Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Our sacrifices then are stained with some spot & vice or other; that is true: but yet must we have this roundness & soundness, of tending unto God without enforcement, necessity, or hypocrisy. When we be at that point, our Lord will accept our sacrifices, as though they were offered up unto him throughly pure & §60perfect, & utterly faultless. In deed it is by means of our Lord Jesus Christ; for there must we be grounded as I said afore. But if we have that virtue, then doth God accept the sacrifices which we offer unto him, so we be not snarled with hypocrisy, & come not to him as enforced or constrained, but with a free will. Therefore if men will serve God, they must beware that they seek not to please men by it, as it often falleth out that they think it enough to make some fair show, & therewithal do content & sooth themselves. We bear our selves in hand that we have done all that can be done; yea but we never entered into our selves, to give over our selves wholly unto God. We never sounded our selves to find whether there were any evil intermingled, that we might be purged of it. And yet is that the end which we should have begun at, that our coming unto God might not be as by constraint. For if it were possible, we would exempt our selves from all obedience, and never come to reckoning with him for it. But contrariwise we ought to serve him with a free disposed mind. Then let us consider, that if we intend to make our life allowable before God, then in all our thoughts and all our affections we must have this substantial soundness of dedicating our whole life unto him, so as our senses and desires be made captives unto him, and he so reign over us, as our chief desire may be to be ruled by him and by his holy spirit, and to frame our selves in such wise to his will, that we take nothing in hand but that which liketh him. When we go that way to work: then shall our sacrifices be pure and clean.

Our sacrifices then are steyned with some spot & vice or other; yt is true: but yet must wee haue this roundnesse & soundnesse, of tending vnto God wtout inforcement, necessitie, or hypocrisie. When we be at yt point, our Lorde will accept our sacrifices, as though they were offred vp vnto him throughly pure & §60perfect, & vtterly faultles. In deed it is by means of our Lord Iesus Christ; for there must wee be grounded as I said afore. But if we haue yt vertue, then doth God accept ye sacrifices which we offer vnto him, so we be not snarled wt hypocrisie, & come not to him as inforced or constreined, but with a free will. Therefore if men will serue God, they must beware yt they seek not to please men by it, as it often falleth out yt they thinke it enough to make some faire shew, & therewtal do content & sooth thēselues. We beare our selues in hand yt we haue done al yt can be done; yea but we neuer entred into our selues, to giue ouer our selues wholy vnto God. Wee neuer sounded our selues to finde whether there were any euill intermingled, that we might be purged of it. And yet is that the ende which wee should haue begunne at, that our comming vnto God might not be as by constreint. For if it were possible, we would exempt our selues from all obedience, and neuer come to reckoning with him for it. But contrariwise wee ought to serue him with a free disposed minde. Then let vs consider, that if wee intend to make our lyfe allowable before God, then in all our thoughtes and all our affections we must haue this substantiall soundnesse of dedicating our whole lyfe vnto him, so as our senses and desires be made captiues vnto him, and hee so reigne ouer vs, as our cheefe desire may bee to bee ruled by him and by his holy spirit, and to frame our selues in such wise to his will, that we take nothing in hand but that which lyketh him. When wee goe that way to worke: then shall our sacrifices bee pure and cleane.