Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Seeing then that the people were so gathered together,§50 they could not but be restrained from starting out into foolish inventions: and needs must the doctrine be retained therewithal, as I have said afore: for the ceremony was nothing of it self, it had bin but as a Maygame or a mockery. That was the cause why the people were drawn to Jerusalem, as to the place which God had appointed. And so we see now why it was said that they should not do sacrifice in any of their cities or towns, but assemble all together in the City of Jerusalem.

Seeing then that the people were so gathered together,§50 they could not but be restrained frō starting out into foolish inuentions: and needes must the doctrine be retained therwithal, as I haue said afore: for ye ceremonie was nothing of it selfe, it had bin but as a Maygame or a mockerie. That was ye cause why ye people were drawē to Ierusalē, as to ye place which God had appointed. And so we see now why it was said yt they shoulde not do sacrifice in any of their cities or townes, but assemble al together in the Citie of Ierusalem.

It is enjoined further, that they should not break a bone of the Pascal Lamb.¹ And why so? As if it were said that it was a meat to be eaten in hast, (as I have showed afore,) so as they were forbidden to boil any part of it. And hereby God meant to show yet better the hast which the people made in departing out of the land of Egypt, forsomuch as it was not for them to set the pot upon the fire to boil it: for they could never have had time to do it. Therefore were they fain to make hast, & to eat this Lamb half roasted as people pressed upon by their enemies, & as folk that looked to have bin overtaken every minute of an hour: by reason whereof they had no leisure to stand gnawing of the bones, or to break them to get out the marrow, as folk do when they have time at will. None of this could they do: but were fain to eat the sacrifice in hast, & to cast away the rest. We see then as now, that as concerning the deliverance that had bin wrought already, things were as it were pointed out with the finger in the Paschal Lamb: & for this cause the very term it self is expressed here, for the Hebrew word Passah is the same that we call Passing in English. And by the word our Lord confirmed the thing which we have spoken of before, namely that this Ceremony was not a fond devise to busy mens heads withal as though they were little babes: but that it importeth instruction to edify folk withal, to the end they should think thus: This day must we do homage to our God for our life, because he preserved us of his own mere infinite goodness, by bringing us out of the land of Egypt. So then God spake not simply of the thing that were to be observed: but his meaning was to show the end in such wise which he intended, as the people might consider, we have made a Passage: & what manner of Passage? Even such a one as we had no legs to go it withal, but God did list us up by his power, and made us to pass over it as a gulf of death, not only in passing the red sea, but also when we were yet in Egypt. For before we came at the red sea, there was another strait to pass, which we should never have scaped out at, if God had not opened us the way with his own hand. Yea & his will was that that day should be observed, to the intent that the remembrance thereof should be the certainer.