Sermons upon Deuteronomy

& on the other side that if they be stubborn & wilful in their wickedness, it shall not boot them to think to escape, or to ween that the word shall be vain & to no purpose: for god will always give it force & power. What to do? To destroy those that have so refused it, & trodden it under foot, & made a mock of it, & openly resisted it. Now by the way we must call to mind again what I have touched already heretofore in following Moseses discourse: namely that God promiseth not any blessing but to such as obey his commandments: like as on the other side he threateneth none but such as turn away from him, And thereby he showeth that men may well take much pain, but they shall but lose their labour if they rule not themselves according to the law. Here ye see how all the devotions that men devise, are cast down. Moses saith they be utterly fruitless. In deed the Papists, Turks & Jews do persuade themselves, that they deserve much at Gods hand by their doing of things upon their own head, when they be able to say; I take it to be very good. They bear themselves in hand that they come very near to God by their wandering in their windlasses after that fashion. But on the contrary part we see, that God promiseth not any thing but to such as obey his word. Therefore if we intend to be undisappointed of our hope, let us seek to know Gods will by asking it at his own mouth, & thereupon let us simply obey whatsoever he telleth us. For as long as men rule themselves after their own imaginations, or after the traditions of men; it is no obedience, but a displeasing of God, & he will not admit it to come in their account. Thus much for the first point concerning this blessing.

& on the other side that if they be stubborne & wilful in their wickednes, it shal not boote thē to think to escape, or to ween yt the word shalbe vaine & to no purpose: for god wil always giue it force & power. What to doe? To destroy those yt haue so refused it, & trodē it vnder foot, & made a mocke of it, & openly resisted it. Now by the way we must call to minde again what I haue touched already heretofore in following Moseses discourse: namely yt God promiseth not any blessing but to such as obey his cōmandements: like as on ye other side he threateneth none but such as turne away from him, And therby he sheweth that men may well take much paine, but they shal but lose their labour if they rule not themselues according to the lawe. Here ye see how al ye deuotions yt men deuise, are cast down. Moses saith they be vtterly frutelesse. In deede ye Papists, Turks & Iewes doe perswade themselues, yt they deserue much at Gods hande by their doing of things vppon their own head, whē they be able to say; I take it to be very good. They beare themselues in hand yt they come very neere to God by their wādring in their windlasses after yt fashion. But on ye contrary parte wee see, yt God promiseth not any thing but to such as obey his word. Therfore if we intēd to be vndisappointed of our hope, let vs seeke to knowe Gods wil by asking it at his own mouth, & therupō let vs simply obey whatsoeuer he telleth vs. For as long as men rule themselues after their own imaginations, or after ye traditions of men; it is no obedience, but a displeasing of God, & he wil not admit it to come in their account. Thus much for the first point cōcerning this blessing.