeble and little ones; and specially upon such as have not done their office when they were in authority to do Justice, nor have succoured poor souls when they were oppressed. For God must needs redress such enormities, and show such persons their negligence, by setting himself against them, as against the corrupters of the law when it was put into their hand. And so ye see what Moses meant, in saying that God doth right to such as are wrongfully trodden under foot, and are not regarded in the world.

He saies not, only that he loueth them, or that he pitieth them; but that he will doe them right. Now then, if we see that the Iudges on earth do but mocke poore folks when they come to them for succour, and yt in stead of helping them they do but skorne them, let vs vnderstand that those Iudges must come before the heauenly Iudge, who will surely punish both those whome he had put in commission to defend poore folke, and also those that haue abused the liberty which they had in this world, by dooing the more euill bycause they saw they might scape vnpunyshed. God therefore looketh vpon them, and yet maketh as though he saw them not, for a time; so as if men misintreat poore folkes, be they widowes, fatherlesse, or straungers, in deede he setteth not himselfe against their dooings at the first, but when hee hath let them take their pleasure a while, then layes he his hand vppon all such as haue passed their boundes in doing outrage to the feeble and little ones; and specially vppon such as haue not doone their office when they were in authoritie to doe Iustice, nor haue succoured poore soules when they were oppressed. For God must needes redresse such enormities, and shew such persons their negligence, by setting himselfe against them, as against the corrupters of the lawe when it was put into their hand. And so ye see what Moses ment, in saying yt God doth right to such as are wrongfully trodē vnder foote, and are not regarded in the world.