Sermons upon Deuteronomy

And he addeth hereunto, that it is not enough to be entered into the land: but we must also abide and dwell there: for if we have once received the promise of salvation, and God hath blessed us & made us to prosper to the worldward: we must not thereupon fall a sleep, but we must still follow our cause. We know that this life is a way, and therefore we must still go on forward.¹ And whither is it that God calleth us? Saith he to us, when ye have gone on a little way, tarry still entangled in the world? No: but we must travel still upward to the heavenly life. And that can not be done without forsaking the world continually more and more. Then let us mark well, how it is told us here, that when God hath once put us in hope of salvation, so as he hath taken us into his Church and into his flock, and begun to do us good: we must not fall asleep upon it, but proceed on still, assuring our selves that all is to no purpose, unless we hold out to our lives end, without ceasing or failing in the midst of our way. This is it that Moses meant, in saying that when the people were once entered into the land, it behoved them to have an eye to the everlasting enjoying & possessing thereof which had bin promised them with the same. Having said so, he addeth that the land of Canaan is not as the land of Egypt. And why? For your being in Egypt (saith he) was as it had bin in a garden. For men do water their gardens, so as when they have sowed or set their herbs, they will have water at hand to moisten them withal. After the same manner was it with you in the land of Egypt, which is watered partly by cunning, & partly by nature. For we must understand, that that land hath one property which all other lands have not. We read not that any other coū try of the world is unmoistened with rain and showers from above, save only Egypt. For once a year the river Nilus overfloweth his banks, & according to the growing thereof, so doth it behight them abundance of fruits. Insomuch that if it overflow not above five or six foot deep, it is a token of dearth, as who should say that God threateneth famine to the whole country. If it rise to twē tie foot or somewhat upward, well, there will be some abundance. But if it increase to thirty or forty foot, then will there be much more:

And he addeth hereunto, that it is not enough to be entred into the land: but wee must also abide and dwell there: for if wee haue once receiued the promise of saluation, and God hath blessed vs & made vs to prosper to ye worldward: we must not thereupon fall a sleepe, but wee must still folowe our cause. We know that this life is a way, and therefore wee must still goe on foreward.