Sermons upon Deuteronomy

But here it might be replied, that although our own sin be the let that we be not made partakers of the blessing that is behighted in the law to enjoy it; yet notwithstanding, forasmuch as we be utterly excluded from it; it is in vain for him to say, I set before you a blessing. That is not so: For we have two points to note. The one is, that Gods speaking after that manner concerning his word, is to the end that we should have it in reverence & estimation, & also love it & set our harts upon it; & moreover fall to the considering of our own cursedness, so as we might be humbled & cast down, & be sorry when we see our benefit turned to our bane, & our life into death because we be not disposed to receive it. But God shall have won nothing at our hands by letting us alone there: we must be fain to go one step further. Forasmuch as we see our selves bereft of the blessing of the law so long as it continueth but a dead letter;¹ that is to say, so long as it doth but only tell us what we should do, & giveth us not power to do it in deed: we must resort to our Lord Jesus Christ, whose office is to write the things in our hearts which God had written in stones,² that he may make us willing to obey, in stead of our swerving aside to the contrary. Again, our Lord Jesus Christ hath deserved this blessing for us; that we might henceforth be received into favour for his sake, & our works be accepted at Gods hand though they be nothing worth of themselves. For we come not as every man in his own person, nor as they that had performed the law themselves: but we come in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, as members of his body. Ye see then that the blessing is performed in us by seeking the remedy which we want, which is that whereas God hath promised to bless men upon condition, forasmuch as the same booteth us not, there is added another point of favour, which is that he receiveth us for his sons sake,³ & writing his law in our harts, imputeth not our sins unto us; by means whereof we fail not to be partakers of the blessing that is contained here, though we be not able to perform the law, but that the same pass our ability. Mark that for one point.

But here it might be replyed, that although our own sin be the let that we be not made partakers of ye blessing that is behighted in ye lawe to enioy it; yet notwithstanding, for asmuch as wee be vtterly excluded from it; it is in vaine for him to say, I set before you a blessing. That is not so: For we haue two points to note. The one is, that Gods speaking after that maner concerning his word, is to the ende yt we should haue it in reuerence & estimation, & also loue it & set our harts vpon it; & moreouer fall to the considering of our owne cursednes, so as we might be humbled & cast downe, & be sorie when we see our benefite turned to our bane, & our life into death because we be not disposed to receiue it. But God shall haue wunne nothing at our handes by letting vs alone there: wee must be faine to go one step further. Forasmuch as we see our selues bereft of the blessing of the law so long as it continueth but a dead letter;