Sermons upon Deuteronomy

But now besides that which I have said, (that is to wit, that we be warned to forbear all presumption, and to lay down all pride): let us be well assured, that it belongeth to God to advance us & to make us of estimation, through his mere grace: and that when we shall have heaped up all that ever we can together, all is nothing. Then, besides that we have a good warning to humble our selves: it is showed us therewithal, that we must not envy those by whom God serveth his turn. And that is another good lesson. For we see how every of us repyneth, when God hath advanced any man, specially beyond all worldly hope. Where as we should consider thus, behold God serveth his turn by such a one, every man commendeth him, and there appear manifest gifts of grace in him: when we see those things, we be so malicious, that we grudge & repine at it. But contrariwise we ought to mark, that when we be so pricked with spite and envy, it is an advancing of our selves against God and not against mortal creatures. Therefore let us learn to honour God wheresoever he showeth himself, & to be glad when he vouchsafeth to extend his grace to our neighbours: for if we do so, all shall fall out to our welfare. If another man have mo gracious gifts than I: I am rich in his person. For when we confess the communion of saints: it is to show, that whatsoever God giveth to one man or to another, the same redoundeth to the benefit of all. True it is that we perceive it not at the first push: but yet doth such diversity serve for the whole body of the Church.¹ The members of a body have not all one operation: the eyes execute not the office of the legs, nor the hands the office of the feet: and yet notwithstanding the body is so knit together in one, that whatsoever is given to any one member, doeth benefit all the rest. Now then let us understand, that when God bestoweth the gifts of his holy spirit more largely upon some one man than upon others, he ceaseth not therefore to have pity upon us: For we also must be edified thereby. Yea surely, so we be not unthankful, and that we take no pitch at it when he listeth to hold us low and to exalt our neighbours. To be short, we make war against God when we cannot abide that he should keep the order which he hath determined:

But now besides that which I haue said, (that is to wit, that we be warned to forbeare all presumption, and to lay downe all pride): let vs bee wel assured, that it belongeth to God to aduance vs & to make vs of estimation, through his mere grace: and that when we shal haue heaped vp al that euer we can together, all is nothing. Then, besides that we haue a good warning to humble our selues: it is shewed vs therewithall, that wee must not enuie those by whom God serueth his turne. And that is another good lesson. For wee see howe euery of vs repyneth, when God hath aduanced any man, specially beyonde all worldly hope. Where as we should consider thus, beholde God serueth his turne by such a one, euerie man commendeth him, and there appeare manifest gifts of grace in him: when we see those things, we be so malicious, that we grudge & repine at it. But contrariwise wee ought to marke, that when we be so pricked with spite and enuie, it is an aduancing of our selues against God and not against mortall creatures. Therefore let vs learne to honour God wheresoeuer hee sheweth himself, & to be glad when he vouchsafeth to extend his grace to our neighbours: for if we do so, all shall fall out to our welfare. If another man haue mo gracious gifts thā I: I am rich in his person. For whē we confesse ye communion of saints: it is to shew, that whatsoeuer God giueth to one man or to another, the same redoundeth to the benefite of all. True it is that we perceiue it not at the first push: but yet doth such diuersitie serue for the whole bodie of the Church.