Sermons upon Deuteronomy

yet must I have it at his hand, and when I have asked my ordinary bread to day, I must do the like to morrow too, and yield my self to the will of him that giveth it me. Thus much concerning the first §50point, where mention is made of Gods blessing of the works of mens hands. And therewithal let us call to mind what hath been declared thereof more at large heretofore, where our Lord willeth men to consider how it is only he that beareth the sway in making our labours to prosper. Let that serve for one point.

yet must I haue it at his hand, and when I haue asked my ordinarie breade to day, I must doe the like to morrow too, and yeeld my selfe to the wil of him that giueth it mee. Thus much concerning the first §50point, where mentiō is made of Gods blessing of the workes of mens hands. And therewithall let vs call to minde what hath beene declared therof more at large heretofore, where our Lorde willeth men to consider how it is onely hee that beareth the sway in making our labours to prosper. Let that serue for one point.

And now let us come to the second point: which is, that if we desire to be partakers of Gods blessing, we must first yield him his right:§60 for if he be defrauded of it, he will revenge it upon us.¹ And that is the cause why he saith by his Prophet, Do ye complain that ye be afflicted? Consider the cause, saith he. Ye have defrauded me. Whereof? Of my Tithes, Firstfruits, and all other things. Ye bear your selves in hand that ye increase your selves greatly by robbing of me, and that ye gain much by defrauding me of my right. The people of Israel were so witless, that they stole the tithes; or if they tithed, they did it but by halves: and likewise of their firstfruits, in stead of making good fulsome sheaves and bundles unto God, they gelded them and made them very thin and lank: and yet these miserable wretches bare themselves in hand that they benefited themselves greatly by laying up some little quantity more than they ought to have done. Contrariwise our Lord sayeth unto them: Go to sirs, should ye have either tithes, or firstfruits, or any crop at all, but by my blessing? And think ye that your filching away of any of the things that belong to me, shall boot you? No no: ye must needs be wasted and dye for hunger by reason of your unthankfulness. Therefore let us learn to yield God the things which he reserveth to himself: and then will he bless us. As how? When we be to be sustained, the firstfruits that God requireth of us, are that we should wait upon him, and sue to his mere gracious goodness for all things requisite to the maintenance of this flightfull life. And afterward when he hath given us whereon to live, we must use the same soberly, that our life being ruled after that fashion, may be as another sacrifice to him, and consequently that we give our neighbours part with us. Let such as have wherewith impart to the poor that want: and let every man beware that he filch away none other mens goods, and let us be contented with our competent food and raiment as God listeth to bestow upon us: and in so doing we shall be blessed at his hand. But what? Our distrustfulness, our excess, and our unsatiable lusts cause God to withdraw his blessing from us, and that we are, as it were dried up. Also it is seen that in stead of going forward we go backward and what do we thereupon?