Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Furthermore, whereas it is said to the Levites that God is their heritage; it is to the end they should be the willinger to give themselves wholly to his service. For had they bin busied in husbandry, traffic of merchandise, & such other like things: they had bin turned away from their office, & not had leisure to do the thing that God had commanded them: that is to wit, that those which were in Jerusalem §50should serve in the Temple;¹ & those which were dispersed abroad in the country, should maintain the religion pure, & not suffer the people to grow out of order, but teach them every man in his place, y• they might be preserved in all pureness. For upon that condition were they chosen. Not without cause therefore doth God say that he was the heritage & portion of the Levites, to the end that such as are called to his service, should not be pulled away, nor have excuse to withdraw them §60from the full executing of their duty. Now in deed S. Paul applieth this to the ministers of gods word,² saying that if by the law of Moses they which served at the Altar were found of the Altar; they which at this day have the charge of preaching Gods word, and of the offering up of spiritual sacrifices, ought of reason to be found and maintained, & to have that which is necessary for them. Yet notwithstanding we must learn generally, that God hath done us the honour to make us all Levites, according to this saying,³ that when God shall have restored his people, those which were Levites before shall then become Priests, & all the common people shall become Levites. And this belongeth to the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing then that Jesus Christ hath showed himself to the world:⁴ we which before were strangers & had no acquaintance at all with God, are now come into the Church to be of the body of Abraham's children, and are in as good case as they that were heirs of the promise. But we are become Levites for we press unto our God,