Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Moreover, let us come to the chief point: which is that our Lord Jesus Christ is named our Passover. For by him must we be delivered, not out of the land of Egypt, but out of the dungeons of death; and we must pass a passage that were unpossible for us, if God drew us not with his own hand, & by his own wonderful power. For we be all borne the children of wrath, and we should rot in our misery, if god pitied us not, & reached us not his hand. And that man beguileth himself which thinketh himself able to leap out of the mire wherein he is plunged. It is the office of our Lord Jesus Christ to draw us out from thence, according to this saying of S. Johns in his viii. chapter,¹ If the son of god make you free, then shall you be free. Whereby he showeth us, that even from our very coming out of our mothers wombs, we be in the cursed thraldom of sin, & death, & should continue therein unto the end, if we were not set free from it by him which not without cause hath taken upon him the title of passover, to show that it is his office to set us free, as I said afore. And hereby we must learn to presume nothing of our selves. but to consider that we must think our selves beholden to the son of god for all things, that he may be magnified, & all those devilish opinions of free will & of power & ability to prepare our selves to do good, beaten down; so as we may know that as long as God suffereth us to follow our own swing, we shall always abide fast tied in the chains of the devil & of death. And therefore let us yield our lord Jesus Christ his dew honour, which is that we acknowledge him to be the party which hath set us free.

Moreouer, let vs come to ye chief point: which is yt our Lord Iesus Christ is named our Passouer. For by him must we be deliuered, not out of the land of Egypt, but out of the dungeons of death; and we must passe a passage that were vnpossible for vs, if God drew vs not with his owne hand, & by his own wonderfull power. For we be al borne the children of wrath, and we should rot in our miserie, if god pitied vs not, & reached vs not his hand. And that man beguileth himselfe which thinketh himselfe able to leape out of the myre wherin he is plunged. It is the office of our Lord Iesus Christ to draw vs out frō thence, according to this saying of S. Iohns in his viii. chapter,¹ If ye sonne of god make you free, thē shal you be free. Wherby he sheweth vs, that euen from our very comming out of our mothers wombes, we be in ye cursed thraldom of sin, & death, & shold continue therin vnto the end, if we were not set free from it by him which not without cause hath taken vpon him the title of passouer, to shew yt it is his office to set vs free, as I said afore. And heereby we must learn to presume nothing of our selues. but to consider that we must think our selues beholden to the sonne of god for all things, that he may bee magnified, & all those diuelish opinions of free will & of power & ability to prepare our selues to doe good, beaten downe; so as we may know yt as long as God suffereth vs to follow our owne swindge, we shall alwayes abide fast tyed in the chaines of the diuel & of death. And therfore let vs yeeld our lord Iesus Christ his dew honour, which is yt we acknowledge him to bee the partie which hath set vs free.