Sermons upon Deuteronomy

The time is come that the people should be delivered out of the thraldom of Egypt, to be conveyed into the Land of promise: Moses is chosen to be their guide, so as he supplieth Gods office in delivering them: and yet notwithstanding this shame is done unto him, that GOD shutteth the gap against him and sayeth, thou shalt not come there. Ye see then how Moses is (as ye would say) branded with a mark of reproach before God. Now had he taken it in despite: it had been enough to have plunged him into some blasphemy. But he bare this correction patiently, knowing that it should be to his benefit, because it was but temporal. And therefore let us mark this saying of Saint Paul,¹ that Gods punishing of us is to the intent we should not perish with the world. Seeing then that GOD procureth our welfare thereby, and his mortifying of us for a time as in respect of the flesh: and his condemning of us in such wise as we be ashamed afore men,² is to the intent that our souls should be saved at the latter day, and we live in his presence: seeing that that is the end & butte that he shooteth at: let not us on our part be so headstrong, as to chafe or fume at his corrections, but rather follow the example of Moses, who (as we see) did make no words against God. It might seem he had some occasion to say, how falls this out, that I am driven out of the land of promise? What shall a man say to it? For thou hast ordained me to be as a redeemer in thy stead: and now must I tarry here still. It was thy will that I should serve in this office, to put the people in possession of the promised land: and why shall I not be partaker of the benefit that thou hast purchased them by my hand? What though there have been some little distrust in me, which continued not the turning of a hand? Is the offence so heinous, that I must be so grievously punished for that? Moses then might have held such plea with God: but he holdeth his peace, and yieldeth to the sentence of condemnation willingly. Therefore let us follow that which is showed us here by example: and (as I said afore) when GOD is so gracious to us, that in stead of casting of us away (as he might justly do) he doth no more but chastise us as in respect of the flesh, and shame us before men, to the end to bring us to repentance, and to humble us:

The time is come that the people shoulde bee deliuered out of the thraldome of Egypte, to bee conueyed into the Lande of promise: Moses is chosen to bee their guide, so as hee supplyeth Gods office in deliuering them: and yet notwithstanding this shame is done vnto him, that GOD shutteth the gappe against him and saieth, thou shalt not come there. Yee see then howe Moses is (as yee woulde say) bronded with a marke of reproch before God. Nowe had hee taken it in despyte: it had beene ynough to haue plunged him into some blasphemie. But hee bare this correction patiently, knowing that it shoulde bee to his benefite, because it was but temporall. And therefore let vs marke this saying of Saint Paul,